Science Diet

[Snowy]

Just about every vet in my neighborhood endorses Science Diet food for their clients. But thru the grapevine, I've heard that Science Diet is not the best food and the reason why the vets recommend them is that they get incentives from the manufaturer. Any thoughts? What do u feed your dogs and how did u decide on the selection?

[DachshundDuo]

I feed my male dachshund Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance brand dog food in the venison and brown rice recipe. He has ulcers in his mouth that could possibly be due to a food allergy, so he is eating this. And he LOVES IT!! :D He gets the dry food and then I treat him with the canned food in a venison and brown rice recipe that is not the same brand (They didn't have it in the Natural Balance brand). He absolutely loves it. I was really surprised, as he is a picky eater. I got it at Complete Petmart. The five pound bag was $10. The cans were $1.19 each. I can't tell a difference in the ulcers yet, but I am hopeful. :rolleyes: I have never given my dogs Science Diet, but I have heard people on this site, Petlovers, that Science Diet is not a good choice. There are several who feed their dogs Nutro brand and they seem to be quite pleased with it. I chose the Natural Balance because it has venison in it. The vet told me to try something that has a protein source that he has never eaten before.

[JustJo]

Being owned by a Great Dane definitely has it's challenges food-wise. As I said in a previous e-mail, bloat or GDV kills 25% of all Great Danes. Any deep chested breed, especially Great Danes, are prone to this killer. No one has any proof as to what causes it, but most large breed owners are very cautious as to what they feed their dogs. Until recently I fed Bullwinkle Back To Basics his entire life, which is made and developed by a mastiff kennel in New York (Beowulf). It had become harder for me to get (I had it shipped to my house) but with the traveling requirements for my job (Bullwinkle and Rockie go with me) I switched to Chicken Soup For The Dog Lover's Soul. I chose this one because I liked the natural ingredients and process and the kibble doesn't swell much. It is also cheaper.

Once again, what you feed your pet is a very personal choice and sometimes a touchy subject. Personally, I would not feed my dogs Science Diet simply because I don't care for the ingredients. Except for the first listed, chicken, the rest down the list are not desirable for me to feed Bullwinkle, who is allergic to both corn and wheat. Sorghum, the 3rd ingredient in Science Diet is a good source for carbs but very low in digestibility. Brewers rice and soybean meal are poor quality fillers. At the bottom of Science Diet's ingredient list are two good things: flaxseed and rosemary extract but overall I wouldn't give it a very good rating. I do know some dogs do very well on Science Diet but Bullwinkle would not.

JMHO,

Jo

[KatMom]

Anyone have any suggestions on Cat food ? We had a local woman that made food fresh....but she moved. She was a Vet / that opened a Cat/ Doggie food bar. The cats were doing Great on it....but I am almost out.
She is not going to open another establishment. So I can not order anymore.
Thanks
Katmom

[opokki]

IMO, most vets would not recommend and/or sell a brand of food that they thought was garbage just to make a quick buck. Vets make a profit off of lots of things they sell including flea meds and vaccines. I think the true reason many vets sell and recommend Science Diet is because they trully believe it is a good brand in knowing that the company does alot of research. Having said that, I personally don't care for Science Diet. I've used Timberwolf Organics for almost 2yrs now and have been very happy with it.
Here is a good site that I think you will find helpful in choosing a good brand of food:
http://www.mordanna.com/dogfood/

KatMom: My favorite brand of cat food is Innova. Some other brands that I like are Natural Balance, Wellness, California Natural (same company that makes Innova) & Chicken Soup for the Cat Lover's Soul.

[KatMom]

Thanks Opokki for the cat food info; I'll check those out ! :D
Katmom

[silverking]

I agree with Dachshund Duo about Natural Balance have been feeding my Huskies it for over two years and they are doing great with it they love it and have great coats and less shedding and seem to have no major allergy problems.

[katielogue]

Hey, I have only been on the board for a short while - once when I was thinking about getting a puppy (I received the most EXCELLENT advice) and today. I used to have cats. I was always a cat person until recently. All the cats I had were fed Science Diet. I originally got the advice from a friend that raises Siamese cats. At that time I had a Siamese who could hardly tolerate food at all. He was constantly throwing up - many trips to the vet and many $ later - I went to see this friend. He recommended the Science Diet because it has a low ash content which (it turns out) was what made my cat throw up. This cat lived to be over 14 years old and never ate anything other than Science Diet from that day forward. I highly recommend it!!!
I have a new puppy now and I am searching for the best food for him. I currently have him on large breed puppy Iams. He doesn't care for it much. Does anyone out there have a recommendation?
Thanks and please try your cat on the Science Diet.
katielogue

['too crazy]

I feed my dog Nutro Natures Choice and I also fed it to my cats. (I had to change because 1 of the 4 had to have something special). I was very happy with it for the cats because I never had a hairball problem and I love it for my dog. It guarentee's a shiney coat or a ful refund and I have had many people comment on my dogs beautiful, shiney coat.

[Squawksx3]

I feed my dogs and cats Science Diet (both dry and canned).. have for years and will continue ;) . There are different kinds of Science Diet... some do have cornmeal as the main ingredient. I like the Lamb Meal and Rice Formula, but also mix in Oral Care and others on occassion. I also give them Missing link Plus and Pet Tabs Plus for added vitamins and minerals(the Plus is for the larger breeds). It all depends on what you want and what works best for your dogs. I've know people that have fed their dogs Purina Dog Chow and other "cheaper" dog foods and their dogs lived to their golden years, happy and healthy. Good luck in your search.