Therapeutic diet cross-reference (worldwide)
A global map of comparable therapeutic diets across Hill’s Prescription Diet, Royal Canin Veterinary and Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets. The same diet is often sold under different names in different countries, so each cell lists the naming variants seen across the US, UK, EU, Canada, Australia and South Africa.
⚠ Important: read before using
This table covers all regions. Product names, formulations and availability vary by country and change over time; some products listed here may not be sold in your area, and some local products may not appear here. Always verify against the current manufacturer catalog for your own market before acting.
Reference only; not veterinary advice, and not a prescribing tool. “Same indication” does not mean “interchangeable”: therapeutic diets differ in their exact nutrient targets, and some carry one-way or conditional restrictions (see Chart 2). Every therapeutic-diet substitution is a clinical decision that rests with the prescribing veterinarian. If a client's exact prescribed diet is out of stock, the safe default is order it in or book the vet, not hand over a different one.
Chart 1: Comparable diets by indication
Out of stock? Print a client handout with the comparable diets and a 7-day changeover.
25 of 25 indications shown.
| Indication | Hill’s Prescription Diet | Royal Canin Veterinary | Purina Pro Plan Vet (PPVD) | Cross-swap note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chronic kidney disease (renal) | k/d · k/d Kidney CareHill's Manufacturer source ↗ | Renal · Renal Support A/D/E/F (letters = palatability variants, same tier) · Renal Special · Renal LiquidRoyal Canin Manufacturer source ↗ | NF Renal Function (Advanced Care)Purina Manufacturer source ↗ | Match the stage first (see next row). |
| Early-stage renal | k/d Early Support · k/d Early Stage | Early Renal · Renal Support Early ConsultRoyal Canin Manufacturer source ↗ | NF Renal Function Early Care | ⚠ Early-stage ≠ standard renal: different restriction tier. |
| Digestive / GI (standard) | i/d · i/d Digestive CareHill's Manufacturer source ↗ | Gastrointestinal (Moderate Calorie · Kitten/Puppy)Royal Canin Manufacturer source ↗ | EN Gastroenteric (US) / EN Gastrointestinal (UK)Purina Manufacturer source ↗ | Straight swap for routine GI. |
| GI: LOW FAT (pancreatitis, hyperlipidaemia, lymphangiectasia)Dog only | i/d Low FatHill's Manufacturer source ↗ | Gastrointestinal Low Fat (Small Dog · Loaf)Royal Canin Manufacturer source ↗ | EN Gastroenteric/Gastrointestinal Low FatPurina Manufacturer source ↗ | ⚠ The fat restriction is the therapy: match low-fat to low-fat only. |
| GI: fiber / microbiome (colitis, constipation) | Gastrointestinal Biome · w/d (Multi-Benefit)Hill's Manufacturer source ↗ | Gastrointestinal Fibre/Fiber Response · Gastrointestinal High Fibre/FiberRoyal Canin Manufacturer source ↗ | EN (fibre variants) | High-fiber and low-fat GI diets solve opposite problems; confirm which was prescribed. |
| Urinary: struvite / FLUTD (maintenance) | c/d Multicare · c/d Urinary CareHill's Manufacturer source ↗ | Urinary S/O (SA: “Urinary So”) · Urinary S/O Moderate CalorieRoyal Canin Manufacturer source ↗ | UR Urinary St/OxPurina Manufacturer source ↗ | Struvite-focused; aids oxalate by dilution. Not for dissolution or urate (below). |
| Urinary: rapid struvite dissolution (short-term) | s/dHill's Manufacturer source ↗ | Urinary S/O (dissolution protocol) | UR (dissolution use) | ⚠ Short-term diet: never a maintenance food, never handed over as an ongoing substitute. |
| Urinary: urate / cystine (low purine)Dog only | u/dHill's Manufacturer source ↗ | Urinary UC (Low Purine)Royal Canin Manufacturer source ↗ | n/a | ⚠ Opposite protein/mineral profile to struvite diets: needs stone analysis, never a shelf swap. |
| Food sensitivity: HYDROLYSED (standard) | z/d (hydrolysed chicken liver)Hill's Manufacturer source ↗ | Hypoallergenic · Hydrolyzed Protein HP/PS (hydrolysed soy)Royal Canin Manufacturer source ↗ | HA Hydrolyzed / HypoallergenicPurina Manufacturer source ↗ | Different parent proteins; a patient reactive to one may flare on the other. |
| Food sensitivity: HYDROLYSED (extensive) | (none at this tier) | Anallergenic · Ultamino (feather hydrolysate, oligopeptides)Royal Canin Manufacturer source ↗ | (HA, some markets) | ⚠ One-way: stepping up to extensive is safe; stepping back down is not. |
| Food sensitivity: NOVEL / SELECTED protein | d/d (Duck, Salmon, Venison…)Hill's Manufacturer source ↗ | Sensitivity Control · Selected Protein PD/PR/PW (duck/rabbit/whitefish)Royal Canin Manufacturer source ↗ | (market-specific) | ⚠ Novel protein ≠ hydrolysed. Match protein exactly; carrier carbohydrate still differs. |
| Skin / dermatology | Derm Complete · Derm DefenseHill's Manufacturer source ↗ | Skin Care · Skin & Coat · Skintopic · Adult SkinRoyal Canin Manufacturer source ↗ | DRM DermatosisPurina Manufacturer source ↗ | Derm diets target different drivers (food vs environmental), so they are not straight swaps. |
| Weight management / obesity | Metabolic (Metabolic Weight) · r/dHill's Manufacturer source ↗ | Satiety / Satiety Weight Management · Neutered Satiety/Weight Balance · Moderate-Calorie variants | OM Overweight / Obesity ManagementPurina Manufacturer source ↗ | Different mechanisms; recalculate the ration on any swap. |
| Diabetes: dogDog only | w/d (high-fiber)Hill's Manufacturer source ↗ | DiabeticRoyal Canin Manufacturer source ↗ | DM Dietetic / Diabetes ManagementPurina Manufacturer source ↗ | ⚠ Two strategies (high-fiber vs low-carb) change insulin needs. Do not cross species. |
| Diabetes: catCat only | m/d (m/d GlucoSupport)Hill's Manufacturer source ↗ | Glycobalance (US/UK/CA) / Diabetic (SA/AU)Royal Canin Manufacturer source ↗ | DM Dietetic Management (low-carb)Purina Manufacturer source ↗ | Feline-specific. Do not cross species. |
| Liver (hepatic) | l/dHill's Manufacturer source ↗ | HepaticRoyal Canin Manufacturer source ↗ | HP HepaticPurina Manufacturer source ↗ | Copper-restricted; confirmed copper-associated hepatopathy needs <1.2 mg Cu/1000 kcal: l/d and RC Hepatic are formulated to meet it. ⚠ “No added copper” bags are not automatically restricted enough (see note). |
| Joint / mobility | j/d (Reduced Calorie) · combos: k/d + Mobility, Metabolic + Mobility, Brain Care + j/dHill's Manufacturer source ↗ | Mobility · Mobility C2P+ · Mobility Support (JS) · Advanced Mobility SupportRoyal Canin Manufacturer source ↗ | JM Joint Mobility | Match the primary condition first with combination diets. |
| Dental | t/d (Mini · Small Bites)Hill's Manufacturer source ↗ | Dental (Small Dog)Royal Canin Manufacturer source ↗ | DH Dental | Mechanical fiber matrix; closest to like-for-like, but still a vet call. |
| Convalescence / recovery / anorexia | a/d (Urgent Care)Hill's Manufacturer source ↗ | RecoveryRoyal Canin Manufacturer source ↗ | CN ConvalescencePurina Manufacturer source ↗ | ⚠ High-energy critical-care food, short-term only (not maintenance). Both syringeable. |
| CardiacDog only | h/dHill's Manufacturer source ↗ | Cardiac · Early CardiacRoyal Canin Manufacturer source ↗ | CC Cardio CarePurina Manufacturer source ↗ | Sodium-restricted; match the specific cardiac indication. |
| Cognitive / brain agingDog only | b/d (Brain Ageing Care) · Brain Care + j/dHill's Manufacturer source ↗ | (Mature Consult: ageing, not seizure) | NC NeuroCarePurina Manufacturer source ↗ | ⚠ Different targets: cognitive-ageing vs seizure support. Limited mapping. |
| Senior / mature wellness | g/d · Multi-Organ Complex Support | Mature Consult (Balance · Large Dog)Royal Canin Manufacturer source ↗ | n/a | Wellness tier, not a disease diet. |
| Anxiety / stress (add-on) | c/d Multicare Stress · i/d Stress · Gastrointestinal Biome Stress | Calm (+ base diet)Royal Canin Manufacturer source ↗ | (Calming Care = supplement) | Stress variants add anxiety support on top of a base indication; match the base too. |
| Thyroid (feline hyperthyroid)Cat only | y/dHill's Manufacturer source ↗ | n/a | n/a | ⚠ NO cross-brand equivalent. Iodine-restricted; fails if the cat eats anything else. Order in: never substitute. |
| Oncology / convalescence support | ONC Care (On-Care)Hill's Manufacturer source ↗ | n/a | n/a | Energy-dense, highly palatable restorative diet. Used for cancer patients, but also for inappetent, recovering or convalescing animals. No cross-brand counterpart. |
Chart 2: Conditional / directional swaps
| From | Direction | To | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| z/d (hydrolysed chicken liver) | ↔ both ways | RC Hypoallergenic / Hydrolyzed HP (hydrolysed soy) | Different parent proteins; reactive to one may flare on the other |
| z/d or RC Hydrolyzed HP (standard) | → one way only | RC Anallergenic / Ultamino (extensive) | Stepping up is safe; stepping back down is not |
| d/d Duck (novel protein) | ↔ both ways | RC Selected Protein PD (duck) | Only where the protein matches exactly; carrier carb still differs |
| s/d (struvite dissolution) | → one way only | RC Urinary S/O (maintenance) | s/d is short-term dissolution, not maintenance |
| u/d (urate / cystine) | ↔ partial | RC Urinary UC Low Purine | Partial match: protein & purine restriction differ; vet decision |
⚠ Never swap a hydrolysed or novel-protein diet during a diagnostic elimination trial: it invalidates the trial and the 8–12-week clock restarts.
Chart 3: No cross-brand equivalent (order in, do not substitute)
| Product | Why nothing substitutes | |
|---|---|---|
| Hill's y/d: feline hyperthyroidism | Iodine-restricted, no counterpart; fails if the cat eats anything else at all | Do not substitute |
| Hill's u/d: urate / cystine | Very low protein & purine; RC Urinary UC is a partial match at best | Do not substitute |
| Hill's b/d: canine cognitive dysfunction | No direct counterpart | Do not substitute |
| Hill's ONC Care: oncology & convalescence | Restorative, energy-dense diet for cancer, inappetence and recovery; no cross-brand counterpart | Do not substitute |
| Hill's Derm Complete: environmental + food allergy | A different approach to the nearest competitor, not a substitution | Do not substitute |
| RC Anallergenic / Ultamino: extensive hydrolysate | Nothing in Hill's hydrolyses to this level; z/d is not a step down | Do not substitute |
| RC Selected Protein PR / PW: rabbit, whitefish | These proteins aren't made by the other brand | Do not substitute |
| RC Calm: anxiety | No standalone anxiety diet in the other range | Do not substitute |
| Multifunction diets (e.g. renal + hydrolysed) | Combination ranges differ between brands and rarely map one-to-one | Do not substitute |
Rules that apply to every swap
- Stage is not the same as brand: early-stage and standard renal are different tiers within both ranges. Match the stage, then the brand.
- Match wet-to-wet, dry-to-dry: swapping form quietly cuts water intake in renal & urinary patients.
- Check life stage; most therapeutic diets are not formulated for growth, gestation or lactation.
- Transition over ~7 days: mid-stockout, mixing the remaining old food across 3–4 days still beats an abrupt switch.
- Inappetence is usually palatability, not formula: a cat refusing one renal variant may accept another.
Note: copper and the liver diets
The real trap is the reverse of what people expect. For confirmed copper-associated hepatopathy, dietary copper should be < 1.2 mg / 1000 kcal (ACVIM 2019 consensus). Standard commercial foods sit far higher (median ~4.4 mg/1000 kcal). Therapeutic hepatic diets are the ones that meet the target: Hill's l/d, Royal Canin Hepatic and JustFoodForDogs Hepatic Support Low Fat are named as meeting it. A food labeled “no added copper” (usually over-the-counter) is not automatically restricted enough for a confirmed case.
Sources: Torres-Henderson C, “Nutritional Management of Copper Hepatopathy,” Today's Veterinary Practice, Mar/Apr 2025; ACVIM consensus on chronic hepatitis in dogs (Webster et al., JVIM 2019); WSAVA Global Nutrition Guidelines. Naming variants compiled from manufacturer catalogs across six markets. Not maintained in real time; review at least annually and whenever a brand reformulates.
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Frequently asked questions
- What is the Royal Canin equivalent of Hill's k/d?
- For chronic kidney disease, Hill's k/d maps to Royal Canin Renal (including Renal Support A/D/E/F palatability variants, Renal Special and Renal Liquid) and Purina PPVD NF Renal Function. Match the stage first; early-stage renal diets are a different restriction tier.
- Can I swap a hydrolysed diet for another brand?
- Not casually. Hill's z/d uses hydrolysed chicken liver and Royal Canin Hypoallergenic / Hydrolyzed HP uses hydrolysed soy, so a patient reactive to one may flare on the other. Stepping up to an extensive hydrolysate (Anallergenic / Ultamino) is one-way; stepping back down is not safe. Never swap during a diagnostic elimination trial.
- Is there an alternative to Hill's y/d?
- No. Hill's y/d for feline hyperthyroidism is iodine-restricted and there is no cross-brand equivalent. It also fails if the cat eats anything else at all, so it must be ordered in rather than substituted.
- Does swapping a therapeutic diet change the portion size?
- Yes. Therapeutic diets differ in calorie density, so any swap needs the daily ration recalculated, especially weight-management diets, which use different mechanisms between brands.