Hill’s Science Diet Ideal Balance (Dry)

Rating:

Hill’s Science Diet Ideal Balance dry dog food receives the Advisor’s mid-tier rating of 3 stars.

The Hill’s Science Diet Ideal Balance product line includes four dry dog foods.

Although each appears to be designed for a specific life stage, we found no AAFCO nutritional adequacy statements confirming the appropriate profiles for these products on the Hill’s website.

The following is a list of recipes available at the time of this review.

• Hill’s Science Diet Ideal Balance Puppy
• Hill’s Science Diet Ideal Balance Adult
• Hill’s Science Diet Ideal Balance Grain Free
• Hill’s Science Diet Ideal Balance Mature Adult

Hill’s Science Diet Ideal Balance Adult was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.

The first ingredient in this dog food lists chicken. Although it is a quality item, raw chicken contains about 80% water. After cooking, most of that moisture is lost… reducing the meat content to just a fraction of its original weight.

After processing, this item would probably account for a smaller part of the total content of the finished product.

Which brings us to brown rice… the second and (more likely) the dominant ingredient in this recipe.

Brown rice is a complex carbohydrate that (once cooked) is fairly easy to digest.

The third ingredient is wheat. Like corn, wheat is an inexpensive and controversial cereal grain of only modest nutritional value to a dog.

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

The fourth ingredient is barley. Barley is a starchy carbohydrate supplying fiber and other healthy nutrients. Unlike grains with a higher glycemic index (like rice), barley can help support stable blood sugar levels in dogs.

The fifth ingredient is soybean meal. Soybean meal is actually a useful by-product. It’s what remains of soybeans after all the oil has been removed.

Soybean meal contains 48% protein. However, compared to meat, this item is considered an inferior plant-based protein providing a lower biological value.

The sixth ingredient is pork fat. Commonly known as lard, pork fat can add significant flavor to any dog food. Though it can be high in saturated oils, in reasonable amounts, pork fat can be considered an acceptable ingredient.

The seventh ingredient is dried egg product… a dehydrated form of shell-free eggs. Quality can vary significantly. Lower grade egg product can even come from commercial hatcheries… from eggs that have failed to hatch.

In any case, eggs are easy to digest and have an exceptionally high biological value.

After the natural flavor, we find whole grain oats. Oats are rich in B-vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber.

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 product.

With three notable exceptions…

First, beet pulp. Beet pulp is a controversial ingredient… a high fiber by-product of sugar beet processing.

Some denounce beet pulp as an inexpensive filler while others cite its outstanding intestinal health and blood sugar benefits.

We only call your attention here to the controversy and believe the inclusion of beet pulp in reasonable amounts in most dog foods is entirely acceptable.

Next, we find no mention of probiotics… friendly microorganisms applied to the surface of the kibble after processing.

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

Hill’s Science Diet Ideal Balance Dog Food
The Bottom Line

Judging by its ingredients alone, Hill’s Science Diet Ideal Balance looks to be an above-average dry dog food.

But ingredient quality by itself cannot tell the whole story. We still need to estimate the product’s meat content before determining a final rating.

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

Excluding the grain free formulation, the brand features an average protein content of 28% and a mean fat level of 17%.

Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 47% for the overall product line.

Average protein. Average fat. And average carbs when compared to a typical dry dog food.

In addition, when you consider the protein-boosting effect of the soybean meal, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing only a moderate amount of meat.

It’s interesting to note the difference between the Adult and Mature Adult formulas is minimal. After comparing the two recipes, the only notable variation appears to be a switch in the order of the second and third ingredients (rice and wheat).

What makes one recipe for adult dogs and the other for seniors is (to us) scientifically unexplainable.

Bottom line?

Hill’s Science Diet is a grain-based kibble using a moderate amount of chicken as its main source of animal protein… thus earning the brand 3 stars.

Recommended.

A Final Word

This review is designed to help you make a more informed decision when buying dog food. However, our rating system is not intended to suggest feeding a particular product will result in specific health benefits for your pet.

For a better understanding of how we analyzed this product, please be sure to read our article, “The Problem with Dog Food Reviews”

Remember, no dog food can possibly be appropriate for every life stage, lifestyle or health condition. So, choose wisely. And when in doubt consult a veterinarian for help.

Have an opinion about this dog food… or maybe the review itself? Please know… we welcome your comments.

Notes and Updates

08/07/2011 Original review
08/07/2011 Last Update

The Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.

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