Rating: 
Hill’s Science Diet Puppy dry dog food earns the Advisor’s second-lowest rating of two stars.
Currently, the Hill’s Science Diet Puppy product line lists five dry dog foods.
Although each formulation appears to be designed for puppies, we found no AAFCO nutritional adequacy statements for these dog foods on the Hill’s Science Diet website.
- Hill’s Science Diet Puppy Lamb Meal and Rice Large Breed
- Hill’s Science Diet Puppy Healthy Development Original
- Hill’s Science Diet Puppy Lamb Meal and Rice
- Hill’s Science Diet Puppy Large Breed
- Hill’s Science Diet Puppy Small Bites
Hill’s Science Diet Puppy Small Bites dry dog food was selected to represent the others in the line for this review.
Hill's Science Diet Puppy Small Bites
Dry Dog Food
Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content
Ingredients: Ground whole grain corn, chicken by-product meal, animal fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), liver flavor, flaxseed, soybean oil, powdered cellulose, dried beet pulp, fish oil, corn gluten meal, dicalcium phosphate, dried egg product, iodized salt, dl-methionine, potassium chloride, choline chloride, natural flavor, vitamins (l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), vitamin E supplement, niacin, thiamine mononitrate, vitamin A supplement, calcium pantothenate, biotin, vitamin B12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin, folic acid, vitamin D3 supplement), vitamin E supplement, minerals (manganese sulfate, ferrous sulfate, zinc oxide, copper sulfate, calcium iodate, sodium selenite), l-tryptophan, preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid, l-carnitine, phosphoric acid, beta-carotene, rosemary extract
Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 3.6%
Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients
The first ingredient in this dog food is corn. Now, contrary to what you may have heard, corn isn’t necessarily a bad ingredient.
On the other hand, although there’s no way to know for sure here, the corn used in making many pet foods can be similar to the kind used to make feed for livestock.
And that can sometimes be problematic.
What’s more, corn is commonly linked to canine food allergies1.
For these reasons, we rarely consider corn a preferred component in any dog food.
The second item lists chicken by-product meal… a dry rendered product of slaughterhouse waste. It’s made from what’s left of a slaughtered chicken after all the prime cuts have been removed.
In a nutshell, chicken by-products are those unsavory leftovers usually considered “unfit for human consumption”.
This stuff can contain almost anything… feet, beaks, undeveloped eggs… you name it.
On the brighter side, by-product meals are meat concentrates and contain nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.
The third item lists animal fat. Animal fat is a generic by-product of rendering… the same high-temperature process used to make meat meals.
Since there’s no mention of a specific animal, this item could come from almost anywhere… restaurant grease, slaughterhouse waste, diseased cattle… even euthanized pets.
We do not consider generic animal fat a quality ingredient.
After liver flavor, we find flaxseed… one of the best plant sources of healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Flax seeds are rich in soluble fiber.
However, we find it unusual to see flaxseed here in its whole seed form. Whole flax seeds are almost impossible to digest (at least for us humans) unless they are first ground to a usable powder before they are consumed.
The sixth ingredient is soybean oil… red flagged here only due to its suspected (yet unlikely) link to canine food allergies.
The seventh ingredient is powdered cellulose… a non-digestible plant fiber usually made from cotton or sawdust.
Cellulose is sometimes added to dilute the number of calories per serving and to give the feeling of fullness when it is eaten.
Except for the usual benefits of fiber, powdered cellulose provides no nutritional value to a dog.
The eighth item lists dried 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.
The ninth ingredient is fish oil. Fish oil is naturally rich in omega-3 fatty acids… and (depending on the level of its purity) should be considered a healthy addition.
The tenth item is corn gluten meal. Gluten is the rubbery residue remaining once corn has had most of its starchy carbohydrate (the good stuff) washed out of it.
Compared to meat, glutens are inferior grain-based proteins low in many of the essential amino acids dogs need to sustain life.
This inexpensive plant-based ingredient can significantly boost the total protein content reported in 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 have much of an effect on the overall rating of this product.
With two notable exceptions…
First, we find no evidence of probiotics… friendly bacteria applied to the surface of the kibble after processing.
Finally, the minerals 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 Puppy Dry Dog Food
The Bottom Line
Judging by its ingredients alone, Hill’s Science Diet Puppy appears to be a below-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 32%, a fat level of 23% and an estimated carbohydrate content of 37%.
As a group, the puppy line features an average protein content of 32% and an average fat level of 20%. Jointly, these figures suggest a carbohydrate serving size of 40% for the overall product line.
Above-average protein. Above-average fat. And low carbs… when compared to a typical dry dog food.
Yet when you allow for the protein-boosting effect of the corn gluten meal, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing only a moderate amount of meat.
What’s more, it’s difficult to ignore the presence of so many Red Flag ingredients.
Bottom line?
Hill’s Science Diet Puppy is a grain-based dry dog food using a moderate amount of chicken by-product or lamb meals as its main sources of animal protein… thus earning the brand two stars.
Not recommended.
Those looking for a wet food from the same company may wish to visit our review of Hill’s Science Diet Puppy canned dog food.
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
12/30/2009 Original review
08/03/2010 Review updated
- White, S., Update on food allergy in the dog and cat, World Small Animal Veterinary Association, Vancouver, 2001 ↩
The Dog Food Advisor publishes independent reviews to help pet owners make better choices when shopping for dog food.