Colgate-Palmolive: The Toothpaste Brand Behind Hill’s Pet Nutrition

Who Really Owns Your Dog’s Food? Spotlight on Colgate-Palmolive (Hill’s Science Diet)

Hill’s Science Diet is marketed as a veterinary-recommended dog food brand—but it’s also owned by Colgate-Palmolive, a multinational corporation better known for toothpaste and cleaning supplies than pet nutrition.

🔍 Corporate Profile: Colgate-Palmolive

• Parent Company: Colgate-Palmolive
• Dog Food Brand: Hill’s Science Diet, Hill’s Prescription Diet
• Headquarters: New York, USA
• Founded: 1806 (Colgate), acquired Hill’s in 1976
• Global Reach: Distributed in over 80 countries

Colgate-Palmolive bought Hill’s Pet Nutrition to expand into the growing pet care market. Since then, Hill’s has become a dominant player in prescription diets, often sold exclusively through veterinarians.

💊 Prescription Diets: Innovation or Monopoly?

Hill’s Prescription Diet line targets specific health conditions like kidney disease, obesity, and food allergies. While they are formulated by veterinarians and nutritionists, the proprietary nature of the recipes—and the required vet prescription—have drawn criticism for limiting consumer choice.

Colgate’s investment in veterinary education and exclusive agreements with vet offices often keeps competitors out, leading some critics to label it a “medical monopoly.”

🧪 Ingredients and Quality

• Many formulas contain by-products, maize, corn gluten meal, and soybean oil
• Relies heavily on synthetic vitamins and preservatives
• Few grain-free or holistic options

This puts Hill’s at odds with current trends in whole food and ancestral diets, and makes it controversial among holistic pet owners.

📉 Recalls and Controversy

• 2019 Recall: Hill’s recalled several canned dog foods for excessive vitamin D, which led to pet illnesses and some deaths.
  FDA Recall Notice
• Transparency Issues: Unlike Open Farm or Ziwi, Hill’s does not publish sourcing or third-party testing data.

🌱 How It Compares to Independent Brands

• Open Farm – Offers full ingredient traceability and humanely raised proteins
• Ziwi Peak – Air-dried, New Zealand-sourced meat, no fillers or legumes

📸 Infographic

🔗 Internal Links

• Spotlight on General Mills
• Why Ethical Pet Food Matters
• Open Farm Review

While Hill’s provides specialized nutrition for certain conditions, its corporate ownership, limited transparency, and reliance on conventional formulations may make it less appealing for those seeking holistic or ethical alternatives.