Hill’s Science Diet vs Blue Buffalo Dog Food: 2023 Comparison, Pros & Cons

Dog food can seem like a never-ending brigade of decisions. There are tons of dog food brands out there, and each brand produces dozens of different recipes. Each option may advertise being made with different ingredients and providing different benefits to your canine. On the shelf, it can be challenging to discern which dog foods are worth buying.

We compared two of the most popular dog food brands, Hill’s Science Diet and Blue Buffalo, to help you choose which option works best for your canine. These companies represent two sides of the dog food market. Hill’s Science Diet is a traditional dog food utilizing many grain-inclusive ingredients. On the other hand, Blue Buffalo prides itself on being “meat-based”.

Take a look at our in-depth reviews and explanations below to get a better idea of how these dog food brands stack up to the rest of the dog food market. The answer probably will surprise you.

A Sneak Peek at the Winner: Hill’s Science Diet

Hill’s Science Diet provides appropriate diets for a wide variety of canines. Meat usually falls as the first ingredient (except in some of their veterinary diets where meat isn’t suitable). Furthermore, their foods are typically grain-inclusive, making them a better choice for most dogs.

Their formulas follow AAFCO guidelines and provide optimal amounts of protein, which is why we recommend them for most dogs.

About Hill’s Science Diet

Hill’s Science diet is typically the most expensive dog food on the shelf. Therefore, it also remains one of the most popular for dog owners looking for premium food. After all, more expensive must mean better, right?

This company crafts several different dog food lines. Many of them are aimed at particular breeds, which sets them apart from the competition. The creation of different food for specific breeds also helps drive their popularity, as dog owners often assume that breed-specific food is better for their canines. They also produce some veterinary diets, which are made for very specific health conditions.

Where Is Hill’s Science Diet Made?

The Colgate-Palmolive Company owns Hill’s Science Diet. They own several operating facilities in the United States, as well as several others throughout the world. Their dog food is made in these facilities, not by some third party.

This company is well-known for its meticulous safety procedures. For this reason, they typically have extremely safe facilities and very few dog food recalls. With that said, the company has been recalled a few different times. Therefore, while they may be one of the safer dog food brands on the market, they aren’t the safest.

Is Hill’s Science Diet Healthy?

Hill’s Science Diet crafts all of its food according to AAFCO guidelines. Therefore, they are made to meet the nutritional needs of dogs at varying stages of their life. They craft both puppy food and adult food. Many of their breed-specific formulas come as both puppy and adult food, as well. This formula will provide your canine with all they need to thrive.

This company typically includes whole meat as one of its first ingredients. Chicken is most common, likely because it is one of the cheapest meats on the market. However, they do offer formulas with other meats, as well. However, their foods tend to be quite grain-heavy. For instance, they include brewer’s rice in the first few ingredients in their dog’s food.

Brewer’s rice is basically white rice, which makes it a subpar ingredient. It doesn’t contain much nutritional value. While grain-inclusive food works best for most canines, we prefer whole grains, as they are more nutritious and contain fiber.

About Blue Buffalo

Blue Buffalo is well-known as a meat-based dog food. You’ll likely remember them from their commercials featuring wolves. The large majority of their foods do contain meat. However, they may not be as meat-based as you believe.

They create a range of recipes for dogs to enjoy. On top of their regular dry dog food line, they also create a limited-ingredient diet for those with allergies or sensitivities. They also produce a fairly small veterinary diet line, which is designed to support dogs with specific health conditions. The large majority of their foods are grain-free, though they do make a few grain-inclusive options.

Where Is Blue Buffalo Made?

General Mills owns Blue Buffalo. This company creates all of its dog foods at two different facilities in the United States. These facilities are located in Joplin, Missouri, and Richmond, Indiana. However, they also outsource many of their products to other facilities across the United States.

While they have direct control over the creation of many of their dog foods, they also outsource the production of others. Of course, this increases the chance of recalls—and it shows.

This company has had many recalls compared to other dog food companies out there. Since 2009, Blue Buffalo has had six recalls. Many of these recalls were major and involved problems that could get dogs extremely sick. In comparison, Hill’s Science Diet had four during that period, but many of them were minor.

Is Blue Buffalo Healthy?

Typically, Blue Buffalo gets many of its customers because they believe their meat-based dog food is best for their canines. However, the ingredient list typically makes it clear that their foods contain lower levels of meat-based protein. Their formulas typically don’t include more meat than your average dog food.

Furthermore, they also use a lot of peas in their formulas. Often, they take part in ingredient splitting to make peas appear lower on the list, but the truth is that much of the protein in their food comes from peas. Furthermore, peas are currently being investigated by the FDA as potentially linked to certain health conditions in dogs. Therefore, their overuse of peas is disappointing and potentially dangerous.

With that said, their dog foods do meet AAFCO requirements, which means they provide a complete diet for dogs at various life stages. This company also crafts a number of formulas, allowing you to choose the best option for your canine.

Whether or not this food is healthy enough for your dog depends a lot on where you stand.

The 3 Most Popular Hill’s Science Diet Dog Food Recipes

To make our reviews a bit clearer, let’s take a look at three of the most popular Hill’s Science Diet recipes:

Cracked pearled barley and brown rice make this formula grain-inclusive. However, the grains utilized are whole grains, which means that they’re high in fiber and several nutrients. They are not fillers, but nutritious sources of energy.

Lower down on the ingredient list, beet pulp appears. While this may seem like a strange ingredient, this ingredient actually provides tons of fiber to the food, which is exactly why it is included. Omega fatty acids provide extra support to your dog’s coat and skin, while vitamin E nourishes your dog’s coat.

Overall, this formula contains just about everything your dog needs and nothing they don’t. The extra nutrients help this formula nourish a dog’s skin. However, it truly works well for just about any adult canine out there.

The first ingredient is chicken. However, chicken has a very high moisture content, much of which is removed during the kibble-making process. Therefore, while this formula does include some chicken, it is largely grain-based. Barley, wheat, corn, and sorghum appear as the main ingredients. Of course, it’s a common misconception that grains are bad for dogs (and there may be a bit too much grain in this dog food).

However, this food includes so much grain because it’s for large breeds, who usually don’t need high amounts of protein or fat. Excessive amounts of these macronutrients can lead to health problems. Furthermore, this formula still contains 20% protein, which is in the optimal range.

To improve joint and bone development, this formula includes high levels of glucosamine and chondroitin. Antioxidants are also included to prevent oxidative stress and improve your dog’s overall immune system. Of course, like most dog foods, omega fatty acids are added to improve your dog’s coat and skin health.

To accomplish this, this formula includes higher protein and lower fat. Protein helps your dog stay full, while fat can increase their weight. The overall calorie content is lower, as well. Therefore, this formula promotes healthy weight loss while also helping your canine support their muscles.

This formula includes chicken as the first ingredient. However, it also includes high levels of whole grains, like cracked pearled barley. Because grain-inclusive foods are not associated with an increased risk of DCM, they are generally considered healthier than grain-free foods.

The 3 Most Popular Blue Buffalo Dog Food Recipes

Blue Buffalo is an extremely popular brand. However, let’s take a look at their most popular recipes to see if they’re worth the hype:

The first two ingredients are meat-based. Deboned chicken is listed first, which includes a moderate amount of protein and much moisture. A lot of this moisture is removed during processing. Meat meal has already had this moisture removed. This protein concentrate is extremely potent, containing lots of protein and other nutrients.

This formula also includes lots of peas. Pea starch appears pretty high on the list but you’ll also find whole peas and pea protein. Because all of these ingredients are split up, they appear lower on the list. However, if you were to put them all together, they would appear much higher.

The company has added various nutrients to this recipe. Glucosamine appears to aid in joint health, and all the included minerals are chelated to improve absorption.

However, there are also a lot of peas in this food. Instead of containing extra meat, this formula simply switches out the usual grains for increased pea content. Because peas are potentially linked to DCM, we cannot recommend them for most dogs. Plus, pea protein is not particularly absorbable. Therefore, your dog likely isn’t absorbing all of the peas in this food.

This formula is extremely high in protein. Most dogs do not need all the protein included. In fact, excessive protein like what’s included in this recipe can potentially lead to health problems.

With that said, this food does include omega fatty acids, which help support your dog’s coat and skin. Antioxidants are also included, supporting your dog’s overall immune system.

Lots of grain sources, including brown rice, oatmeal, and barley, are also included. These provide fiber and a few other nutrients that can support your dog’s health. They are also a readily accessible source of energy.

Glucosamine and chondroitin provide extra support for your dog’s joints. It isn’t uncommon for larger breeds to have problems with their mobility, so this sort of support is vital. Plus, calcium, phosphorus, and essential vitamins are also included. We love that the minerals are chelated, as this helps improve absorption.

Recall History of Hill’s Science Diet and Blue Buffalo

Blue Buffalo

Blue Buffalo is well-known for their many recalls throughout their short history. This company has had seven recalls in all, with six of those being since 2009.

They were part of the large Menu Foods recall, which affected many different brands. Melamine was found in a certain supplier’s rice, likely due to product tampering. They also recalled several foods in October 2010 due to a sequencing error that added too much vitamin D to certain foods.

Two recalls occurred in November 2015. One was for a number of cat treats, which the FDA ordered to be recalled after propylene glycol was found in them. The other recall involved some chew bones, which were contaminated with salmonella.

In May 2016, some sweet potato-containing foods were recalled due to potential mold growth. Two recalls in early 2017 were caused by other contaminations—one with metal and the other with excessive beef thyroid hormones.

Hill’s Science Diet

Hill’s Science Diet has fewer recalls, likely because they produce all of their foods in their own facilities. Therefore, the company has tighter control over what the foods contain and how they are made.

This company was also part of the Menu Foods recall. Simply put, this recall involved rice being contaminated with melamine, which is a chemical used in plastic production. This recall affected more than 100 brands.

Hill’s also had to recall several bags of food in 2014 due to potential salmonella contamination. However, only about 62 bags were affected. November 2015 also saw the withdrawal (but not recall) of several foods. It is unsure why the food was withdrawn, but it was likely due to a minor problem like a labeling error.

Most recently, the company had to recall several foods in January 2019 due to a supplier error that led to too much vitamin D. Sadly, hundreds of dogs died after eating the contaminated food. It was one of the largest causes of pet death due to food manufacturing problems.

Hill’s Science Diet vs Blue Buffalo Comparison

Taste

Generally, both of these brands seem to have great taste. Of course, each flavor is a bit different, so you may have to try multiple recipes to find one that your canine likes. However, there were no significant differences in taste between either company.

If your dog is on the pickier side, we recommend utilizing wet food, as it tends to have more flavor. Both of these companies make healthy and flavorful wet food options for these cases.

Nutritional Value

Both foods meet the nutritional requirements set by the AAFCO. However, Hill’s Science Diet seemed to include higher quality ingredients, such as grains instead of peas. Plus, Blue Buffalo has many recipes with extremely high levels of protein.

While there is technically no protein maximum on dog food, excessive protein is linked with some health conditions so we recommend avoiding excessive protein when possible.

Price

Both of these foods are priced similarly. Some recipes are more expensive than others. However, we place both of these brands firmly in the premium category, which means that they are going to be more expensive than other options.

Selection

Both companies provide a wide selection of dog foods. Hill’s Science Diet provides breed-specific formulas, which may be helpful in some cases. Furthermore, many Blue Buffalo recipes are extremely similar to each other, with only a few differing ingredients.

Therefore, Hill’s Science Diet seems to provide the biggest selection.

Overall

In the end, both of these brands are similar. However, Hill’s Science Diet steers clear of some potentially troublesome ingredients (like peas) and adds a more optimal amount of protein. Plus, they also have substantially fewer recalls, though one of their recalls was quite massive.

Still, Hill’s Science Diet wins this round by a hair.

Conclusion

These foods are extremely similar. One of the major differences, though, is that Blue Buffalo includes quite a bit of peas in their grain-free foods, while Hill’s Science Diet uses very few peas in their foods. Peas are associated with some health problems, so we don’t recommend that dogs eat them in large quantities.

At the same time, some Blue Buffalo recipes include a lot of protein—too much protein for most dogs. Be sure to keep this in mind if you decide to go with this brand. Hill’s Science Diet provides more optimal amounts of protein.