Why recommend Science Diet?

Question

Why is it that Vets recommend Science Diet?
Here's a quote from Dogfoodanalysis.com:
"The primary ingredient in the food is a low quality grain. Corn is a problematic grain that is difficult for dogs to digest and thought to be the cause of a great many allergy and yeast infection problems. We prefer not to see this used in dog food, yet it is the primary grain in this food.
The next ingredient in this food is by-products...."

After all of the recalls, and all of the information that's readily available about the problems that dogs have with these kinds of ingredients, why is it still being regarded as "good food"?

Ms. Vet Tech - uh, did you read the ingredients listed? What is a by-product? How is it that generic "animal fat" is good for our pets? I really do want to know how this is justified. Thanks.

Answer 1

I agree with "Bonsylar" 100%! :) She nailed that one right on the head.

Answer 2

For a while there .. I was a 17 year old girl (still am) who loves animals to death .. completely uneducated about dog food. I'd see it at the vets office thinking, "WOW!! That must be good food!"

People would argue here, and I would argue back saying that it was a great food.

WELL -- I did A LOT OF RESEARCH. Science Diet is basically crap in bag .. The dogfoodanaysis site .. isn't it ..like .. 2 STARS? That's terrible. I used to feed it to my dog. It's like .. eating chemicals and vitamins, and that's all .. hardly any meat. Lots of fillers and grain. Grody.

I was volunteering a vet's office .. and he said that they recommend it because they support the company. (AKA - I guess they get paid to recommend it.)

That's not good!

Answer 3

1) Many are partners with Science Diet. As a "reward" for recommending and feeding Science Diet vets will receive coupons and other perks. Greedy vets take advantage of this offer without true regard for animal health.

2) It's a major brand. "Oh, it's well-known so it's better than Ol' Roy. It's also been extensively tested so of course it's healthy." (That was a stupid vet talking.) Give me a break.

3) They want money, money, money!! Many vets sell this "special diet" in their clinics. If the patient buys it, that's more money for the fairly poor vet. (Most vets make fifty thousand dollars a year, unless they're exceptionally well-known and respected.)

I would never feed Science Diet, not in a million billion trillion sextillion (etc. etc.) years. Nor for a million billion trillion sextillion (etc. etc.) dollars.

Answer 4

Take it from someone who's done the food order at a vet clinic.

Vets are paid.
They're given free stuff to sell it. Not just dog food, but all kinds of stuff.
Vets are a business just like any other and they have to keep costs down and maximize profit to keep their doors open.

People think that if it's at the vet, or recommended by a vet, that it's higher quality, or "good" for their animal, which isn't always true.

Answer 5

One, what is low quality grain? No such thing. Wheat can be allergenic in some dogs and soy can cause gas but corn is only difficult to digest when raw and whole kernel - neither of which is true in dog food. Spinning of facts is what one gets on most "rating food for dogs" websites/books. If people use grains normally that are lower chance allergens, they then become allergens - that happened to rice - most dogs have been exposed to it so it is no longer useful as an antiallergenic grain. By-products are not palatable to humans so we dis them. They provide nutrition just as well as meat in the proper amount. By using an animal part not often used in human foods, it keeps the price down.

While I don't feed Science Diet, vets like it for many reasons. It was developed with a nutrition first procedure and was the first premium brand. Hills has done more research then all the others combined and they are by far the leader in dog foods aimed a certain problems (the Prescription Diet line). Dry dog foods are meat flavored cereal - grain has to be the first ingredient and listing meat first is a gimmick done by using multiple grains thus allowing each to be listed separately.

Science Diet dry wasn't recalled (nor were Pedigree and Kirkland). The recalls were over specific imported ingredients (wheat glutton, especially).

The bottom line is that it is an excellent (but overpriced like all premium brands) dog food that has a scientific basis rather then a marketing basis.

Answer 6

Because A Lot, notice I said, "a lot", of vets get paid to recommend it, and give their clients a whole speal about how fantastic it is and how it will "heal what ails their dog".
Not to mention it appeals to what people already know, that Science in anything MUST be fantastic!!
I say bologna.

If only they would use better ingredients, then we could all trust it and use it with peace of mind.
I just cannot see how so much corn and by-products is good science for my precious dogs.....

Answer 7

Probably because they get paid by the company to recommend the food.

I have never fed the stuff and never will....my dogs are doing amazingly right now on their grain free kibble. I am very happy with the food so far.

Answer 8

Because vet's educations are not focused on nutrition. You wouldn't go to a podiatrist about a heart problem even though they are both doctors, and the same goes for vets. Regular practitioners don't focus on nutrition so they really don't know much more than the average people unless they have really studied it and learned about it elsewhere. If you want to know about canine nutrition, you need to educate yourself or find someone who specializes in that.

Answer 9

Because Hill's gets paid to brainwash vet students. The only thing vet student learn about diet is which Perscription diet you should proscribe dogs with such in such problems. Also vets will reccomed watever the office sells, so they can get money and kickbacks. Just because a vet reccomend something, does not mean it's quality. Take it upon yourself to research and find out which food is best for your dog. I personally no longer listen to my vets diet reccomendations. When I took in Chocolate for a flea bath my vet told me I should start feeding him a "good" senior feed like Science Diet(lol) . I said sure thanks. But I never actually bought it.

Answer 10

We recomend Science Diet cause its a healthier formula, unlike store bought over the counter kibble.