Science Diet's "The Truth About Pet Food" LOL

[Britster]

Science Diet's "The Truth About Pet Food Ingredients"

The Science Diet website now has a page titled "The Truth About Pet Food Ingredients Pet Food Myths Answered with Facts". Here's what Science Diets says and of course I have some follow up...

The Science Diet webpage starts off like this...

"The TRUTH about pet nutrition." They go on to say "It's important to understand what is myth or fact when making choices about what you feed your pet." I agree Science Diet, it IS important for pet parents to understand what is myth or fact when making choices about pet food. So, let's see what Science Diet's myths and truths are...

"Myth 1: Corn is just filler."
"Fact: A filler is an ingredient providing no nutritional purpose. Corn is NOT a filler. Corn is a nutritionally superior grain compared with others used in pet food. It contains nutrients not found in other grains and includes:
• Essential fatty acids for healthy skin and coat
• Beta-carotene, vitamin E and lutein - nature's antioxidants
• Highly digestible carbohydrates for energy
• Quality proteins for muscle and tissue growth
You'll be interested to know that protein in corn is more digestible than rice, wheat, barley or sorghum."

Ok...I agree...with the sentence "a filler is an ingredient providing no nutritional purpose". Corn isn't a filler. BUT, corn is a cheaper protein source as compared to high quality (Grade A) meat. BUT, corn is highly prone to deadly mycotoxins which even in small amounts can cause tremendous health risks over time. BUT 70% of U.S. corn is genetically modified (GM) AND studies have linked GM corn to kidney and liver damage in animals.

"Myth 2 By-products are low-quality ingredients.
Fact: A by-product is something produced when making something else. For example, a by-product of soybean processing is vitamin E. Other food by-products include vegetable oils, beef bouillon and gelatin. Also, Hill's:
• Selects those by-products that allow it to add nutrient-rich organ meats
• Avoids excess minerals from bones found in less expensive meats"

Ok...I agree with part of this too...by-products are produced when making something else. For example a by-product of the processing of human meat are cut away cancerous tissues and injection sites, diseased organs, downer animals and other waste that FDA Compliance Policies allow pet food to utilize without petsumer knowledge. Science Diet's response to Myth 2 does say it selects nutrient-rich organ meats but it does not state if these organ meat by-products are USDA Grade A or if their organ meat by-products are rejected for use in human food.

Read the rest:
Science Diet's "The Truth About Pet Food Ingredients"

[BabyGirl Rosie]

OMG! I am so glad I stopped giving this to Rosie! My vet recommended it of course. But I started hearing so much about it I started feeding her different foods. This is not good! Glad we are feeding Instinct now!

[ladyjane]

I have NO problem using Hill's Prescription Diets!

As for high protein sources, many of them are very unhealthy for our pups. Unless someone is a nutritionist for animals specifically, I will not be following their lead with regards to what to feed my pups.

I have used Hills Science Diet Prescription foods over the course of many years for many of my pups who needed them and none of them had any issues. As a matter of fact, they thrived!

I really have never understood how lay people can bash this company after all of the research that they have done. How anyone thinks they know more than the people Hill's employs boggles my mind.

No disrespect here....just saying...... Hills is not killing dogs!

[ladyjane]

Addendum:

Rebecca Remillard, a Board Certified Nutritionist at Angell in Boston has impeccable credentials in the field of animal nutrition. Even she uses Hill's Science Diets....one
look at their website and weight reduction program reveals that...I know there is more
information out there; but that is one example.



MSPCA-Angell: Nutrition Team

[OwnedByJezebel]

"• Quality proteins for muscle and tissue growth
You'll be interested to know that protein in corn is more digestible than rice, wheat, barley or sorghum."

The protein content of corn is only around 3% or so, not enough there to make an impact or brag about. And the protein in corn isn't a complete protein, either. There are so many other superior choices of protein, this is really scraping to come up with something they can spin.

And don't get me started on the "by-products" spin. That stuff is crap. The by-products allow them to add "nutrient rich organ meats?" IOW, they couldn't add nutritious organ meats if they didn't have cheap crap in there? The better dog food producers have organ meats and don't have to add by-products in order to accomplish that.

Nature's Variety is having an animal nutrition webinar soon, I'm sure that will blow these claims out of the water.

[Britster]

Originally Posted by ladyjane

I have NO problem using Hill's Prescription Diets!

As for high protein sources, many of them are very unhealthy for our pups. Unless someone is a nutritionist for animals specifically, I will not be following their lead with regards to what to feed my pups.

I have used Hills Science Diet Prescription foods over the course of many years for many of my pups who needed them and none of them had any issues. As a matter of fact, they thrived!

I really have never understood how lay people can bash this company after all of the research that they have done. How anyone thinks they know more than the people Hill's employs boggles my mind.

No disrespect here....just saying...... Hills is not killing dogs!

I am not claiming to know more than them or have more education (I know this wasn't directed towards me specifically) but having just simply having a degree does not always make it right.

There is no proof that anything high protein is bad for our pups. I am not saying it's NOT bad... just saying there is really no proof either way. Experiments that were performed a while back were based upon rats so the study, imo, is invalid regarding the "high protein myth". I do believe some kibbles are way too high but that's another story.

I will never feed Science Diet. I will never believe that a dog needs corn, by products and a bunch of wheat and grains in their primary diet. And as a dogsitter, I have seen dogs do terribly on SD. Two Boxers switched from Natural Balance to SD (I'm sure at the request of their vet) and their poops turned absolutely disgusting... runny and gross and they were going multiple times a day. I noticed a huge difference since I was around them every day after the switch and their eyes got gross and runny, one started shedding more, their coat was more dull, they suddenly were getting more ear infections and other infections than usual. This tends to be the case with most dogs I've seen fed SD... there's also a Lab I see 5x a week and she used to feed it... when she switched to Blue Buffalo, I seriously noticed an immediate difference... in everything about him!! So anyways from my experience I've seen horrible results from SD and would never feed it nor recommend it.

I am happy that it works for some people. You've gotta use what works and you gotta do what you gotta do... it's just a food I would never ever choose.

[107barney]

Corn is not a protein source. And it's a good source of carbohydrate and an acceptable choice for dogs. I opt to home cook using my own ingredients and corn is sometimes something my dogs love. It's on their list of approved variables prescribed by their vet nutritionist whose credentials are pretty hard to beat.

But for my Daisy who knocked on death's door one too many times, Hill's L/D stabilized her and improved her status. We rely on it whenever her condition warrants such as right now. I would trust Hills over any small niche company that outsourced its manufacturing and its quality control for my dogs and especially for my sick dog.

[Ellie May]

I don't like the thought of feeding by-products because that is such a broad term. So unless I have to (rx diet), I don't. I don't think they will automatically make a dog sick, but it's something I don't want my dog eating.

I have no problem with a dog eating corn or any grain. It is supposed to have a good amino acid profile.

Dr. R does not say that a high protein diet will harm a healthy dog.

SD is her food of choice because it is the company most willing to answer tough questions for her. That is important to me.

I think if people saw what went on at these holistic company factories, that would probably be disgusted. Evangers leaves out meat that they promise (on the label) is in the food. Didn't Diamond's great employees let bad corn through knowingly? Tons of "good" food is manufactured there.

I'm not going to go pick up a bad of SD with by-products and start feeding it, but if my girl needs one of their rx diets, I will not hesitate to give it to her and thank them for their dedication to therapeutic diets. She gets a yummy vegan Purina diet right now (the kind that people say "aren't fit for canines"). Well, if one of their pups needed it for awhile, I bet they wouldn't have a problem using it. When we get backed into a corner and our pups lives are at risk, then they are needed.

[OwnedByJezebel]

[QUOTE=Ellie May;3567968
I'm not going to go pick up a bad of SD with by-products and start feeding it, but if my girl needs one of their rx diets, I will not hesitate to give it to her and thank them for their dedication to therapeutic diets. She gets a yummy vegan Purina diet right now (the kind that people say "aren't fit for canines"). Well, if one of their pups needed it for awhile, I bet they wouldn't have a problem using it. When we get backed into a corner and our pups lives are at risk, then they are needed.[/QUOTE]

When a dog needs a prescription diet, you probably don't have a choice, the prescription diet may indeed be the best thing for the dog, no doubt in my mind.

The question is: What is best for your dog when you DO have a choice? What is best for a healthy dog?

[Britster]

Originally Posted by Ellie May

I don't like the thought of feeding by-products because that is such a broad term. So unless I have to (rx diet), I don't. I don't think they will automatically make a dog sick, but it's something I don't want my dog eating.

I have no problem with a dog eating corn or any grain. It is supposed to have a good amino acid profile.

Dr. R does not say that a high protein diet will harm a healthy dog.

SD is her food of choice because it is the company most willing to answer tough questions for her. That is important to me.

I think if people saw what went on at these holistic company factories, that would probably be disgusted. Evangers leaves out meat that they promise (on the label) is in the food. Didn't Diamond's great employees let bad corn through knowingly? Tons of "good" food is manufactured there.

I'm not going to go pick up a bad of SD with by-products and start feeding it, but if my girl needs one of their rx diets, I will not hesitate to give it to her and thank them for their dedication to therapeutic diets. She gets a yummy vegan Purina diet right now (the kind that people say "aren't fit for canines"). Well, if one of their pups needed it for awhile, I bet they wouldn't have a problem using it. When we get backed into a corner and our pups lives are at risk, then they are needed.

I love corn, but we humans can't even digest it, it comes out exactly the same as it goes in, LOL. I see no reason for a dog to have it when it's not even digestible.

I have seen plenty of companies answer tough questions for customers, I don't believe that's limited to SD.

I do think it's hard to trust ANY company... in regards to, well, anything. I don't even like the way some human food companies are handled. But, it's just something we have to deal with, I guess. I'd still rather go with the foods that have better ingredients, IMO.

I know Beneful is looked upon as the worst of the worst (which I think it is one of 'em, maybe besides Ol' Roy or something). But compare Beneful to SD and it's not even that much different (I do think the SD is better... but not by much).

Beneful:
Ground yellow corn, chicken by-product meal, corn gluten meal, whole wheat flour, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), rice flour, beef, soy flour, sugar, propylene glycol, meat and bone meal, tricalcium phosphate, phosphoric acid, salt, water, animal digest, sorbic acid (a preservative), potassium chloride, dried carrots, dried peas, calcium propionate (a preservative), L-Lysine monohydrochloride, choline chloride, added color (Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 2), DL-Methionine, Vitamin E supplement, zinc sulfate, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, niacin, Vitamin A supplement, calcium carbonate, copper sulfate, Vitamin B-12 supplement, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, garlic oil, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin supplement, Vitamin D-3 supplement, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), calcium iodate, folic acid, biotin, sodium selenite.

SD small breed:
Whole Grain Corn, Whole Grain Wheat, Chicken By-Product Meal, Soybean Meal, Animal Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), Chicken Liver Flavor, Corn Gluten Meal, Flaxseed, Fish Oil, Dried Beet Pulp, Lactic Acid, Powdered Cellulose, Soybean Oil, Natural Flavor, Potassium Citrate, DL-Methionine, Choline Chloride, L-Lysine, Calcium Carbonate, vitamins (L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Taurine, Vitamin E Supplement, minerals (Manganese Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Iodized Salt, L-Tryptophan, L-Threonine, preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid, L-Carnitine, Phosphoric acid, Beta-Carotene, Rosemary Extract.

[ladyjane]

Originally Posted by Britster

I am not claiming to know more than them or have more education (I know this wasn't directed towards me specifically) but having just simply having a degree does not always make it right.

There is no proof that anything high protein is bad for our pups. I am not saying it's NOT bad... just saying there is really no proof either way. Experiments that were performed a while back were based upon rats so the study, imo, is invalid regarding the "high protein myth". I do believe some kibbles are way too high but that's another story.

I will never feed Science Diet. I will never believe that a dog needs corn, by products and a bunch of wheat and grains in their primary diet. And as a dogsitter, I have seen dogs do terribly on SD. Two Boxers switched from Natural Balance to SD (I'm sure at the request of their vet) and their poops turned absolutely disgusting... runny and gross and they were going multiple times a day. I noticed a huge difference since I was around them every day after the switch and their eyes got gross and runny, one started shedding more, their coat was more dull, they suddenly were getting more ear infections and other infections than usual. This tends to be the case with most dogs I've seen fed SD... there's also a Lab I see 5x a week and she used to feed it... when she switched to Blue Buffalo, I seriously noticed an immediate difference... in everything about him!! So anyways from my experience I've seen horrible results from SD and would never feed it nor recommend it.

I am happy that it works for some people. You've gotta use what works and you gotta do what you gotta do... it's just a food I would never ever choose.

You have a young dog. Hopefully he will always be a healthy one as he is now. But, as dogs age, many times they do have issues that require special diets. I have cared for many adult and senior dogs that needed special diets. As a matter of fact, I have 3 right now who are on prescription foods. One had bladder stones 2 years ago and he is doing well on Urinary SO. His lab values are great and no bladder issues! Prior to coming to me he had one operation to remove stones...and another shortly after coming to me. None since, thank God.

My years of pet ownership and also fostering pups has left me with a good impression of Hill's, Purina, and also IVD Prescription Diets. The only other option I have used is a board certified nutritionist from Texas A&M for a pup that needed a home cooked diet. He had pancreatitis and also renal disease and none of the prescription diets met his needs. I would never have gone through a list of ingredients one by one because I realize that is not the proper way to evaluate a good dog food. It is how those ingredients work together. I am also just not qualified to pick foods for a dog on my own. Any of the commercial dog foods are not good for a sick dog....so if one is sick I see only two choices: Prescription Diets or Home Cooking (and only with the guidance of a board certified nutritionist).

[Britster]

Originally Posted by ladyjane

You have a young dog. Hopefully he will always be a healthy one as he is now. But, as dogs age, many times they do have issues that require special diets. I have cared for many adult and senior dogs that needed special diets. As a matter of fact, I have 3 right now who are on prescription foods. One had bladder stones 2 years ago and he is doing well on Urinary SO. His lab values are great and no bladder issues! Prior to coming to me he had one operation to remove stones...and another shortly after coming to me. None since, thank God.

My years of pet ownership and also fostering pups has left me with a good impression of Hill's, Purina, and also IVD Prescription Diets. The only other option I have used is a board certified nutritionist from Texas A&M for a pup that needed a home cooked diet. He had pancreatitis and also renal disease and none of the prescription diets met his needs. I would never have gone through a list of ingredients one by one because I realize that is not the proper way to evaluate a good dog food. It is how those ingredients work together. I am also just not qualified to pick foods for a dog on my own. Any of the commercial dog foods are not good for a sick dog....so if one is sick I see only two choices: Prescription Diets or Home Cooking (and only with the guidance of a board certified nutritionist).

Like I said, if it needs to be fed, I would. I would definitely choose homecooked over hills but if it was necessary to keep my dog healthy, I would. However I'd explore all other options first.

[ladyjane]

Here is a link to Dr. Remillard's website...it really is very informative for those of you interested in the subject of animal nutrition. While some may say that credentials are not important, I beg to disagree. Anyone taking the time to educate themselves the way that she has and to also go the extra mile to be board certified is a person I will definitely listen to.

Welcome to Pet Diets

[BabyGirl Rosie]

Originally Posted by ladyjane

You have a young dog. Hopefully he will always be a healthy one as he is now. But, as dogs age, many times they do have issues that require special diets. I have cared for many adult and senior dogs that needed special diets. As a matter of fact, I have 3 right now who are on prescription foods. One had bladder stones 2 years ago and he is doing well on Urinary SO. His lab values are great and no bladder issues! Prior to coming to me he had one operation to remove stones...and another shortly after coming to me. None since, thank God.

My years of pet ownership and also fostering pups has left me with a good impression of Hill's, Purina, and also IVD Prescription Diets. The only other option I have used is a board certified nutritionist from Texas A&M for a pup that needed a home cooked diet. He had pancreatitis and also renal disease and none of the prescription diets met his needs. I would never have gone through a list of ingredients one by one because I realize that is not the proper way to evaluate a good dog food. It is how those ingredients work together. I am also just not qualified to pick foods for a dog on my own. Any of the commercial dog foods are not good for a sick dog....so if one is sick I see only two choices: Prescription Diets or Home Cooking (and only with the guidance of a board certified nutritionist).

Ok, so maybe that is why we had SD recommended. It was when Rosie was sick with the vomiting and diarrhea. They had her using the prescription I/D if I remember correctly. Makes more sense why the vet recommended it!!

[ladyjane]

Originally Posted by Britster

Like I said, if it needs to be fed, I would. I would definitely choose homecooked over hills but if it was necessary to keep my dog healthy, I would. However I'd explore all other options first.

No, actually you said, "I will never feed Science Diet". I am not arguing with you...merely suggesting that you keep an open mind on this subject. You have a young, healthy pup. I hope he always stays that way....but we all get old...and so do our pups. Sometimes we...and sometimes they...have age related conditions.