Hill's Science Diet: what is in it, and what we would feed instead
Adult, Puppy, Senior, Prescription Diet · PetSmart, vets (owned by Colgate-Palmolive)
Our take
Hill's is the food most vets reach for, partly because the company has spent decades in veterinary schools and clinics. The prescription diets are doing real work for a diagnosed condition, so talk to your vet before changing one. The everyday Science Diet lines are middle-of-the-road kibble at a premium price.
What the label says
Hill's has long relationships with veterinary schools and clinics, which is part of why it is so often the food a vet recommends. The everyday ingredient lists are middle of the road: corn gluten meal, brewers rice and powdered cellulose appear in many formulas. The Prescription Diet lines are formulated for specific diagnoses and should only be changed with your vet.
- Owned by Colgate-Palmolive
- Chicken by-product meal as the main protein in many formulas
- Corn second or third
- 2019 recall: excess vitamin D in canned dog foods
- Sponsors nutrition programs at veterinary schools
- Whole, named protein
- Moisture in the food (raw is about 70% water; kibble about 10%)
- Protein rotation
- No starch binder
- Fresh fats and omega-3s
Powdered cellulose flag: This is purified plant fibre, usually from wood pulp, used to add bulk. Watch for it in weight-management and prescription formulas; it raises the fibre number while displacing food.
The switch at Barks N Purrs
For an everyday Science Diet feeder: Perfectly Raw or Big Country Raw, with Adored Beast Healthy Gut for the switch. For a Prescription Diet: bring the plan to your vet and we build around what they say.
Website prices on 2026-09-26. Cost per day is a starting estimate at 2.5% of body weight for an adult dog; your plan uses your pet's real weight and age.
Turn this into a 30-day plan for your pet
Three minutes: who they are, what is going on, what they eat now. You get the food, the first two supplements, the amount to feed and the cost per day, emailed to you as a shopping list to bring in.
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