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:
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!
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
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!