Better alternative to Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Canine Gastrointestinal Low Fat??

[Lolasmom1211]

Originally Posted by Nipper

Of course they recommend that. That bag they sell for $80 - $90 costs the Vet about $45, so why wouldn't the vet recommend it. Ingredient-wise they are the cheapest foods in terms of ingredient cost. Royal Canin as a whole uses the lowest-cost ingredients but charges obscene prices.

If the dog doesn't have a specific high-risk problem, I would try Pro Plan SSS, Annamaet Option or Farmina N&D Wild Cod.

The Vet is just wanting you to drink the Kool-Aid.

This is the most ridiculous statement....I truly feel that Royal Canin prescription food has saved my Harley's life. We could not find the origin of his GI problems and after extensive tests at Texas A&M, the final suggestion was to try him on RC Hypoallergenic Hydrolyzed Protein food. Since putting him on this, no more bloody stools or vomiting....it's been several years and I've put all 3 of my pups on it. They have great teeth and no more GI upsets. I don't even purchase the food from my vet. If the vet you trust suggests the prescription food, I'd follow the advice...if you don't trust the advice, I'd find a new vet - not new food. Good luck!

[Yorkiemom1]

Originally Posted by Britster

Farmina is made in Italty and has been around for years. They make RX foods over in Europe.


As for the reason I like them though? They have 6 staff veterinarians and 20 other professionals with advanced scientific degrees working for them. Two of their people are fellows to the European equivalent of the AVMA. They do extensive testing with the University of Milan and Naples and been around since 1965 and is owned by the Russo family. The food is tested for 24 months in three published studies for safety before they are put on the market. bags before this too) and all is running very AND I am happy with the ingredients. To be honest I'd be feeding a food from Hills or RC or Purina if they had foods that ... worked for Jackson. The food he did pretty good on was Purina One Beyond, but otherwise, whenever there is lots of rice, corn, and tons of grains, etc, he just gets too flabby for my liking and dull hair and softer poop. But I was in a catch-22 because of my lack of trust in most dog food companies but also not really wanting to feed him certain things. So Farmina has been working for us. We're on our 3rd 5.5lb bag (but had been feeding many samplesmoothly this far.

Not sure why some think that RC is the end-all-be-all food. Yes they do a lot of research and have good quality control -- that is why I DO like them, but RC has some of the most excessive mineral levels out there! Some even higher than grocery store foods. They are not perfect. I actually liked RC the best out of the 3 more popular brands of food, but I have always said they are over-priced for a lot of their foods. One of their RX foods I looked at a while back was like $40 for an 8lb bag.

The production/testing/research done along with the staff that is involved with the production of Farmina, apparently follows the same template the RC facility follows. I think the issue is not that people think RC is the "end-all-be-all" food....I think it has more to do with the "think tanks" that see the words "corn" and "by-products" and "meal" and immediately castigate RC as junk food that is "nothing of value" and "over priced". People that have actually researched the food, nutritional requirements for dogs, and are familiar with the nutritionally sound research that goes into producing the food, and those that have actually fed RC for over 40+ years with "sound, evidenced based outcomes" in our own pets/breeders, we may get..... a little indignant with the "across the board" condemnation of RC. For MY dogs, it has always been the best choice for them and their off spring, it is highly palatable and they all LOVE it! I have never had a dog with any allergies to the food, or inability to digest the food...if there were any issues, then for THAT individual dog, I would be trying to find something my dog could eat and thrive on. Thank God, to date, I have not had that issue!

[OwnedByJezebel]

I have to agree with those that don't see any price gouging with prescription foods. I spent over 20 years in manufacturing of commodity and specialty products and there is a good reason why specialty products cost more.

The ingredients (fixed costs) are very similar when comparing commodity and specialty items, but the variable costs are completely different. You can take a commodity item (in this case, regular dog food) and make it in huge quantities. It's very automated and there is such a large demand that they can make a lot of it before switching to make another type. They may even have separate production lines so that they don't have to switch at all. The packaging can be ordered in larger quantities. They can use established distribution channels to regular retail outlets.

Now take prescription food lines. They have several different varieties that are formulated for various specific needs. It required more R&D and testing compared to the normal dog food. And the demand for it is miniscule when compared to the regular dog food. That means small batch production, and lots of smaller production runs with downtime in between to thoroughly clean equipment (wouldn't want any cross-contamination when it comes to medical needs). Packaging is procured in smaller quantities since the need isn't there for large scale production. And the distribution channels? You can't use the regular ones, you have to ship in smaller quantities to every big or small vet practice out there.

Are their margins higher on the specialty products? Of course they are. They should be. Their specialty product that has (thankfully) very little demand compared to the demand of the commodity food and solves a problem SHOULD have a higher margin. But I bet if you looked at the overall profit on the specialty food it would be dwarfed by the overall profit of the regular food. The regular food sold in massive quantities has a MUCH greater impact on their bottom line. And I don't think it makes much of a difference on the bottom line of a vet practice, either.

It's just a different ball game all together, and there is a reason why it costs so much. I'm just grateful that it's out there the few times that I've needed it. If you think it costs too much, then you always have the option of home cooking, just do it under the guidance of a proper consult.

[Silver Lace]

Originally Posted by Yorkiemom1

Answer to your question: No! This product is one of the very best prescription diets you can provide for your pup. Royal Canin products are scientifically formulated, and then tested extensively to provide evidenced based clinical trials on dogs and cats before it is ever available to consumers. Their quality control is second to none.

Hi,
Do you think it is a better product for gastroenteritis than the Purina EN or the Science Diet formula for gastroenteritis. I forget the name. My Joey has been on the Science Diet formula first and I changed him to the Purina one because the Science Diet did not seem to be helping him with his Diarrhea as it should have. I appreciate your advice on this. Thank You.

[Zoey Zendaya]

Was your Dog food Science Diet or Hills prescription ID? My Zoey is doing well on the ID after our scare and 40 hours of IV s. She had diarrhea and vomit and very very lethargic. They put her on Hills rx ID and loves it , always has been a picky eater but not with this ! She is her old self with the best lookin poop in town!
I don't give her nothing else ...there is a kibble ID and biscuits.....I also bake 3 very thin lid size canned dog food in 350 oven for 30 min as her "doggie cookies".
She runs for the kitchen when she smells this in the air....I am amazed.
Good luck I know you have to be careful listening to other peoples advise and suggestions but it does help to relate to each other with our experiences, and if mine helps anyone else that is why I bother to post...good luck

[Britster]

Originally Posted by Lovetodream88

I don't think it's the end all be all food but I think it's better then some of the pop up over night and start making dog food without food trials and a vets on staff stuff and I trust it. I will pay more for trust. Farmina has put a bad taste in my mouth by this guy who I think must work for them and down grades every other food because his is the "best" and frankly he is spreading false info. Vets don't make lots of money off of dog food.

I don't disagree with this. I would feed RC in a heartbeat over, say, Orijen or EVO. But my dog doesn't do what I feel is his best on RC so prefer not to feed it but their RX foods are among the best IMO.

Not everyone has to like Farmina, and I agree the person can be overbearing and annoying. But I trust them like I trust RC- only their ingredients and guaranteed analysis' would work better for my dog.

I just don't see how Farmina could be written off as "soup de jour" but RC is not... When they both have fairly similar credentials.

[Maximo]

Originally Posted by Nipper

Of course they recommend that. That bag they sell for $80 - $90 costs the Vet about $45, so why wouldn't the vet recommend it. Ingredient-wise they are the cheapest foods in terms of ingredient cost. Royal Canin as a whole uses the lowest-cost ingredients but charges obscene prices.

If the dog doesn't have a specific high-risk problem, I would try Pro Plan SSS, Annamaet Option or Farmina N&D Wild Cod.

The Vet is just wanting you to drink the Kool-Aid.

Contrary to popular belief, there is not a 100% markup on dog food. It is not a big money maker, definitely not for a vet. If you were to open a pet store, the primary purpose of selling food would be to bring in customers in hope they would buy the more profitable items.

[Lovetodream88]

Originally Posted by Britster

I don't disagree with this. I would feed RC in a heartbeat over, say, Orijen or EVO. But my dog doesn't do what I feel is his best on RC so prefer not to feed it but their RX foods are among the best IMO.

Not everyone has to like Farmina, and I agree the person can be overbearing and annoying. But I trust them like I trust RC- only their ingredients and guaranteed analysis' would work better for my dog.

I just don't see how Farmina could be written off as "soup de jour" but RC is not... When they both have fairly similar credentials.

My problem is if he works for them he is making them seem less credible by first bashing other food and second by saying lies like prescription food is just something vets make money on.

[Silver Lace]

Originally Posted by Zoey Zandaya

Was your Dog food Science Diet or Hills prescription ID? My Zoey is doing well on the ID after our scare and 40 hours of IV s. She had diarrhea and vomit and very very lethargic. They put her on Hills rx ID and loves it , always has been a picky eater but not with this ! She is her old self with the best lookin poop in town!
I don't give her nothing else ...there is a kibble ID and biscuits.....I also bake 3 very thin lid size canned dog food in 350 oven for 30 min as her "doggie cookies".
She runs for the kitchen when she smells this in the air....I am amazed.
Good luck I know you have to be careful listening to other peoples advise and suggestions but it does help to relate to each other with our experiences, and if mine helps anyone else that is why I bother to post...good luck

He was on the Hill's Prescription ID at first. He took antibiotics for a short time.However he never had all the problems you say your Zoey had. In fact I have read some articles on the problems a dog gets when he has gastroenteritis and all he had was really bad runny stools. Now when they did tests I am not sure what the results were and I think I want to call the vet and talk to him about what all they did and why they think he has gastro...It did not completely stop the diarrhea so I looked online at the foods for this problem and the Purina one sounded better. His stools still are not always firm and solid but he is better and seems to feel good. I also put him on Naturvet enzymes with prebiotics and probiotics hoping for good results. Thank you for your kind answer. I appreciate what you had to say.

[Zoey Zendaya]

If he feels better and acts normal that is all that counts just be sure the food your giving him doesn't already have the probiotics in them...
Good luck

[Yorkiemom1]

Originally Posted by Silver Lace

Hi,
Do you think it is a better product for gastroenteritis than the Purina EN or the Science Diet formula for gastroenteritis. I forget the name. My Joey has been on the Science Diet formula first and I changed him to the Purina one because the Science Diet did not seem to be helping him with his Diarrhea as it should have. I appreciate your advice on this. Thank You.

I can not honestly say if it is better than the two you have mentioned. I do not believe I am professionally qualified to make that determination. Years ago, I grew up feeding my pets Purina....it may have been the only dog food around, I can not remember! I can say I had pets that lived long healthy lives, one was a hunting dog, and he did beautifully on plain old Purina. I switched over to Royal Canin many, many years ago, when I first heard of them, back in the '60's.....I think I was initially impressed with all the science that went into their formulations, then I was impressed with the extensive research and testing of each formula, the vet and animal nutritionists involvmnt, and the more I read of the facility overseas, and actually had the opportunity to get up close and personal because of my fathers position in oil business (I met many, many people that were influential in the business world) I felt very impressed with the actual care and concern and science that went into this company and the staff that worked to make this food the best it could possibly be, for our pets. I switched over to RC and have never fed any other food..... I do not make it a personal goal to bash other dog foods....I just try to relate to people how good I feel RC is, because of the effort that actually goes into the research/production/testing/making and distribution of their product, under strict quality control and management. If I had a dog with a condition that required a prescription food, I personally would confidently without hesitation, give RC. I can honestly say I would be devastated if it did more harm to my pup or if it did not help the condition it was formulated to treat!! But if it did not work, I would move onto whatever my vet recommend next!.....but I would be heartbroken over the failure of the RC!!!!!

[Silver Lace]

Originally Posted by Yorkiemom1

I can not honestly say if it is better than the two you have mentioned. I do not believe I am professionally qualified to make that determination. Years ago, I grew up feeding my pets Purina....it may have been the only dog food around, I can not remember! I can say I had pets that lived long healthy lives, one was a hunting dog, and he did beautifully on plain old Purina. I switched over to Royal Canin many, many years ago, when I first heard of them, back in the '60's.....I think I was initially impressed with all the science that went into their formulations, then I was impressed with the extensive research and testing of each formula, the vet and animal nutritionists involvmnt, and the more I read of the facility overseas, and actually had the opportunity to get up close and personal because of my fathers position in oil business (I met many, many people that were influential in the business world) I felt very impressed with the actual care and concern and science that went into this company and the staff that worked to make this food the best it could possibly be, for our pets. I switched over to RC and have never fed any other food..... I do not make it a personal goal to bash other dog foods....I just try to relate to people how good I feel RC is, because of the effort that actually goes into the research/production/testing/making and distribution of their product, under strict quality control and management. If I had a dog with a condition that required a prescription food, I personally would confidently without hesitation, give RC. I can honestly say I would be devastated if it did more harm to my pup or if it did not help the condition it was formulated to treat!! But if it did not work, I would move onto whatever my vet recommend next!.....but I would be heartbroken over the failure of the RC!!!!!

Yorkie Mom,
I want to thank you so very much for answering my post. I can see that you feel really strongly about using RC food. I looked at the RC prescription food for gastroenteritis and they have more than 1 formula so I would not even know which to choose. I did talk to my vet and it seems he feels he is doing well enough on the Purina EN and will need to be on this prescription food permanently. If it ever does not seem to be helping him in the future I will ask his advice on which of the RC formula's to give him. It would be nice if he did not need prescription food though. I had hoped it was just a temporary situation. Thank you again for your assistance.

[Teegy]

Do you have any specifics regarding the GI issues. I would definitely be suggesting a more natural diet when dealing with digestive issues. Processed foods no matter how that are labelled still tax the already unhealthy organs. I refused that particular food, switched to a holistic vet and fed cooked chicken then weaned to raw with the support of a good probiotic and digestive enzyme and curcugen to heal his pancreatitis. My Teegy is now 100% rawfed and no more digestive issues. Logically you want to feed something that is easily digestible in order not to cause any further upset. It's not an easy decision for an individual to make when your vet is recommending a "specialty GI food". It's your call and I'm very glad with my decision.

[Silver Lace]

Hi Teegy,
Thank you so very much for responding to my post. The vet said he has gastroenteritis. Over a year ago,all of sudden in May he started having runny,loose,watery stools. No other problem though. I took him to the vet and they kept him for a few days. He had been having this form of diarrhea for several days. I don't remember what tests they did but I was told he had Gastroenteritis. I talked to this vet the other day to see if I could get him off this prescription food and he said he just might start the problem again. He is doing better now and I have put him on Naturvet Digestive Enzymes with prebiotics and probiotics. So my best thought on this is to keep him on what he is eating. He seems healthy. He is active and plays and eats well and drinks well. So,Lord willing this is the best I know to do for him. Thank you again for your thoughts and advice about what you did for your dog. Glad it worked out so well for you. Silver Lace

[Teegy]

Cheers you are most welcome and hope your baby remains healthy and happy