Had a Science diet representative edumacate me!

[Doberluv]

When my Lab was in liver failure, she had to have no more than 15% protein as too much meat was very hard on her struggling liver. So she ate Science Diet prescription designed for liver disease for her last few months. But before that, she ate Canidae or Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul and years before, Atta Boy or Purina One....before I even knew about premium foods.

Yeah...had a discussion once with a vet, took in the part of the bag of Chicken Soup and showed him the ingredients; ie: meat, meat, meat, meat and more, lots of wonderful ingredients. He said something about these "no name" companies making their bags look pretty and otherwise they were pretty much not to be trusted and he showed me Science Diet ingredients proudly. And I said, "Well, and???" (in other words, "your point?") He seemed clueless. Or just out to sell his stuff. I didn't even go back to that vet...didn't trust him.

I don't trust vets when it comes to nutrition OR behavior/training. I've heard some real doozies from vets, both nutritional and behavior travesties.

 

[elegy]

i think it's a darn shame that hills uses such poor quality ingredients even in their prescription foods. you'd think that if you've got an animal that's sick, you'd want to do everything as best as possible to promote health. yeah, apparently not. there are other prescription diets available (eukanuba, royal canin, ivd) that are better.

 

[PoodleMommy]

When my Lab was in liver failure, she had to have no more than 15% protein as too much meat was very hard on her struggling liver. So she ate Science Diet prescription designed for liver disease for her last few months. But before that, she ate Canidae or Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul and years before, Atta Boy or Purina One....before I even knew about premium foods.

Yeah...had a discussion once with a vet, took in the part of the bag of Chicken Soup and showed him the ingredients; ie: meat, meat, meat, meat and more, lots of wonderful ingredients. He said something about these "no name" companies making their bags look pretty and otherwise they were pretty much not to be trusted and he showed me Science Diet ingredients proudly. And I said, "Well, and???" (in other words, "your point?") He seemed clueless. Or just out to sell his stuff. I didn't even go back to that vet...didn't trust him.

I don't trust vets when it comes to nutrition OR behavior/training. I've heard some real doozies from vets, both nutritional and behavior travesties.

There are a few good vets out there!

I went to one office that sold Wellness products...maybe not the top of the line, but a good quality food.

And they actually reccomend you feeding a homecooked diet... and will help you come up with diets (based on the Pitcairin Diet) if you need help.

So, dont give up on all vets

Elissa

 

[MomOf7]

You guys crack me up!!! LOL

I happen to run into this lady at a local feed store which most of the people there know us. One guy was having a conversation with this lady and told her to talk to us and he left quickly! LOL We were suckered into a conversation where she said alot but really didnt say anything. She tried showing us how the food she has is soo much better than what we buy. She couldnt but she came up with alot of facts and interesting information about hills scientific research center blah blah blah. I just shook my head and smiled.
She seemed shocked at the fact our vet does not recomend science diet. They sell the California something or another and flint river dog foods. They carry science diet but dont push it.

 

[Doberluv]

you'd think that if you've got an animal that's sick, you'd want to do everything as best as possible to promote health. yeah, apparently not. there are other prescription diets available (eukanuba, royal canin, ivd) that are better.

Are you referring to my post before yours about my sick Lab?

 

[Doberluv]

 

[elegy]

Are you referring to my post before yours about my sick Lab?

yeah, but now i see that it could be interpreted as a slam on you. it wasn't meant to be. it was meant to be a slam on the hills people for their crappy ingredients.

 

[Doberluv]

Thanks for clearing that up. I felt awful all day since I read it, thinking you thought that I couldn't wait to be rid of my lovely Lab whom I still miss so much or didn't care about her well being. I didn't know much about food then and didn't know about other alternatives.

She was almost 14 and was raised with my kids, went through my divorce with me and a whole lot more. She was such a loved dog and had a good life out in the country where we lived, got to go on horsey rides with me, swimming with the kids...was just such a big part of the family's life and so loved by everyone. I couldn't go to most of our friends or family's house for dinner unless I brought Bonnie along.They insisted. She was such a good dog, sweet and mellow.

Well....thanks for clarifying. I am sensative about my dogs sometimes and misinterpret things.

The vets that promote it and if they know better should be boycotted. It is really bad food. I feed my dogs Canidae or Chicken Soup, but Lyric has to eat Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance venison and brown rice or he gets all messed up in his tummy....very sensative stomach and that seems to be agreeable to him. So, the other dogs eat that too...kind of switch them around a little.

 

[elegy]

i'm sorry carrie. i didn't mean it that way at all

when i had my little poodle she was supposed to be eating hill's k/d for her crappy kidneys. she wouldn't eat it, and my search for something appropriate that she *would* eat led me to many webpages and groups about proper nutrition for dogs with ailing kidneys. it was... very enlightening. the more i thought about it, the more disgusted i got with hills. they have all this money and do all this research blah blah blah but they scrimp where it really counts, and in the ways that really affect our sick pets.

 

[Whisper]

Do you think they KNOW their food is crap?

 

[ToscasMom]

Do you think they KNOW their food is crap?

Of course they do. All they have to do is read the ingredients on their own bags. Hill's isn't in the business of making good food, they are in the marketing business, and they are damned good at it. Look how they have veterinarians mesmerized (cha ching!, fill their wallets and their hearts and minds will follow!). If they weren't outstanding in their real business-marketing, they wouldn't be selling their cheap crap for premium prices.

Might as well feed your dog corn flakes every day.

 

[MomOf7]

Do you think they KNOW their food is crap?

They have to! The way she was dancing around the issues made me believe she was full of you know what!

 

[Doberluv]

Thanks Elegy. I watched a movie today which made me cry and it really wasn't that sad. LOL. Then I started thinking about my aging parents and got sad. Then I started thinking about Bonnie and got teary. I think it's probably that **** menopause. Grrrrr.

Do you think they KNOW their food is crap?

You'd think so, but maybe not. If they do all this "research," wouldn't you think they'd get even a glimmer of an idea?

 

[Doberluv]

I was still typing away when you guy's posted. Yes, they are good marketers and that's what they're interested in, making money. And some vets are like that too.

 

[ToscasMom]

If they do all this "research," wouldn't you think they'd get even a glimmer of an idea?

Their "research" is designed to tell them what they want to hear. They assess themselves. Do we really think they will ever get a failing grade?

 

[Aimee]

I was in my local feed store last weekend and had my first run in with a Science Diet rep. I had gotten used to the ever present Nutro one's, who aren't near as pushy, in my experience.

She heard me ask if they had any more 40# All Life Stage Canidae in stock. She swooped over to tell me how that's not good for my puppy, and how much better Science Diet would be. I explained to her all the reasons why I am feeding my dogs this. She still proceeded to give me a CD ROM on canine nutrition. Despite the fact that I obviously had a good grasp, considering I had told her all the reason why I fed Canidae...lol.

 

[Doberluv]

Do we really think they will ever get a failing grade?

LOL! Like the fox guarding the chicken coope. Or is that not the right analogy? LOL.

Aimee...that's hysterical. What a lousy sales person. She should have listened better and found another angle, found some other objection than the nutrition since you obviously had that nailed down. I use to be a realator. I can just see her....like a ravenous mosquito coming in at you for the 10th try after being swatted at and missed. That really goes over well, doesn't it. LOL.

 

[ToscasMom]

Old Science Diet Reps never die. They live on to become used car sales people.

 

[rij73]

My father in law's Golden has horrible skin problems. His vet keeps prescribing prednisone at the drop of a hat... Last time I visited, I saw him feeding Science Diet and I casually mentioned that it could be part of the problem. I thought he would defend feeding him that. Well, to my surprise, my f-i-l was all upset, believed me right away, voiced his displeasure with the vet, and ran out to Petco to buy Natural Balance!

 

[SizzleDog]

I am the food rep's worst enemy... mwahaha! I stumped the Nutro rep a couple years ago, when he was touting Nutro's practice of putting glucosamine in their food. I told him, "well, the glucosamine would be a good idea... if only I was feeding 15 cups of food per day!"... because that's roughly how much Nutro my dogs would have to eat to get enough glucosamine to make any difference.

I've never met a Science Diet rep, but I can tell you that vets and students in their "program" get food for forty to sixty cents a pound... does that tell you anything about the quality (or obvious lack thereof) of their food?

My vet back home recommends Natura products (Innova, Cal Nat, etc.) and my current vet uses Eukanuba Rx diets instead of Hills... maybe vets are starting to change!