The scores
Blue Buffalo Life Protection Puppy: B (78/100) — Deboned chicken first, chicken meal second, brown rice third. Fish oil DHA, chelated minerals, dried egg product for amino acid completeness. No corn, wheat, or by-product meals.
Hill's Science Diet Puppy Chicken Meal & Barley: C (58/100) — Chicken meal first, whole grain wheat, barley, whole grain corn, chicken fat. Fish oil for DHA, dried egg product, pork fat. Corn gluten meal as a protein extender.
How the ingredients compare
Blue Buffalo Puppy: Deboned Chicken, Chicken Meal, Brown Rice, Oatmeal, Barley
Hill's Puppy: Chicken Meal, Whole Grain Wheat, Cracked Pearled Barley, Whole Grain Corn, Chicken Fat
Blue Buffalo's top five is a clean sweep: named whole chicken, concentrated chicken meal, and three quality whole grains (brown rice, oatmeal, barley — no wheat, no corn). Hill's leads with chicken meal (a positive) but then stacks wheat, barley, corn in positions 2-4, with corn gluten meal appearing further down as a plant protein extender. The grain mix is the single biggest factor in the 20-point score gap.
Where Blue Buffalo pulls ahead
Double animal protein anchor: Deboned chicken (whole wet-weight chicken) + chicken meal (concentrated) in the top two slots delivers a stronger animal-protein foundation than Hill's single chicken meal anchor. Two animal sources before any carbohydrate is a cleaner composition.
No corn, no wheat, no corn gluten meal: Blue Buffalo Puppy skips the three most controversial ingredients in mainstream puppy food. Corn gluten meal in particular is a budget plant protein extender with incomplete amino acid profile — its presence in Hill's signals cost optimization over nutrition optimization.
Grain selection: Brown rice, oatmeal, and barley are all nutrient-dense whole grains with moderate glycemic impact. Wheat and corn (Hill's choices) are acceptable but less nutrient-dense and more commonly associated with allergic reactions in sensitive breeds. Shop on Amazon →
Where Hill's holds its own
Clinical feeding trials: Hill's is one of the few mainstream brands with AAFCO feeding trial substantiation (not just formulation matching). Their quality control and batch consistency are among the industry's tightest. For puppies with a documented history of sensitive digestion who have reacted to other premium brands, Hill's track record for tolerability is a real factor.
Vet-aisle availability and familiarity: Hill's Science Diet is the most-recommended brand by veterinarians, which makes continuity with vet guidance easier. If your vet has specifically recommended Hill's and monitored your puppy's growth on it, switching brands introduces variables.
DHA from fish oil: Both formulas include fish oil for DHA — this is not a point of differentiation. Both formulas support brain and eye development appropriately. Shop on Amazon →
The bottom line
On ingredient quality, Blue Buffalo Puppy is meaningfully better than Hill's Science Diet Puppy. The 20-point gap is driven by Blue Buffalo's cleaner grain selection (no wheat, no corn), double animal protein anchor, and absence of corn gluten meal as a protein extender. For most puppies, this is a straightforward recommendation — choose Blue Buffalo. For puppies with specific veterinary history on Hill's or documented tolerability issues on other premium brands, Hill's clinical track record can justify the lower ingredient grade.