Hill's Science Diet Dog Food Review

Nutrients and Quality

Hill's Science Diet dog foods are manufactured in the USA and contain ingredients sourced primarily in the US. A few ingredients are sourced elsewhere in North America and in Europe. You can rest assured that Hill's Dog Foods meet the nutritional standards set by the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) and the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), two highly respected organizations that inspect and analyze thousands of pet foods for quality. 

Hill's Pet Nutrition's impressive, 180-acre Global Pet Nutrition Center campus is the company's hub for the new product innovation and quality control. About 450 dogs live there and they have a plum job: they eat dog food for a living. The job of the 200 scientists who work there, however, is more complicated. The company formulates and tests its products routinely from an evidenced-based perspective, examining, among other factors, how nutrition can affect a pet’s gene expression to help them live longer, healthier lives. In 200, Hill's Pet Nutrition was among the first company to begin adding anti-oxidants to their pet foods to boost pets' immune responses. 

You can review the nutritional composition of every Hill's Science Diet dog food on the company's website. We noted that meat is the first ingredient listed in some kibble-style foods, but there many exceptions. Hill's Science Diet wet foods typically list meat broth as their first ingredient, followed by meat. Many formulae do contain corn, wheat, and soy but you can also purchase products that are free of those foods, which is helpful for dogs that have food sensitivities or allergies. 

Hill's Science Diet cat food do not contain artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives. Most do contain taurine, an ingredient that has been demonstrated to reduce the risk of DCM, a dangerous heart condition in dogs. Taurine is absent from grain-free dog foods. Hill's Science Diet offers a couple of grain-free foods but most products contain barley or rice.

Hill's Pet Foods has been around a long time. The company's products have been subject to several recalls, the most recent occurring in 2019.

Price

Hill's Science Diet is available through specialty pet retailers, online through such websites as Amazon.com and Chewy.com, and at Walmart. We checked in with various other large grocery chains, including Stop and Shop, Kroger and Meijer, and it appears that the brand is not widely available in supermarkets. Looking further into pricing, we found that, at specialty pet retailers, Hill's Science Diet falls in the middle-to-high price range. A 35-lb. bag of Hill's Science Diet basic large breed kibble will run you about $58. However, specialty foods, such as those formulated for weight control or stomach sensitivities can be pricier. A 15-lb. bag of food made for dogs with stomach and skin sensitivities costs about $41. Wet foods follow a similar pattern. 

Let's say you have a 20-lb. pooch. If you choose to feed your dog wet food exclusively, you can expect to spend about $6 per day. Therefore, the annual cost of feeding Hill's Science Diet wet food is just over $2200. Larger dog owners can expect to spend more, of course. On average, dog owners nationwide spend less than $1000 to feed their dogs. So Hill's Science Diet wet foods are a pretty costly choice.

Variety

Unlike many pet care brands that overwhelm you with dog food flavors, the Hill's Science Diet keeps things pretty simple. The brand concentrates on age-appropriate feeding and helping to address dog health concerns. The predominance of Hill's Science Diet foods are chicken-flavored, but we did note a couple of lamb-based foods. Lamb is one of the least allergenic meats you can eat—that's why pediatricians usually recommend it as baby's first meat. Dogs who are prone to itchy ears or yeasty paws also benefit from lamb-based diets.

Hill's Science Diet's focus on solving health problems is evident in its product selection. The brand line-up includes recipes for maintaining your dog at a healthy weight, helping with digestive and skin issues, and promoting dental health. If your dog has issues with mobility, kidney or liver function, or urinary tract infections, for example, Hill's Prescription Diet foods are an excellent option to consider. These foods are typically given upon the advice of a veterinarian.