Hills Id Canned Dog Food Feeding Guide

Understanding the Hill's i/d Canned Dog Food Feeding Guide

Hill's Prescription Diet i/d is a veterinary therapeutic diet formulated for dogs with acute or chronic gastrointestinal disorders. It's ultra-palatable, easy to digest, and designed to be gentle on an upset gut. The feeding guide isn't something you just eyeball and roll with—getting it right matters because this is a medical diet, not a casual topper. The label provides a feeding chart based on ideal body weight. Here's how it breaks down for adult dogs at normal activity levels:

• 4.5 kg (10 lbs): roughly 3/4 can per day
• 9 kg (20 lbs): roughly 1.5 cans per day
• 13.5 kg (30 lbs): roughly 2.25 cans per day
• 18 kg (40 lbs): roughly 3 cans per day
• 22.5 kg (50 lbs): roughly 3.75 cans per day
• 27 kg (60 lbs): roughly 4.5 cans per day
• 36 kg (80 lbs): roughly 6 cans per day
• 45 kg (100 lbs): roughly 7.5 cans per day

These are 13-oz cans. If your dog is overweight, you base it on their target weight, not their current weight. If they're underweight or highly active, you add 20–50% on top of the chart amount. This isn't a one-size-fits-all thing. I should say upfront that there is no standalone downloadable PDF feeding guide from Hill's that replaces the chart on the can. The official guidance lives on the label and on hillspet.com. Some third-party sites have scanned copies floating around, but the can itself is the source of truth. If your vet prescribed this, they'll also give you a written feeding plan, which usually overrides anything on the label anyway. Here's the transition protocol, because messing this up is the most common mistake I see:

Days 1–2: mix 25% i/d with 75% of the old food. Days 3–4: 50/50. Days 5–6: 75% i/d with 25% old food. Day 7 onward: full i/d. If your dog has a sensitive stomach or is being switched for a medical reason, some people stretch this to 10 days. That's fine. The goal is to avoid triggering the very GI issue you're trying to treat. Now, here's something most people miss. The feeding chart assumes your dog is eating i/d as their sole diet. If you're mixing it with other foods, supplements, or treats, you need to account for those calories separately. A single peanut butter Kong or a handful of kibble "just as a treat" can throw off the entire therapeutic effect and the caloric balance. With i/d especially, since it's calorie-dense, overfeeding is easy and happens constantly in my experience. I had a case recently where a owner was feeding the chart amount for a 20 lb dog but also giving roughly half a can as a "palatability boost" each day. The dog was gaining weight steadily and the owner was confused because they were following the guide. Always weigh the full daily ration, don't estimate by scoop or by eye.

Another thing worth noting: i/d is a short-to-medium term diet. It's not formulated for long-term maintenance in healthy dogs. It's low in fiber, which is intentional for GI recovery, but prolonged feeding without veterinary supervision can lead to nutritional imbalances. If your dog needs to be on this for more than a few weeks, your vet should be monitoring them. Storage is straightforward. Once opened, cover the can and refrigerate. Use within 5 days. Don't leave it out. The high moisture content makes it spoil faster than dry food, and spoiled i/d is worse than useless—it can irritate a recovering gut. Water access needs to be constant. Some dogs drink less when eating exclusively moist food, but dehydration will set back GI recovery. Make sure the bowl is refreshed daily.

If your dog refuses to eat i/d despite the "ultra-palatable" claim, warming it slightly to body temperature (microwave for about 10 seconds, stir, check temp) can help. Don't overheat it. And if the refusal persists beyond a day or two, call your vet—force-feeding or fasting a dog with GI disease can be dangerous. Bottom line: use the can label as your starting point, adjust for body condition and activity, transition slowly, track everything that goes into the bowl, and stay in touch with your vet if things aren't improving within a week. The guide on the can is a baseline, not a rigid rule.