Hill's Science Plan
Medium Adult Optimal Care
Overall score72/100· Good
Summary
Decent kibble. Chicken as 1st ingredient but cereals in 2nd and 3rd position. No problematic additives. AAFCO validated formula.
Sub-scores
Composition analysed
Dehydrated chicken (20%), corn, wheat, chicken fat, rice, beet pulp, flaxseed oil, vitamin E, L-carnitine, taurine
- ADehydrated chicken20%protein
- CCorncereal
- CWheatcereal
- AChicken fatfat
- BRicecereal
- BBeet pulpfiber
- AFlaxseed oilfat
- AVitamin Evitamin mineral
- AL-carnitinebeneficial additive
- ATaurinebeneficial additive
Nutritional analysis
- Crude protein
- 25%
- Crude fat
- 15%
- Ash
- 6.5%
- Fibre
- 2%
- Moisture
- 8%
Strengths
- First ingredient is a named animal protein
- No undesirable additives detected
- Balanced nutritional profile
- Well suited to the species' needs
Weaknesses
Similar alternatives
Hill's Science Plan Medium Adult is the mainstream vet-recommended kibble that sits one tier above Royal Canin in our grading. At 72/100 (B grade), it gets the basics right: chicken as the first ingredient (not rice), no BHA/BHT, AAFCO validated formulation. The weak points are familiar to anyone who reads labels: corn and wheat in positions 2 and 3, limited transparency on fat sources, and a modest 25 percent protein level for a carnivore. Hill's invests heavily in clinical feeding trials (they publish more peer-reviewed studies than any other pet food brand), which gives their formulations a scientific credibility that composition alone does not. If your vet recommends Hill's over Royal Canin, they are making the better call. If your budget allows Acana or Wellness CORE, you are making a better one.
Compared to the competition
Hill's scores 14 points higher than Royal Canin (72 vs 58). Chicken first vs rice first. Better transparency. Same price range.
Acana scores 90/100 (A) vs Hill's 72/100 (B). The gap is the protein source: Acana uses 75% animal protein from 3+ named species vs Hill's 25% from one. Acana costs roughly 60% more.
Frequently asked questions
Hill's vs Royal Canin: which is better?
Hill's scores B (72/100) vs Royal Canin's C (58/100). Hill's has chicken first, Royal Canin has rice first. Hill's publishes more clinical data. For the same price bracket, Hill's is the objectively better mainstream choice.
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