Do you think it is ethical for Hills to be so involved in vetrinary colleges?

Question

"Hill's scientists author more than 50 research papers and textbook chapters each year and teach at leading schools of veterinary medicine"

"We provide you with lectures on small animal clinical nutrition from Hill's Veterinary Affairs Managers"

"We continue to help you throughout your career. After your graduation and your postgraduate work, Hill's veterinarians will continue to offer seminars each year to help guide you in your profession"

Source:
http://www.hillsvet.com/zSkin_2/company_info/company_info_general.jsp?JSESSIONID=HMz2B3Jn3hv0rnSoxCobfbBhOec35ODG7yh5t3P0vcvhOtzRlQ9M!598359213!167846923!7005!8005&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302026072&bmUID=1196192566575
http://www.hillsvet.com/zSkin_2/company_info/company_info_general.jsp?FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302051875&bmUID=1196192780684
.

It's a great marketing strategy, as most vets will say "Hills" and "Science Diet" religiously. But is it ethical for this company to be so involved in education of future vets when they may have an alternative agenda?

Answer 1

What I think is unethical is the fact that 'most' veterinarians do not research pet nutrition OUTSIDE of this company.
If 'Hills' told them that adding rocks to the diet would help animals digest their food better....some of then would probably go with it.
It drives me nuts that they dont educate themselves more on nutrition and stop living in lala land with 'Hills'

Unethical, yes. But on both the food company AND shame on the vets that dont do more research, rather than 'staying inside the box'
I think they get brainwashed in vet school, and not only about nutrition...

OK, this turned out ugly. Sorry, but its how I feel.
I would like to add - NOT ALL vets, I'm sure.

Answer 2

It is better then not being involved at all, but I do see your point. I get very confused with dog food choices and so many different opinions I want my Vet to be unbiased and well read and up to date when asking for food choices. Hills and Science diet may not be the top of the "food chain", but are far and away better then grocery store brands. More and more people are clewing into the fact that cheap food is bad news, and buy better brands for better longer life for their dogs. I don't want my vet to be too "loyal" to any one line or brand though. I rather Vets have the extra seminars on nutrition if they would have the time to go, but it should not be their only source of education or the only brand they carry. I think most good vets are smart enough not to fall for towing the company line and to take any research and texts produced by the company in an objective manner, as critical thinking and research skills are a big part of a university education. My biggest worry is a situation like Coke has with McDonald's where they are given incentives only to carry Coke products. I would hate to find out my Vet go extra money or freebies to only carry Hills or something only in their practices.

Answer 3

The actual nutrition classes should be taught from a non biased point of view and probaly not mention any particular food. It should discuss the various options and what needs to be included in each option.

For commercial foods - A clear explanation of AAFCO and the USDA expectations of foods deemed suitable for animal use. Explanation of what ingredients are found in food and how they benefit and could potentially harm if applicable the animal. Where those ingredients come from. What percentages of proteins, fats, etc are recommended for animals. What ingredients need to be avoided like the plague when treating animals with certain diseases.

For Homecooked - Recipes and ratios. What may be lacking from a homecooked diet. How to add the "missing" ingredients.

For Raw - Pros and Cons of feeding a raw diet. Potential sources for ingredients. What may be lacking for the animal. How to tell if an animals problem may be from a food borne illness.

I don't mind commercial companies going in and having a few lectures, whether as class guests or optional lectures on the vet school grounds. However, they should not directly supply their own scientists to the schools to be the lead teachers of the students. At least 85% of the class should be taught by an unbiased faculty member.

Answer 4

It isn't right at all. We see the same thing in our own medical field all the time...doctors quick to have patients try a particular brand of pharmacuticals because they received incentives from the company.

What I find most unfortunate is that vet school has to be tough...they've got a lot to learn, and nutrition probably isn't high on the list of priorities. So here comes a company offering to supply that "information." Except their "info" isn't exactly in the best interest of the animals. Most people trust their vets' advice (I know I do!) so if a vet recommends a particular food....the average owner isn't going to argue. And the ones that lose are the dogs, which have no say in the matter.

Answer 5

My friend is a retired Vet here in the UK and they didn't have training in nutrition back when he trained! He said that like America the Lectures Vet's here get are from various pet food reps. Whilst working he was frequently offered food deals and he like many other Vets believed that the Hills food was 'created' by Vets so sold it. He never realised that dry food was killing Cats and Dogs, until late in his career! Once he did he stopped selling any and advised his patients owners to at least feed a mixed diet. Like many people he heard about the Barf diet so guess what his animals are now fed!
He told me once that I had more nutritional training as part of my qualifications as a care-worker than he'd ever had.
My present cat was Diagnosed with Kidney disease at 5 and put on life long medication, and it was John who told me to give her wet food and later introduced me to Barf and natural feeding. That was about 7 years ago and my cat is now a very healthy 15 year old, who hasn't needed any medical help for 5 years now.
I know Vets have a choice what they sell but if they aren't given training by an unbiased source how are they to know what is right or wrong. Most Vets are after all just animal lovers who decide to make it their careers!

Ask a Vet what I should feed my dog or cat, no thanks, I'll feed them as nature intended. The upsetting thing is that I lost three cats and two dogs to Kidney disease and am sure now, it was their diet that killed them!

edit: I'd just like to point out I had dog's before the Complete dry food diets were available, but it was also still a time when we all thought 'experts' knew best. Now we see it's unethical but it was just accepted then! We didn't even question WHAT training Vets had!

Answer 6

We actually got into this discussion in my veterinary ethics class. I am walking around with a Hills backpack right now, and they feed me free lunch a few times a semester. However, I do not feed Hills to my cats, and if i ever end up in practice I will do my research before I stock the shelves with a veterinary diet. The key is taking everything with a grain of salt. We have TONS of companies here all the time trying to push their products, telling us how wonderful they are. The next day, we usually end up with an e-mail from a clinician in the faculty telling us what the teaching hospital does (in terms of drugs, feeding, etc) and what might have been misleading during that lecture.
I think informative seminars are fine, as long as one is intelligent enough to realize that the results are going to be skewed. We have all sorts of resources to research anything we are skeptical about. I am always wary of a research paper that has been funded by a veterinary vaccine, medical supply or food company. There is some "selective publishing" where vaccine companies may do multiple studies and publish only the ones that look to be in their favor. We are always getting pens, reference books, highlighters, candy, lunch, and other things from drug and food companies here. I get free purina for my cats, and I could buy Hills at a huge discount if I wanted to feed it.
There are many regulations preventing companies from becoming too involved in giving gifts to veterinarians (just as drug companies have been pushed out of giving free vacations to medical doctors). I know how I will handle it personally, but unfortunately I know that there are veterinarians out there who only look at what the drug reps tell them. It's sad that they don't research the issue further. Good question!
**I forgot to mention this, our animal nutrition class was taught by a professor in the Animal Science department. He had nothing to do with Hills, and was a dairy expert. Most of our nutrition was very basic, and our class was the last one to get nutrition during the doctorate portion. It's now a prerequisite to get in to the veterinary school. It's unfortunate because our training in nutrition is very limited, and we do not have anyone on faculty (at least that is qualified) to teach us in my opinion....which is a whole other topic of discussion.

Answer 7

Awesome question! It is unethical, but unfortunately society is run my Commercialism and $$$, even Colleges. I do think it would be nice if they at least offered alternative courses for vets to actually LEARN about proper nutrition. Until then, I guess the majority will stay brainwashed by them, and they rest of us will have to help educate people on the TRUTH.
ADDED: Walthom has an altenative prescription line, and Duck and Potatoe diets work wonders for dogs with IBS. ( vs. i/d)

Answer 8

Personally, I find that most vets can make up their own minds about the Hill's foods. There IS a place for most of the Prescription Diets. Most vets use some brans of these diets to treat specific illnesses in pets.
I have known and worked for many vets over the years, and none of them advised or pushed the Science Diet line.

Answer 9

Look around the world darling and that is the way the system works. Pharmaceutical companies, practically sleep with the doctors so that their products get pushed And FDA inspectors want to work for pharmaceutical when they retire so they are going to approve anything that is presented to them. And those are facts. You remember when Vioxx wand Celebrex were removed from the market because of the deaths and the lack of proper testing????? Well it was very quitely returned to the market with absolutely no change in the product but I'm sure not many people are even aware of that.
So to hear the same in the vets business certainly does not;t surprise me. I would be shock if it was not that way.

Answer 10

It's not at all ethical. Vets suggest Science Diet because that's what they were brain washed into saying, and that's where they got all their food knowledge.. I believe that they should get nutrition education from an unbiased source. Cause they are suggesting people feed a crappy food, all in the name of profit for themselves.