Hill's Science Diet Adult 7+ Hairball Control Chicken Recipe Cat Food

7 ingredients in this list are ones we hold sourced evidence on , and 1 of them is genuinely contested rather than merely unpopular online.

• Pea protein · ingredient 6ContestedA concentrated protein fraction extracted from peas, used to raise a food's protein content without added meat. As a pea-derived pulse ingredient it falls within the group of legume ingredients examined in the FDA's open 2018 investigation into diet-associated canine DCM; metabolomic work has flagged pea-related compounds, but causation has not been shown.
• Beet Pulp · ingredient 9Well supportedThe fibrous material left after sugar is extracted from sugar beets, included as a moderately fermentable fiber source (commonly around 5 to 7.5% of the diet). Controlled feeding studies show it supports firm, good-quality stools and short-chain fatty acid production without impairing overall nutrient digestibility, so the 'cheap filler' characterization is not supported by the evidence.
• Fish oil (EPA + DHA omega-3) · ingredient 13Well supportedMarine-source omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) from fish oil. A randomized, double-blinded controlled trial (Roush 2010) found improved weight-bearing in dogs with osteoarthritis, and a 2022 meta-analysis identified clear clinical analgesic efficacy for omega-3-enriched diets and supplements.
• Mixed tocopherols (natural vitamin E) · ingredient 23Well supportedA blend of vitamin E forms (alpha-, beta-, gamma-, delta-tocopherol) used as a natural-source antioxidant to slow fat rancidity, commonly chosen as an alternative to synthetic preservatives. EFSA concluded that tocopherol-rich extracts are safe for all animal species and the consumer and are efficacious antioxidants in feed.
• Powdered Cellulose · ingredient 5NeutralPurified plant cell-wall fiber (typically from wood pulp) used as an insoluble-fiber source, bulking agent, and anti-caking aid, often in weight-management diets. It is not absorbed and is poorly fermentable, so it firms stool and dilutes calories but yields little of the short-chain fatty acids that more fermentable fibers produce; EFSA's 2018 re-evaluation found no safety concern and no need for a numerical ADI.
• Wheat Gluten · ingredient 7NeutralThe concentrated protein fraction of wheat, used as a plant protein and binder; it is highly digestible in dogs (about 88% crude-protein digestibility in one feeding study). The 2007 pet-food deaths linked to wheat gluten were caused by criminal melamine adulteration of imported product to fake protein readings, a contamination event rather than a property of wheat gluten itself.