Originally Posted by Rescuemomma  Ok, I'm putting on my vet tech hat for a minute - I think prescrition diets have a place with ILL animals, but are far from the best. And do you really want to know where vets get their nutrition training and how much they get? It's basically all paid for by companies like Hills, Purina, and P&G, and maybe 10 hrs spent on nutrition if you're lucky in the 8 years of vet school. Of course they'll tell you Hills, Iams Veterinary Diets, Royal Canin Vet Diets, etc are the best - They make a HUGE profit off those foods (and yes, this is coming from someone that WORKS in vet clinics!). But I believe a truly responsible pet owner will do their own research. Dogs are carnivores. They need meat. Some carb is ok and even needed in some dogs, wolves will graze on grasses or vegetation if they feel the need, and corn can be OK for some dogs because it does provide roughage. That said, I don't think corn should be high on the ingredient list at all. It is not a very digestible food source for dogs - And usually used as a cheap filler to raise the protein level with minimal expense.
But as someone said, it's not all about ingredients. Quality of ingredients, processing, equipment cleanliness, storage, etc is equally as important. That's why I don't trust companies like Diamond and P&G. I cried when they bought out several good companies like California Natural and Innova - Even if the formulas had stayed the same, the quality was surely going to suffer. I'm actually a firm believer a well balanced raw diet is by far the most natural and healthiest way to feed any dog, but I also understand why that's just not an option - I know I can't even do that with my own pack, I try to do one raw meal a day, and the other meal kibble, but lets face it - I don't have the time to prepare raw each and every day, and it does take alot of time and skill to balance properly. And if you're worried about not doing it right or knowing what you're doing, a good canned food or kibble will make sure your dog gets the proper balance. |