How long is Hill s Science Diet good for
Pet Food Storage Tips
Where you store your cat and dog food can make a big difference in the quality and freshness once it is opened. Here are some common questions and recommendations for optimal storage for all of Hills dry and canned cat and dog food.
How should I store my cat or dogs dry food? Bags of dry Science Diet and Prescription Dietcat or dog food should be stored in a cool, dry environment under 100F (38C)? This is to prevent destruction of vitamins and oxidation of fats leading to rancidity. Pet foods will retain their best flavor if stored in the original bag, which provides a fat barrier. Storage at temperatures of 120F (48C) for more than 48 hours can accelerate the normal degradation or destruction of the vitamins.
Can I store my cat or dogs canned food in the garage? Storing your cat or dogs food in an uncontrolled environment - such as a garage or outdoors is not recommended.
- For dry cat and dog food
- Store the food in a cool and dry environment. It is best to store the bag off the floor to reduce potential infestation.
- For canned cat and dog food
- Prior to opening, store cans in a place where the temperature is between 50-100F. Do not freeze canned cat or dog food as it can change the texture and taste of the food.
Should I use a plastic storage container for my cat or dogs food? Many cat and dog owners like to transfer their cat or dogs dry food from the bag to another container. Studies by Hill's packaging engineers have shown that storage in a variety of plastic containers (garbage cans, zip-to-close bags, garbage or, kitchen bags, rubber/plastic containers, plastic pails, etc.) may impart an odor and taste to dry pet foods that adversely effects the taste of the food. Zip-to-close bags, garbage and similar bags will also not prevent fat from accumulating on the outside of the bag. Storage in clean metal containers (small metal tins, metal garbage cans, etc.) is acceptable. If you do prefer using a storage container, keep the food in the original bag within the container to create an ideal storage location.
How do I store open cans of cat or dog food? Opened cans of Science Diet or Prescription Dietcat or dog food should be stored in the fridge to retain moisture, minimize exposure to air and reduce transfer of odors to other food. The best way to store opened cans of cat or dog food is to use a plastic pet food lid that fits the top of the can to prevent moisture loss and transfer of odors. If a plastic lid is not available, plastic wrap also provides a very good moisture, air and odor barrier. Zip-to-close bags provide good moisture barriers but do not provide good oxygen and odor barriers.
Sometimes my pet doesnt eat everything. How long is my cat or dogs dry food good once its in the bowl? How long are the cans good once opened?
- For dry cat and dog food
- Dry food can be left in your cat or dogs bowl indefinitely if the bowl is kept in an area that is cool, dry, out of direct sunlight and not subject to contamination by insects and vermin. However, we recommend that your cat or dogs food bowl is washed and filled fresh each day.
- For canned cat and dog food
- Your pets bowl should be emptied of moist or canned food not eaten by your cat or dog within 4 hours if the ambient temperature is above 50F. Opened cans should be stored in the fridge, at temperatures between 40-45F, for a maximum of 5-7 days. Any cat or dog food remaining after that time should be thrown out.
How can I tell if an unopened can or bag of cat or dog food is still good? For dry cat and dog food
- The datecode on our plastic bags is located on the left gusset, near the 4 or 5-digit SKU number, toward the bottom of the bag. The datecode on our medium and large bags will be located on the top of the bag, generally the front flap. The example below shows that this bag of pet food is best before April 2010. After April 1, 2010, the unopened bag of pet food should be discarded.
For canned cat and dog food
- Please refer to the best before date stamped on the bottom of all canned products. The example below shows that this can of pet food is best before December 2010. After December 1, 2010, the unopened can of pet food should be discarded.
Remember, what you feed your cat or dog is critical to their health but where you store your cat and dog food can also make a big difference to your furry loved ones. Keep these tips in mind for optimal pet food storage.
5 Things to Know When Feeding Your Dog Hills Prescription Diet
The following article was written in partnership with Hills.
Precisely balanced nutrition is vital to the overall health and development of dogs, no matter their age, size, breed, or health status. At Hills, we know pets with certain health conditions can benefit from the specialized nutritional support that the Prescription Diet portfolio offers.
How Hills Prescription Diet Dog Food Works
The Hills Prescription Diet brand includes foods aimed to help veterinarians manage a range of health conditions for dogs (and cats). Hills Prescription Diet foods have undergone extensive testing to ensure they meet the nutritional requirements for the specific health condition(s) they are recommended for.
Nutrition can play a role in how veterinarians manage certain conditions. Some examples could include:
Your veterinarian plays an important role in recognizing more or less subtle conditions that can benefit from therapeutic nutrition.
Your Vet Can Determine If Your Dog Needs a Hills Prescription Diet
To determine if your pet should eat a Hills Prescription Diet food, your vet will start with a thorough physical exam and ask you questions about your dogs lifestyle and behaviors.
After the exam, they may recommend additional diagnostics (such as blood work, cytology, urinalysis, or diagnostic imaging) to help properly diagnose your pet and rule out other conditions. This will help your vet formulate a comprehensive care plan, including a nutritional recommendation.
In my experience as a practicing veterinarian, the cases where nutrition is most frequently recommended are when the dog has an underlying condition related to any of the following conditions: urinary care, kidney care, skin/allergy care, weight management, and digestive care.
Hills Prescription Diet and Obesity in Dogs
When it comes to weight loss, its important to look at everything the pet is eating during the day. The easiest place to start is cutting out any extra calories like treats and table scraps.
However, most pets that are carrying excess weight do not benefit from caloric restriction from treats alone. In fact, just feeding a pet a smaller amount (or fewer calories) of their normal food is not recommended and may lead to nutritional deficiencies.
Several Hills Prescription Diet foods are specifically formulated to help your pet lose weight. Wherever you see Metabolic or + Metabolic, this means that the food contains our synergistic blend of fibers from fruits and vegetables that activates the bodys natural ability to burn excess fat rather than store it.
This means that your pups metabolism will act more like the metabolism of a lean pet while ensuring that their nutritional and caloric needs are being met.
Results with Hills Prescription Diet
Every pet and health condition is unique and may respond differently when fed Prescription Diet foods. However, Hills performs extensive research and clinical studies to create specific and relevant product claims for Prescription Diet products.
To learn more about research conducted and results seen in our clinical studies for specific foods, visit hillspet.com or talk to your veterinarian.
Always talk to your veterinarian about their expectations and any important milestones to look for when giving your pet a Prescription Diet food.
Work with Your Veterinarian When Introducing a Hills Prescription Diet
Its important to work closely with your veterinarian when switching your pup to a new food. Your veterinarian will help you determine how much your pet should eat based on the specific food and your pet's ideal weight and lifestyle. Youll work together to create a feeding transition plan prior to switching to the new food.
Its important that the feeding transition is slow and gradual to ensure that your pet will eat the new food and reduce the chances of any GI upset. We recommend seven to 10 days to fully transition to the new foodbut for pickier patients, it may take longer.
Therapeutic nutrition can play an important role in managing your pets health. These foods have undergone extensive testing to ensure that they are precisely balanced and are an appropriate part of your veterinarian's treatment plan to manage your pets health condition.
Since these foods are only fed under the recommendation of your veterinarian, be sure to ask at your next appointment if a Hills Prescription Diet product is right for your pet.
Hills Prescription Diet FAQs
Do I need a prescription for Hills Prescription Diet?
Prescription Diet foods do not require a traditional prescription, but they do require a recommendation and approval from a licensed veterinarian. Schedule an appointment to ask your veterinarian to assess your pets health and nutritional needs.
How long can a dog be on Hills Prescription Diet?
Your veterinarian will advise what feeding plan is best for your pets nutritional needs. The majority of Prescription Diet products are suitable for long-term feeding.
How long does it take for Hills Prescription Diet to work in a dog?
Every pet and health condition is unique and may respond differently when fed Prescription Diet foods. However, Hills performs extensive research and clinical studies to help demonstrate the efficacy of many Prescription Diet products.
Always talk to your veterinarian about their expectations and any important milestones to look for when feeding a Prescription Diet food.
My pet is picky. Can I mix in other foods with the Prescription Diet food?
Never feed or supplement other foods without checking with your veterinarian first. When your pet is eating a Prescription Diet, it is important to feed only that food for optimal compliance to your veterinarians treatment plan.
If youre worried that your pet will crave more variety, talk to your veterinarian about what other flavor or form options (such as dry, stew, or pt) are available.
Featured Image: iStock.com/VYCHEGZHANINA
WRITTEN BY
Kristin Wuellner, DVMVeterinarian
Dr. Kristin Wuellner is a fun-loving veterinarian with interests that extend beyond the exam roomshes passionate about how client...
EVERYDAY NUTRITION THATS A STEP AHEAD
BIOLOGY-BASED NUTRITION TO HELP YOUR BEST FRIEND LIVE THEIR BEST LIFE
Hills Science Diet provides biology-based nutrition to anticipate your pets ever-changing needs as they grow from a puppy or kitten into an adult dog or cat.
Made for healthy pets of every age and size, we also have options for dogs and cats with special needs including weight management, healthy digestion and much more.
All Science Diet dry foods offer:
- Natural, great tasting ingredients with high-quality protein as ingredient #1
- Precise nutrition to support healthy skin, coat and stool
- Clinically proven antioxidants for a healthy immune system
Hills Cat Food Review
Hills Pet Nutrition is one of the most well-respected brands in the pet food industry. Youd be hard-pressed to find a vets office or animal shelter thats not stocked with a supply of Hills Prescription Diet or Science Diet. But behind the prestige, is Hills a nourishing, safe choice for your cat? Find out in our unbiased Hills cat food review.
The Cats.com StandardRating Hills on What Matters
Weve analyzed Hills and graded it according to the Cats.com standard, evaluating the brand on species-appropriateness, ingredient quality, product variety, price, customer experience, and recall history. Heres how it rates in each of those six key areas.
Ratings
- Species-Appropriateness 6/10
- Ingredient Quality 6/10
- Product Variety 9/10
- Price 6/10
- Customer Experience 8/10
- Recall History 4/10
Overall Score: 6.5/10
We give Hills cat food a 39 out of 60 rating or a B- grade.
About Hills
The company dates back to 1907, when Burton Hill opened up a rendering facility in Topeka, Kansas. Hill Rendering Works became the city of Topekas contract rendering facility and eventually added on a milling division. Along with the ability to manufacture animal feed, the company earned a new namethe Hill Packing Company.
In the late 1940s, the Hill Packing Company partnered with Dr. Mark L. Morris, a veterinarian known for formulating some of the worlds first clinical veterinary diets. The Hill Packing Company was contracted to manufacture the original formulation of Canine k/d, Dr. Morris diet for dogs with kidney disease.
Morris and Hills partnership evolved over the years and eventually became known as Hills Pet Nutrition. The company added on new lines, including the ever-popular Hills Science Diet.
In 1976, Hills Pet Nutrition was purchased by the Colgate-Palmolive company. Hills Pet Nutrition products are now sold in 86 countries around the world.
Sourcing and Manufacturing
Hills Pet Nutrition has a robust research and development department. More than 220 veterinarians, food scientists, technicians, and Ph.D nutritionists work to develop Hills products.
The Hills Pet Nutrition Center in Topeka, Kansas is considered a world-class research facility and helps Hills maintain its status as a leading authority on animal nutrition.
Hills says that they only accept ingredients that meet their stringent quality standards. Each ingredient is examined to ensure its safety and nutritional adequacy. Most of Hills ingredients are sourced from North America, Europe, and New Zealand.
Hills cat food is manufactured in company-owned facilities located in the United States.
Has Hills Cat Food Been Recalled?
The following is a summary of the Hills cat and dog food recalls issued over the years.
2019
In early 2019, Hills issued a recall of canned dog foods from the Science Diet and Prescription Diet lines. due to dangerously high levels of vitamin D. Excessive Vitamin D causes blood calcium levels to soar, leading to organ failure and potentially, death. This recall came two months after a series of vitamin D-related recalls affected other pet food brands, but Hills says theyre not aware of a connection. In light of this recall, Hills says they are strengthening their quality check protocol and demanding more stringent regulations from their supplier.
Following the recall, a class action suit was filed against Hills Pet Nutrition for selling food that contained excessive and dangerous levels of vitamin D.
2015
In November, the company initiated a market withdrawal of several varieties of Science Diet dog food due to labeling issues.
2014
Potential salmonella contamination prompted Hills to recall 62 bags of Science Diet dog food in California, Hawaii, and Nevada.
2007
In April of 2007, Hills Science Diet was one of many pet food brands recalled due to melamine contamination.
February 2019Hills is Sued Over Prescription Diet Claims
In February of 2019, a Kansas dog food consumer named Stevie Kucharski-Berger sued Hills for violating the Kansas Restraint of Trade Act and the Kansas Consumer Protection Act.
According to the plaintiff, Hills prescription diets do not require FDA approval or a prescription under Kansas or federal law. Because theres nothing in the foods that legally requires a prescription, the suit argues, Hills use of the prescription diet name and the Rx prescription symbol is false, misleading and contrary to law. The suit accuses Hills of operating what Bergers lawyer calls a fake pharmacy to justify the high costs of their prescription diets.
What Kinds of Cat Food Does Hills Offer?
Hills has several lines of cat food, including Hills Science Diet, Hills Prescription Diet, Hills Healthy Advantage, and Hills Ideal Balance.
- Science Diet emphasizes scientifically-formulated recipes that utilize what Hills describes as biology-based nutrition for all stages of cats lives.
- Hills Prescription Diet is only available with a veterinarians prescription. Recipes in this line target health conditions and special needs, including IBD, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, urinary tract health.
- Hills Healthy Advantage is exclusively sold through veterinarians. While Hills Prescription Diet foods target single health conditions, each food in this line addresses five essential health factorsimmunity, weight management, urinary health, digestion, and skin and coat health.
- The Ideal Balance line is made with natural ingredients and, according to Hills, is perfectly balanced.
Hills Cat Food Top 3 Recipes Reviewed
What Do Customers Think of Hills Cat Food?
Hills is one of the most respected brands in the pet food industry. Its a staple in veterinary offices and animal shelters. The fact of the brands esteem has attracted some of its most vehement criticism. As we saw in the 2019 lawsuit initiated by a Kansas consumer, some feel that Hills food is given more respect than it deserves and uses that reputation to justify its high prices.
Positive Reviews
My 17 year old cat has been eating this all his life (except for the first four months fraught with UTIs). Not only has he been free of urinary infections, he also is a picture of health with gorgeous teeth that have never needed to be cleaned. Kipling, reviewing Hills Prescription Diet Multicare Urinary Care c/d Dry Cat Food
Our gal had bladder stones and was slotted for surgery when my vet suggested we try this food first. IF it didnt work we needed to explore surgery. I started feeding my Phoebe the food and 8 weeks later. NO STONES! Yup, i feed her both the wet and dry food exclusively and the stones disintegrated! No surgery for my gal, she will remain on this diet for life so we dont encounter the issue again. Again, Thank YOU Chewy for having the option to order and ship directly to my front door! OMCRescue, reviewing Hills Prescription Diet c/d Multicare Urinary Care with Chicken Canned Cat Food
Negative Reviews
I have purchased Hills in the past but not this particular kind, the nuggets are larger and my furry friends dont like it. They are very picky and since its their food, Id rather go with smaller pieces. No fault of product. Edwin, reviewing Hills Science Diet Indoor Adult Dry Cat Food
Though I thoroughly enjoyed having my food delivered to my door, my cat essentially went into starvation mode because he disliked the food so severely. He would painstakingly meow until we gave him other food and when we did not, he would just lay next to his bowl. I read the ingredients for this food and although it is advertised as chicken, the first ingredient is pork. Now Im stuck with all this cat food my cat REFUSES to eat. Such a disappointment food wise and it seems this is the only choice for urinary care. WestbrooksReview, reviewing Hills Prescription Diet c/d Multicare Urinary Care with Chicken Canned Cat Food
How Much Does Hills Cat Food Cost?
Hills cat food ranges from moderately-priced to expensive. If your cat weighs 10 lbs, it would cost roughly $3.05 per day to feed them Hills Prescription Diet c/d canned food and about $3.63 for Hills Ideal Balance canned.
Like most cat food companies, Hills charges less for their dry foods. The Hills Prescription diet kibble mentioned in the product reviews above would cost about $0.52 per day.
Overall, Is Hills a Good Choice?
Hills is built on a foundation of industry-leading nutrition research, giving it the ability to create recipes formulated for specific health conditions and dietary needs.
While Hills can be a good choice for cats with health issues, its not the strongest candidate for a healthy cats daily diet. Though Hills says that corn, wheat, and other high-carbohydrate plant ingredients are nutritious for cats, others disagree. Whether youre shopping for wet or dry food, Hills cat food tends to contain large amounts of plant ingredients that dont fit into a carnivorous diet plan.
Where Is Hills Cat Food Sold?
Hills is sold in veterinary offices and above-average pet retail stores around the world. You can buy it online through Chewy, Amazon, and other retailers that sell pet food.
