A strong commitment to
better nutrition

Science for success

We continuously look for ways to improve the effectiveness of our products and are proud to be the first pet food company to apply the concept of Evidence-Based Clinical Nutrition to the development of pet food.

The best clinical decisions are made when high-quality research evidence, clinical expertise and patient values intertwine. Evidence-Based Clinical Nutrition starts with extensive nutritional research. These in-depth studies ensure that our products will provide real benefits to pets and meet the highest standards of quality and excellence expected by our customers.

Consistent with Evidence-Based Medicine used by physicians in human practice, Hill’s performs randomized, blinded and controlled clinical feeding studies. These scientific studies demonstrate the benefits of the medical and nutritional research conducted every day at the Hill’s Global Pet Nutrition Center.

The right nutrients
in the right quantities

Guided by evidenced-based research, Hill’s formulates its complete pet foods with a precise balance of 50 nutrients to meet the specific needs of pets, based on their lifestage, lifestyle, size or special needs. Carefully avoiding too little or too much of certain nutrients is important because a wide range of common disease conditions can be made worse, or even caused by, consistently feeding a diet with an incorrect balance of nutrients. Look at the table below to see how the most important nutrients will influence your pet’s health:

• 

• Water

  

  Water

  Water is the most important nutrient of all and essential for life. Animals can lose almost all their fat and half their protein and still survive, but if they lose 15% of their water, it will mean death.

  The amount of water an animal should consume per day is roughly equivalent to its daily energy intake in kilocalories. This means that a healthy dog or cat would normally need around 50 ml per kg bodyweight per day; e.g., 200 ml for a 4 kg cat.

• Carbohydrates

  

  The nutrients that supply us with energy are carbohydrates, proteins and fat.

  Carbohydrates

  Simple carbohydrates, commonly called carbs, and starches in foods are used by the body as glucose. Carbs provide the energy needed for daily activity and vital body functions, as well as:

  • Producing heat when metabolized for energy
  • Acting as building blocks for other nutrients, such as certain amino acids, lactose, and vitamin C
  • Providing energy storage in the form of glycogen or fat

• Proteins

  

  The nutrients that supply us with energy are carbohydrates, proteins and fat.

  Proteins

  Proteins are the essential building blocks of all tissues and organs in the body, and are required for all tissue growth, replenishment and repair.

• Fats

  

  The nutrients that supply us with energy are carbohydrates, proteins and fat.

  Fats

  Dietary fat is required:

  • To supply energy; dietary fat provides pets with 2.25x more calories per weight unit than protein or carbohydrates
  • To aid absorption of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K; dogs and cats need at least 1-2% of dietary fat in their food to absorb fat-soluble vitamins
  • To supply essential fatty acids: Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids

  Essential fatty acids are needed:

  • As components of cell membranes, to maintain fluid membranes that allow the passage of molecules
  • For the synthesis of diverse active substances in the body, such as prostaglandins
  • To control water loss through the skin

• Minerals

  Minerals

  More than 18 mineral elements are believed to be essential for mammals. By definition, macrominerals are required by the animal in the diet in larger amounts and microminerals, also called trace elements, are required in much smaller amounts.

  There are 7 macrominerals:

  • Sodium
  • Phosphorus
  • Calcium
  • Chloride
  • Magnesium
  • Potassium
  • Sulphur

  There are at least 11 microminerals,
  the major ones being iron, zinc, copper and selenium.

  • Iron
  • Yink
  • Copper
  • Selenium
  • Iodine
  • Chromium
  • Fluorine
  • Cobalt
  • Molybdenum
  • Boron
  • Manganese

  Minerals are required for the maintenance of:

  Skeletal structure	Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium
  Acid base, fluid balance	Potassium, Sodium, Chloride
  Cellular function	All
  Nerve conduction	Potassium, Magnesium
  Muscle contraction	Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium

• Antioxidants

  

  Antioxidants

  Cells are continually under attack from compounds called “free radicals” – a by-product of the body’s own metabolism or external sources such as pollution. They pose a particular risk to the nervous and immune systems since they can kill cells or damage the DNA within. They may even contribute to the progression of many diseases and the onset of premature ageing.

  Cells are continually under attack from compounds called “free radicals” – a by-product of the body’s own metabolism or external sources such as pollution. They pose a particular risk to the nervous and immune systems since they can kill cells or damage the DNA within. They may even contribute to the progression of many diseases and the onset of premature ageing.

• Vitamins

  

  Vitamins

  Vitamins can be divided into two main groups depending on whether they are soluble in fat or water. In addition, there is a group of vitamin-like substances that are similar to vitamins without fitting exactly into either category.

  Fat-soluble vitamins

  Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamin K

  Water-soluble vitamins

  Vitamin B Complex, Thiamine (B1), Riboflavin (B2), Pyridoxine (B6), Cobalamin (B12), Niacin, Pantothenic acid, Biotin, Choline, Vitamin C

  Vitamin-like substances

  L-carnitine, Carotenoids, Flavonoids