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In The Kibble
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BRAND

Hill's

Owned by Colgate-Palmolive CompanySince 1948Overland Park, Kansas

RECIPES REVIEWED
116
AVG PROTEIN, DM, KIBBLE
22.5%
AVG STARCH, KIBBLE
46%
FDA RECALLS
4
LINES
Science Diet 60 Prescription Diet 19 Bioactive Recipe 6 Healthy Advantage 6
THE LINES

Hill's Lines, Reviewed

4 lines

Hill's organizes its food into four lines. Science Diet is the largest, with 54 kibbles and 6 wet foods split by life stage, size and purpose. Prescription Diet holds 16 kibbles and 3 wet foods, each named for a purpose such as digestion, kidney or weight care. Bioactive Recipe and Healthy Advantage are smaller kibble lines of six recipes each, built on chicken and grain.

Healthy Advantage kibbles average the most protein at 25% as fed, then Bioactive Recipe at 24.3%, Science Diet at 20.5% and Prescription Diet at 19.3%. All four are under the 26.9% catalog kibble average. Science Diet and Prescription Diet kibbles average 46.6% and 44.3% estimated starch, above the 37.4% catalog average. Lamb, fish, duck, pork and turkey appear only in those two larger lines, which also hold the few grain-free recipes.

Science Diet

54 kibble · 6 wet food
Protein
20.5%
Fat
11.3%
Starch
46.6%
Kcal / cup
355

Average kibble, as fed

Science Diet is Hill's largely grain-inclusive line of 54 kibbles and 6 wet foods, mostly chicken with barley and brown rice. Recipes split by life stage, size and purpose, and the kibbles run lower in protein and higher in estimated starch than catalog average.

A good fit for: Owners who want grain-inclusive food with chicken as the main protein; Adult dogs on fewer calories, with Light kibbles at 243 kcal per cup

Read the Science Diet review

Prescription Diet

16 kibble · 3 wet food
Protein
19.3%
Fat
14.3%
Starch
44.3%
Kcal / cup
361

Average kibble, as fed

Prescription Diet is Hill's line of recipes each named for a specific health purpose, such as digestion, skin, kidney, joint, urinary or weight care. Most recipes lead with grains or potato, and the line includes 16 kibbles and 3 wet foods.

A good fit for: Owners wanting a grain-free kibble with salmon or duck; Dogs on a calorie budget, with r/d at 242 kcal per cup

Read the Prescription Diet review

Bioactive Recipe

6 kibble
Protein
24.3%
Fat
30.4%
Starch
--
Kcal / cup
316

Average kibble, as fed

Hill's Bioactive Recipe is a chicken first kibble line split into Fit + Radiant adult recipes and Thrive + Vigor recipes for dogs 6+ and 7+. Every recipe contains grain plus peas or lentils, with 259 to 374 kcal per cup.

A good fit for: Owners who want chicken as the first ingredient; Adult dogs whose owners want fewer calories, from 259 kcal per cup

Read the Bioactive Recipe review

Healthy Advantage

6 kibble
Protein
25%
Fat
16.3%
Starch
--
Kcal / cup
376

Average kibble, as fed

Healthy Advantage is a Hill's kibble line of six chicken and grain recipes for puppies, adults and seniors. Every recipe uses chicken and egg, and the line includes an Oral+ formula with 10.8% fiber alongside small breed and large breed puppy options.

A good fit for: Owners who want grain in every recipe; Dogs that do well on chicken and egg

Read the Healthy Advantage review
WHICH LINE FITS

Choosing Between The Hill's Lines

All recipes

116 foods matched · newest first
Hill's Science Diet 60 recipes · See all
DEEP DIVE

Inside The Hill's Range

Across 116 recipes we review

Protein runs lower than the average kibble we review (22.5% vs 30.1% on a dry matter basis).

Starch is higher than average, at 46% of the food as fed.

73% of recipes lead with a meat, fish or egg ingredient (89% across the site).

7% of recipes are grain-free.

NUTRITION

How The Range Measures Up

this range, lowest to highest its average average of all 3,205 foods we review

Protein, dry matter 23% 12% to 32%
15%site avg 30%50%
Fat, dry matter 13% 6% to 19%
5%site avg 18%30%
Starch, as fed 46% 33% to 54%
10%site avg 37%60%
Kcal per cup 355 242 to 445
250site avg 395600

Starch is our estimate from the guaranteed analysis, since no manufacturer prints it. How we work it out

INGREDIENTS

What Goes In The Bowl

Chicken 82% 56%
Egg 34% 31%
Pork 24% 11%
Beef 8% 20%
Fish 7% 34%
Turkey 5% 20%
Lamb 5% 14%

Share of recipes that list each animal protein as an ingredient, not counting oils, fats or flavorings. Useful if your dog has a food sensitivity.

Ingredients Some Owners Avoid

By-products 6% 13%
Artificial colors 0% 1%
Chemical preservatives 15% 9%
Corn 59% 15%
Wheat 41% 13%
Soy 75% 10%

These are not unsafe. They are listed because readers ask about them.

LIFE STAGE
  • Adult85
  • Puppy16
  • Senior13
BREED SIZE
  • All Breeds108
  • Small Breed29
  • Large Breed17
SPECIAL DIETS
  • Grain-free (no wheat, corn, rice, barley or oats)8
Hill’s Science Diet Adult Perfect Weight Large Breed Chicken Recipe Dry Dog Food MOST PROTEIN Hill’s Science Diet Adult Perfect Weight Large Breed Chicken Recipe Dry Dog Food 32.0% dry matter Hill’s Science Diet Adult Perfect Weight & Joint Support Large Breed Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food LEAST STARCH Hill’s Science Diet Adult Perfect Weight & Joint Support Large Breed Chicken & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food 33% as fed Hill’s Prescription Diet r/d Weight Reduction Chicken Flavor Dry Dog Food FEWEST CALORIES Hill’s Prescription Diet r/d Weight Reduction Chicken Flavor Dry Dog Food 242 kcal per cup
THE COMPANY

About Hill's

Owner
Colgate-Palmolive Company
Ownership
Subsidiary of a public company
Founded
1948
Headquarters
Overland Park, Kansas

Who Makes It

Hill's is made by Hill's Pet Nutrition, a subsidiary of Colgate-Palmolive, and is best known for its Science Diet wellness foods and its Prescription Diet therapeutic foods sold through veterinarians. It also sells the Bioactive Recipe and Healthy Advantage lines. 1, 2, 3

Where It Is Made

Hill's runs its own manufacturing sites in Kansas, including Topeka and Emporia, and opened a plant in Tonganoxie in 2023 to add canned food capacity for Science Diet and Prescription Diet. The company also keeps its main research center, the Pet Nutrition Center, in Topeka. 4, 5

History

The company traces its pet food history to 1939, when veterinarian Dr. Mark Morris Sr. created a kidney diet for a guide dog, and to 1948, when Hill Packing Company of Topeka began producing it as Canine k/d. Science Diet launched in 1968, and Colgate-Palmolive acquired Hill's in 1976. Hill's moved its global and US headquarters from Topeka to Overland Park, Kansas, in late 2023. 1, 4

Worth Knowing

In 2019 Hill's recalled 86 lots of 33 canned dog food varieties across Science Diet and Prescription Diet because of excessive, potentially toxic vitamin D levels. The recall affected only canned dog food, and the FDA terminated it on December 21, 2021. 6

  1. hillspet.com/about-us/our-history
  2. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hill%27s_Pet_Nutrition
  3. petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/brand/bioactive
  4. hillspet.com/about-us/press-releases/hills-expands-footprint-in-kansas-with-new-headquarters
  5. hillspet.com/about-us/press-releases/hills-pet-nutrition-opens-new-smart-factory-in-tonganoxie
  6. fda.gov/animal-veterinary/outbreaks-and-advisories/fda-alerts-pet-owners-and-veterinarians-about-potentially-toxic-levels-vitamin-d-33-varieties-hills

Researched from the sources above. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.

RECALL HISTORY // HILL'S

4 FDA Recalls On Record

MAY 20, 2019
MAR 20, 2019
JAN 31, 2019
JUN 2, 2014
POTENTIAL SALMONELLA

Science Diet Adult Small & Toy Breed dry dog food (62 bags)

See the recall log

NEWS & PRESS

What Hill's Has Announced

JUN 30, 2026
NEW PRODUCT Hill's Pet Nutrition Rolls Out Science Diet Single Protein Refrigerated Dog Food

Hill's announced Science Diet Single Protein Dog Food Rolls, its first refrigerated fresh dog food, in Chicken and Brown Rice, Beef and Carrot, and Lamb and Pumpkin recipes. The rolls were to reach pet specialty retailers starting in July 2026. Hill's Pet Nutrition

JUN 9, 2026
NEW PRODUCT Hill's Pet Nutrition Launches Premiere Nutrition Supporting Kidney Function plus GI and Skin Sensitivities

Hill's introduced Prescription Diet k/d + Derm Complete for dogs, available in dry and wet forms, to combine kidney support with support for food-related skin sensitivities. A matching feline k/d + z/d formula launched at the same time. Hill's Pet Nutrition

MAY 12, 2026
NEWS Hill's Pet Nutrition and Bond Pet Foods Receive FDA No-Objection Letter

Bond Pet Foods and Hill's said the FDA issued a no-objection letter for Lamb Protein Yeast, an animal protein made through precision fermentation, for use in dog food at up to 15 percent of the finished product. Hill's Pet Nutrition

JAN 24, 2025
REFORMULATION Hill's Pet Nutrition Leads the Way in Microbiome Science at VMX 2025, Unveiling Breakthrough Product Innovations

Hill's upgraded Science Diet life stage dry dog foods with its ActivBiome+ Multi-Benefit technology and upgraded Prescription Diet z/d for dogs. It also introduced new Prescription Diet i/d for puppies, Multi-Organ and Brain Care + j/d formulas. PR Newswire

JAN 11, 2024
NEW PRODUCT Hill's Pet Nutrition to Unveil Prescription Diet Innovations; Highlight Weight Management Resources During VMX 2024

Hill's announced Prescription Diet z/d Low Fat Hydrolyzed Soy for dogs with food and fat sensitivities, expected in mid-March 2024, and Prescription Diet c/d Multicare Low Fat for dogs, expected in June 2024. PR Newswire

All Hill's news →

HEAD TO HEAD

Hill's Compared With Other Brands

Hill's vs Royal Canin Purina vs Hill's Blue Buffalo vs Hill's Eukanuba vs Hill's Iams vs Hill's Nutro vs Hill's Wellness vs Hill's
LINE VS LINE

Hill's Lines Compared

Hill's Science Diet vs Hill's Healthy Advantage Hill's Science Diet vs Hill's Bioactive Recipe Hill's Healthy Advantage vs Hill's Bioactive Recipe

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