Best Ways to Save on Science Diet Dog Food (Shhh...Don't Tell Your Vet)

When it comes to buying the pet food that veterinarians often recommend, it can get expensive. And while it’s convenient to pick up a bag of Science Diet pet food at the vet’s office or set up automatic deliveries to your house, you may be paying more than you should for that convenience. So what’s a cost-conscious pet parent to do? Where is the cheapest place to buy Science Diet dog food, anyway?

If your furry friend is hooked on Science Diet pet food, your best money-saving tactic is to be willing to shop around for the best deal. Luckily, we discovered a few ways you can actually save money on Science Diet products. From places to look for Science Diet coupons to insider tips for where to find Science Diet the cheapest, here’s everything you need to know.

For more tips on how to save on pet products, text HACKS to 57299.

 

Current Science Diet promotions in November 2023

Save $8 on large bags of Science Diet at PetSmart with promo code HILLS2023.

Use promo code HILLS2023 at checkout online to save $8 on large bags (20 pounds or more) of Science Diet dog food through Dec. 30, 2023.

For medium bags (10 – 20 pounds), you’ll save $4 with promo code HILLS2023.

 

Best Ways To Save on Science Diet Dog Food

1. The average price of a 35-lb bag of Science Diet is around $2.26 per pound — but aim to get it for less.

For the sake of comparing prices across retailers, we looked at the prices for a 35-pound bag of Hill’s Science Diet Adult 1 – 6 Small Bites dry dog food. The average price per pound came out to about $2.26.

Since the price per pound is so similar at most of the major pet food retailers, there’s not a clear winner when it comes to finding the cheapest place to buy Science Diet dog food at regular prices. But if you’ve followed KCL for a while, you know that we don’t ever settle for paying regular prices.

 

2. Buy Science Diet dog food in bulk at Tractor Supply to save 8%.

Just like with shelf-stable human food, you’ll always get a better (lower) price per pound when you buy in bulk. As long as you’re okay with the upfront sticker shock of buying pet food in bulk, you’ll end up saving money in the long run.

We found that most pet stores only sell bags of Science Diet as large as 35 pounds. But at Tractor Supply Co., you can buy a 45-pound “mega pack” bag of Science Diet Adult Dog Food for $92.99, which comes out to $2.07 per pound. When you compare that to the average price of $2.26 per pound, you’re saving 8% just by opting for the bigger bag.

If you do decide to go the Tractor Supply route, you can also get a 30% discount on your first subscription delivery order. This would make your first 45-pound bag only $65.09, or $1.45 per pound. After your first delivery, you’ll save 5% on all future subscription orders.

 

Store your bulk pet food in a container like this one:

We’ve seen this 60-pound dog food storage container go on sale for as low as $56.54, with an additional $20 off Amazon coupon you can clip.

 

3. Petco has a better loyalty program than PetSmart, giving you more bang for your buck on pet food.

Since they’re direct competitors, both Petco and PetSmart have similar prices for the same size bag of Science Diet dog food (usually within about a cent or two). And their auto-ship perks are identical, too, giving you 35% off your first order and 5% off all subsequent deliveries. But when it comes to their store loyalty programs, Petco’s Vital Care Core rewards program actually comes out on top. Let me explain.

With Petco rewards, you earn 1 point for every $1 you spend. And with PetSmart, you earn 8 points for every $1 spent. But hold on — didn’t I say that Petco wins? Even though you earn more points per dollar at PetSmart, those points don’t go as far when it comes to the dollar rewards you get back:

• Petco: Get a $5 coupon for every 167 points (or $167 spent) — like getting 3% cash back rewards
• PetSmart: Get a $2.50 coupon for every 1,000 points (or $125 spent) — like getting 2% cash back rewards

Plus, every 10th bag of food you buy at Petco is free with a Petco Rewards account.

Related: Hooked on the doggie spa? Learn these tricks for finding a PetSmart grooming coupon.

 

4. Amazon’s prices are still about 29% higher than the average for Science Diet — even after a 5% Subscribe & Save discount.

If you’re an Amazon shopper, you might already be using the Subscribe and Save feature to save 5% on repeat purchases. But don’t just assume that the 5% discount will make Amazon’s price competitive with other pet food retailers.

When I searched for the cheapest bag of Science Diet Adult dog food on Amazon, I was shocked at the price. A 15-pound bag costs $45.99 for a one-time purchase, or $43.69 with the 5% Subscribe & Save discount factored in. When you consider the price per pound, it comes in at $3.07 (or $2.91 with the Subscribe & Save discount). Still about 29% to 36% higher than the average price per pound I’m willing to pay for Science Diet.

Related: Here’s your easy guide to how to cancel an Amazon Subscribe & Save subscription.

 

 

5. Avoid third-party sellers on Walmart.com, where prices are inflated by up to 148%.

You might be wondering why Walmart isn’t on this list of the cheapest places to buy Science Diet dog food. That’s because Walmart’s online prices for Science Diet just aren’t competitive with other retailers. Plus, the Science Diet products are sold by third-party sellers, which means you don’t always know you’re getting an authentic product.

To give you an idea of the price inflation, here are two sizes of Science Diet food we found for sale on Walmart.com:

• Hill’s Science Diet Dry Dog Food, 15-lb bag: $82.63, or $5.51 per pound — 144% higher than the average
• Hill’s Science Diet Dry Dog Food, 5-lb bag: $23.49, or $4.70 per pound — 108% higher than the average

TIP: If you do decide to buy from Walmart.com, check that the food is actually sold by Hill’s Pet Nutrition.

 

6. Sign up for deal alerts at your favorite pet stores to stay on top of the best sales.

To get the best deals every time you need to refill your pet food supply, sign up for emails and promotional alerts from all the pet stores in your area. That way, you can pounce on a good deal as soon as it becomes available and not be tied to any one store.

For example, we recently saw a Chewy sale that offered 30% off (and free shipping) on Science Diet products.

Here’s a peek at some more Science Diet savings we’ve seen in email newsletters:

• PetSmart: Earn 5x the rewards points (10% back in savings) on Hill’s Science Diet (June 2023); Get $20 off $100+ Hill’s Science Diet purchase (July 2023)
• Petco: $8 off Hill’s Science Diet Specialty Cat Food (15.5-lb bag) — in-store through May 29, 2023

 

7. Get an instant $5 off coupon when you sign up for Hill’s Pet Nutrition emails.

As long as you’re okay with some marketing emails, submit your name and email address on Hill’s Pet Nutrition website and get a coupon good for $5 off dog or cat dry food or $2 off dog treats.

If you select a retailer right off the bat (Amazon, Chewy, PetFlow, PetSmart, or Petco), you’ll receive an instant promo code that expires at the end of the current calendar year. Or, print the manufacturer’s coupon at home and it’ll have an expiration date of 30 days out.

 

8. Check The Krazy Coupon Lady for verified Science Diet deals, coupons, and promo codes.

If you don’t find any great sales by the time you need to restock, check for coupons online. You can jump to all the latest Hill’s Science Diet coupons on The Krazy Coupon Lady website or app. Here are some recent deals we’ve shared so far this year:

• Up to 33% off Hill’s Science Diet Dog Food at Petco (April 2023)
• Up to 33% off Hill’s Science Diet Cat Food at Petco (February 2023)
• Up to 37% off Hill’s Science Diet Dog Food on Amazon (January 2023)