Why You Should Say "NO" When Your Vet Recommends Rx Dog Food

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I've been doing a lot of research on feeding dogs for some time now, and people often ask me to help them find a good quality commercial food. Lately, I've had a few people whose vets recommended Hill's "prescription" diets (or similar foods like Purina EN) which can only be purchased by vet prescription. These foods are usually sold directly by the vet and are very expensive.
People can sense by looking at the labels or reading on-line that these foods don't seem all that healthy, and they would like to feed something better, not to mention cheaper. But they have been told that their dogs need these foods because of allergies, chronic diarrhea or other gastrointestinal problems, and they don't know what a good alternative might be.
You may already know that most vets don't know very much about nutrition or dog food. That may seem strange to you, but it isn't much different than medical doctors. In each case, they take a rudimentary course in college, the same course that nurses & exercise instructors (or vet techs) take.
In fact, the veterinary colleges have no required nutrition curriculum.  What information is provided comes in the form of seminars conducts by Hills, Purina and Mars, makers of the Rx foods your vet sells. The textbooks are written and published by people who work for these companies, and their advertising is all over the walls. They also give a commission to the vets for selling their foods. Can you say "conflict of interest"? The vets are taught to "prescribe" these foods as if they're medicine. "Dog has diarrhea? Recommend this!", the salesman tells them, and then launches into the sales pitch about how great the food is.
If you brought your child to the doctor because he had chronic diarrhea or was vomiting, and the doctor said, "Here, feed him this", would you accept that? Or would you want to know what was wrong, why the child is ill, what is causing it? Wouldn't you expect some tests? Wouldn't you want a diagnosis, a prognosis, and an explanation of how the food (medicine) will help?
We need to learn to do the same thing with our dogs. Let's take a look at some of these foods the vets are recommending.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I've got my own analyses of Hill's z/d and Purina EN right here in this discussion that you can print out. Also a comparison of the Purina "Rx" food with one of their OTC foods, which is another eye-opener.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Thanks, Karen.  I'll print them out and bring them with me.  This poor Vet Tech...she'll never  be the same.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Make sure to include the following, which isn't in the above analysis of EN. See that ingredient "animal digest" in the Rx food?

Here's the Dog Food Project's description of "animal digest":

Animal Digest
AAFCO: A material which results from chemical and/or enzymatic hydrolysis of clean and undecomposed animal tissue. The animal tissues used shall be exclusive of hair, horns, teeth, hooves and feathers, except in such trace amounts as might occur unavoidably in good factory practice and shall be suitable for animal feed. If it bears a name descriptive of its kind or flavor(s), it must correspond thereto.

A cooked-down broth made from unspecified parts of unspecified animals. The animals used can be obtained from any source, so there is no control over quality or contamination. Any kind of animal can be included: "4-D animals" (dead, diseased, disabled, or dying prior to slaughter), goats, pigs, horses, rats, misc. roadkill, animals euthanized at shelters, restaurant and supermarket refuse and so on.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

If this doesn't make you vomit, nothing will.

[Donna K & Quincy]

Timely post as I am in the process of helping a friend find a better alternative from the vet recommend Royal Canin Medi Cal Hypo Allergenic food that she is feeding her dogs. While it is working for her dogs I think it is because there is very little in it. I suggested one of the grain free foods like Fromms or Canidae which is a bit cheaper. She did try them on TOTW but stopped when her dogs threw it up, she did switch them all at once and not gradually so that was most likely  the problem there.

[Renee Bogi]

My husky was told to do the EN diet.  After a few months on the "special bland" diet, we finally switched vets and found out through a test that she had Cryptosparidium which was causing the direarra.  I wish I had known earlier so I would not have been exposing my doodle and myself to the infected poop.  Luckily after 3 rounds of antibiotics we finally have the all clear.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

This is a good example of what we have been saying about getting at the causes of the problem rather than trying to use food as medicine to "fix" diarrhea, etc. Food is only food. It supplies energy and nutrients to sustain life. But it isn't medicine, and it can't cure infections or diseases.

[Stella]

We were at the vets yesterday for our annual check up and shots for the boys.  We passed the annual check-up with flying colours, she even went as far to say that they are two of the healthiest dogs that she sees.  But, she still had to spoil things by trying to convince us to change them onto veterninary food (Medi-Cal Dental).  I told her we were happy with Acana and wouldn't be changing.  She made it sound like we were boad owners for not taking her advice.  Personally I doubt she has heard of Acana - we have to travel 1 1/2 hours to find a store that stocks it.  But, it would have been nice if she went away and looked it up or something!!  I am including the ingredients for Med-Cal Dental for your comments - obviously we are not changing from Acana for this - look at the first ingredient, it isn't even meat!!

 

Corn, Oat Flour, Chicken Meal, Tomato Pomace (Source of Lycopene), Chicken Fat, Natural Flavour, Dried Brewer’s Yeast, Cranberry Meal, Flax Meal, Dried Egg Powder, Dried Beet Pulp, Calcium Carbonate, Fish Oil, Calcium Sulphate, Soybean Oil, Potassium Chloride, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, DL-Methionine, Fructo-Oligosaccharides, Taurine, Choline Chloride, Vitamins (DL-Alpha-Tocopherol [Source of Vitamin E], L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate [Source of Vitamin C], Biotin, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Acetate, Niacin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride [Vitamin B6], Thiamine Mononitrate [Vitamin B1], Riboflavin [Vitamin B2], Folic Acid, Vitamin B12 Supplement and Vitamin D3 Supplement), Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Trace Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Oxide, Ferrous Sulphate, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Copper Sulphate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate and Sodium Selenite), L-Carnitine, Beta-Carotene and L-Glutamine. Naturally Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols, Rosemary Extract and Citric Acid.

 

 

 

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Corn and oat flour as the most abundant ingredients. And it probably costs more than Acana.

People, if you haven't already done so, please read Chapter 24 in Marion Nestle's newest book, Feed Your Pet Right.  (You can probably get it from your local library if you don't want to buy it.)

In many veterinary practices these days, sales of Rx food account for a substantial percentage of the profits.

[Stella]

Exactly, she even got one of the vet techs to explain to us why it was such a good food for them and to cost it up for us!!  What, if anything, about that food would be better for their teeth than any other kibble????  I seriously feel like going back with the ingredient list from Acana and the ratings from the Dog Food Analysis website for both foods to show them!  I really like our vet, she is great with the dogs.  But, it really soured the whole visit when she belittled our choice of food for them.

Admittedly, Chase doesn't have the greatest of teeth, but I'd rather try to battle and brush them every day  than change to that poor excuse for dog food!!

[Pam & Trixie]

LOL...I got this book from the Library last week- I have not had a chance to open it..But will make sure I do now

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

That was a lucky coincidence!

Especially take a look at Chapter 24!