Is Hill's Science Diet Dog Food Good?
Based on the ingredients Hill's Science Diet lists as of Jun 2026. Brands reformulate — check the current bag.
What's in Hill's Science Diet Adult Chicken & Barley Recipe
Ingredients are listed by weight — what's first is what there's most of. The full panel, in the order Hill's Science Diet publishes them, grouped for readability.
Main ingredients 21
Vitamins & minerals 23
As published by Hill's Science Diet — official product page, Jun 2026.
How it scores on our method
We read the label against four things. Each result is neutral — we flag items against our watchlist, we don't call any product dangerous.
Chicken leads, with Cracked Pearled Barley close behind — a named, real-food base.
We flag Brewers Rice and Soybean Meal against our watchlist (rice-milling by-product fragments — lower grade than whole rice — consider alternatives).
From the listed ingredients, the recipe reads protein-forward; we don’t see the guaranteed analysis, so treat this as a read of the label, not a lab result.
Mostly specific, with one broad term (Natural Flavors) that reduces clarity.
Our score
Applying that method, Hill's Science Diet Adult Chicken & Barley Recipe scores 82/100 in our assessment — a Good score on our scale.
This is NatBuddy's opinion based on the listed ingredients, not a statement of fact about the product or a health claim.
If you want a higher-scoring option
Chicken leads a clean, legible list — a Good score on our scale.
Chicken leads a clean, legible list — a Good score on our scale.
A home-cooked bowl skips the label guessing entirely. NatBuddy has vet-informed recipes built around your dog.
Common questions
NatBuddy scores are our opinion, based on the ingredients each manufacturer publicly lists as of the date shown, weighed against our published method (see The Science). They are informational, are not veterinary advice, and are not statements that any product is unsafe. Formulations change — always read the current label and consult your vet.
Brand names and trademarks belong to their respective owners. NatBuddy is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any brand reviewed here.