What Does The Intermittent Feeding Statement On The Hill’s Prescription Diet Pet Food Package Mean
The statement “This food is intended for intermittent feeding only or as directed by your veterinarian,” is a reflection of AAFCO regulation. The Association of American Feed Control Officials requires that a feeding statement be included on all pet food labels. The key phrase in the statement is “as directed by your veterinarian.” Most of our Hill’s® Prescription Diet® pet foods have been shown to be adequate for long-term feeding in animal feeding trials, but this does not mean that all animals should be eating therapeutic foods long term. We wish to make it clear to each pet owner that the advice of a veterinarian is essential for proper utilization of Prescription Diet® brand products.
What Role Does Your Dogs Diet Play
Diet plays a critical role in treating colitis. Choosing the wrong or right food can trigger your dogs symptoms, or manage them, respectively.
If your dog suffers from constant bouts of loose stools after being on a certain food for a while, his condition will just worsen or develop into a series of issues. His condition is most likely because his digestive system isnt agreeing with his current wet or dry food.
Dogs with colitis may be fed hypoallergenic food or a low residue diet. Nonetheless, it’s also right that there is no one-size-fits-all diet for all dogs, as every individual canine has different responses to certain dry or canned foods.
Having a clean healthy diet with simple ingredients and a good protein source is your best chance and will make improvements to your dog’s gut health. Your pup may take some time to adapt to a new diet, so do not panic immediately.
Shifting your dog to a new diet could take several weeks to complete. And it must happen gradually in order to prevent gastrointestinal issues.
Also, some other medicines might be required depending on the severity of your dog’s condition. Your vet will generally recommend removing first the more commonly appearing irritants in dog foods.
The Fda Guidelines On Therapeutic Pet Food Compliance
While therapeutic diets are supposed to be sold to dog owners by veterinarians only, a number of new companies have begun to market them directly to consumers, both in stores and online, running afoul of the regulation. This shift toward direct marketing, without veterinary direction or involvement, concerns FDA, the agency has said in a press release, because these dietsmay not be suitable for all pets.
To clarify its position and put teeth into its ruling, the Food and Drug Administration has come out with a Compliance Policy Guide. The compliance guide explains the criteria FDA will consider when determining whether to take enforcement action regarding dog and cat food diets intended to treat a disease. The agency does intend to exercise enforcement discretion over the labeling and marketing of these diets, it states.
Implications of the Lawsuit
Because of the specifics of the FDA guidelines, it is doubtful that the plaintiffs in the class-action lawsuit will prevail. And from the point of view of dogs health, that is all to the good. If the prices of therapeutic diets were forced down legally, pet food companies would no longer be able to afford the research required to develop them, and they would therefore discontinue bringing them to market.
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Is A Prescription Dog Food Really Worth It
When your veterinarian recommends a prescription dog food for your dog, you may just take his word for it that your dog needs it. Having learned a little more about the history of prescription dog food, however, you may find yourself questioning this advice. In fact, once you find out how much prescription dog food costs, you may be questioning that decision even more. It is not uncommon for a small bag of prescription dog food to cost upwards of $25 that is equal to the price of a super-premium dog food. If you take a look at the ingredients list for the prescription dog food, however, you are unlikely to find many of the high-quality ingredients that you would expect to see on that bag of super-premium dog food.
Symptoms That Prescription Dog Food Targets
What are these medical issues that unfortunately bring discomfort and pain to our four-legged companions? As I mentioned earlier, always consult your veterinarian to determine a diagnosis. Chances are, if correctly diagnosed, your vet may recommend a prescription diet that targets one of these symptoms:
If you are wandering, yes there are specific brands that do address each one of these symptoms. A word of caution here: Just make sure that a product of your choosing not only focuses on the treatment of your pooch but also contains a healthy, nutritional value as well.
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Why Should I Choose A Renal Diet For My Dog
Dogs with renal failure are often elderly and normally have oral pain and reduced appetite therefore, highly palatable food is essential.It is important to consult your vet before changing your dogs diet this is especially true of patients with other diseases as well. In some cases, the other condition also requires a special diet and should take precedence over dietary modification specific to the kidney problem. Most vets will also have some preference for a specific brand or brands.
Correcting dehydration is an essential objective in the management of patients with renal failure. In order to encourage as much fluid consumption as possible, it is worth considering the use of a wet diet, as dry food has negligible water content. It can also help to find a way that your dog prefers to take in fluids, e.g. they may like to drink from running water, in which case a water fountain for your dog is a good idea, or they may drink water if it is added to their kibbles.
But Why Are Therapeutic Diets So Expensive
So why are you paying so much more for therapeutic diets than for dog foods you can simply add to your grocery list? After all, while proportions of ingredients may differ, the ingredients themselves are largely the same as in typical food for healthy pets. Is it the professional expertise of veterinarians that drives up the cost? Is it the fact that people with sick dogs are stuck and need to choose therapeutic diets, thus making it all too easy for manufacturers to price gouge? Or some combination of the two, leading to a secret handshake between veterinarians and pet food companies that benefits both sides?
The answer is none of the above. Its in the testing that eventually brings these foods to market. Granted, that testing is not as arduous as testing for drugs, as we explained above. But it is still extensive. Consider food for kidney disease. Explains Dr. Heinze, examples of testing for kidney diets includes feeding the diets to pets with kidney disease for many months and monitoring how they do compared to pets fed more typical diets. This requires lots of bloodwork and other diagnostics. For diets for bladder stone prevention, the diets are fed to animals, their urine is collected and tested and the diet ingredients are then optimized to reduce risk of stone development.
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Urinary Tract Disease And Kidney Stones Dog Foods
Problems with urinary tract disease and kidney stones are less prevalent, but they’re still around and you should know how to change your pet’s diet if you encounter this.
Wet dog food is the absolute best choice in these cases due to higher level of liquids.
Canned dog food will dilute the urine better than kibble. Prescription dog food is specific to the type of minerals found in an urinalysis or the stones. Over the counter solutions for these issues are rare, so in this case, prescription brands may be the way to go.
Should My Dog Eat A Grain
In some cases, eating grain-free dog food can help with any digestive issues your pup may have. Of course, this is only assuming your dog has problems with her digestion in the first place. If your pup has a condition that makes it hard for her digestive system to break down grains, then a grain-free diet can be a great solution.
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A Full Line Of Prescription Dog Food
Our veterinary team, including board-certified specialists in nutrition, toxicology, and dermatology, has developed eight veterinary support diets for dogs. These prescription dog food recipes are explicitly formulated to meet the critical nutritional requirements of dogs and are prescribed by veterinarians based on their patients needs. All our vet support diet dog foods have been formulated for the long-term nutritional management of your pets health under the direction of your veterinarian. In addition, we can work with your veterinarian to create customized dog food diets for pets who have specific health requirements or special complex needs.
Prepared in small batches in our open-to-the-public Kitchens, our prescription dog food is made from only the finest meats and the highest-quality produce all the same wholesome food we choose for ourselves. Also, the proprietary Nutrient Blends used in our vet dog food meet or exceed the strictest certifications and requirements set forth for human nutraceuticals. We also regularly test our food through independent human food laboratories.
In addition to our vet diet dog food, our exclusive line of veterinarian-developed dietary supplements for dogs addresses the most common ailments faced by our four-legged friends. We also offer fresh cat food for your favorite feline. Ask your veterinarian how one of our veterinary support diets can support your pets health today.
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Highlighting The Common Symptoms Of Renal Failure
Problems associated with kidney diseases can be difficult for your dog. The symptoms can directly affect their quality of life. However, there is a difference between acute and chronic renal issues. Lets look at each of them in detail.
Acute
As the name suggests, acute renal failure has a sudden onset. It can result from things such as poisoning and ingestion of forbidden foods like raisins or grapes.
More reasons that could cause acute renal failure include infection, dehydration, trauma, or certain medication. As a pet parent, you must consult your veterinarian immediately if you notice the following symptoms:
- Change in urination or more frequent urination
- Change in water consumption
- Change in behavior
- Vomiting
The overall result of the diagnosis may vary based on how advanced the disease is. Some dogs in the early stages may make complete recovery with a changed diet and proper treatment, while others may progress it into chronic renal failure. Therefore, it is important to immediately seek professional assistance as soon as you detect the symptoms.
Chronic
Chronic renal failure is more common in older dogs, but direct poisoning or certain congenital defects can affect the younger ones too. Chronic renal disease often advances at a slow pace, making it difficult to see through the symptoms.
- Drastic weight loss
We advise that you take your dog for a full-body examination if you detect these symptoms.
Royal Canin Veterinary Diet
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The Royal Canin Canine Veterinary Diet is a popular range of prescription dog foods that are prescribed by your vet. Formulated for specific needs, this range of foods supports obesity management, renal function, mobility, digestive problems and intolerances, skincare and many more. Some of the well-known products within this range are as follows:
Hypoallergenic is prescribed for dogs with a food allergy, Adverse Food Reactions, gastrointestinal signs, inflammatory bowel disease, chronic diarrhea, and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. Its hydrolyzed protein isolate content composed of weight peptides and low molecular weight assists in digestion with very low allergenicity. The omega-3 long-chain fatty acids, on the other hand, support intestinal mucosal integrity. The food contains a combination of prebiotics, rice, beet pulp, rice, fish oil and highly digestible proteins as the primary ingredients.
Cardiac helps dogs with heart diseases and hypertension. The food contains Polyphenols that contribute to vasodilatation and also neutralizes free radicals. It improves the electrolyte balance by means of restricting Sodium and balancing the Potassium and Magnesium to optimum levels. A moderate amount of Phosphorus provides renal support and prevents Chronic Renal Failure. The Taurine and L-carnitine content, on the other hand, enhances heart contractility and myocyte function.
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The Best Dog Food For Kidney Disease Everything You Need To Know
Arm yourself with the following information before heading out to choose the best food for dogs battling kidney disease.
Wet/Canned Food Formulation
The extra moisture in wet/canned food formulation is beneficial for dogs with kidney disease. Water is essential for the successful filtration of toxins from the bloodstream. Transitioning to a wet food diet can be difficult for dogs who have eaten kibble are their lives. To help your dog with the transition, we recommend combining a wet food diet with dry food to keep your dog hydrated. Also, dont forget to provide your dog with plenty of fresh water along with food.
Low Protein Level
Kidneys work to remove the toxins produced from protein breakdown. When kidneys are not functioning well, this can lead to a buildup of these toxins and put stress on the organ. Therefore, it is crucial to offer your dog food with reduced levels of protein.
Also, limited protein content should come from high-quality sources. Improved quality guarantee fewer toxic byproducts and doesnt strain the kidneys as much.
Phosphorus is considered as an important mineral to maintain your dogs teeth and bones, but if your pooch has kidney problems, high levels of phosphorus can be poisonous.
The excess level of the mineral is taken care of by the kidneys, but when the kidneys are failing, the excess amount continues to build up. Extra phosphorus can cause vitamin D deficiency and loss of bone density.
Increased Levels of B-Vitamins
Added Antioxidants
What Are The Alternatives To Prescription Dog Food
There are a couple of alternatives to prescription dog food. The first is a raw foods diet. Raw foods diets are easier to digest than other dog food diets and provide very concentrated nutrition for your dog. Another option is to get an over-the-counter dog food that meets all the nutritional needs of your dog. For example if your dog is having bladder or urinary tract issues, you can get a food that support urinary tract health. Finally theres also limited ingredient foods. Limited ingredient dog foods are made with just a few superfood ingredients that provide your dog a dense nutritional profile while the food is extremely easy to digest. However, if your dog is prescribed a prescription dog food, you should not take this suggestion lightly. Before deciding what food will be a good alternative, you need to consult with your veterinarian. Prescription diets are not only formulated to help support the nutrition of your dog but they are also easy to digest and contain things like chelated minerals for maximum absorption. So its a good idea to work with your veterinarian on your dogs diet plan.
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Is Prescription Dog Food Worth The Cost
The answer to this question is one, as a pet owner, has to be made by you. I would recommend that you not just take your veterinarians opinion without first doing some research of your own. Ask your vet the how and why questions. For example, how is this prescription diet going to benefit my dog, and why is better than a quality food that I can find at the local pet store. If you are not happy with these answers, keep searching for additional information.
Prescription dog food is expensive, and many pet owners must consider if it is something they can afford. In many cases, an eight pound bag of prescription dog food may cost you upwards to $30. Thats a hefty price tag for a product that may or may not alleviate the symptoms currently affecting your pooch.
There are those who would argue that there is nothing special about prescription dog food. The ingredients contained within prescription dog food can be found in most healthy, wholesome dog food. So why, the hefty price tag? Well, in order for a dog food to be labeled as a prescription in must go through a series of tests in order to be presented as such. This testing can be expensive, and in order to absorb some of this cost you find the lofty price tag.