Do vets recommend Hills
why do veterinarians recommend 'Hill's' and 'Purina'?
When you're in the veterinarian's lobby next, take a look at the brands that they sell. You will probably see Hill's (Science Diet, Prescription Diet), IAMS, and maybe Purina. These food made by these companies is usually toxic and not good for your pet's health. They sell them at the vet because Hill's funds, and thus controls the content of, veterinary schools in this country.
WARNING: Conflict of interest!
Honestly, it blows my mind.
"...hundreds of thousands of dollars a year funding university research and nutrition courses at every one of the 27 US veterinary colleges. Once in practice, vets who sell Science Diet and other premium foods directly pocket profits of as much as 40%" (Parker-Pope, T. 1997. For You, My Pet. The Wall Street Journal. 3 November 1997. In Lonsdale, T. 2001. Raw Meaty Bones. p266).
Please keep in mind that veterinary clinics are just businesses. They aren't regulated like human doctors offices (and even those aren't void of corruption, but that's a discussion for another day). The giants of the pet food industry and related lobbies have a near monopoly on retail (food, supplements, medications, etc) found in vet clinics. And since Hill's funds veterinary schools, they also control the class content, which is why veterinarians continue to recommend pet food that is harmful for your pet. Veterinarians aren't "out to get us". They're doing their job and are just as wonderful as we think they are! But be an informed dog or cat guardian, because conflicts of interest are red flags.
Topeka, Kan. - Michigan State University (MSU) College of Veterinary Medicine recently presented the 2004 Partnership Award to Hill's Pet Nutrition Inc. The award recognizes the working relationship between the MSU and Hill's. Hill's provides financial and educational support to nearly every veterinary college in North America, as well as to veterinary students attending those institutions. This commitment to the profession includes Hill's sponsored teaching programs, residencies and faculty programs in veterinary schools and teaching hospitals all over the world.'Hill's is incredibly responsive to anything students or faculty have asked of them,' says Dr. Lonnie King, dean of the college of veterinary medicine at MSU. 'Their steadfast support, generosity and collaboration in advancing the college's mission is recognized as a vital part of our veterinary medicine program.' Hill's has shown its commitment to the partnership with MSU by providing support to many student groups and student activities; covering costs for students to attend the SCAVMA Symposium; providing students with the textbook Small Animal Clinical Nutrition and other various handouts; providing employment to student representatives; and by supporting the awards banquet for seniors graduating from the program. DVM News Magazine, August 2004
Just as an example of how large the industry of pet food has become:
Hill's is owned by Colgate-Palmolive.
Iams is owned by Proctor & Gamble/MARS.
Purina (ex: Beneful) is owned by Nestle.
Royal Canin is owned by Mars.
Meow Mix is owned by Smuckers.
The quality of the ingredients in the above pet foods (as well as in the majority of commercial pet foods) is low. Much of the grains and meat comes from throwaway crops and livestock. These products often are made with things that your pet is not designed to eat, and/or have carcinogenic preservatives and additives, and often contain euthanized dogs and cats from shelters, as well as the "DDD's": dead, dying, or diseased animals from farms, that can be purchased at a very low cost.
This isn't meant to be horrifying just for the sake of shock value. But when I discovered how much the pet food industry was intentionally deceiving and confusing customers like me, not to mention selling products that make our beloved pets sick, I was no less than outraged.
So... what to do about it?
Why do vets recommend Hills and Royal Canin?
Why do pet review websites rate Hills and Royal Canin products poorly, but vets recommend them highly?
Read on, and Ill enlighten you somewhat
Take a look at the ingredients on any bag of Hills Prescription or Science Diet dry food. Youll see theyre mostly grains wheat, sorghum, corn, rice. Youll find much more grain in these products than meat. Dogs are essentially carnivores, cats are obligate carnivores. They depend on the highly bio available essential amino acids in meat to retain optimal health.
Cats are classified as hypercarnivores, requiring at least 70% meat in their diet (according to Wikipedia). These foods can contain over 70% grain.
Its not rocket science.
Feeding your pets excessive grains baked into a kibble is far from optimal, dont you think?
So why on earth do vets recommend these products?
Heres a reason -> VETS HAVE SEEN THESE PRODUCTS WORK!
Yep, thats true. Many vets see an improvement in pet health when they are transitioned to Hills products. Pretty convincing evidence, wouldnt you agree?
But its a glaring oversight.
Let me explain
Most kibble is absolute rubbish. Junk food. Convenience products designed for profit. Sadly business is business, and if these manufacturers put your pets before profit theyll never succeed. Thats the fundamental reason why most dog foods are unhealthy.
Unfortunately for our pets most people dont realise how bad some of these products are, and they feed them continuously to the pets they love. Every. Single. Day.
Millions of dogs are fed poor quality kibble and consequentially their health suffers over time. Obesity, diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, kidney disease, IBS, allergies, and so forth, can all be caused by bad diet. Hills have an answer for all these conditions marketed as an expensive premium or prescription diets. So do Royal Canin.
You see, if you feed your dog junk food and then replace it with something marginally better, youll likely see an improvement. Its not miraculous, and it doesnt mean the expensive premium/prescription diet is healthy or optimal. Its just (arguably) somewhat better.
In many cases a prescription food is tailored to reducing the symptoms of the specific condition. For example, a kidney diet has reduced phosphorous (and more often than not less meat). A weight loss diet will have lower fat (by reducing meat and increasing grains/legumes). They convince us theyre optimal when theyre not. A dog or cat suffering kidney problems shouldnt be fed a dry food, period. An overweight dog is likely overweight because the previous diet was high in carbs and grains their bodies were unable to process. In cases such as this, reducing their meat intake definitely isnt the optimal solution. A diet with lacklustre meat will likely lead to other health issues over time, even on expensive self-labelled premium diets. Most of the time the deteriorating health of our pets (especially pets with a health condition) is attributed to the worsening of the condition or just old age. Diet is so often overlooked as the cause of an initial health condition, and also the cause of subsequent health conditions while the pet is on the premium/prescription food.
Its one of the reasons toothpaste and shampoo company Colgate-Palmolive (makers of Hills) and confectionery company Mars (makers of Royal Canin) make an absolute killing out of expensive premium and prescription diets regardless of whether theyre optimal or not.
So whats the solution? There arent any other commercial prescription diets available as only the big manufacturers have the clout to produce and sell them. But what you can do is *think* and *research*.
If your pet has allergies, perhaps consider what the allergy actually is (grains, meat..?). If theyre obese perhaps try a product with more meat and less carbs. If they have a health condition, investigate what their dietary requirements really are, and even if you stick with the prescription food you can supplement it with healthy, nutritious, fresh ingredients.
Why Do Vets Recommend Science Diet? And 5 More Questions to Ask
Im obviously grateful for veterinarians. Theyve saved my dogs life.
However, I also know vets tend to push certain brands and push certain vaccinations/procedures for all dogs without presenting the actual pros and cons for the individual.
It is, of course, up to the dog owner to ask questions, butnew dog owners dont always know what kinds of questions to ask.
This post will give you a couple of ideas to consider.
Use it as a guide for asking the right questions, and please share your own examples of additional questions you think dog owners should ask.
SixQuestionsYou May Want to Ask the Vet:
1. Why do you recommend Science Diet? Are there healthier options for the same price?
The dog food company Hills Science Diet has done a really good job getting on the shelves of most veterinarians offices, but its not the healthiest food for most pets, especially at the price vets are charging.
When the vet recommends you buy Hills Science Diet or Hills Prescription dog food from her own office, take a look at the ingredients. Are you comfortable paying a premium price for the food?
Im not saying you shouldntfeed Science Diet. Just make sure its really the healthiest choice for your pet based on the price.
2. Is a heartworm test really necessary?
A heartworm test might be necessary for your dog if he is at risk for heartworms. It can also give you peace of mind.
However, vets do not always explain why a dog might need the test, and they never say why he might not. They recommend the test for all dogs.
Do you really need to pay $45 for a heartworm test when your dog has been on a monthly heartworm preventative for the last year? Or even his whole life?
Im not telling you not to do a heartworm test. Just think about whether its really necessary and be prepared for scare tactics if you decide to opt out.
Its also up to you if you want to give your dog a monthly heartworm preventative all year or if you decide its healthier for your dog to opt out of heartworm preventatives during winter months or even all year.
3. Could I pick up the medication at a pharmacy instead of here?
The answer to this question should always be YES. If not, find a new vet.
Yes, you can purchase the medication at your actual vet office if you choose. You can also choose to have many pet medications filled at pharmacies like CVS or Costco and the rest can be filled through online pet pharmacies like 1800PetMeds.
Unlike doctors with human patients, veterinarians are permitted to sell (and profit from) the drugs they prescribe.
Yes, sometimes its convenient to pick up the medication right then and there, but its usually going to cost more and the point is you have a choice to go elsewhere.
Also remember there are many different names/brands/generics of the same drug. Your dog doesnt have to use the brand the vet carries.
The blog DOGThusiast had a great post on your right to your pets prescriptions(at least in California).
4. Is adental cleaning really necessary? How urgent is it?
My 9-year-old dog was in for an exam recently, and his vet told me his teeth looked great for his age. Then, when I had Ace in for an unrelated issue at a different vet, the doctor suggested my dog have a dental cleaning after he simply glanced at Aces mouth. I felt he was suggesting this only because he knew my dog was 9 years old.
Yes, some dogs and cats definitely could benefit from a dental cleaning. Maybe most of them could. The point is to ask questions.
- Is this really necessary this month?
- Are there other options?
- How urgent is this?
- What if we wait six months?
- Could I see a printed-out, detailed estimate on costs?
Also see my posts:
I cant afford a dental cleaning for my dogandAlternatives to brushing a dogs teeth.
Once my pets hit 7 years old, all the vets Ive taken them to have tried to charged me about $25 extra per pet for their yearly exams. Yes, even for my cats! Instead of the basic exam, they get a senior exam for a higher price but no extra tests or anything like that.
My suggestion for this is to simply call the vet out on it and ask if there is anything extra in the senior exam. If youre paying more, you should be getting more.
6. Does my dog really need a bordetella vaccine?
It might be a good idea for your dog to get certain vaccines, and it might not. Just make sure to ask questions. Sometimes vets will recommend certain vaccines (Lyme, kennel cough/bordetella, rattle snake, etc.) without explaining the actual pros and cons.
So ask!
Its OK to decline any vaccination or to wait to have it done at a later date. For example, the bordetella vaccine (kennel cough) may not be necessary unless you plan on boarding your dog or taking him to dog daycare.
The only vaccination required by law in most areas is rabies, but its still your choice whether to have your pets vaccinated or not.
Everything is your choice, not your vets choice. Its the vets job to give recommendations and to provide you with correct information.
For more info, see:
Are too many vaccinations bad for adult dogs? Dog vaccinations what not to do My cats are overdue on shots Do dogs need flea prevention all year?
