science diet feline prescription food

[arachnocat]

I looked into feeding my cats raw food at one point but my cat will only eat the dry stuff. I asked my vet if raw food would be better for him but she said there was no evidence that it helps urinary problems. There's actually a big debate whether or not raw food is good for cats. Seems like it would be better than all that grain and stuff in regular cat food. Most vets and some farm supply stores sell raw cat food. It might be a healthy alternative if a high protien diet doesn't affect the kidneys and bladder.

 

[cacoseraph]

There's actually a big debate whether or not raw food is good for cats.

i would be surprised in the extreme of raw meat is not good for carnivore obligates

 

[arachnocat]

Yeah I thought that was odd too but I've talked to several vets about it and they couldn't really tell me why it might be bad. I think they just don't want people to try to make it themselves because it's difficult to get all the vitamins and things in the correct proportions but there are lots of pre-made raw foods out there so who knows.

 

[Lorgakor]

I often wonder if vets somehow get a cut from Science Diet for pushing their products. My vets office is full of the stuff, yet it is quite low on the quality list in my opinion. Maybe that's why they don't recommend anything else.

 

[chrispy]

with our 5 cats they do the best w/ the royal canin, the one female and male who doesnt get problems can eat it also. the c/d and others make them sick. Ive been to 4 different vets and they push the one that is on their shelves.I mix the medical food with regular food. The medical food is so low grade.

The vets have also said the crystals form due to stress. before the diet change ,every time we went on vacation we would come home to the cats starting the first signs of crystal formation, even though they had just as many people taking care of them while we were gone. seperation anxiety

 

[Tim Benzedrine]

I often wonder if vets somehow get a cut from Science Diet for pushing their products.

I have heard that that is the case. Most of the claims I have seen made to that effect have been made on message boards by people claiming to be veterinary assistants, so I don't know if there is anything to it or not. I kind of am inclined to believe it, though.

 

[arachnophoria]

Vet clinics do make a variable percentage from the sale(just like any retailer)and that is about it.The mark-up ranges anywhere from 10% to over 50%.I was a vet tech for a while.

 

[Debswebs05]

Hills Prescription Diets

Hmmm....I feed all three of my cats Science Diet, two adults and one kitten, and the two adults were on the Hills RD for some time, due to their corpulence. I found it to be VERY good quality...you don't simply look at the ingredients, for example, chicken by product meal etc...you look at the whole picture. Cats (and dogs) have been domesticated for so long, that now their dietary needs have changed. Raw diets can make an animal pretty sick if the quality fall below a certain standard-I do believe the pet food contamination was mentioned. Cats' prey items are vegetarian (mice eat grain), so of course, grain needs to be included in their diet. I have worked for a vet for almost 8 years, my oldest cat is 8 years old, and has never been fed anything but Hills products-my other cat is 4, same with him...same with the kitten, now 8 months old. These are 3 extremely healthy, vibrant babies! All of my coworkers have cats and dogs too, and don't necessarily feed Hills-they all have pets that have problems. I am very lucky, as my cats are problem free, other than being a bit on the chunky side. I do feed them all separately, and try to make sure nobody eats anyone else's food-tall order, but I do it. If one of my cats does come up with a health problem, I will listen to my vet, who is also my employer. I have absolute faith in her judgment regarding my cats. If I did not work for her, I would still rely on her for the health care of my pets-no it's not free for me, nor is the food I feed them. And as was posted earlier, the only "kickback" a veterinarian gets from Hills, or Iams, or any other company that are carried in their hospital, is the very small mark up that must be passed along to the consumer. OK I'm stepping down from my soapbox now, but I'm going to leave you with one more thought. Veterinarians, Vet Techs/Assistants, and all of us who work in the veterinary field sure as heck don't do it for the money, cause the money sucks!! We do it for the love of the animals. Thanks for letting me vent.