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Originally Posted by gracielove  I can tell you that most human doctors receive only a tiny amount of nutritional training in school. Their training just does not include what the nutritional functions and needs of the body are. I have worked in the medical field for many years and I can tell you that if a doctor wants a patient to consider their diet they will send them to a nutritionist. I'm quite sure the same is true with veterinarians. Drug company representatives come to physicians offices to sell them drugs. The reps give them the latest updates on what is available to treat various conditions.The doctor depends on their information and does not research it. The same happens with veterinarians. A food company rep comes to the office and sells them the latest thing that their companies have put together to be fed for various conditions. The doctor is relying on the information that these companies representatives have given them. I would advise any human or pet owner to ask questions as to why this food is recommended for your dog or cat. You will find in many cases that your vet does not have much knowledge about it. Veterinarians are not nutritionists. They are relying on a biased company for their information. I suppose they assume the company has put the right ingredients in the food. However, most food companies are going by the bottom line to produce their food. What can sit on the shelf longest? How can they make a profit? That is what they are considering. Since meat cannot be put in a bag and sit on a shelf for long periods of time pet food companies have used grains and ingredients not natural to a dog's diet to substitute for the meat and other natural ingredients. Corn is not dog food. It seems anyone would realize that! Corn is used to fatten up cows and it has a high glucose content. The dog food site that was recommended by a previous post is not put together by a vet and I would say that is the first thing that would make me look at it. Some vets have taken the time to educate themselves on nutrition but very few so if you really want to help your pet do some research for yourselves. What was a dog originally intended to eat? Meat! That is what their bodies were made to use not corn! Not artificial ingredients. Our dogs that eat the grocery store or department store dog food are becoming obese, they are becoming diabetic and getting cancer at alarming rates. When ever we change a diet to something the body was not originally intended to eat the body cannot function as it was intended and disease sets in.
Instead of just treating symptoms the best healing will occur by giving the body the nutrition it needs in the form that the body can best metabolize. |
I think the most important thing to remember is that not every dog thrives on the same thing. In the beginning I tried many of the fancy dog foods trying to find something that worked for my very sensitive Taycie. I did read, and went with the advice off the internet. I was never going to feed brands that were not "5 and 6" star rated. And heaven forbid I bought a bag of Science Diet or Royal Canin.
But after many failed attempts with the "best" dog foods available nothing worked. And I mean NOTHING. Either her little tummy would end up would be a mess, and I would be cleaning up diaherra or I was dealing with a very uncomfortable scratchy miserable dog.
Not every dog is not the same so of course their nutritional needs vary from dog to dog. My Taycie does NOT thrive on dog foods loaded with meat and gobs of ingredients.. Her senstive stomach can not tolerate it. So I ended up trying a few very popular Limitied Ingredient Diets, and her allergy symptoms became worse. I was at the end of my rope. I knew my vet would and does have answers and I then had a change of heart. I just wanted her to be happy and healthy. At that point, it became crucial to find something that worked. ANYTHING to keep her comfortable. Her well being and comfort was way more important to me then trying diet after diet to keep coming up with failed results. So I turned to my Vet. Our answer was a RX diet and the results with it have been nothing but amazing.
Believe it or not my "2 star RX diet," does not have corn or by products.. Not all diets are formulated the same. But, even if it did, and my vet felt her little body would tolerate it better, I would feed it to her because at the end of the day her nutrional needs are different and her quality of life is the most important, and I am not educated enough to even try and mess with it.
Regardless, if vets get kick backs and have no nutritional training, or if the product is loaded with corn. Sick or special needs dogs NEED a special diet. Their bodies are different. You can not feed a sick dog something it does not thrive on. As a result, you could be doing more harm then good. No matter what is in it.
I think it is sad so many are scare of RX diets made by Royal Canin or Science Diet because of what is printed on the back of the bag. They save many dogs lives and keep them happy and healthy for years. They have turned my Taycie's life around. And, I am so thankful for it.