Science Diet Ideal Balance Grain Free

cliffdog

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#1
Oh boy. It looks like Science Diet is figuring out what's happened... we're coming into an age where people are starting to actually read the labels on their pets' foods and make decisions based on common sense (do dogs really need to eat this much corn?!) and research (wow, I thought this food was great... it's only got two stars? I should learn more!).

But instead of just making a quality food, they've made Science Diet Ideal Balance Grain Free... which appears to be the crappiest quality grain free food I've seen. Here are the ingredients:

Chicken, pea protein concentrate, potato starch, dried potato, chicken meal, chicken fat, dried beet pulp, flaxseed, chicken liver flavor, powdered cellulose, lactic acid, cranberries, apples, peas, carrots, broccoli, iodized salt, choline chloride, 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), vitamin E supplement, potassium chloride, minerals (ferrous sulfate, zinc oxide, copper sulfate, manganous oxide, calcium iodate, sodium selenite), preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid, taurine, beta-carotene, phosphoric acid, rosemary extract
They're trying to trick people with the whole, "Oh look- meat's the first ingredient!" thing. But as we all know, "chicken" is about 75% water, so I highly doubt that once it's reduced to a meat meal, it would still be the #1 ingredient.

Next is pea protein extract... which is a protein booster which is not very bioavailable to dogs, but it's cheap! (Apparently it's like the 'skin' of the pea.)

Then we have "potato starch" and "dried potato". Isn't that ingredient splitting? Who wants to bet that if it these two ingredients were combined they'd be the #1 or #2 ingredient?

After chicken meal and chicken fat (which are nice but probably not very voluminous as the 5th and 6th ingredients) we have beet pulp... Which I, personally, consider just a filler.

Then after flax seed there's "chicken liver flavor". Any time I see "flavor" in a dog food, this is what I read: "This dog food doesn't have enough meat in it to flavor itself."

And of course, another filler, powdered cellulose.



Sorry about the rant, I am just so disappointed. I thought Science Diet was actually going to attempt to make a good and healthful food but they're just trying to fool people who did some research and are buying into the Grain Free party into giving Hill's all their cash-ola. And the worst part is that, like all of their foods, it's WAY overpriced for what they are getting! I would rather feed Diamond Naturals than this stuff, for a fraction of the cost! Just like I'd rather feed Ol' Roy than regular SD.

Darn you, Hill's! :mad::mad::mad:
 

Southpaw

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#2
Yep. They're just jumping on the grain-free train because that's what people are looking for these days...

Thankfully, I think most people looking for grain-free foods have done some research and know enough not to fall for this one.
 

elegy

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#3
Yep. They're just jumping on the grain-free train because that's what people are looking for these days...
And will flat-out say as much, which made me literally laugh out loud.

A couple months ago our Hill's Rep was in preaching about how grain free diets are a racket and just out to steal your money with their marketing and their un-nutritious "bags of bones". And now look! It's Hill's with grain free food that is STILL extremely light on the meat and heavy on the carbs!
 
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#5
And will flat-out say as much, which made me literally laugh out loud.

A couple months ago our Hill's Rep was in preaching about how grain free diets are a racket and just out to steal your money with their marketing and their un-nutritious "bags of bones". And now look! It's Hill's with grain free food that is STILL extremely light on the meat and heavy on the carbs!
Well, Hills' grain free certainly is.
 

Saeleofu

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#6
We have a Hills nutirition seminar coming up next moth that takes ALL DAY off site (8am to 4pm). I really want nothing to do with it, but I kind of want to go just to ask them painful questions :rofl1:
 

puppydog

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#7
We have a Hills nutirition seminar coming up next moth that takes ALL DAY off site (8am to 4pm). I really want nothing to do with it, but I kind of want to go just to ask them painful questions :rofl1:
I did that when I was forced to go on one. They have never asked me to go on one again! LOL
 

ihartgonzo

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#8
Even though it's a rip-off and super starchy... it's better than the #1 ingredient being corn! (; I'm glad higher quality food is gaining popularity.
 

JacksonsMom

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#9
Even though it's a rip-off and super starchy... it's better than the #1 ingredient being corn! (; I'm glad higher quality food is gaining popularity.
This!

Though I don't see it lasting. They tried something similar with Nature's Best, I think, and it was discontinued pretty quick. Usually the "grain free" market won't look towards SD.

But if it can make an average owner who goes to the vet and gets recommended their food... and pick this over over formulas, that'd be great.
 

Hillside

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#10
This!

Though I don't see it lasting. They tried something similar with Nature's Best, I think, and it was discontinued pretty quick. Usually the "grain free" market won't look towards SD.

But if it can make an average owner who goes to the vet and gets recommended their food... and pick this over over formulas, that'd be great.
But at least those of us who work in stores that sell Sci Die can upgrade customers to the Ideal Balance and then it is easier to shift them to a real food.
 

Saeleofu

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#11
But at least those of us who work in stores that sell Sci Die can upgrade customers to the Ideal Balance and then it is easier to shift them to a real food.
Only problem being that the Ideal Balance is extraordinarily expensive, especially for what it is.
 

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