Science Diet Dog Food.
 

I have been feeding my dogs Science Diet Dog Food for a very long time. I was talking to a friend, encouraging him to try it. I was telling him that the first ingredient in Science Diet was meat and NOT corn like a lot of other dog food. I got the bag to show him and I be darn the first ingredient was Whole Grain Corn!! I was shocked and embarrassed to say the least!!

Hahaha! There are worse foods than SD, I think their Prescription diets are good when medically called for. There are also better foods than SD out there. I've had a few dogs live over 15 years on Pedigree!

One has to feed what ever is best for the dog. If they're doing good on it, fine! Some dogs can't tolerate better brands of food.

I know some people don't have problems with SD. It's something I wouldn't choose to feed. If it was a life or death situation and my dog needed to be on a SD RX food or something, then I would, but it would never be my first choice. I think it's highly over-rated, I don't particularly like the ingredients, and feel that a dog can eat way better.

A person can live 100 years eating junk, smoking cigarettes and drinking beer every day of their lives, does it mean they are necessarily healthy? Just like a person who exercises every day, eats all organic, and doesn't drink or smoke can die of a heart attack at the age of 50. Crap happens and sometimes it just doesn't matter. But just because a dog DID live to be 15 or 16 on Pedigree doesn't necessarily mean they were at their healthiest or there's no way of saying if that dog would have lived to be 20 on a different food. There are just far too many factors involved and you gotta do what you gotta do :thumbup: I just prefer to feed foods without corn and unnecessary things for a dogs system in large quantities.

The corn thing would be my first objection to Science Diet. My other objection is that they use palm oil in their foods. Palm oil plantations are fast driving the Orangutan to extinction. You can click on the thread linked in my signature to find out more about this. It is a totally preventable tragedy that we take part in every time we buy products made with palm oil.

Other pet food companies that use palm oil are:
Alpo
Beneful
Eukanuba
Fancy Feast (cat food)
Friskies
Iams
Pro Pet Food
Purina

From this link... http://www.cmzoo.org/docs/palmOilSho...-March2011.pdf

*Note* These companies are RSPO (Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil) members. Do not be fooled by this. It is merely an industry group that is trying to deceive consumers through PR. Here is a link that discussed this... The Great RSPO Membership Myth: Why Buying from RSPO Members Is Meaningless Rainforest Action Network Blog

I have to feed Rosie Science Diet. I tried other foods but due to her IBS she has to eat I/D. And it works for her. I was never a SD fan; however, it is what is working best for my girl.

:thumbup:

I wouldn't choose SD for a healthy dog- it is way more expensive then other brands of the same quality- However, our 19 year old cat is on a SD prescription diet for kidney disease and has been now for awhile. When the vet said her kidney function was starting to drop and he recommended SD- I didnt hesitate to switch to it.

I was just saying, in the olden days before Petsmart, Petco and Walmart, the only place that sold dog food was the grocery store. What was it... Pedigree and Alpo I think lol! If they didn't smell so bad, I might still be using them!

Actually, I feed Life's Abundance now, bc of all the recalls on the so -called premium dog foods, plus they deliver it to my house, which at my age....helps alot!

I really believe that what food you feed your dog doesn't make that huge of a difference as long as it agrees with them and they will eat it. If I tried feeding my pup everthing "high end" but he didn't eat any of it, I wouldn't hesitate to give him the "cheap stuff" if that's what he liked. I used to have a cat that would only eat "Alley Cat" cheap as dirt cat food - he loved it and lived a really really long time.

Personally, I think that I would just avoid any foods made in China.

Thanks for the heads up... as Tink is getting very bored with her L/D, I plan on homecooking for her in the near future... now I have another better reason to do it.

Do you think feeding a child McDonald's and Burger King every day "doesn't matter"? If your kid chooses chicken nuggets over broccoli, are you going to let them choose what they want to eat, just because they tell you they like that better? Most people would say no. A child could probably live off pizza, nuggets, and french fries for years without any major ill effects until they reach a certain age and their body can no longer handle or process it, or they become obese, or diabetic, etc.

I am just saying that we, as pet parents, need to do what we feel is best for our pets. WE are in control of their diets, not them. I am all for finding a food that your pet finds enjoyable. Jackson is picky so I love to see him enjoying his food, which is why I mix wet food in, etc. But he would probably pick Kibbles n Bits kibble over his TOTW if he had a choice between the two. Kibbles n Bits is coated with nasty stuff to make it more tasty to a dog. Doesn't mean I am going to feed it to him.

I do everything in moderation with him, just like a human would if on a diet, most don't eat McDonalds every day but may treat themselves once a week. Jackson still gets the occasional MilkBone or a bit of Cesar's wet food, just not every day. I think moderation is key in anybody's diet. I am not saying this is the only way or the right way but I don't see how it's any different regarding feeding children and feeding your dogs. Both are very dependent on you, both will likely choose to eat what is worse for them, and we as "parents" need to be the ones to step in.

I am also not saying kibble is best, or raw is best, or homecooked is best, or anything. But I do think we should do the best we can do.

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

To add to that, many foods like Cesars or Iams are so massivley produced at a cheap price that health codes aren't met and issues like that recall that hit a while back will happen.

Gizmo is also a picky eater, and I know I would try all different kinds of higher quality foods before thinking the Iams root. Heck I'd even go raw before I'd touch the stuff. Heard and seen too many people's pets die due to poorly made food.

Just "food" (no pun intended) for thought!!:animal36

SD is far from the worst food. I can understand not liking some of the ingredients which is why I don't love it unless it's a needed rx diet. However, for the most part I do like their Nature's Best line, so much so that it is more than likely what my new puppy will be eating. It is the only "holistic" food that is actually clinically proven to work well for the lifestage of the dog being fed. That may just account for 6 months of AAFCO feeding trials, but that is certainly better than nothing.

I just started Tek on SD V/D 2 days ago and am pleased so far (inflammatory bowel disease, allergies, weight issues)...He was on a wet food and would NOT touch dry..he gobbles this dry up like he's never getting fed again...he also has had no diarrhea since we started it (thank goodness, 3-4 days solid was enuf)...I have read many bad things about SD, but so far it has been a godsend at my house!

I battled with Rosie eating this because of the publicity of SD being bad. However, it is the ONLY food that keeps her IBS from flaring up all the time. At this point, I believe if you have to have an RX food than it can't be that bad if it works. If it continues to keep Rosie from having tummy issues than I am just fine with it. I don't like it either, but I deal with it. :) What other choice do I have?

For you that have to feed SD, Ladyjane told me how to make treats from it. I am sure she would not mind if I told you. Let me know if you are interested.

Seems to me that most of the people who don't like SD are on this forum and they are not vets and/or vet nutritionists. It bothers me greatly that people are afraid to give this food to their pups when it very well may save their lives.

I have had pups on SD and Purina RX diets for years and it DID save their lives! Clearly SD is doing something right.

:thumbup: Hill's l/d diet saved my dog's life when she was underweight and having serious symptoms typical of a dog afflicted with liver disease. She was unable to eat any commercial food on the market. She was not able to tolerate home cooked foods. Over time the l/d food improved her to a point of wellness, and we moved toward other options that have been more optimal for her complicated medical concerns. When liver symptoms return, and as sure as the sun will shine they do return, the first thing we do is put her back on Hill's l/d. Unfortunately, no home cooked diet or even Hill's can successfully manage Daisy for any long period of time.

The people who are anti Science Diet are the people who have no idea what is is like to spend 11 years and thousands of dollars on vet bills only to see your dog losing the fight. A $2 can of Hill's saved my Daisy's life and I don't care what the ingredients are.

Making sure your dog doesn't starve to death is probably better for it than holding steadfast to an ideal of what you think it should eat.

I have had many pups in my home over the years and have never, ever seen a pup starve to death!

Sometimes they will hold out for a few days but in the end, they eat their dog food.

This is not about an ideal...it is about what is good for a dog.

Playing around with diet could maybe be okay for a healthy dog, but what happens when they require an rx diet, need nutrients to get better, but have now been given the message that it is okay to hold out for what they want?

In 18 years of practice, Ellie's vet has seen only one dog who get sick from holding out.

My dog eats Purina HA. She happens to like it. But whether or not she likes it or not, she has to have it. Her body can't really process other foods. So she can hold out all she wants. Unless she gets very sick from doing so, this is the food she gets for now.

For you that have to feed SD, Ladyjane told me how to make treats from it. I am sure she would not mind if I told you. Let me know if you are interested.[/QUOTE]
I use the SD--ID in the can. Is this where you roll it up in a little ball and bake it?

Or is there another way???

Yep, thats how you do it. I put in in a cookie cutter to make bone shapes. Turned out great but took a lot of time. :)

I don't roll it because I found that working with dog food is a very sticky and messy proposition. I make 8 slices out of a can of the R/D. I then cut 6 pie shaped pieces into each slice.

Bake them on parchment paper (best way not to have them stick!!) at 350 degree oven for 37 minutes.

I calculated it at about 5 calories each. I started making these for my chunky monkeys. :)

All of my pups LOVE these treats!

Not denying this at all. I am sure it has helped tons of dogs who needed it. I am saying I don't see a particular reason to feed it to a healthy dog who could otherwise thrive on something that is, in my opinion, better. *shrugs* My opinion. Nope, I'm not a vet. You don't have to be a doctor to have an opinion on everything health-related in life. I don't always agree with human doctors, either. That's not to say I don't look to them for their expertise and advice, either. If my dog needed to be on SD, I'd feed it. If he doesn't have to be, I'm not going to feed it. Simple as that. :) There's also plenty of vets who also don't feed or recommend SD, so it's all a matter of opinion, really. And each personal dog.

I think this is dismissive of the people who have tried SD in the past and found it didn't work very well for their dogs. I'm not opposed to feeding a prescription diet when necessary. I'm feeding I/D at the moment (perhaps you remember my thread) but I'd be lying if I said I'm completely comfortable feeding it to Biscuit knowing he suffers from allergies that didn't improve on D/D or Z/D. It's not something I would like to feed long-term unless I have to.

I want to reiterate that I'm not opposed to prescription diets, but I think some people have legitimate concerns about SD and these concerns shouldn't be dismissed on the grounds that the person is not a vet or vet nutritionist.

Again, I do not feed my pups based upon the opinions of lay people. I look to the experts in nutrition. I read what people say...and if I think they might be correct in what they are saying, I go to the experts for their opinions on it.

As to allergies, I believe that if my pup were so allergic to so many things, I would be at a vet dermatologist and also a vet nutritionist.

I see so many blanket statements about Hill's Science Diet and no real data to back those statements up. To compare Hill's Science Diet to junk food and/or McDonalds is just not accurate imho unless someone has done some really in depth reseach. As to comments about whether or not dogs are healthy, I base my opinions on many years of pet ownership and fostering. If they are not constantly having bloody stools, vomiting and other GI related issues, and have normal laboratory studies each year, I would say they are healthy.

I have yet to see a comment voiced by anyone on this board that would make me question the value and/or quality of Hill's Science diets. It just does not make sense to me that so many people feed their pups based upon the opinions of lay people. They do the same with medical issues...and I just cannot comprehend that.

Actually it is all about ideals. Dogs have lived very very long happy lives before Taste of the Wild and boutique dog stores were invented.

I agree; but my post really was about the comment you made about dogs starving themselves because they won't eat the food provided.

I did not feed Biscuit based on the opinions of lay people. I fed him based on what several vets recommended at the time, which was Hill's Science Diet and Prescription Diet. It did not work. Rather, it did not improve the situation in any significant manner. The vets continued to treat the skin and ear infections and that was that. No fleas, mites or abnormal lab results. I discussed allergy testing but they insisted his case was not severe enough for testing. Should I have pushed? Perhaps.

I was reasonably tired of this. I switched him to another brand and tried different formulas and found something that has worked for him. No constant licking, scratching or biting. No recurring infections. Normal lab results every year, even now after the bleeding. No stomach upsets save for the recent bleeding, which I suspect had nothing to do with the food he was eating at the time. I'm not here to compare Hill's to junk food that should be avoided at all costs, and I'm not here to convince you to feed something else. I'm here to share my experience with this one particular dog. The experience hasn't been abominable, but neither has it been so spectacular that I feel completely confident in the food. Would I feed it in a time of need? Yes, I already am. But otherwise? I'll keep to what has worked best.

I just don't think it's necessary to make anyone feel bad about the food they give their own fur baby just because someone has read somewhere that this or that is good or bad. If the dog is 15 yrs old and happy as a clam eating Iams or SD or whatever, what difference does it make? As with human food, one day something is good for you, the next it's bad. As humans we tend to think we know everything, when in fact we don't. There are so many variables when it comes to the health and longevity of a dog or any animal that I doubt there's even any solid data to prove that one kind of food over another is better. Just cuz you read something on the internet don't make it true.