Why Do I Need A Prescription For Hills Dog Food
In order to purchase these foods, you do not require a prescription. It is a widely held belief that a prescription is necessary in order to purchase Prescription pet food products. Actually, there are no pharmaceuticals in the meal, which is a good thing. Because there are no pharmaceuticals, there is no FDA regulation, which means there is no need for a prescription.
What Is Hills Prescription Diet Dog Food
Hills Prescription Diet Dog Food is a specific food line by Hills.
It offers therapeutic nutrition in the form of dog and cat foods. They cater to many health conditions and are clinically tested and developed by a team of Ph.D. nutritionists and veterinarians. This ensures that your pet is receiving premium nutrition backed by science.
This brand of pet food meets or exceeds the nutrient profiles that have been set by the World Small Animal Veterinary Association and the Association of American Feed Control Officials .
At The End Of 2019 During Our Yearly Vet Check We Received The Devastating News That Our 11 Year Old Dogs Blood Work Showed That He Was In Stage 4 Kidney Failure
Honestly, I was a basket case, how on earth did we miss this? He seemed like he was just dealing with some symptoms of getting older frequent urination, sometimes excessive water drinking. It definitely didnt feel like life threatening symptoms. As much as the diagnosis was a shock, the price tag of the prescription diet he would need to eat for the remainder of his life was pretty horrifying too!
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The Apple Doesnt Fall Far From The Tree
The major players in the prescription diet category are the major players in the regular pet food category:
- Hills Science Diet
These companies are hardly renowned for quality ingredients.
In fact, most veterinary diets are manufactured by companies that predominantly manufacture lower quality grocery store foods. The same company that makes lower quality foods like Alpo and Beneful is also making prescription diets.
How much better do you think the veterinary food would be?
Lets compare two Hills foods: a regular food and a prescription food .
The regular pet store brand:
And the prescription food:
Now, a 30lb bag of the regular food is $47.99 at Petsmart. The prescription diet dog food can also be purchased at Petsmart for $84.95 for a 27.5lb bag. Its twice as expensive!
Now, you might be thinking this is because the prescription diet was formulated and tested with a specific condition in mind.
This is completely false.
While an over-the-counter food with a health claim is subject to FDA regulations and enforcement, the FDA practices enforcement discretion when it comes to veterinary diets.
Put another way, this means the FDA has not reviewed or verified the health claims on any veterinary diet.
Did you catch that?
There are very few ingredients in veterinary diets that arent also in other regular diets.
Apart from fish oil, what food ingredients exactly would help dogs with joint pain? As Dr Dee Blanco stated, this food would actually cause inflammation.
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Recommendations For Prescription Dog Food Use
We cant tell you which companys prescription diets to choose for your dog only a veterinarian can do that! But we encourage you to dig in for an extended conversation with your veterinarian about any prescription diets she may recommend for your dog. Wed suggest the following discussion points if your veterinarian recommends a prescription diet for your dog:
American Journey Wet Cat Foods
American Journey offers comparable wet cat food recipes at an average cost of $4.50 per pound. On average, American Journey wet cat food is 17.25% cheaper than Hills Science Diet.
Considering all wet cat foods manufactured by American Journey, we havent found any harmful or controversial ingredients. On the other hand, Hills Science Diet wet cat food recipes contain an average of 0.29 harmful ingredients and 2.79 harmful ingredients.
If youd like to read a detailed comparison and see an overview of all harmful and controversial ingredients, .
| Wet Cat Food |
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Veterinary Diet Customer Declaration
Veterinary diets are carefully formulated to assist with the treatment or management of a particular illness or condition. By purchasing this Hill’s Prescription Diet you acknowledge and agree that the following is true and accurate.
- I confirm that my pet was examined by a veterinarian who recommended the use of this Hill’s Prescription Diet on the basis of their diagnosis
- I understand that it is recommended that I seek veterinary advice at least every 6 months regarding the usage of this Hill’s Prescription Diet and
- I understand that I need to seek immediate veterinary advice if my pets condition deteriorates in any way whilst I use this Hill’s Prescription Diet.
- Dog
Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets Nf Kidney Function Formula
The Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets NF formula uses limited amounts of high-quality protein and phosphorus to support kidney function. A lower fat and sodium content also helps reduce the risk of obesity and additional health problems.
A Hills k/d diet contains a higher fat content than Purina Pro Plan. Both dog food brands feature essential fatty acids to help reduce oxidative stress in dogs with kidney disorders. But excessive dietary fat can lead to weight gain in older dogs.
If you have an older dog with kidney concerns that also suffers from obesity, consider Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets NF Kidney Function Formula. This recipe boasts a crude fat content of only 13%, compared to 18% in Hills k/d dog food.
This Purina formula is also grain inclusive and uses egg products to create a 12.5% low protein dog food. The first ingredient is corn, so it may not be suitable for sensitive pups with a corn allergy.
Fat is a primary energy source in your dogs diet. Most pups with a risk of kidney failure are older dogs with sedentary lifestyles. So, excess fat content may cause obesity and other health problems.
Hills Prescription Diets use soybean oil as a significant source of fat. This ingredient has a much lower concentration of omega-3 compared to fish oil. Purina Pro Plan NF uses fish oil as its primary source of fat.
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What Our Vets Say About Prescription Diet Dog Food
I spoke about prescription diets with pet food guru Marion Smart PhD recently and she said something that I thought would be fun to follow through with.
Dr Smart said, How do you think vets would evaluate prescription diets if we just showed them the ingredients? Would they be able to tell if they were prescription diets?
So I called up some of our veterinary friends and gave them four pet food ingredient labels, one of which was a veterinary diet. They were only shown the ingredients and did not know what brand or manufacturer made the food.
I then asked the vets to list which food or foods they thought was a grocery store food and which food or foods they thought was a premium food.
Here are the four ingredient labels I asked the vets to rank. Can you guess which one is the prescription diet?
What Brand Of Dog Food Is Killing Dogs
A pet food recall is widening after the Food and Drug Administration announced that more than two dozen dogs died after eating Sportmix brand dry kibble. The statement issued on Monday said that the suspect is aflatoxin, a byproduct of a corn mold Aspergillus flavus, which at high levels can kill pets.
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Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Adult Hydrolyzed Protein Hp Dry Dog Food
If youre looking for a top-notch dry dog food to help your pup get cleaner proteins, this Royal Canin recipe is an outstanding choice. The hydrolyzed proteins help your dogs gastrointestinal and dermatological health, making the food excellent for dogs with food allergies.
It comes in multiple size options, so your dog can try it out before you order too much, and everything about the formula is highly nutritious and great tasting. However, you do need a prescription for this dog food, and compared to many other dry dog foods out there, its expensive.
But if your dog needs a specialized diet, Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Adult Hydrolyzed Protein HP Dry Dog Food is an outstanding choice.
Not every dog can handle dry dog food, and if your dog needs a wet food, Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Adult Gastrointestinal Low Fat Loaf Canned Dog Food is outstanding.
The wet formula is great for picky eaters or dogs with fewer teeth, and with the gastrointestinal formula thats low fat, its also an excellent choice for dogs with sensitive stomachs. It has a high fiber content to help keep your dog feeling satiated, and its full of protein and calories to keep them healthy too.
However, its one of the most expensive dog foods out there, and since its a wet food, it doesnt last quite as long as dry food options. Youll also need a prescription from a vet to order this dog food.
- Expensive option
What Are The Ingredients In Hills Science Diet
INGREDIENTS: Chicken, Cracked Pearled Barley, Whole Grain Wheat, Whole Grain Corn, Whole Grain Sorghum, Corn Gluten Meal, Soybean Meal, Chicken Fat, Brewers Rice, Chicken Liver Flavor, Chicken Meal, Dried Beet Pulp, Soybean Oil, Pork Flavor, Lactic Acid, Calcium Carbonate, Flaxseed, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride
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Veterinarian Approved Customer Approved
Overall: 4 out of 5
Flavor: 4 out of 5
Ingredients: 3.5 out of 5
Benefits: 4.5 out of 5
Packaging: 4 out of 5
Price: 4 out of 5
Hills Pet Food has a spectacular reputation online and in the medical community as being the go-to food for dogs with health issues and sensitivities. You cannot argue with thousands upon thousands of reviews with 95% or more being five stars.
Were somewhat surprised because the ingredients in Hills are not what some of the healthy food manufacturers say your dog needs, so were wondering if grain-free, and high-protein are little marketing schemes to sell more expensive food.
Either way, Hills provides a wide array of dog food to help pups with many ailments so if youve been struggling to find something that works you should give Hills a try.
Is Hills Dog Food Grain
Hills Pet Nutrition has grain-free dog foods. These products are formulated with the best interests of pet health and well-being as our top priority. All of our grain-free dry dog foods have been fortified with taurine, as have other dry dog foods in our portfolio of carefully balanced complete nutrition pet foods.
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Is Hills Prescription Diet Bad For Dogs
Consumers who fed their dogs Hills Prescription Diet and Science Diet have reported that the canned dog food items have caused their pets to become sick and even die as a result of the feeding. Dry feeds and cat formulae are not included in the recall, which, according to the FDA, is being conducted because of possibly increased amounts of vitamin D.
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Should You Switch Dog Food Often
Every owner should be changing food about every 3 months or so to maintain variety and to avoid allergic reactions. For the best results, rotate between protein sources such as beef, lamb, and chicken. Rotating food may cause some gastrointestinal issues at first because dogs have sensitive stomachs.
Prescription Diets For Dogs Defined
There are a few differences between a prescription diet and an over-the-counter food.
Prescription diets are defined as those that are labeled and/or marketed as intended for use to diagnose, cure, mitigate, treat, or prevent diseases and are labeled and/or marketed to provide all or most of the animals total daily nutrient requirements by serving as the pets sole diet. They are meant to be marketed by and used only under the direction of a licensed veterinarian, who bears the responsibility of ensuring that the pet receiving the diet has been properly diagnosed as suffering from a disease or other health condition for which the food would constitute an appropriate treatment. A veterinarian is also expected to provide periodic assessment of how the animal has reacted to the diet and to discontinue the product when warranted.
Consumers are not supposed to be able to purchase prescription diets without a prescription, due to the potential for misusing the product and/or misunderstanding its role in the treatment of the pets condition.
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How Can I Get My Dog To Eat His Prescription Food
If your veterinarian recommends a prescription diet, ask if there are different brands or flavors available so you can change up the food while still getting the benefits of a prescription diet. Warm food stimulates the taste buds, so try microwaving the food for few seconds before offering it to your pet.
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Find The Right Food For Your Dog
Take this quiz to see which food may be the best for your furry friend.
- No Corn, Wheat, or SoyNo Corn, Wheat, or Soy
- Grain Free
Why Is Hills Science Diet Bad
Vomiting, lack of appetite, increased thirst, increased urination, excessive drooling, and weight loss are all possible side effects of consuming too much vitamin D. When vitamin D levels reach hazardous levels, it can lead to renal failure and death.
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What Is The Difference Between Hills Science Diet And Prescription Diet
Hills Prescription Diet Dog Food is specially formulated to cater to any specific health or medical conditions that your pet might be facing. Science Diet, on the other hand, is made to fulfill the needs of healthy pets during their varying life stages.
Furthermore, Prescription Diets are available only through your vet, whereas Science Diet recipes are available through vets and pet stores. Additionally, Science Diet foods are also available at pet stores and some pet grooming facilities.
How Does My Dogs Size Factor Into His Food
Dog owners should also consider the right food for the size of their pets. Puppies do need specific puppy food, as theyre growing very quickly.
Large-breed puppies in particular need more nutrients that support musculoskeletal growth, according to the AKC. Royal Canin makes one for puppies expected to reach 50 to 100 pounds in adulthood.
As for adult dogs, you can buy food labeled for all life stages, but feeding sedentary pets a calorie-rich mix also fit for young pups may contribute to weight gain. Smaller breeds can do better with smaller kibbles, but the super-specific distinctions become less important with dogs when theyre older.
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