Choose a sensitive-stomach dog food by your dog’s needs and the full recipe, not the word “sensitive” on the bag. For an adult dog whose vet has agreed that an everyday food is appropriate, compare Hill’s Science Plan Small & Mini Chicken, Purina Pro Plan Medium Sensitive Digestion Lamb, and Burns Sensitive Pork & Potato. They serve different sizes and ingredient preferences; none is a universal treatment for digestive illness.
We checked manufacturer information and UK retailer pages on 8 September 2026. This is a researched comparison, not a feeding trial. We have not measured symptom improvement or ranked foods by clinical effectiveness.
Shopping disclosure: product links here are direct, non-affiliate links to the named shops. Check the exact recipe, bag size, current price and delivery terms on the retailer page.
Before shopping: contact your vet promptly if your dog seems unwell, has blood in their stool, vomiting, pain or diarrhoea lasting more than 24 hours; seek advice sooner for puppies and vulnerable dogs. A swollen abdomen, especially with unsuccessful retching, needs emergency veterinary help. See PDSA’s diarrhoea advice and bloat guidance.
Table of Contents
Three everyday dry foods to compare
| Food | Practical fit | Ingredients to notice | UK shop |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hill’s Science Plan Sensitive Stomach & Skin Small & Mini Chicken | Small adult dogs, from one year | Chicken and turkey; contains grains | zooplus — select bag |
| Purina Pro Plan Medium Sensitive Digestion Lamb | Medium adult dogs, 10–25kg | Also contains poultry protein and egg | zooplus — select bag |
| Burns Sensitive Pork & Potato | Adult/senior recipe with pork | Contains maize; not grain-free | Burns — select bag |
Hill’s Science Plan Small & Mini: a size-specific adult option
The UK product is Science Plan Sensitive Stomach & Skin Small & Mini with Chicken. Hill’s labels it a complete food for small adult dogs from one year old, and specifically excludes puppies and pregnant or nursing dogs from its recommendation.
The current manufacturer composition includes chicken and turkey meal, rice, maize and other grains, beet pulp and dried eggs. Hill’s describes the beet pulp as prebiotic fibre. These are product details, not evidence that it will resolve an individual dog’s symptoms.
Why compare it: the small-dog format and clear adult purpose. Important limitation: it contains poultry and is not a poultry-free allergy diet. Check the pack’s current ingredient list if avoiding anything: the retailer and manufacturer pages can show different versions during recipe or packaging changes.
Purina Pro Plan Medium Sensitive Digestion: for medium adults
Purina positions this complete dry recipe for medium adult dogs weighing 10–25kg. Its UK page names lamb and rice and describes the inclusion of prebiotics. It is a useful comparison when that size category fits and the recipe matches your dog’s feeding plan.
Lamb does not mean single-protein. The manufacturer’s ingredient list also includes dried poultry protein, soya meal, dried egg and fish oil. Do not choose it to exclude poultry or egg. The front-of-bag flavour is only part of the information needed.
Why compare it: an explicitly medium-adult sensitive-digestion formula. Check first: choose “Sensitive Digestion Lamb”, rather than another Pro Plan product with similar branding. This is separate from the brand’s veterinary diets. The retailer offers different pack quantities; review your basket before ordering a large supply.
Burns Sensitive Pork & Potato: a different recipe to inspect
Burns’ current recipe lists pork, potato, maize, pea starch, peas, pork fat, seaweed and minerals. The manufacturer presents it for sensitive digestion and provides an adult/senior feeding guide. Its shop offers 2kg, 6kg and 12kg bags.
The useful distinction is the pork recipe, not a promise of allergy relief. Pork is only a new protein for a particular dog if that dog has not previously eaten it. The potato name also does not make this grain-free: maize is in the published composition.
Why compare it: a clearly named alternative when its ingredients fit your dog’s requirements. Check first: ask your vet whether an everyday sensitive food is suitable. Burns’ “hypoallergenic” description should not be treated as proof that the food is appropriate for a diagnostic elimination trial or a medical condition requiring a specific nutrient profile.
Everyday sensitive food, veterinary diet or allergy trial?
“Sensitive stomach” describes a concern; it does not identify its cause. Digestive upset can follow a food change or eating something unsuitable, but illness and parasites can also be involved. Repeated symptoms deserve veterinary assessment rather than a succession of new bags.
An everyday sensitive food is a commercial feeding option. A veterinary diet is formulated for a particular nutritional purpose and should be selected with your vet. A gastrointestinal diet and a hydrolysed allergy diet are not interchangeable categories.
For example, Purina’s HA Hypoallergenic dry food specifically uses hydrolysed protein and requires veterinary supervision. “Hydrolysed” means the protein has been broken into smaller components. This is an explanation of the category, not a recommendation to switch to HA without advice.
For a suspected food allergy, PDSA describes an exclusive food trial directed by a vet, commonly lasting at least 6–12 weeks. Treats, dental sticks, leftovers and access to another pet’s bowl can interfere with that plan. Follow your vet’s exact diet and timing rather than adapting a shopping comparison into a trial.
What to check on the label
Choose a food labelled complete for the correct life stage. These adult options should not replace a puppy’s growth diet by default. Confirm any ingredient exclusions against the full current composition, and ask the manufacturer about an unclear ingredient before feeding it.
Grain-free, limited-ingredient and high-meat labels do not establish that a recipe suits every sensitive dog. Avoid eliminating whole ingredient groups without a reason. The WSAVA food-selection checklist encourages questions about nutritional expertise, quality control and evidence behind the food. Those questions are more informative than a numerical score based only on ingredients.
Make one planned change and keep useful notes
Ask your vet how to change food if your dog is already symptomatic or on a prescribed diet. For a routine change in an otherwise well dog, PDSA recommends a gradual introduction over roughly two weeks. Manufacturer schedules may differ; an individual veterinary plan takes priority.
Record the exact recipe, grams fed, treats, appetite, stool changes and any vomiting. Keep the bag or photograph its batch details. This helps you explain what happened if advice is needed. Avoid adding several supplements or swapping treats at the same time, because the resulting changes become harder to interpret.
Compare cost without committing to the biggest bag
Use the intended daily amount to calculate cost per day: delivered price divided by bag weight in kilograms, multiplied by the daily grams divided by 1,000. For example, a hypothetical £40, 8kg bag at a hypothetical 200g per day costs £1 per day. These figures illustrate the calculation; they are not a price quote or feeding prescription.
A smaller first bag may be a sensible practical choice when trying an agreed new diet, even if its price per kilogram is higher. Once the food suits your dog, compare larger bags, shelf life and storage. Check whether a displayed discount requires recurring deliveries.
Which should you shortlist?
For a small adult, examine Hill’s Small & Mini; for a medium adult, examine Pro Plan Medium Lamb. Consider Burns Pork & Potato when its different ingredients fit your feeding plan. If a food already suits your dog, this comparison is not a reason to change it. If symptoms persist, the next step is your vet, not another product experiment.
Choosing by life stage as well as digestion? Our Cockapoo food guide covers puppy and adult options, portions and shopping checks.