Why do people not like Hill s Science Diet

By Isabella Storyclaire

last updated November 18, 2024

Contributions sourced from

Hills Science Diet Dog Food Review

Is Hill's Science Diet a good dog food?

In this review The Dog Food Advisor takes an in-depth look at Hills Science Diet and rates each of its 6 most important sub-brands.

And well also reveal:

Is Hills Science Diet made in the United States?
Has Science Diet been recalled?
Which flavors and recipes get our top ratings?

But first

Which Hills Science Diet sub-brand is right for you?

Science Diet offers 6 popular sub-brands. Well share what makes each one different. So, you can choose the option that best meets your dogs needs.

Science Diets most popular dry kibble. Each recipe is made with grain and optimized specifically for adult nutrition.

11 recipes just for small dogs
8 options for large breeds
4 recipes for sensitive stomach and skin
Not recommended for puppies
26 recipes (ratings vary)

View all Recipe Ratings

This sub-brand includes Hills best-selling dry and fully balanced puppy recipes.

Healthy grain-inclusive formula
2 large breed puppy foods. Lower risk of hip disease
6 recipes (ratings vary)

View all Recipe Ratings

This sub-brand offers Science Diets leading canned food thats optimized for puppies.

Fully balanced, protein-rich blend
Not suitable for large breed puppies
4 recipes (ratings vary)

View all Recipe Ratings

Hills Adult Plus dry formulas are made with grain. Each recipe is specifically optimized for senior dogs.

5 recipes designed for small breed seniors
2 formulas for large breed seniors
11 dry recipes (ratings vary)

View all Recipe Ratings

Hills Adult Wet formulas are ideal for dogs considered fully grown. They are not suitable for puppies.

3 recipes for sensitive stomach and skin
Not for puppies of any breed
15 recipes (ratings vary)

View all Recipe Ratings

As you can tell by its name, this Science Diet dry sub-brand is designed for dogs who need to lose weight. Recipes are all grain-inclusive.

Reduced caloric-density for controlled weight loss
Contains L-carnitine to promote steady weight loss
4 recipes (ratings vary)

View all Recipe Ratings

Which Hills Science Diet Adult Dry Recipes Get Our Best Ratings?

Hills Science Diet Adult Dog Food receives the Advisors mid-tier rating of 3.5 stars.

The Hills Science Diet Adult product line includes the 26 dry dog foods listed below.

Each recipe includes its AAFCO nutrient profile: Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.

Recipe and Label Analysis

Hills Science Diet Adult Small Paws Chicken Meal and Rice was selected to represent the other products in the line for detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.

Ingredients Analysis

The first ingredient in this dog food is chicken meal. Chicken meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.

The second ingredient is brewers rice. Brewers rice is a cereal grain by-product consisting of the small fragments left over after milling whole rice. Aside from the caloric energy it contains, this item is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.

The third ingredient is wheat. Like corn, wheat is an inexpensive and controversial cereal grain. And aside from its energy content, this grain is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.

For this reason, we do not consider wheat a preferred component in any dog food.

The next ingredient is soybean meal, a by-product of soybean oil production more commonly found in farm animal feeds.

Although soybean meal contains 48% protein, this ingredient would be expected to have a lower biological value than meat.

And less costly plant-based products like this can notably boost the total protein reported on the label a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.

The fifth item is sorghum. Sorghum (milo) is a starchy cereal grain with a nutrient profile similar to corn.

Since it is gluten-free and boasts a smoother blood sugar behavior than other grains, sorghum may be considered an acceptable non-meat ingredient.

The sixth ingredient is chicken fat. This item is obtained from rendering chicken, a process similar to making soup in which the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid.

Chicken fat is high in linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid essential for life. Although it doesnt sound very appetizing, chicken fat is actually a quality ingredient.

The seventh ingredient is barley, which is a starchy carbohydrate supplying fiber and other healthy nutrients. However, aside from its energy content, this cereal grain is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.

The next item is corn. Corn is another cereal grain and subject to the same issues as wheat (previously discussed).

After the chicken and pork liver flavors, we find flaxseed, one of the best plant sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Provided theyve first been ground into a meal, flax seeds are also rich in soluble fiber.

However, flaxseed contains about 19% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.

From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.

But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this Science Diet product.

With 6 notable exceptions

First, soybean oil is red flagged here only due to its rumored (yet unlikely) link to canine food allergies.

However, since soybean oil is high in omega-6 fatty acids and contains no omega-3s, its considered less nutritious than flaxseed oil or a named animal fat.

Next, we find peas. Peas are a quality source of carbohydrates. And like all legumes, theyre rich in natural fiber.

However, peas contain about 25% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the meat content of this dog food.

In addition, we note the use of taurine, an important amino acid associated with the healthy function of heart muscle. Although taurine is not typically considered essential in canines, some dogs have been shown to be deficient in this critical nutrient.

This recipe also contains sodium selenite, a controversial form of the mineral selenium. Sodium selenite appears to be nutritionally inferior to the more natural source of selenium found in selenium yeast.

We also find no mention of probiotics, friendly bacteria applied to the surface of the kibble after processing to help with digestion.

And lastly, the minerals listed here do not appear to be chelated. And that can make them more difficult to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually associated with higher quality dog foods.

Nutrient Analysis

Based on its ingredients alone, Hills Science Diet Adult looks like an average dry kibble.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 25%, a fat level of 16% and estimated carbohydrates of about 51%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 24% and a mean fat level of 15%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 53% for the overall product line.

And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 60%.

Which means this Science Diet product line contains

Below-average protein. Near-average fat. And above-average carbs when compared to other dry dog foods.

When you consider the protein-boosting effect of the soybean meal, flaxseed and peas in this recipe, and the corn gluten meal contained in other recipes, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing just a moderate amount of meat.

Hill's Dog Food Recall History

The following automated list (if present) includes all dog food recalls related to Hill's through April 2024.

No recalls noted.

You can view a complete list of all dog food recalls since 2009 here.

Our Rating of Hill's Science Dog Food

Hills Science Diet Adult is a grain-inclusive dry dog food using a moderate amount of named meat meals as its dominant source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 3.5 stars.

Recommended with Reservations

Who owns Hill's Science Diet and where is it made?

Hills Pet Nutrition is owned by the Colgate-Palmolive Company.

Hills Science Diet products are made in the United States. The company operates major facilities in Bowling Green, Kentucky, Topeka and Emporia, Kansas, Richmond, Indiana as well as the Czech Republic and the Netherlands.

What Do Others Say About Hill's Science Dog Food?

At the time of this update

Chewy customers rate Hills Science Diet Adult Large Breed 4.6 out of 5 stars and 94% say they would recommend it to others.

Heres an actual user review

Sample buyer review Ive tried 2 other brands for our German Shepherd and after 10 months her bathroom business continued to be a mess. So since she was almost a year old I switched her to the Hills Diet. After a couple weeks her poop was noticeably more solid so that we could easily pick it up on walks and in the yard. I think thats a great barometer to see if her body works well with this food and it does!
Read more buyer reviews at Chewy.com

Why do vets recommend Hills Science Diet / Prescription Diet?

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Why do vets recommend Hills Science Diet / Prescription Diet?

Im a qualified pet nutritionist, yet I rate Hills Science Diet, Hills Prescription Diet, and Mars Royal Canin poorly.

Vets on the other hand religiously defend and endorse these brands. Why is that? Why do vets recommend Hills Science Diet, Prescription Diet, and Royal Canin?

Whats the truth about Hills Science Diet?

Take a look at the ingredients on any bag of Hills Prescription or Science Diet dry food. Youll find mostly grains wheat, sorghum, corn, rice.

Shouldnt these animals have a diet mostly of animal or whole prey?

When we consider how much grain is in these foods, and how much carbohydrate for facultative carnivre dogs and factually carnivorous cats, it begs the questions Is Science Diet bad for dogs? How can grains be fed to cats? Is Prescription Diet any better?

In fact youll find much more grain in these products than meat.

Basic animal nutrition 101 tells us how odd it is to feed a dog as a facultative carnivore from the Order Carnivora, and more so a cat as an obligate carnivore, a diet comprising mostly of grains.

Wheres the science in that?

It simply doesnt make sense.

So why on earth do vets recommend these products?

Why do vets recommend Hills Science Diet?

In my experience and communications with many veterinarians, the most common reason may surprise you -> VETS HAVE SEEN THESE PRODUCTS WORK!

But how can they work if theyre stuffed with cereal grains like I mentioned earlier?

This is something Ive found to be rarely considered by veterinarians, if at all. But these are the real questions which should be asked.

If youre a vet, and youre reading this, have you ever considered why these products work?

Why does Hills Science Diet work?

The answer may be simpler than we could ever imagine, with just one simple consideration:

Most pet foods are very poor quality. It doesnt take much to offer a pet food marginally better.

Vets see an improvement in pet health when they are transitioned to Hills Science or Prescription Diet products, very likely for this reason. Pretty convincing evidence, wouldnt you agree?

An animal comes in with an illness and poor blood results, and a few weeks after the transition in diet their blood results show an improvement. Miraculous!?

Unfortunately its a glaring oversight.

Most kibble is absolute rubbish. Junk food. A convenience product designed for profit.

Sadly business is business, and if these manufacturers put your pets before profit theyll never succeed as a business, and the businessmen behind those businesses will never own a Lamborghini (which is generally the driving motivation behind a business).

These simple facts (blame it on Capitalism if you will) are the fundamental reason why most dog foods are unhealthy.

Healthy foods cost money, unhealthy foods make profit.

Why is Hills Science Diet so expensive?

When you read the ingredients, and understand how cheap those ingredients are, you may wonder why Hills Science Diet is so expensive.

So do I.

Hills is owned by Colgate-Palmolive, one of the largest conglomerates in the world. The reason theyve become so big is they know how to make the largest profits possible from products we believe we should use every day.

Im sure valid arguments include the cost of science, research, safety, quality control, and of course funding large offices and lots of staff, but the end result is a dry pet food product made largely of grains for carnivorous animals.

As pet owners and consumers we implicitly trust what our veterinarians recommend, and because we want whats best for the pets we love were also willing to pay a premium for those recommendations.

Why do people feed Hills and Royal Canin to their pets?

Unfortunately for our pets most people dont realise how dubious these products are, and they feed them continuously to the pets they love, without ever questioning it ever!

Were blindsided by some of the best product marketers in the world from some of the leading conglomerates in the world Mars, Nestle, and Colgate-Palmolive.

Not just us, but veterinarians as well.

We trust products without questioning why we trust them.

For student vets, they trust the syllabus material they are taught, often funded or even provided by pet food manufacturers.

Millions of dogs are fed poor quality kibble and consequentially their health will suffer over time. Obesity, diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, kidney disease, IBD, IBS, allergies, and so forth, can all be caused by bad diet. Hills have an answer for all these diet-related health conditions in the form of cleverly-marketed premium or prescription diets. So do Royal Canin.

Hills is a product of toothpaste and shampoo conglomerate Colgate-Palmolive, and Royal Canin is a product of Mars.

The penny drops

Let this simple fact resonate, as it will give you the answer to why vets recommend Hills Science Diet, Prescription Diet, and/or Royal Canin:

If you feed your dog junk food, then replace it with something marginally better, youll very likely see an improvement.

Its not a miracle, and it doesnt mean the expensive premium/prescription diet is healthy or optimal. Its just marginally better than the rubbish fed previously which more than likely caused the illness in the first place.

In many cases a prescription food is tailored to reducing the symptoms of the specific condition. For example, a kidney diet has reduced phosphorous (and more often than not less meat). A weight loss diet will have lower fat (by reducing meat and increasing grains/legumes).

Corporate pet food manufacturers convince us these foods are optimal when theyre not. In some case they even use the word Optimal in the brand name (Optimum, also by Mars).

A dog or cat suffering kidney problems shouldnt be fed a dry food period. An overweight dog is likely overweight because the previous diet was high in carbs and grains their bodies were unable to process. In cases such as this, reducing their meat intake definitely isnt the optimal solution. A diet with lacklustre meat will likely lead to other health issues over time, even on expensive premium diets packed with grains, even the ones using marketing words like Science in the name.

Most of the time the deteriorating health of our pets (especially pets with a health condition) is attributed to the worsening of the condition or old age, or just plain bad luck, which is far from the whole truth. Diet is so often overlooked as the cause of an initial health condition, and also the cause of subsequent health conditions while the pet is on the premium/prescription food. Its strange how the term We are what we eat is never translated to our pets.

These are fundamental reasons why toothpaste and shampoo company Colgate-Palmolive (makers of Hills) and confectionery company Mars (makers of Royal Canin) make an absolute killing out of expensive premium and prescription diets regardless of whether theyre optimal or not, and completely irrespective of the grains theyre made from.