Science Diet vs. Acana!!? - YorkieTalk.com Forums

sweet_tikka · 05-04-2011, 08:17 AM

Okay so I wasn't sure whether to post in General or Health because I have a question/problem and also the story is funny to me...

Okay so the first three ingredients in Science Diet Small Bites, 2 of the first four are Corn products and one is a beet veggie ingredient.
In Acana, the 4 of the first five ingredients are MEAT products.

I thought corn/wheat in dog food lowered the quality and it usually something you don't want to feed your pup? [For example... Ol' Roy... ew!]

So I am trying to switch Tikka to what Pooter eats, and that is Acana it's the ONLY food he's everrrr been on that doesn't make him sick and have runny/snotty stool.
BUT Tikka literally picks around all the Acana pieces and picks them up and puts them outside of her bowl, and eats all the Science Diet. If I try hand feeding her the pieces like treats, she spits them out. NOW Pooter is starting to eat her Science Diet food too, and when I try to feed him Acana he spits it out! So far Pooter is actually not getting sick from this food, his stomach is handling it fine.

BUT I don't know much about Science Diet food, except that it was a bit more expensive than my Acana and is probably only 10% meat or less compared to 60% in Acana. Do any of you know anything about Science Diet... because now both of my dogs prefer that over Acana. Pooter used to scarf his Acana like candy until I bought Science Diet to switch Tikka over slowly to Acana.

Watching them pick around their food, spitting it out, and pooter sneaking food from Tikka's bowl... makes me remember how smart they really are lol!! The little buggers!

GRRRR

AlicetheYorkie · 05-04-2011, 08:58 AM

The handfull of times my dogs have been given crappy dog food (either got into a friend's dog's food bowl) full of corn etc. they LOVED it LOL

Think of it this way - what tastes better to you, fast food or plain chicken breast with brussel sprouts

I realize you're trying to make a gradual switch, but maybe just ditch the SD at this point. Or, put both foods in the bowl but mix it all up with some canned food, that way the "picking" won't be so easy and the canned food will make all of it more appealing.

They actually coat the crappy dog food with "flavorings" to make dogs want to eat it and some dogs get "addicted" to the flavoring.

The other thing you can do for now is get some "dog gravy" - it's not very good for them, but it may at least be a temporary fix to make the Acana taste more like the SD till he gets used to it.

AlicetheYorkie · 05-04-2011, 09:13 AM

Just thought of something - you can also try using Orijen instead of Acana - it's the same company but the Orijen is grain-free and tends to be a bit more appealing smell-wise.

I also just remembered that I'm the one who suggested you get Tikka a small bag of the SD to help the switch to Acana LOL - well, that backfired didn't it? LOL

I can't remember if you were on the thread talking about Honest Kitchen. You could try mixing that in with the Acana (and some SD just for Tikka's switch) too. It'll kind of "soup" it all together and the people who use it say their "picky eaters" love it.

They are little buggers aren't they? LOL I have to literally rotate something different for each meal with Alice to keep her eating - I just started using Nature's Variety and I rotate daily through their raw, kibble, and canned and all the different flavors and then some regular raw chicken or beef from the grocery store, that works really great and the nature's variety is excelent food. (I throw Orijen kibble in the mix for her too so I don't waste the bag I bought and she eats it perfectly fine as long as it's not everyday

)

LuvTaycieGirl · 05-04-2011, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlicetheYorkie

The handfull of times my dogs have been given crappy dog food (either got into a friend's dog's food bowl) full of corn etc. they LOVED it LOL

Think of it this way - what tastes better to you, fast food or plain chicken breast with brussel sprouts

I realize you're trying to make a gradual switch, but maybe just ditch the SD at this point. Or, put both foods in the bowl but mix it all up with some canned food, that way the "picking" won't be so easy and the canned food will make all of it more appealing.

They actually coat the crappy dog food with "flavorings" to make dogs want to eat it and some dogs get "addicted" to the flavoring.

The other thing you can do for now is get some "dog gravy" - it's not very good for them, but it may at least be a temporary fix to make the Acana taste more like the SD till he gets used to it.

I would agree with Alice, I am not a science diet fan at all.. I feel its an overpriced bag of corn.

I would try mixing in a tblspoon of wet/canned food with there meals. I really like the 95% meats made by Wellness. Taycie will do anything for those.Maybe even try Acana and ditch the SD completly... I know your supposed to do a gradual switch but some other members switch cold turkey.. depending on the dog.

I purchased Ice pups from the Honest kitchen. Basically its a broth you can either freeze in Ice cube trays or serve warm as a treat. I like to pour some over Taycie's food and she LOVES it! It might also be a healthier alternative to gravy food additives.
Frozen Dog Treats | Healthy Liquid Dog Treat | The Honest Kitchen

You could also try Natural Balance Meat rolls that can be grated over the food. These can be bought at petco.
Pet Supplies - Pet Products - Pet Food | PETCO.com

I hope this helps. Acana is an Excellent food!!!!! I would try to stick with it! If all else fails try another flavor or different brand. Some YT members here I am sure will chip in with suggestions.

I really Like Natural Balance, Wellness, Natures Variety, to name a quick few. I would definently try these before giving in to Science Diet.. Yuck..

Good Luck!

Britster · 05-04-2011, 09:38 AM

SD and Acana aren't even comparable, IMO.

Which formula of Acana are you on? I notice you're in Canada so you probably have the grain-inclusive versions over there (they don't sell them in the US). We only have the grain-free which are Prairie, Pacifica, Grasslands and Ranchlands. I rotate between them all except Pacifica because Jackson does not like fish flavored foods...

Have you tried another flavor? The Ranchlands is new and red-meat based which tends to be tastier to a lot of dogs. It's worth a try. I would never go from Acana to SD personally.

I agree with the posts above. Natural Balance makes food that is a limited ingredient diet and is good for dogs with sensitive tummies. Jackson really loved the samples we got of it, and I'm still considering adding it into the mix.

sweet_tikka · 05-04-2011, 10:02 AM

Yea we aren't going to from Acana to SD, it's the otherway around. I tried switching Tikka cold turkey but she got runny/snotty stool. I've only gotten her to eat a handful if that of Acana over the last week, and her stool was fine with the bit she did eat.

They def. aren't comparable like I noted in the ingredients listed... SD reminds me more of Ol'Roy which is yuk! A lady fed that to Pooter over Easter weekend, after I specifically told her NOT to do, and sure enough he was sick for a week.

I think they just introduced the Ranchland Acana up here

Kinda funny I've never seen the non-grain Acana in Canada even though it's produced in my Province. I'm gonna try the Ranchland once it hits my pet store or vet.

Maybe I'll try that Nature's Balance stuff too, just get some sample of diff stuff ... maybe just find a happy medium that Tikka&Pooter will both eat and that wont make Pooter sick

and is a good quality!

sweet_tikka · 05-05-2011, 10:56 AM

Update:
First off, I tried a piece of Acana and a piece of Science Diet, wont lie the SD smelled better than Acana... BUT when I ate 'em they tasted the same! It's just that's outter layer grrrr.

I think I found a trick... I couldn't find any gravy type products to mix in up here in my small town except for some no name stuff... so today I took a piece of Acana and put in my hand and showed it to Tikka.

She put it in her mouth and spit it out. So I did it again, except the second time as soon as she put it in her mouth I put my hand under her chin... for about 30 seconds she just looked like she was holding her breath, so I opened her mouth and there was the kibble, just sitting on her tongue.

I kept my hand under her chin and 10 seconds later she ate it, THEN I took a handful of Acana and she scarfed it down! And even a second handful!

All she needed to do was try it! She was going by the smell and not the taste! And people say dogs aren't anything like children... I'll bed to differ! I even gave her a treat for eating all her Acana.

Ellie May · 05-05-2011, 11:01 AM

I'd say blend them together so they can't pick the Acana out if the pickiness arises again. If you have to, a hard switch isn't going to kill 'em.

I'd make a dog eat wholesome food before giving them their own way. That said, SD isn't far enough down on my list of bad foods to feed something else if my dog really liked it. The ingredients may not be appealing, but it is still a good company.

cj125 · 05-05-2011, 12:27 PM

FIRST OF ALL - I'd like to ask you if your vet put your pup on the Science Diet? If so, why?

Science Diet isn't obtainable without a prescription so I'm going to assume that your vet did put your pup on it for a "reason". IF that is the case.... please discuss this with your vet BEFORE you change their food.

All 3 of my kids are on I/D & J/D. I've tried ALL the "good" foods and as much as I'd like to put them back on any of them - the fact is I can't. After Mia had a bout with bloody stools - I just won't do it. It may be crappy but it's what works best for my kids. I get their bloodwork done every year so my vet keeps an eye on all the important stats.

BTW - her bloody stools weren't just a little blood coming out with a regular bowl movement - it sprayed on the walls and was "bloody"! It was the scariest thing I've seen with my kids.

Good Luck with your decision.

BonBon · 05-05-2011, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cj125

FIRST OF ALL - I'd like to ask you if your vet put your pup on the Science Diet? If so, why?

Science Diet isn't obtainable without a prescription so I'm going to assume that your vet did put your pup on it for a "reason". IF that is the case.... please discuss this with your vet BEFORE you change their food.

All 3 of my kids are on I/D & J/D. I've tried ALL the "good" foods and as much as I'd like to put them back on any of them - the fact is I can't. After Mia had a bout with bloody stools - I just won't do it. It may be crappy but it's what works best for my kids. I get their bloodwork done every year so my vet keeps an eye on all the important stats.

BTW - her bloody stools weren't just a little blood coming out with a regular bowl movement - it sprayed on the walls and was "bloody"! It was the scariest thing I've seen with my kids.

Good Luck with your decision.

Science Diet is available without a prescription. It's sold at Petco, Petsmart, all kinds of stores.

Now Science Diet does have some RX only foods that are available only by prescription, but the majority of their lines are just regular foods.

LDMomma · 05-05-2011, 12:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sweet_tikka

Okay so I wasn't sure whether to post in General or Health because I have a question/problem and also the story is funny to me...

Okay so the first three ingredients in Science Diet Small Bites, 2 of the first four are Corn products and one is a beet veggie ingredient.
In Acana, the 4 of the first five ingredients are MEAT products.

I thought corn/wheat in dog food lowered the quality and it usually something you don't want to feed your pup? [For example... Ol' Roy... ew!]

So I am trying to switch Tikka to what Pooter eats, and that is Acana it's the ONLY food he's everrrr been on that doesn't make him sick and have runny/snotty stool.
BUT Tikka literally picks around all the Acana pieces and picks them up and puts them outside of her bowl, and eats all the Science Diet. If I try hand feeding her the pieces like treats, she spits them out. NOW Pooter is starting to eat her Science Diet food too, and when I try to feed him Acana he spits it out! So far Pooter is actually not getting sick from this food, his stomach is handling it fine.

BUT I don't know much about Science Diet food, except that it was a bit more expensive than my Acana and is probably only 10% meat or less compared to 60% in Acana. Do any of you know anything about Science Diet... because now both of my dogs prefer that over Acana. Pooter used to scarf his Acana like candy until I bought Science Diet to switch Tikka over slowly to Acana.

Watching them pick around their food, spitting it out, and pooter sneaking food from Tikka's bowl... makes me remember how smart they really are lol!! The little buggers!

GRRRR

It's because SD spray coats the kibble with fat to make it appealing to the dogs.

cj125 · 05-05-2011, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BonBon

Science Diet is available without a prescription. It's sold at Petco, Petsmart, all kinds of stores.

Now Science Diet does have some RX only foods that are available only by prescription, but the majority of their lines are just regular foods.

Oh really? Not here. We tried to pick it up at our local Petsmart - they even had it on a shelf out on the floor - and one of the employees came right over and told us no - we couldn't get it without a prescription. So rather than call our vet - we just went there to get it.

BonBon · 05-05-2011, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cj125

Oh really? Not here. We tried to pick it up at our local Petsmart - they even had it on a shelf out on the floor - and one of the employees came right over and told us no - we couldn't get it without a prescription. So rather than call our vet - we just went there to get it.

Huh. It must be a regional thing. It's available just like any other regular food here - except for those special RX diets. I think Petsmart does carry the RX foods here as well, and they won't let you buy those without a prescription. But SD has many other foods that aren't RX.

cj125 · 05-05-2011, 12:47 PM

I'm sorry Bonny - I just went to Petsmart's site and it does show a ton of SD food. I don't recall ever seeing those but then again I wasn't looking. lol! Yea we were getting the I/D and J/D for out kids.

Learn something new every day! Sorry about that Bonny!

sweet_tikka · 05-05-2011, 12:52 PM

No my vet did not put her on it, we bought her from a family that didn't even tell us or give us any food with her. I opened up her vet papers and it had a section that said "My family is feeding me:" then they had written Science Diet Small Bites so that's the only reason I knew what she had been eating... since she wasn't eating the Acana I went and picked up a bag of S.Diet to mix in...

and No I didn't need a perscription I bought it at "Global Pet Foods" a local store, and the only place in town to get foods like Orijen, Acana, and other YT recommended brands.

Science Diet Small Bites are not a perscription food, in fact I believe I saw it at WalMart in Iowa.

But needless to say, by forcing her to eat the one piece of Acana it made her realize she actually liked it, she ate her whole bowl of it... she's got a tough stomach so I don't believe she was on SD for any reason. My vet said she was as healthy as could be.

05-04-2011, 08:17 AM	#1
sweet_tikka YT Addict Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Peace River, Alberta Posts: 322 Blog Entries: 3	Science Diet vs. Acana!!? Okay so I wasn't sure whether to post in General or Health because I have a question/problem and also the story is funny to me... Okay so the first three ingredients in Science Diet Small Bites, 2 of the first four are Corn products and one is a beet veggie ingredient. In Acana, the 4 of the first five ingredients are MEAT products. I thought corn/wheat in dog food lowered the quality and it usually something you don't want to feed your pup? [For example... Ol' Roy... ew!] So I am trying to switch Tikka to what Pooter eats, and that is Acana it's the ONLY food he's everrrr been on that doesn't make him sick and have runny/snotty stool. BUT Tikka literally picks around all the Acana pieces and picks them up and puts them outside of her bowl, and eats all the Science Diet. If I try hand feeding her the pieces like treats, she spits them out. NOW Pooter is starting to eat her Science Diet food too, and when I try to feed him Acana he spits it out! So far Pooter is actually not getting sick from this food, his stomach is handling it fine. BUT I don't know much about Science Diet food, except that it was a bit more expensive than my Acana and is probably only 10% meat or less compared to 60% in Acana. Do any of you know anything about Science Diet... because now both of my dogs prefer that over Acana. Pooter used to scarf his Acana like candy until I bought Science Diet to switch Tikka over slowly to Acana. Watching them pick around their food, spitting it out, and pooter sneaking food from Tikka's bowl... makes me remember how smart they really are lol!! The little buggers! GRRRR __________________ Tikka&Pooter Dogs>Other Humans. Any day.

05-04-2011, 08:58 AM	#2
AlicetheYorkie YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 889	The handfull of times my dogs have been given crappy dog food (either got into a friend's dog's food bowl) full of corn etc. they LOVED it LOL Think of it this way - what tastes better to you, fast food or plain chicken breast with brussel sprouts I realize you're trying to make a gradual switch, but maybe just ditch the SD at this point. Or, put both foods in the bowl but mix it all up with some canned food, that way the "picking" won't be so easy and the canned food will make all of it more appealing. They actually coat the crappy dog food with "flavorings" to make dogs want to eat it and some dogs get "addicted" to the flavoring. The other thing you can do for now is get some "dog gravy" - it's not very good for them, but it may at least be a temporary fix to make the Acana taste more like the SD till he gets used to it. __________________ Jenn, mom to: Dayton , Alice ,Darla, Miya , Summer & Chooch Last edited by AlicetheYorkie; 05-04-2011 at 09:01 AM.

05-04-2011, 09:13 AM	#3
AlicetheYorkie YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 889	Just thought of something - you can also try using Orijen instead of Acana - it's the same company but the Orijen is grain-free and tends to be a bit more appealing smell-wise. I also just remembered that I'm the one who suggested you get Tikka a small bag of the SD to help the switch to Acana LOL - well, that backfired didn't it? LOL I can't remember if you were on the thread talking about Honest Kitchen. You could try mixing that in with the Acana (and some SD just for Tikka's switch) too. It'll kind of "soup" it all together and the people who use it say their "picky eaters" love it. They are little buggers aren't they? LOL I have to literally rotate something different for each meal with Alice to keep her eating - I just started using Nature's Variety and I rotate daily through their raw, kibble, and canned and all the different flavors and then some regular raw chicken or beef from the grocery store, that works really great and the nature's variety is excelent food. (I throw Orijen kibble in the mix for her too so I don't waste the bag I bought and she eats it perfectly fine as long as it's not everyday) __________________ Jenn, mom to: Dayton , Alice ,Darla, Miya , Summer & Chooch

05-04-2011, 09:38 AM	#5
Britster Action Jackson ♥ Donating Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Maryland Posts: 17,814	SD and Acana aren't even comparable, IMO. Which formula of Acana are you on? I notice you're in Canada so you probably have the grain-inclusive versions over there (they don't sell them in the US). We only have the grain-free which are Prairie, Pacifica, Grasslands and Ranchlands. I rotate between them all except Pacifica because Jackson does not like fish flavored foods... Have you tried another flavor? The Ranchlands is new and red-meat based which tends to be tastier to a lot of dogs. It's worth a try. I would never go from Acana to SD personally. I agree with the posts above. Natural Balance makes food that is a limited ingredient diet and is good for dogs with sensitive tummies. Jackson really loved the samples we got of it, and I'm still considering adding it into the mix. __________________ ~ Brit & Lights! Camera! Jackson! CGC ETD TKP ~ Follow Jackson on Instagram: https://instagram.com/jacksontheterrier

05-04-2011, 10:02 AM	#6
sweet_tikka YT Addict Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Peace River, Alberta Posts: 322 Blog Entries: 3	Yea we aren't going to from Acana to SD, it's the otherway around. I tried switching Tikka cold turkey but she got runny/snotty stool. I've only gotten her to eat a handful if that of Acana over the last week, and her stool was fine with the bit she did eat. They def. aren't comparable like I noted in the ingredients listed... SD reminds me more of Ol'Roy which is yuk! A lady fed that to Pooter over Easter weekend, after I specifically told her NOT to do, and sure enough he was sick for a week. I think they just introduced the Ranchland Acana up here Kinda funny I've never seen the non-grain Acana in Canada even though it's produced in my Province. I'm gonna try the Ranchland once it hits my pet store or vet. Maybe I'll try that Nature's Balance stuff too, just get some sample of diff stuff ... maybe just find a happy medium that Tikka&Pooter will both eat and that wont make Pooter sick and is a good quality! __________________ Tikka&Pooter Dogs>Other Humans. Any day.

05-05-2011, 10:56 AM	#7
sweet_tikka YT Addict Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Peace River, Alberta Posts: 322 Blog Entries: 3	Update: First off, I tried a piece of Acana and a piece of Science Diet, wont lie the SD smelled better than Acana... BUT when I ate 'em they tasted the same! It's just that's outter layer grrrr. I think I found a trick... I couldn't find any gravy type products to mix in up here in my small town except for some no name stuff... so today I took a piece of Acana and put in my hand and showed it to Tikka. She put it in her mouth and spit it out. So I did it again, except the second time as soon as she put it in her mouth I put my hand under her chin... for about 30 seconds she just looked like she was holding her breath, so I opened her mouth and there was the kibble, just sitting on her tongue. I kept my hand under her chin and 10 seconds later she ate it, THEN I took a handful of Acana and she scarfed it down! And even a second handful! All she needed to do was try it! She was going by the smell and not the taste! And people say dogs aren't anything like children... I'll bed to differ! I even gave her a treat for eating all her Acana. __________________ Tikka&Pooter Dogs>Other Humans. Any day.

05-05-2011, 11:01 AM	#8
Ellie May And Rylee Finnegan Donating Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Metro Detroit, MI Posts: 17,928	I'd say blend them together so they can't pick the Acana out if the pickiness arises again. If you have to, a hard switch isn't going to kill 'em. I'd make a dog eat wholesome food before giving them their own way. That said, SD isn't far enough down on my list of bad foods to feed something else if my dog really liked it. The ingredients may not be appealing, but it is still a good company. __________________ Crystal, Ellie May (RIP), Rylee Finnegan, and Gracie Boo🐶

05-05-2011, 12:27 PM	#9
cj125 Mia, Max and Moe's Mom Donating Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Las Vegas, NV Posts: 4,403	FIRST OF ALL - I'd like to ask you if your vet put your pup on the Science Diet? If so, why? Science Diet isn't obtainable without a prescription so I'm going to assume that your vet did put your pup on it for a "reason". IF that is the case.... please discuss this with your vet BEFORE you change their food. All 3 of my kids are on I/D & J/D. I've tried ALL the "good" foods and as much as I'd like to put them back on any of them - the fact is I can't. After Mia had a bout with bloody stools - I just won't do it. It may be crappy but it's what works best for my kids. I get their bloodwork done every year so my vet keeps an eye on all the important stats. BTW - her bloody stools weren't just a little blood coming out with a regular bowl movement - it sprayed on the walls and was "bloody"! It was the scariest thing I've seen with my kids. Good Luck with your decision. __________________ *Connie* Mia Max Moe

05-05-2011, 12:47 PM	#14
cj125 Mia, Max and Moe's Mom Donating Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: Las Vegas, NV Posts: 4,403	I'm sorry Bonny - I just went to Petsmart's site and it does show a ton of SD food. I don't recall ever seeing those but then again I wasn't looking. lol! Yea we were getting the I/D and J/D for out kids. Learn something new every day! Sorry about that Bonny! __________________ *Connie* Mia Max Moe

05-05-2011, 12:52 PM	#15
sweet_tikka YT Addict Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Peace River, Alberta Posts: 322 Blog Entries: 3	No my vet did not put her on it, we bought her from a family that didn't even tell us or give us any food with her. I opened up her vet papers and it had a section that said "My family is feeding me:" then they had written Science Diet Small Bites so that's the only reason I knew what she had been eating... since she wasn't eating the Acana I went and picked up a bag of S.Diet to mix in... and No I didn't need a perscription I bought it at "Global Pet Foods" a local store, and the only place in town to get foods like Orijen, Acana, and other YT recommended brands. Science Diet Small Bites are not a perscription food, in fact I believe I saw it at WalMart in Iowa. But needless to say, by forcing her to eat the one piece of Acana it made her realize she actually liked it, she ate her whole bowl of it... she's got a tough stomach so I don't believe she was on SD for any reason. My vet said she was as healthy as could be. __________________ Tikka&Pooter Dogs>Other Humans. Any day.