Discover Why Vets Strongly Recommend Science Diet for Your Pet’s Health!

Precisely balanced nutrition is vital to the overall health and development of dogs, no matter their age, size, breed, or health status. When a product's packaging boasts that it's vet recommended, it's been given a thumbs-up by the majority of vets polled in a particular survey. But what does it mean and why should you pay attention to it? This article explores the reasons behind veterinary recommendations for brands like Science Diet, Royal Canin, and Purina, examining the nutritional aspects, potential benefits, and alternative perspectives.

The Role of Nutrition in Veterinary Practice

Nutrition can play a role in how veterinarians manage certain conditions. Therapeutic nutrition can play an important role in managing your pet’s health. The Hill’s Prescription Diet brand includes foods aimed to help veterinarians manage a range of health conditions for dogs (and cats). Veterinary food is formulated to treat a specific condition; think of it as medicine. Typically, a veterinarian would need to prescribe this nutrition for the treatment of a specific disease or condition. Hence the brand “Prescription Diet”. 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.

Understanding "Vet Recommended"

In order for a product to say "vet recommended dog food" or "vet recommended cat food" on the label or packaging, explains the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), a statistically sound survey of veterinarians must be conducted in order to support the claim. Keep in mind, however, that individual pets have individual needs, so it's always a good idea to run general recommendations by your own vet to be certain that the product you're considering is the best choice for your pet's health. Your vet is familiar with your own pet's individual health needs and is able to make recommendations based on age, weight, breed, level of physical activity, and health conditions. For this reason, personal vet recommendations should be taken seriously. "I ask that you accept that most of those recommendations have very good reasons behind them," as Dr. Cori Majeska points out on Petplan. Typically, vet recommendations are intended to provide your pet with proper nutrition and to help them maintain a healthy weight. Vets may recommend foods that will help with certain health conditions, such digestive issues or skin conditions, but he or she may also place your pet on a therapeutic food to treat any number of conditions. Of course, vet recommendations don't stop at pet food. If your vet doesn't volunteer a recommendation right off the bat, don't be afraid to ask for one. Most vets love it when you're proactive enough to request their advice for your pet. Your veterinarian will likely discuss recommendations for preventative healthcare, including periodic vaccinations, medication such as heart worm preventative, etc. But if not, don't hesitate to ask.

Hill's Science Diet and Prescription Diet: An Overview

Hill’s Science Diet, Royal Canin, and Purina are considered "veterinary diets" and are often marketed as scientifically formulated foods. Hill’s is owned by Colgate-Palmolive, one of the largest conglomerates in the world. The Hill’s Prescription Diet brand includes foods aimed to help veterinarians manage a range of health conditions for dogs (and cats).

Prescription Diet vs. Science Diet: What's the Difference?

Let’s take a look at urinary health foods. I’ll use Hills C/D vs Hills Science Diet urinary for example. C/D you can only purchase at your veterinarian’s office, while Science Diet Urinary is available at pet stores. Both are Hills ( a name and brand we trust ). Let me start by saying that they both have similar properties in terms of ingredients, but here’s the difference - Hill’s Science Diet Urinary is for wellness and prevention of calcium oxalate and struvite crystals. Keywords are wellness and prevention. It doesn’t claim anything more than that. Hills C/D, however, treats crystals and also treats cystitis (inflammation of the urinary system). How would you use this information? Well, let’s say you have a kitty that’s male and getting up in years, and also might be a few pounds overweight. We know that many male cats develop some type of urinary issues, especially if they carry some excess pounds. In this case, by using a urinary diet that is formulated for prevention and wellness, you can get ahead of the game. Once Fluffy is in the realm of blockage or crystals are diagnosed, this food is no longer useful.

Read also: Comprehensive Supplement Guide

The Role of AAFCO

An AAFCO statement should be on every bag of pet food. It stands for The Association of American Feed Control Officials. All foods that are made in the USA but sold here in Canada must have this statement. The statement shows that a particular food has nutrients that fall “within the range” for a certain life stage be it adult, growth, pregnancy, and lactating. Now going back to veterinary vs store-bought food, one thing that your Veterinary diet will always have is an AAFCO statement. With that statement it will also say “Formulated and Trialled”; pet store food will likely only say “Formulated”. That means that not only are veterinary foods formulated to maintain a minimum amount of nutrients for specific life stages, but it also states that that diet has been trialled on a group of pets to prove that the diet maintains optimum health for that particular life stage. These trials would include things like weight, urine samples and blood samples, to be sure that there is optimal health achieved or maintained.

Reasons Behind Veterinary Recommendations

Several factors contribute to why veterinarians frequently recommend Hill’s Science Diet and similar brands:

Formulated for Specific Conditions: Veterinary food is meant for a specific purpose - for the treatment of a health concern. Veterinary food is formulated to treat a specific condition; think of it as medicine. Typically, a veterinarian would need to prescribe this nutrition for the treatment of a specific disease or condition. Hence the brand “Prescription Diet”. Store-bought food is made for wellness and prevention.
Nutritional Education: Many veterinarians receive nutrition education directly from large pet food manufacturers like Hills and Purina. These companies sponsor veterinary schools, provide research funding, and even supply clinics with free food samples.
Improved Pet Health: Vets see an improvement in pet health when they are transitioned to Hill’s Science or Prescription Diet products, very likely for this reason. An animal comes in with an illness and poor blood results, and a few weeks after the transition in diet their blood results show an improvement. Most pet foods are very poor quality.
Studies and Trials: Another difference between veterinary vs store-bought brands is that unless it’s veterinary food, there are NO STUDIES done that show treatment results (ie no studies prove that Science Diet Urinary dissolves crystals. Same goes for Perfect Weight vs Metabolic.) There aren’t any studies that show that Perfect Weight food actually causes Fluffy to lose weight. Sure, it’s a more controlled calorie diet, but it’s not for obesity. That’s where a prescription diet is recommended.

Addressing Specific Health Concerns

Hill’s have an answer for all these diet-related health conditions in the form of cleverly-marketed “premium” or “prescription” diets. It’s not a miracle, and it doesn’t mean the expensive premium/prescription diet is healthy or optimal. In many cases a prescription food is tailored to reducing the symptoms of the specific condition. For example, a kidney diet has reduced phosphorous (and more often than not less meat). A weight loss diet will have lower fat (by reducing meat and increasing grains/legumes). Several Hill’s Prescription Diet foods are specifically formulated to help your pet lose weight. When it comes to weight loss, it’s important to look at everything the pet is eating during the day. However, most pets that are carrying excess weight do not benefit from caloric restriction from treats alone.

Considerations and Potential Drawbacks

While veterinary diets can be beneficial, it's essential to consider potential drawbacks and alternative perspectives:

Ingredient Quality: Take a look at the ingredients on any bag of Hill’s Prescription or Science Diet dry food. When we consider how much grain is in these foods, and how much carbohydrate for facultative carnivore dogs and factually carnivorous cats, it begs the questions - Is Science Diet bad for dogs? How can grains be fed to cats? Is Prescription Diet any better?
Corporate Influence: Corporate pet food manufacturers convince us these foods are optimal when they’re not. Sadly business is business, and if these manufacturers put your pets before profit they’ll never succeed as a business, and the businessmen behind those businesses will never own a Lamborghini (which is generally the driving motivation behind a business). Most kibble is absolute rubbish. Junk food. A convenience product designed for profit.
Overlooking Diet as a Cause: Most of the time the deteriorating health of our pets (especially pets with a health condition) is attributed to the worsening of the condition or “old age”, or just plain bad luck, which is far from the whole truth. Diet is so often overlooked as the cause of an initial health condition, and also the cause of subsequent health conditions while the pet is on the premium/prescription food.

Making Informed Decisions

Here's how to approach your pet's nutritional needs and veterinary recommendations:

Consult Your Veterinarian: Schedule an appointment to ask your veterinarian to assess your pet’s health and nutritional needs. It’s always best to consult your veterinarian for any food changes or diet-related concerns. Every pet and health condition is unique and may respond differently when fed Prescription Diet foods. It’s 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.
Do Your Own Research: We encourage pet parents to do their own research and compare ingredient lists.
Consider Alternatives: If your pet has been prescribed a specific diet for a medical condition, we’re happy to discuss alternative options that provide the same benefits without the unnecessary fillers and artificial additives.
Understand the Guaranteed Analysis: The guaranteed analysis is a confusing one. What I can tell you is to always look at the nutrient on a dry matter basis; this is the best way to actually compare foods. It will tell you the minimums and maximums, but not the absolute values.
Ensure a Smooth Transition: It’s 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.

The Importance of Veterinary Care Beyond Diet

Vets devote a lot of time and study to determining what's best for their patients, and they genuinely care about your pet's well-being. It's always a good idea to do your own research so you can be better educated on your pet's conditions and needs, but you should also consider your vet a partner in your best friend's health.

Recognizing Subtle Signs of Illness: With so many different pet foods on the market, it's difficult to choose one that provides the appropriate nutrients for your pet's condition and life stage. Cats, especially, have a tendency to hide pain and illness from their pet parents, which is generally believed to be an evolutionary holdover from their days in the wild when illness left them vulnerable to predators. However, building a close relationship with your pet will help you notice any abnormal behaviors they may exhibit, which may indicate that she might not be feeling well.
Addressing Specific Needs: If your pet has a skin condition, for example, foods containing vitamin E and omega-6 fatty acids can help improve his or her skin and coat. Mature pets often benefit from the addition of glucosamine and chondroitin to their food to promote joint health. Vets understand what your pets need and can help you better understand what nutrition will best meet their nutritional and health needs.
Dental Care: Dental care is an aspect of pet parenthood that often gets overlooked, and it can have dire consequences for your pet. Teeth that go neglected can result in serious infections and other health problems that go beyond his or her mouth. Your vet can tell you whether it's time to invest in a much-needed dental cleaning or show you how to brush your pet's teeth at home.
Flea and Tick Prevention: Not all flea and tick medications are created equal, and unfortunately these pesky parasites have a way of building up immunity to these products, causing them to lose their effectiveness over time. Rest assured there's always flea and tick prevention that's perfect for your pet.
Laboratory Testing: If you're concerned there might be something serious that an external exam doesn't uncover, laboratory testing (including blood work and urinalysis) may provide more insight into what's going on. Most vets can tell you whether laboratory tests would help in your situation.
Lumps and Bumps: Pets tend to get lumps and bumps on their bodies quite easily as they age. Although these are often benign and perfectly normal, they can also be a sign of a more complicated condition.
Inappropriate Elimination: If they're relieving themselves in the house inappropriately, this could simply be a behavioral issue, but it could also signal something more worthy of professional attention-from separation anxiety, to joint pain, to a bladder or urinary tract infection.

Conclusion

Veterinarians recommend Science Diet and similar brands for various reasons, including their formulation for specific health conditions, the nutritional education vets receive, and observed improvements in pet health. It’s important to remember that most of those recommendations have very good reasons behind them. However, pet owners should also consider ingredient quality, corporate influences, and the potential to address health issues through alternative diets. By consulting with your veterinarian, doing your own research, and considering all available options, you can make informed decisions that best support your pet's health and well-being.

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