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Zack Keithy, our author, is a certified veterinarian technician (UC Blue Ash) for over 6 years (contact him here). The articles written here are based on his expertise and experience, combined with a review by our expert vet reviewers including Dr M. Tarantino. Learn more about us here.
I’ve fed my dog Hill’s Science diet a few years back with good results, but recently a friend told me about her experience with Eukanuba dog food.
She said that this food was better than Hills Science because of its higher quality ingredients and lower amount of fillers.
That got me quite interested, but a round of research was warranted.
In this Eukanuba vs Hills Science Diet dog food comparison, I will deep dive into what these two companies offer and hopefully help you to make a better decision.
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Overview: Eukanuba vs Hill’s Science Diet Dog Food
⚠️ Consider the following when choosing dog food:
- Life stage
- Size of dog
- Grain-inclusive or grain-free
What’s most important in choosing the right type of food for your dog is understanding its breed (activity levels) and any existing allergies.
If you need more help, consult your vet or find a veterinary nutritionist at the American College of Veterinary Nutrition (AVCM).
When it comes to choosing the best dog food for your pet, there are many factors to consider.
After all, you want something that is healthy for your dog and tastes good too!
While both Eukanuba and Hill’s Science Diet dog food brands offer good quality nutrition and a range of products to suit your pet, they are not the same.
In the sections following this, we take a look at some key factors to help us make an informed choice.
1. Brand Reputation
Eukanuba
Eukanuba is a brand of dog food that is owned by Mars Incorporated. the same company known for its chocolate bars.
Despite this fact, Mars is actually a big player in the dog food space too, owning several other brands such as Advance, Cesar, and Iams among many others.
The company came about to create new high-protein dog food that places priority on performance and nutritional science first and has quietly gained huge traction around the world.
Over the years, they have also become a partner for organizations such as the American Kennel Club, Super Retriever Series, the North American Diving Dogs, and many more, focusing on canine athletes.
Hill’s Science Diet
This company probably does not need much of an introduction.
The name Hill’s is synonymous with dog food globally and has often been recognized as one of the top choices amongst vets.
They carry a wide range of dog food products, including the well-known range of prescription food including i/d and z/d.
Hill’s is widely seen as a leader in food science and research, leading to a loyal base of dog owners, us included.
I love that they have placed a strong emphasis on helping shelter dogs through their Hill’s Food, Shelter & Love program which has helped over 11 million pets since its inception.
2. Ingredients
⚠️ A few points to note about the product label
Product name – tells you the percentage of the main ingredient
- “Chicken” – at least 70% of the product.
- “Chicken entree”, “Chicken platter”, “Chicken dinner” – at least 10% of the product.
- “With chicken” – at least 3% of the product
- “Chicken flavor” – less than 3% of the product
Ingredients – The first few items listed are the most important and make up the majority of the product (determined by weight).
Meat-meal – Can have much more protein than actual meat. To further understand, refer to this guide by AAFCO.
In this comparison article, we will consider the following dry food products from each company:
As well as the following wet dog food for nutrients comparison in the next section:
- Eukanuba Adult with lamb and rice formula dog food
- Hill’s Science Diet Canned Wet Dog Food, Adult 1-6
Eukanuba
Eukanuba dog food is a high-quality, premium brand.
The brand has been around for over 50 years, and they’ve learned a lot about what makes the best dog food.
The main benefit is that they focus on using high-quality meats as their protein sources such as chicken, lamb, beef, and salmon.
However, a closer look at the ingredients list will reveal some controversial ingredients such as the use of corn meal and chicken by-product meal.
Some claim that these have nutritional value while others think otherwise.
Unfortunately, unless we have actual insight into the production process, this will be a question mark.
That is why we prefer to choose dog food without these ingredients, or at least they are not the main ones.
Key Benefits
- Complete and balanced nutrition for large breed dogs over 15 months old and weighing over 55 lb
- Combination of animal protein, glucosamine, and chondroitin sulfate promotes lean muscle development and joint health in active adult dogs
- DHA and vitamin E support healthy brain function and help keep dogs sharp
- High-quality lamb is the first ingredient for protein that powers their day
Hill’s Science Diet
Science Diet is one of four brands that fall under Hill’s dog food umbrella.
This particular formula was designed to satisfy the requirements of healthy animals at different stages of life.
With a broad line of precisely balanced products, Science Diet healthy pet food offers clinically demonstrated advantages that support vitality and well-being at any age or lifestyle.
Science Diet contains only what pets require and none of what they do not.
To help guarantee that your pet lives a happy, healthy life, Science Diet has only the best natural ingredients that your pet will adore and contains no artificial colors, tastes, or preservatives.
Its core ingredients have a large focus on chicken, lamb, and beef for high levels of protein.
Some owners might be concerned or even turned off to seeing lamb meal as the key ingredient but in our opinion, this does not affect us as the company is transparent about it, and lamb meal can actually be made of high-quality meats too.
I would be more worried if they used a generic ‘meat-meal’ or fail to mention it at all.
Key Benefits
- Adult dry dog food is specially formulated to fuel the energy needs of large breed dogs
- Supports your grown dog’s joint health with natural sources of glucosamine & chondroitin
- Maintain your dog’s healthy skin and shiny coat with nourishing omega-6 fatty acids & vitamin E
- Promotes lean muscle in large dogs with high-quality protein
- Made in the USA
3. Key Nutrients
There are dozens of different dog food from both of these companies, so in this section, we pick out one dry food and one wet food product from each brand to make a comparison.
Every pet food label must include a guaranteed analysis of the nutrients, according to AAFCO (The Association of American Feed Control Officials) regulations.
Minimum crude protein and crude fat percentages, as well as maximum crude fiber and moisture percentages, must all be verified by the analysis.
Having this information handy can help you to choose the right food by being aware of your dog’s daily nutritional requirements.
We have also taken it a step further and included the dry matter percentage to provide a more accurate comparison (more on this in the next section).
3.1 Eukanuba vs Hill’s Science Diet dog food nutrients comparison
The tables below will show you the data from both dry and wet dog foods from the two brands.
Take note that when comparing dog food nutrients percentages, you should remove the amount of moisture to make it a more even comparison.
This is also referred to as calculating its dry matter basis (use this calculator).
This approach is a more accurate way to understand the true nutrient contents of dog food, instead of just relying on the number on the label (which is an ‘as-fed’ basis).
| Dry dog food | Eukanuba | Dry matter basis | Hill’s Science Diet | Dry matter basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crude Protein | 22.5% min | 25% | N.A | 24.3% |
| Crude Fat | 12% min | 13.33% | N.A | 16.4% |
| Crude Fiber | 3.7% max | 4.11% | N.A | 1.7% |
| Moisture | 10% max | – | N.A | – |
| Wet dog food | Eukanuba | Dry matter basis | Hill’s Science Diet | Dry matter basis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crude Protein | 8% min | 36.36% | N.A | 23.7% |
| Crude Fat | 4% min | 18.18% | N.A | 19.7% |
| Crude Fiber | 1.5% max | 6.82% | N.A | 1.3% |
| Moisture | 78% max | – | N.A | – |
Crude Protein
Protein is important to dogs because it is the primary building block of all living cells, allowing our dogs to build strong bones and connective tissue.
It is needed for cell growth and repair, tissue maintenance, and the production of enzymes and antibodies that fight disease.
From the data above, we can see that the dry dog food formula from Eukanuba has a slight edge, but both are capable of fulfilling a dog’s daily needs (18% min).
When it comes to the wet food version, Eukanuba again has a significant advantage.
Crude Fat
Fat is an important nutrient in your dog’s diet, and the right kind of fat can help your dog live a longer, healthier life.
Dogs who are active need more fat to power their muscles and provide the energy they need to move around.
When dogs are fed a high-fat diet, they have a greater ability to burn fat and a higher degree of performance.
This is more so for working and sporting dogs.
In this comparison, you can see that both companies offer more than enough (minimum 5.5%) amount of fats in their recipes, both dry and wet.
Crude Fiber
Just like in humans, fiber helps our dogs in digestion.
The helpful bacteria normally present in your dog’s colon frequently digest fiber into fatty acids.
Thus, the colon is able to heal from injuries thanks to this fatty acid, which also aids in preventing the proliferation of any harmful bacteria.
From the data, we can see that Eukanuba has the advantage in providing sufficient fiber for your dog’s needs (2 – 4%).
4. Range of formulas
Since the majority of dog owners like to avoid switching brands frequently, having a large selection of formulas is another important consideration when making a purchase.
The good news is that both companies cater to dog of all ages and breeds, from little puppies to weathered seniors, and provide a wide range of flavors and alternatives.
Here is a brief overview of the most popular choice that each company provides.
Most Popular Eukanuba Dog Food
Most Popular Hill’s Science Diet Dog Food
5. Product Safety and Recall
There is really no discussion about quality dog food without talking about their safety records.
Companies do make mistakes, and it is important for us dog parents to know about them and decide if they are worth our consideration.
I try to update this section as much as possible, but if you find anything amiss, you may double-check on the FDA’s site or its archives for accuracy.
Eukanuba
There have been a few recalls in Eukanuba’s history, with the latest happening in 2013.
The cause was the potential for salmonella.
Hill’s Science Diet
Similarly, Hill’s Science Diet has also had a few recalls in its history, with the most recent one happening in 2019 for elevated levels of vitamin D.
This affected its wet dog food only.
6. Price
In this section, find out how much it will cost for each brand’s dog foods, both dry and wet, to better understand the financial aspect of using them.
| Brand | Adult Dry Food | Adult Wet Food |
|---|---|---|
| Eukanuba | $2.12/lb | $3.38/lb |
| Hill’s Science Diet | $2.36/lb | $3.41/lb |
In Conclusion: Eukanuba vs Hill’s Science Diet Dog Food
Eukanuba and Hill’s Science Diet are both decent quality dog foods that will work for many dog owners as they offer a good balance of price and nutritional value.
However, I would personally stick to my top choice of dry dog foods, which is the Wellness Complete Health.
What about you? Which would you choose?
Consider visiting their online stores to learn more now!
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