Why is Hill s dog food prescription

Why do you really need a prescription for your dogs food? just follow the money!

By Deb Dempsey

Did you know that the Prescription Diet (Prescription Diet is a registered trademark of Hills Pet Nutrition, Inc.) your veterinarian prescribed for your dog doesnt really require a prescription in the true sense of the word? Im willing to bet that most consumers and perhaps even some vets are unaware that there are no special ingredients inside these diets that are regulated by the FDA or DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration), requiring an official prescription.

In the dog food world, the term Prescription Diet describes an effective marketing agreement between a hundred-million dollar pet food manufacturer and the veterinarian community. This agreement allows for the sale of their foods through licensed veterinarians only. Veterinarians benefit because they can achieve a much higher mark-up on these foods than they would by offering foods widely available without a prescription. The pet food manufacturer, in return, gains credibility as a manufacturer of veterinarian-recommended food and uses that as an endorsement, if you will, for the rest of their products. Win-win, right?

Just to clarify... Scott Ziehr, Feed Program Regulatory Specialist for the Colorado Department of Agriculture, told me that, No, there are no specific regulations for prescription feeds beyond the regulations in place for commercial animal feed. The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act does require that pet foods, like human foods, be pure and wholesome, contain no harmful or deleterious substances, and be truthfully labelled. When I pressed Mr. Ziehr as to whether he felt these prescription diets were truthfully labelled, he responded that this was not a question anyone had ever asked before and that it could be subject to interpretation. He then referred me to Dr. Sharon Benz, Deputy Director for the Office of Surveillance and Compliance at the CVM (Center for Veterinary Medicine) within the FDA. While I was unable to speak with Dr. Benz, Laura Alvey, Deputy Director, Communications Staff CVM, weighed in with this statement: Prescription diet is an industry-coined term and holds no legal meaning.

A Brief History of The Prescription Diet

Dr. Mark Morris, Sr. created the first Prescription Diet in the late 1930s. Dr. Morris was a Cornell-educated veterinarian who worked with the American Humane Association to develop a meat-free diet, necessary to feed dogs amidst food rationing during World War II. Pets do not need fresh meat, but can get their protein from rejected eggs, unsalable fish, soybeans, or even sour milk, he explained in his biography, Mark Morris Veterinarian, written by Willard Haselbush in 1984 (pg. 88). Once the war ended, many pet food manufacturers began creating diets higher in animal proteins, more in keeping with the dietary needs of carnivores, i.e. meat-eaters. Dr. Morris, however, stuck to his previous formulations, explaining that, when I remember in wartime thousands of dogs in this country were kept alive and healthy on diets of cooked cereals and vegetables fortified with soybean meal, the effort to lure the American public into feeding pets an all-meat diet consisting of meat by-products is ridiculous (Haselbush, 89). Interestingly, many of the Prescription Diets today contain animal by-products.

Dr. Morris developed a variety of Prescription Diets including r/d (r/d is a registered trademark of Hills Pet Nutrition, Inc.), a formula designed to reduce a dogs weight. These dogs are around the house a lot and are often fed bits of candy and other sweets as a snack or reward. Fatness is a natural result. This presented a real research problem: How to create a diet that would be palatable, fill up the stomach, provide very little real nourishmentand still not create a diet deficiency disease, Dr. Morris lamented in his biography (Haselbush, 144). He found the solution in pulverized cellulose, also known as wood pulp or sawdust, which is still a major ingredient in r/d today. One has to wonder why he went to the trouble to create a dog food based on sawdust instead of suggesting that the pet owner cut back on the amount of candy they gave their pet.

An informal price survey amongst veterinarians selling 30-pound bags of Prescription Diet r/d (weight reduction) found the average price to be $61.00 or $2.03/lb. Alternatively, a 40-pound bag of Hills Science Diet Adult Light with similar ingredients and guaranteed analysis statements cost $43.99 or $1.09/lb. From a laypersons viewpoint, both foods (containing corn, chicken by-products, and cellulose) seem to be used for similar goals, yet the formula available only through licensed veterinarians costs nearly twice as much.

Elaborate Marketing Plans Ensure Veterinary Cooperation

In addition to creating pet food to address specific health issues, Dr. Morris also created a detailed and very successful marketing plan to gain credibility within the veterinary community. His daughter Ruth was hired to disseminate knowledge about k/d, p/d (k/d and p/d are registered trademarks of Hills Pet Nutrition, Inc.) and the foundation among veterinarians, to encourage a favourable image among them and to develop a whole new area of professional and public relations as it may relate to veterinarians, which was explained in Dr. Morris biography (Haselbush, 171). With the help of a public relations firm, they created the Student Agent Program, designed to indoctrinate promising young veterinary medical students to act as liaisons to help educate their young, impressionable classmates about these diets.

Dr. Michael W. Fox, co-author of Not Fit for a Dog! The Truth About Manufactured Dog and Cat Food, explained it this way: Until recently, vet students in the U.S. and other countries were taught cat and dog nutrition by veterinarians employed by pet-food companies. Now more schools have staff teaching a short course in companion animal nutrition, but only too often their research and lectureships are funded by pet food manufacturers.

Surely, Not Every Vet Buys Into This Marketing Strategy

Dr. Paula Terifaj, a holistic veterinarian in Orange County, owner of Founders Veterinary Clinic and author of How to Feed Your Dog if You Flunked Rocket Science, recalled being courted by" pet food companies in vet school: It was conveyed to us that people are too stupid to cook for themselves, she says. As most veterinarians do, she utilized Prescription Diets in her practice initially. In 1999, however, she had a light bulb moment when she came across a book written by one her favourite professors, Dr. Donald Strombeck, entitled, Home-Prepared Dog and Cat Diets: The Healthful Alternative, which is still available today on Amazon.com. His advice set her on a journey that changed her practice forever. Today, Dr. Terifaj operates a holistic practice and encourages her clients to cook for their dogs. She feels that the manufacturer of Prescription Diets uses substandard ingredients and then fortifies the hell out of their formulas.

Dr. Judy Jasek, a holistic Veterinarian in Englewood, Colorado also bought into the Prescription Diet mantra early on in her career. It was just the way we were taught, she recalled. Sales reps were always coming in telling us how wonderful their foods were. As she began to educate herself on nutrition, she slowly began to phase them out of her practice. Almost all are corn-based and there is no real nutrition in them. They are so highly processed and contain lots of by-products.

Dr. Michael Fox, Veterinarian, author, and former Vice President of the Humane Society of the United States, sums it up: Vet students and practicing veterinarians alike believe the science behind manufactured pet food formulations is sound. But as we (Drs. Fox, Hodgkins and Sharp) show in Not Fit for a Dog; The Truth About Manufactured Cat and Dog Foods, the science is seriously flawed and trumped by the bottom line of lowest-cost ingredients and maximizing profitability. Pet owners must realize that manufactured pet foods and the spin-off prescription diets are part of the agribusiness food and drug industrial complex that profits from recycling food and beverage wastes into pet foods and livestock feed, putting animal health and wellbeing at risk in the processA More Natural ApproachSo what is a pet owner to do if their dog develops kidney disease, urine crystals, or any other diseases that these diets would normally be prescribed to treat?

Dr. Terifaj first suggests first verifying that the dog does indeed need a special diet. She feels that often times a dog is on the fence and the easiest thing for a veterinarian to do is to suggest a Prescription Diet. Instead, she often turns to a Web site, www.AnimalDietFormulator.com. This Web site provides recipes at a nominal charge to pet owners interesting in cooking their own food. In addition, vets can log in at no charge and request diets designed to treat specific diseases. She suggests asking your vet to do so for you if he or she is adamant about a specific diet. Not only will this be a cheaper alternative, but Dr. Terifaj feels it is a much healthier approach to feed real human food.

Dr. Fox also prefers to feed a biologically appropriate, whole-food diet to his patients and offers recipes on his Web site www.twobitdog.com/drfox. He points out that many of the so-called prescription diets are highly unpalatable and are lacking in essential nutrients. Veterinarian Deva Khalasa, VMD, in her new book Natural Dog: A Holistic Guide for Healthier Dogs, has some excellent home-prepared diets for dogs with various chronic ailments from cancer to diabetes.

If a veterinarian wont budge from the idea of a Prescription Diet, it may be time to locate a holistic veterinarian for second opinion.

The next time your veterinarian suggests a diet for your four-legged child that youre not comfortable with, dont hesitate to ask questions. A good veterinarian, traditional or holistic, will welcome that discussion and encourage you to look at all the options available.

Haselbush, Willard C., Mark Morris Veterinarian, R.R.Donnelley & Sons Company, 1984.

Today, Hills Pet Nutrition, inc., owned by toothpaste giant Colgate-Palmolive, is involved in widespread marketing efforts designed to reach veterinarians at all stages of their career. This approach is remarkably similar to the marketing efforts in the toothpaste industry, courting and then touting a dentists endorsement.

Hills Pet Nutrition, Inc.

• offers scholarships for veterinary students
• offers educational grants for veterinary schools
• funds continuing education programs for licensed veterinarians
• maintains the Hills vet school graduate feeding program, providing food to students at no charge that they can resell for a profit
• creates a nutrition curriculum provided to vet schools all over the world
• distributes Small Animal Clinical Nutrition textbook to vet students
• is a sponsor of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), of which Dr. Mark Morris, Sr. was once president
• is a founding sponsor of the National Commission on Veterinary Economic Issues
• is a founding sponsor of the American Animal Hospital Association, of which Dr. Mark Morris, Sr. was the first president
• sponsors the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine
• sponsors the North American Veterinary Conference
• sponsors the Western Veterinary Conference
• sponsors the Student American Veterinary Medical Association
• sponsors the Veterinary Business Management Association
• sponsors the International Veterinary Student Association
• is a member of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association
• self-professes to be one of the largest employers of veterinarians worldwide
• regularly takes its competitors to court, challenging their marketing claims

For more information: Deb Dempsey Mouthfuls Pet Boutique4224 Tennyson St.Denver, CO 80212(720) 855-7505www.mouthfuls.net email: [email protected]

My 15 year old rat terrier has diabetes, and just suffered a bout of pancreatitis. The veterinarian put him on Hills prescription i/d canned food. He is doing well on the new diet, but why is this dog food only available from the vet? As far as I can tell from the label, there is no medicine in the food, and there is nothing exotic in the ingredients. The label states that it provides complete and balanced nutrition for growing puppies and maintenance of adult dogs. The veterinarian told me it was quite alright to put my other, non-sick, dog on the same food. So why do you need a prescription?

Bobby Dipole

5 Things to Know When Feeding Your Dog Hills Prescription Diet

The following article was written in partnership with Hills.

Precisely balanced nutrition is vital to the overall health and development of dogs, no matter their age, size, breed, or health status. At Hills, we know pets with certain health conditions can benefit from the specialized nutritional support that the Prescription Diet portfolio offers.

How Hills Prescription Diet Dog Food Works

The Hills Prescription Diet brand includes foods aimed to help veterinarians manage a range of health conditions for dogs (and cats). Hills Prescription Diet foods have undergone extensive testing to ensure they meet the nutritional requirements for the specific health condition(s) they are recommended for.

Nutrition can play a role in how veterinarians manage certain conditions. Some examples could include:

Your veterinarian plays an important role in recognizing more or less subtle conditions that can benefit from therapeutic nutrition.

Your Vet Can Determine If Your Dog Needs a Hills Prescription Diet

To determine if your pet should eat a Hills Prescription Diet food, your vet will start with a thorough physical exam and ask you questions about your dogs lifestyle and behaviors.

After the exam, they may recommend additional diagnostics (such as blood work, cytology, urinalysis, or diagnostic imaging) to help properly diagnose your pet and rule out other conditions. This will help your vet formulate a comprehensive care plan, including a nutritional recommendation.

In my experience as a practicing veterinarian, the cases where nutrition is most frequently recommended are when the dog has an underlying condition related to any of the following conditions: urinary care, kidney care, skin/allergy care, weight management, and digestive care.

Hills Prescription Diet and Obesity in Dogs

When it comes to weight loss, its important to look at everything the pet is eating during the day. The easiest place to start is cutting out any extra calories like treats and table scraps.

However, most pets that are carrying excess weight do not benefit from caloric restriction from treats alone. In fact, just feeding a pet a smaller amount (or fewer calories) of their normal food is not recommended and may lead to nutritional deficiencies.

Several Hills Prescription Diet foods are specifically formulated to help your pet lose weight. Wherever you see Metabolic or + Metabolic, this means that the food contains our synergistic blend of fibers from fruits and vegetables that activates the bodys natural ability to burn excess fat rather than store it.

This means that your pups metabolism will act more like the metabolism of a lean pet while ensuring that their nutritional and caloric needs are being met.

Results with Hills Prescription Diet

Every pet and health condition is unique and may respond differently when fed Prescription Diet foods. However, Hills performs extensive research and clinical studies to create specific and relevant product claims for Prescription Diet products.

To learn more about research conducted and results seen in our clinical studies for specific foods, visit hillspet.com or talk to your veterinarian.

Always talk to your veterinarian about their expectations and any important milestones to look for when giving your pet a Prescription Diet food.

Work with Your Veterinarian When Introducing a Hills Prescription Diet

Its important to work closely with your veterinarian when switching your pup to a new food. Your veterinarian will help you determine how much your pet should eat based on the specific food and your pet's ideal weight and lifestyle. Youll work together to create a feeding transition plan prior to switching to the new food.

Its important that the feeding transition is slow and gradual to ensure that your pet will eat the new food and reduce the chances of any GI upset. We recommend seven to 10 days to fully transition to the new foodbut for pickier patients, it may take longer.

Therapeutic nutrition can play an important role in managing your pets health. These foods have undergone extensive testing to ensure that they are precisely balanced and are an appropriate part of your veterinarian's treatment plan to manage your pets health condition.

Since these foods are only fed under the recommendation of your veterinarian, be sure to ask at your next appointment if a Hills Prescription Diet product is right for your pet.

Hills Prescription Diet FAQs

Do I need a prescription for Hills Prescription Diet?

Prescription Diet foods do not require a traditional prescription, but they do require a recommendation and approval from a licensed veterinarian. Schedule an appointment to ask your veterinarian to assess your pets health and nutritional needs.

How long can a dog be on Hills Prescription Diet?

Your veterinarian will advise what feeding plan is best for your pets nutritional needs. The majority of Prescription Diet products are suitable for long-term feeding.

How long does it take for Hills Prescription Diet to work in a dog?

Every pet and health condition is unique and may respond differently when fed Prescription Diet foods. However, Hills performs extensive research and clinical studies to help demonstrate the efficacy of many Prescription Diet products.

Always talk to your veterinarian about their expectations and any important milestones to look for when feeding a Prescription Diet food.

My pet is picky. Can I mix in other foods with the Prescription Diet food?

Never feed or supplement other foods without checking with your veterinarian first. When your pet is eating a Prescription Diet, it is important to feed only that food for optimal compliance to your veterinarians treatment plan.

If youre worried that your pet will crave more variety, talk to your veterinarian about what other flavor or form options (such as dry, stew, or pt) are available.

Featured Image: iStock.com/VYCHEGZHANINA

WRITTEN BY

Kristin Wuellner, DVM

Veterinarian

Dr. Kristin Wuellner is a fun-loving veterinarian with interests that extend beyond the exam roomshes passionate about how client...