Why is Hill s food prescription
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, DVMVeterinarian
Dr. Kristin Wuellner is a fun-loving veterinarian with interests that extend beyond the exam roomshes passionate about how client...
