Is the Science Diet safe to feed to dogs?

Question

I'm really nervous about dog food now since the recall.

Answer 1

It's on the recall list!!! Don't feed it!! I wouldn't even trust it right now if the product codes didn't match. Iams, Eukanuba, and Nutro are also on the list. I would stay away from ALL of the foods on the recall list for a long time. Things are being added to the list daily and it is being speculated that they are keeping things from the public. Including the fact that they knew about these problems as far back as December and have kept it a secret for 3 months! Try Natural Balance. It's safe and manufactured in their own plant. It uses human grade foods and can be purchased at Petco. It is considered one of the highest quality foods on the market. Also, here is a grading system for dog foods that you may find helpful.


Dog Food Grades - Start with a grade of 100: Grades are at the bottom of this email

1) For every listing of "by-product", subtract 10 points
2) For every non-specific animal source ("meat" or "poultry", meat, meal or fat) reference, subtract 10 points
3) If the food contains BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin, subtract 10 points
4) For every grain "mill run" or non-specific grain source, subtract 5 points
5) If the same grain ingredient is used 2 or more times in the first five ingredients (i.e. "ground brown rice", "brewer's rice", "rice flour" are all the same grain), subtract 5 points
6) If the protein sources are not meat meal and there are less than 2 meats in the top 3 ingredients, subtract 3 points
7) If it contains any artificial colorants, subtract 3 points
8 ) If it contains ground corn or whole grain corn, subtract 3 points
9) If corn is listed in the top 5 ingredients, subtract 2 more points
10) If the food contains any animal fat other than fish oil, subtract 2 points
11) If lamb is the only animal protein source (unless your dog is allergic to other protein sources), subtract 2 points
12) If it contains soy or soybeans, subtract 2 points
13) If it contains wheat (unless you know that your dog isn’t allergic to wheat), subtract 2 points
14) If it contains beef (unless you know that your dog isn’t allergic to beef), subtract 1 point
15) If it contains salt, subtract 1 point
Extra Credit:
1) If any of the meat sources are organic, add 5 points
2) If the food is endorsed by any major breed group or nutritionist, add 5 points
3) If the food is baked not extruded, add 5 points
4) If the food contains probiotics, add 3 points
5) If the food contains fruit, add 3 points
6) If the food contains vegetables (NOT corn or other grains), add 3 points
7) If the animal sources are hormone-free and antibiotic-free, add 2 points
8 ) If the food contains barley, add 2 points
9) If the food contains flax seed oil (not just the seeds), add 2 points
10) If the food contains oats or oatmeal, add 1 point
11) If the food contains sunflower oil, add 1 point
12) For every different specific animal protein source (other than the first one; count "chicken" and “chicken meal" as only one protein source, but "chicken" and "" as 2 different sources), add 1 point
13) If it contains glucosamine and chondroitin, add 1 point
14) If the vegetables have been tested for pesticides and are pesticide-free, add 1 point

A = 94-100
B= 86-93
C = 78-85
D= 70-77
F= 70 or lower

Dog Food scores:
Alpo Prime Cuts / Score 81 C
Artemis Large/Medium Breed Puppy / Score 114 A+
Authority Harvest Baked / Score 116 A+
Authority Harvest Baked Less Active / Score 93 B
Beowulf Back to Basics / Score 101 A+
Bil-Jac Select / Score 68 F
Blackwood 3000 Lamb and Rice / Score 83 C
Blue Buffalo Chicken and Rice / Score 106 A+
Burns Chicken and Brown Rice / Score 107 A+
Canidae / Score 112 A+
Chicken Soup Senior / Score 115 A+
Diamond Maintenance / Score 64 F
Diamond Lamb Meal & Rice / Score 92 B
Diamond Large Breed 60+ Formula / Score 99 A
Diamond Performance / Score 85 C
Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium / Score 122 A+
Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance Venison and Brown Rice / Score 106 A+
Dick Van Patten's Duck and Potato / Score 106 A+
EaglePack Holistic / Score 102 A+
Eukanuba Adult / Score 81 C
Eukanuba Puppy / Score 79 C
Flint River Senior / Score 101 A+
Foundations / Score 106 A+
Hund-n-Flocken Adult Dog (lamb) by Solid Gold / Score 93 B
Iams Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Premium / Score 73 D
Innova Dog / Score 114 A+
Innova Evo / Score 114 A+
Innova Large Breed Puppy / Score 122 A+
Kirkland Signature Chicken, Rice, and Vegetables / Score 110 A+
Member’s Mark Chicken and Rice / Score 84 C
Merrick Wilderness Blend / Score 127 A+
Nature’s Recipe / Score 100 A
Nature’s Recipe Healthy Skin Venison and Rice / Score 116 A+
Nature’s Variety Raw Instinct / Score 122 A+
Nutra Nuggets Super Premium Lamb Meal and Rice / Score 81 C
Nutrience Junior Medium Breed Puppy / Score 101 A+
Nutrisource Lamb and Rice / Score 87 B
Nutro Max Adult / Score 93 B
Nutro Natural Choice Lamb and Rice / Score 98 A
Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy / Score 87 B
Nutro Natural Choice Puppy Wheat Free / Score 86 B
Nutro Natural Choice Senior / Score 95 A
Nutro Ultra Adult / Score 104 A+
Pet Gold Adult with Lamb & Rice / Score 23 F
Premium Edge Chicken, Rice and Vegetables Adult Dry / Score 109 A+
Pro Nature Puppy / Score 80 C
Pro Plan Sensitive Stomach / Score 94 A
Purina Ben ful / Score 17 F
Purina Dog / Score 62 F
Purina Come-n-Get It / Score 16 F
Purina One Large Breed Puppy / Score 62 F
Royal Canin Boxer / Score 103 A+
Royal Canin Bulldog / Score 100 A+
Royal Canin Natural Blend Adult / Score 106 A+
Science Diet Advanced Protein Senior 7+ / Score 63 F
Science Diet for Large Breed Puppies / Score 69 F
Sensible Choice Chicken and Rice / Score 97 A
Solid Gold / Score 99 A
Summit / Score 99 A
Timberwolf Organics Wild & Natural Dry / Score 120 A+
Wellness Super5 Mix Chicken / Score 110 A+
Wolfking Adult Dog (bison) by Solid Gold / Score 97 A

Answer 2

If I were you I would find another dog food other than Science CRAPPY Diet. Seriously, not because it was recalled but because it is not a good food! People think Science Diet is a great food because their vet told them so but the reason the vet tells them that is because they get a kick back from the company. The first couple of ingredients in that food is corn and the bad thing is your dog can't even digest it! Your better off feeding Fido Ol' Roy. If you want a good food to feed to your dog try one of these... Innova, Eagle Pack, Wellness, or California Natural. These are all close to the same price as Science Diet and they are a whole heck of alot healthier. Good luck :o)

Answer 3

Americas Choice, Preferred Pets
Authority
Award
Best Choice
Big Bet
Big Red
Bloom
Cadillac
Companion
Demoulas Market Basket
Eukanuba
Food Lion
Giant Companion
Great Choice
Hannaford
Hill Country Fare
Hy-Vee
Iams
Laura Lynn
Loving Meals
Meijers Main Choice
Mighty Dog Pouch
Mixables
Nutriplan
Nutro Max
Nutro Natural Choice
Nutro Ultra
Nutro
Ol'Roy Canada
Ol'Roy US
Paws
Pet Essentials
Pet Pride - Good n Meaty
Presidents Choice
Price Chopper
Priority Canada
Priority US
Publix
Roche Brothers
Save-A-Lot Choice Morsels
Schnucks
Shep Dog
Springsfield Prize
Sprout
Stater Brothers
Stop & Shop Companion
Tops Companion
Wegmans Bruiser
Weis Total Pet
Western Family US
White Rose
Winn Dixie
Your Pet


Are all the brands that they recalled so it looks like it's not on the list. Woohoo!

Answer 4

well science diet is ok but it is a corn based food and most dogs are allergic to corn, wheat, soy, and beef. plus the recall is only for the wet food. but you still want to be safe when you pick your dogs food. the food i feed is called (Chicken Soup) and it is a very good food. it is all natural and a very healthy food. i have been feeding this for about 3 yrs and it has done wanders on my dogs coats. i have 4 golden retrievers and they have very sensitive skin and if they are fed anything that has those ingredients in it they will have the worse dry skin and will have very loose poops. if you are worried about a food to feed then try the Chicken Soup and you will see that your dog will love it. and it is not that expensive. good luck

Answer 5

I'd say no but not only because of the recall, also because Science Diet is a commercialized crap food. No nutrients and too much corn, wheat and by products. I would recommend feeding you're dog Canidae or Royal Canin.

Answer 6

You have every right to be sceptical about Science diet. It is an expensive way of selling road kill, which is really sad because of how much it costs. Read the back of the bag and research what animal by-products really are. You can find a lot of information and much better food that will always be safe www.natura.com, www.canidae.com.

Good Luck

Answer 7

This recall only affects Science Diet Feline Savory Cuts canned products in the United States.

Hill’s is voluntarily recalling the following products:

1. Science Diet® Kitten Savory Cuts® Ocean Fish 3 oz. and 5.5 oz.
2. Science Diet® Feline Adult Savory Cuts® Beef 5.5 oz.
3. Science Diet® Feline Adult Savory Cuts® Chicken 5.5 oz.
4. Science Diet® Feline Adult Savory Cuts® Ocean Fish 5.5 oz.
5. Science Diet® Feline Senior Savory Cuts® Chicken 5.5 oz.

Hill’s is recalling the following product codes. Product codes can be found at the bottom of the can. Only relevant code numbers have been listed (‘X’s indicate irrelevant numbers).

BESTBEFORE 09 2008
M06XXXXXX 4414

BESTBEFORE 08 2008
M28XXXXXX 4603

BESTBEFORE 08 2008
M28XXXXXX 4416

BESTBEFORE 08 2008
M25XXXXXX 4457

BESTBEFORE 08 2008
M28XXXXXX 4415

BESTBEFORE 08 2008
M28XXXXXX 4414

BESTBEFORE 08 2008
M28XXXXXX 4601

Answer 8

Science Diet got bad reviews, even before it was named on the recall list. I would highly recommend finding something different. My vet recommended, I feed my dogs "Royal Canin". My dogs love it, and it's very healthy food for them.

Answer 9

Science Diet is crap. No matter how pretty they make the bag, how much they charge for it, and how many vets say it is good food. Science Diet pays comissions to vets to advertise their products. There are much better products out there. Someone already posted the list of the best dogs foods. I suggest you pick one and stick with it.

Answer 10

Dear Heart,
The best food to feed is food without any preservatives such as Wellness, Wysong and California Natural. At this point the recommendation is not to feed canned food at all until this is all resolved.
Best wishes,
Pam Andross
Veterinary Emergency Hosptial Manager
www.protectthepets.com