Hill’s Science Diet: What You Need To know. Recalls, reviews, top products

Written by Sarah Psaradelis
Published: June 20, 2022
© Chendongshan/Shutterstock.com

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As pet owners, we want to choose highly nutritious food for our pets that are safe, and trustworthy and provides your pet with all the nutrients they need. Therefore, reviews on certain brands are so important, so that you can get a deeper look into what the specific brand has to offer your pet.

If you are looking for nutritious pet food that is backed up by science, then Hill’s Science Diet is the number one veterinarian brand recommended in the United States and provides both dogs and cats with biology-based nutrition for all life stages.

This brand focuses on providing quality food that is clinically proven to benefit your pet. The science diet offers a wide range of veterinary recommended foods and products that can cater to different dog and cat health conditions. Hills has been around since the 1930s and adopted the ‘Hill’s’ brand name back in the 1940s. Through the years, this brand of dog and cat food has had a major surge in growth and popularity.

All Hill’s Science Diet recipes are made in the United States inside of Hill’s pet food facilities. Hills Science Diet is available worldwide; however, they are most popular in the United States.

Hill’s Science Diet has an extensive range of pet food on the market, suitable for various dog and cat breeds. They are known for producing kibble and wet foods suitable for the different life stages of both dogs and cats.

What makes this brand stand out against competitors, is that they aim to produce a range of pet foods that combat certain health issues found in dogs and cats. Some examples include dogs with allergies, weight management, and kidney issues. This is also why you will see this brand of food advertised at veterinarian clinics because most vets will recommend this to pets who need food that is safe to be fed with their specific medical condition.

Let’s look at some of their most popular products:

  • Hill’s Science Diet Adult Large Breed Dog Food
Best for Large Breed
Hill's Science Diet Adult Large Breed Chicken & Barley Recipe Dry Dog Food
  • Contains real chicken
  • Added vitamins C and E
  • Specially formulated for large dogs
  • Veterinarian recommended
Check Chewy Check Amazon
  • Hill’s Science Diet Wet Dog Food Sensitive Stomach and Skin
Best for Sensitive Stomach and Skin
Hill’s Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach & Skin
  • Promotes digestive health
  • Easy to digest
  • Contains real turkey and chicken
  • Added vitamin E and omega-6 fatty acids
Check Chewy Check Amazon
  • Hill’s Science Diet Indoor Cat Food
Best for Indoor Cats
Hill's Science Diet Adult Indoor Chicken Recipe Dry Cat Food
  • Contains natural fiber
  • Contains antioxidants and vitamins
  • Only natural ingredients
  • Contains quality protein
Check Chewy Check Amazon
  • Hill’s Science Diet Dry Puppy Food
Best for Puppies
Hill's Science Diet Puppy Healthy Development Small Bites
  • Specially formulated for puppies
  • No artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives
  • Delicious chicken flavor
  • Added minerals for strong bones and teeth
Check Chewy Check Amazon
  • Hill’s Science Diet Healthy Cuisine Wet Kitten Food
Best for Kittens
Hill's Science Diet Kitten Healthy Cuisine Canned Cat Food
  • Contains roasted chicken and rice
  • Support urinary tract health
  • High-quality protein for growing kittens
  • Added antioxidants and vitamins C and E
Check Chewy Check Amazon

Types of Hill’s Food

Have a look at these Hill’s foods specifically formulated for your pet’s needs:

  • Hills urinary care dog food
  • Hills science diet puppy foods
  • Hills Science Diet Kitten Cat Foods
  • Hills Science Diet Large Breed Dog Foods

Key Features

  • Contains high-quality proteins as the number one ingredient.
  • Each ingredient is carefully picked, and all ingredients must meet the brand’s strict quality standards for safety reasons.
  • All the products contain healthy fats which are ideal for a cat and dog’s coat health.
  • Each formula contains probiotics for better digestive health and nutrient absorption in your pet.
  • Includes formulas targeted toward certain dog and cat health conditions.

What type of Dog and Cat Breeds is The Hill’s Science Diet best suited for?

Gluten-Free

The grain-free recipe for adult dogs has been designed in the most efficient way to provide a healthy and nutritious formula that is suitable for dogs who struggle to digest gluten. The Hill’s Science Diet includes potatoes, yellow, peas, dried beat pulp, flaxseed, and cellulose. Potatoes and yellow peas are digestible sources of carbohydrates that are gluten and grain-free.

All Life Stages

Hill’s Science Diet has many different formulas which are suitable for dogs and cats of all life stages, from puppies and kittens to seniors. Each formula of their food contains ingredients and nutrients that are suitable for a specific life stage.

Safe for Medical Conditions

Hill’s Science diet is most popular for its range of food that caters to a specific health condition that dogs and cats may experience. These foods are also made for puppies, kittens, adults, and senior dogs and cats. Therefore, you will find these foods on the shelves of veterinary clinics because veterinarians will recommend certain formulas of the food for cats and dogs experiencing urinary tract, kidney, weight, skin, and stomach problems.

Hill’s Science Diet: Where to Buy

You can purchase Hill’s Science Diet products from online stores such as Amazon or Chewy, or you can purchase directly from the Hill’s Science Diet website. Many veterinary clinics and pet shops in the United States and abroad will also stock a variety of this brand’s products. Due to the Hill’s Science Diet’s popularity, the food is easily accessible.

  1. Hill's Science Diet Adult Large Breed Chicken & Barley Recipe Dry Dog Food
    • Contains real chicken
    • Added vitamins C and E
    • Specially formulated for large dogs
    • Veterinarian recommended
    Check Chewy Check Amazon
  2. Hill’s Science Diet Adult Sensitive Stomach & Skin
    • Promotes digestive health
    • Easy to digest
    • Contains real turkey and chicken
    • Added vitamin E and omega-6 fatty acids
    Check Chewy Check Amazon
  3. Hill's Science Diet Adult Indoor Chicken Recipe Dry Cat Food
    • Contains natural fiber
    • Contains antioxidants and vitamins
    • Only natural ingredients
    • Contains quality protein
    Check Chewy Check Amazon
  4. Hill's Science Diet Puppy Healthy Development Small Bites
    • Specially formulated for puppies
    • No artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives
    • Delicious chicken flavor
    • Added minerals for strong bones and teeth
    Check Chewy Check Amazon
  5. Hill's Science Diet Kitten Healthy Cuisine Canned Cat Food
    • Contains roasted chicken and rice
    • Support urinary tract health
    • High-quality protein for growing kittens
    • Added antioxidants and vitamins C and E
    Check Chewy Check Amazon
  6. Hill's Science Diet: Pet Food (Free Shipping) | Chewy
    • Few Recalls
    • Calculated Health Benefits
    • Developed at a Nutrition Center
    • All Ingredients in Each Mouthful
    Check Chewy Check Amazon

Hill’s Science Diet Recalls & Controversies

Hill’s Science Diet is not a recall-free brand, and they have had quite a few recalls for a large portion of their products in recent years. There are also some notable controversies behind the quality and nutrition of the Science Diets food, especially for cats.

Recall In 2007

A recall occurred back in 2007 when cat and kitten foods were recalled due to having Melamine (a chemical found in plastics) in the food.

Recall In 2014

In June 2014, some dog food was called back for potential salmonella that was in the food. This was the Science Diet Small and Toy Breed dry dog food that was suspected to be contaminated with Salmonella.

Recall In 2015

This brand also had another recall in November 2015 due to possible labeling issues that needed certain foods to be withdrawn from the market.

Recall In 2019

The canned dog food has had a recent recall because the brand found that the product contained elevated levels of vitamin D. This began back in March 2019 after a complaint from a concerned pet parent about their dog which was approved by the FDA on the 9th of April 2019.

Hills decided to expand their recall since they learned that the elevated levels of Vitamin D in the dog food were due to the supplier’s error. The brand made sure to warn retailers and customers who had already bought the food that there was a mishap and if anyone’s dog has recently eaten the food that they should take them to a veterinarian.

Nutrition and Food Quality Controversies:

Hill’s Science Diet has upgraded most of its ingredients in the last few years, and now chicken is used as the primary ingredient in most of its pet foods. This brand uses no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives in its food and works alongside veterinarians. However, there have been complaints that the foods are too low in protein and way too high in carbohydrates to be suitable for most dogs and cats.

Overall, Hill’s seems to use average ingredients in their pet food, but the recall history has made some pet owners wary about feeding this brand of food to their pets.

Products For This Review

Bottom Line

This food seems to be a good brand of pet food to feed to your dog and cat if they are suffering from a medical condition that can be helped by one of the specific medical-condition formulas.

You might find that this brand of pet food is slightly more expensive in comparison to other dog and cat food brands that have higher quality ingredients, but Hill’s Science Diet products are recommended by veterinarians, and each recall for some of their products has been taken seriously and corrected by the company.

Furthermore, Hill’s Science Diet has a lot of positive reviews and praise for producing good foods for dogs and cats with health issues.

About the Author

Sarah is a writer at A-Z Animals primarily covering aquatic pets, rodents, arachnids, and reptiles. Sarah has over 3 years of experience in writing and researching various animal topics. She is currently working towards furthering her studies in the animal field. A resident of South Africa, Sarah enjoys writing alongside her pets and almost always has her rats perched on her shoulders.

Hill’s Science Diet: What You Need To know. Recalls, reviews, top products FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) 

Has Hill's Science Diet Has Any Recalls

Hill’s Science Diet have had several recalls throughout the years which has made pet owners wary of feeding this food. These recalls were dealt with promptly from the company and affected foods were taken off the shelves and specific batches were recalled from customers. There is no evidence that any dogs and cats have died from consuming Hill’s Science Diet products that had to be recalled.

This shows that Hill’s takes complaints about potential harmful ingredients and mislabelling seriously and deal with it in a professional manner.

Is Hill's Science Diet A Good Pet Food Brand?

Yes, Hill’s is a popular and veterinary recommended brand of pet food. The Science Diet range is best suited for dogs and cats that require a specific food due to any health issues they may be suffering from, which is the main reason behind this brands Science Diet product range.

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us? Contact the AZ Animals editorial team.