Hill’s unveils therapeutic diet for pets with cancer

Hill’s Pet Nutrition will release this March a new therapeutic pet diet designed to combat inappetence and provide quality nutrition for cats and dogs with cancer.

The pet food company announced the rollout of Prescription Diet ONC Care on Jan. 13 ahead of the Veterinary Meeting & Expo in Orlando, Florida.

Currently, there is no veterinary standard for managing the nutritional needs of oncology patients, nor is there a therapeutic food designed specifically to meet their needs, according to the Hill’s announcement.

“With Prescription Diet ONC Care, we provide veterinary professionals with a powerful new tool they can confidently recommend to pet parents to keep their pets eating and to help them maintain good quality of life for their pets,” said Dr. Karen Shenoy, U.S. chief veterinary officer of Hill’s Pet Nutrition, in a statement.

Approximately 1 in 4 dogs will, at some stage in their life, develop neoplasia. Almost half of dogs over the age of 10 will develop cancer. Dogs get cancer at roughly the same rate as humans, while there is less information about the rate of cancer in cats.

Hill’s described its latest product as a highly palatable, easy-to-chew food that includes highly digestible protein to help maintain muscle mass, strength, and energy. The diet is made with Hill’s proprietary blend of prebiotics that is shown to provide consistent stool quality.

Use of Prescription Diet ONC Care requires veterinarian direction and supervision, the company said.

The new diet is the result of five years of research and development to better meet the health-care needs of pets diagnosed with cancer. Additional studies are underway to explore further clinical benefits of the new food.

The company also announced Jan. 11 that it is moving its global and U.S. headquarters from Topeka, Kansas, to Overland Park, Kansas, in the greater Kansas City area. The move is expected to take place in late 2023.