Lily's Kitchen Adult Dry: Chicken & Duck vs Duck, Salmon & Venison
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The headline proteins on these two Lily's Kitchen bags are different, but the detail that matters most sits further down the ingredients list. The Chicken & Duck recipe is built on fresh chicken. The Duck, Salmon & Venison recipe is built on three other meats, yet its ingredients also include lamb gravy, which is easy to miss if you are choosing it to avoid certain proteins. Both are 2.5kg grain-free adult dry foods for dogs from four months, so the decision comes down to reading the lists.
What the two lists say
| Chicken & Duck | Duck, Salmon & Venison | |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh meat content | 42%: chicken 31%, duck 8%, chicken liver 3% | 35%: duck 20%, salmon 10%, venison 5% |
| Starch base | Sweet potatoes 29%, whole peas 6.5%, lentils | Potatoes, whole lentils, whole peas |
| Other protein sources | Pea protein, egg, potato protein, chicken gravy | Pea protein, egg, lamb gravy |
| Fish | Salmon oil | Salmon (10%) |
| Prebiotics | MOS 1.3g and FOS 0.8g per kg | MOS 1.8g and FOS 1.1g per kg |
| Joint mix per kg | Glucosamine 175mg, MSM 175mg, chondroitin 125mg | Glucosamine 170mg, MSM 200mg, chondroitin 125mg |
| Fruit and veg | Carrots, apples, cranberries, spinach | Carrots, apples, cranberries, blackberries, spinach |
| Amazon rating | 4.6 from 3,508 ratings | 4.6 from 2,052 ratings |
The botanical blend is the same in both, 1% of the recipe: alfalfa, chickweed, cleavers, goldenrod, nettles, seaweed, dandelion root, celery seeds, milk thistle, burdock root, marigold flowers and rosehips. The listing for Duck, Salmon & Venison names celery as an allergen, and celery seed is in both blends, so anyone avoiding celery should check both.
Proteins and the allergy question
If your dog has reacted to chicken, Chicken & Duck is out. Chicken is its biggest ingredient, and the recipe also includes chicken liver and chicken gravy. The duck, salmon and venison recipe avoids chicken in its named meats, which makes it the obvious alternative on paper. Look closer, though. It lists lamb gravy, so a dog that must avoid lamb is not clear of it, and it contains egg and fish, which matter to some dogs. Both recipes contain egg and pea protein.
There is also a fish point in each direction. Chicken & Duck contains salmon oil but not salmon meat; Duck, Salmon & Venison has salmon at 10%. The Chicken & Duck listing also carries a footnote on its grain-free claim: the food is made in a factory that handles grains, so traces may be present. The Duck, Salmon & Venison listing does not repeat it, but it would be sensible to assume the same applies and check the pack. For a dog with a confirmed allergy that is worth knowing.
Neither listing says "hypoallergenic", and with this many ingredients neither is a limited-ingredient diet in the strict sense, even though the Chicken & Duck listing files it under that heading. If you suspect a food allergy, the sensible route is a vet-guided trial on a purpose-chosen diet, not a switch between two multi-protein foods. This article is general information, not veterinary advice.
The joint and gut extras
The two recipes are close on extras. Both include prebiotics and a joint care mix, and the differences are small: the duck recipe lists more prebiotic per kilo and a little more MSM, the chicken recipe a touch more glucosamine. The listings say these ingredients help support digestion and joints. Treat that as the maker's claim, since the page gives no outcome data, and do not expect either food to do the job of a vet-prescribed joint plan.
The Duck, Salmon & Venison listing also mentions that Lily's Kitchen has changed its packaging and that you may receive a mixture of pack designs during the transition. That is a cosmetic point, but it explains why the bag in your hand may not look like the photo.
Rotating between them
Both recipes share a similar base of potato or sweet potato, peas and lentils, plus the same botanicals, so moving between them is likely to be gentler than moving between brands. Some owners like to rotate proteins, and it can be a way to add variety. It is still a change of food, so make it gradually over a week or so, as in how to switch your dog's food. If a dog has a sensitive stomach, do not rotate for variety's sake; stick with whichever suits and keep treats consistent.
Which one to pick
Choose Chicken & Duck if your dog does well on chicken, you want the higher fresh-meat percentage and you want the more widely rated of the two; the listing shows 3,508 ratings against 2,052 for the duck recipe. Our full review of Chicken & Duck has more detail.
Choose Duck, Salmon & Venison if chicken is off the table, your dog is comfortable with fish and lamb gravy, and you want a recipe with a wider range of meats. The weaknesses: the lower meat percentage and the extra ingredients to check. If you are comparing Lily's with another natural brand, Forthglade against Lily's Kitchen puts the chicken recipe next to a rival, and what hypoallergenic means on a dog food label is useful context if allergies are the reason you are choosing.
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