Hill’s Science Diet (Wet) Review

The Hill’s Science Diet product range is made up of 50 recipes with ratings varying from 4 to 4.5 stars. The average rating of the whole range is 4.5-stars.

It is formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by AAFCO cat food nutrient profiles for all life stages — kitten, adult and senior cats and includes a wide variety of products tailored to a cat’s individual needs including any health conditions which need a specialized diet.

The table below shows each recipe in the range including our rating and the AAFCO nutrient profile: Growth (kitten), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.

Recipe and Label Analysis

Hill’s Science Diet Adult 11+ Healthy Cuisine Seared Tuna & Carrot Medley Cat Food was selected to represent the other products in the line for a detailed recipe and nutrient analysis.

Label and nutrient data below are calculated using dry matter basis.

Ingredients Analysis

The first ingredient is chicken broth. Broths are of only modest nutritional value. Yet because they add both flavor and moisture to a cat food, they are a common component in many wet products.

The second ingredient is tuna. Tuna is an oily marine fish not only high in protein but also omega 3 fatty acids, essential oils needed by every cat to sustain life. This item is typically sourced from clean, undecomposed whole fish and fish cuttings of commercial fish operations. ¹

The third ingredient is chicken. Chicken is considered “the clean combination of flesh and skin… derived from the parts or whole carcasses of chicken”. ²

Chicken is naturally rich in the 11 essential amino acids required by a cat to sustain life.

The fourth ingredient is pork liver. This is an organ meat sourced from a named animal and thus considered a beneficial component.

The fifth ingredient is carrots. Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, minerals and dietary fiber.

The sixth ingredient is rice. Is this whole grain rice, brown rice or white rice? Since the word “rice” doesn’t tell us much, it’s impossible to judge the quality of this item.

The seventh ingredient is beef. Beef is defined as “the clean flesh derived from slaughtered cattle” and includes skeletal muscle or the muscle tissues of the tongue, diaphragm, heart or esophagus. ³

Beef is naturally rich in all 11 essential amino acids required by a cat to sustain life.

The eighth ingredient is spinach. Due to its exceptional vitamin and mineral content, spinach exhibits a remarkably high nutrient Completeness Score ⁴ of 91. For cats who are predisposed to oxalate stones, spinach should be avoided, due to its high oxalate content. 

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 the product.

However, this recipe does contain wheat gluten. Gluten is the rubbery residue remaining once wheat has had most of its starchy carbohydrate washed out of it.

Compared to meat, glutens are inferior plant-based proteins low in some of the essential amino acids cats need for life.

This inexpensive plant-based ingredient can significantly boost the total protein reported on the label — a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this cat food.

Nutrient Analysis

Based on its ingredients alone, Hill’s Science Diet Adult 11+ Healthy Cuisine Seared Tuna & Carrot Medley Cat Food looks like an above-average wet product.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 37.6%, a fat level of 19.9% and an estimated carbohydrate level of 35.6%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 37% and a mean fat level of 21.4%. Together these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 31.5% for the overall product line, alongside a fat-to-protein ratio of 58%.

This means the Hill’s Science Diet wet product line contains near-average protein, near-average carbs and above-average fat when compared to typical wet cat food.

Has Hill's cat food been recalled in the past?

Yes, there have been several recalls. Details can be found on the Dog Food Advisor, but in summary:

In 2007, there was an industry-wide recall which impacted Hill’s Science, due to food being contaminated with melamine. The contamination resulted in severe sickness and death among cats and dogs. 

In 2014, there was another recall of Hill’s Science Diet dog food, due to potential salmonella contamination.

A year later, Hill’s initiated a market withdrawal which affected several dog food varieties. The recall was a result of labeling issues. 

In late 2019, Hill’s was also forced to recall canned dog food from their Prescription and Science Diet lines. This was a result of unusually high vitamin D content. High vitamin D levels cause blood calcium to rise, resulting in organ failure and possibly death. 

However, this did not just affect Hill’s Science Diet. About two months later, other pet food brands were recalled over vitamin D-related issues.

You can view a complete list of all cat food recalls since 2021 here.

To stay on top of any cat food product recalls, sign up for our free email alerts, here.

About

Hill’s Pet Nutrition is an international pet food brand that’s known for selling scientifically developed foods.

The company was first founded in 1907 by Burton Hill as a rendering service with a contract to dispose of dead and lame animals in Topeka, Kansas.

It has come a long way since, now employing a team of more than 220 veterinarians, nutritionists, technicians, and food scientists to develop pet foods in the Hill research facility that’s still located in Topeka.