Hills Science Diet Dog Food

...literally no benefit to raw food over cooked, and a ...you certainly can feed your dog better, more nutritious meals by...a lot of the "whole food" packs have pea protein, potato...R&D to ensure that their food is healthy and not harming...a reputation as the best food in a market with ...consistent. Also, I don't use Hills Science Diet for my dogs but I...raw; cooking your own food for your dog might be fine but...

Hello! I was wanting to post to ask about my recent dog food recipe? - 1 10lb bag of chicken leg quarters (deboned and skinned. Boiled) -1 tub of chicken livers (the Tyson tub 1.25lbs. Boiled) - I bundle of Kale (boiled) - 1 1/2 sweet potatoes (diced and boiled) - 1 1/2 cup brown rice - 2 gala apple (skinned and diced) - 2 Great Value mixed vegetables (12oz steam bag with carrots, corn, green beans and peas) - 1 cup blueberries Now, I do puree the chicken before mixing everything in. I also mix in some Dr. Harvey’s multivitamin and mineral with some salmon oil and a quail egg, with the shell! As well as having him on Hill Science Diet for Seniors! He is a 7 year old Chihuahua! submitted by /u/Muted_Ad_8703 to r/HomemadeDogFood [link] [comments]

My fur baby is 11 yo with Cushing’s. It seems like she’s been sleeping way more. She seems less energetic and doesn’t eat as much as she used to 😩 (she gets hills science diet sensitive stomach and skin dry food) Do senior dogs need a special diet? Just wondering. submitted by /u/ResponsePleasant7145 to r/schnauzers [link] [comments]

TL;DR: My 1-year-old male Labrador (English show line) isn’t as excited about his food as he used to. Healthy, active, not overweight. Switched between Diamond Naturals and Member’s Mark lamb & rice. Any food suggestions or insight on why he’s eating slower/picky? Hi everyone, I’m looking for advice or recommendations on dog food for my lab. I have a 1-year-old male Labrador (English show line). Lately, he hasn’t been as eager to eat his food. He’s usually very food-motivated—he even tries to eat inedible things sometimes. Some background on his diet: • His breeder fed him Diamond Naturals Lamb & Rice formula (large breed puppy). • I continued that for about a month after getting him, then switched to Member’s Mark Lamb & Rice (all life stages). • He did really well on the Member’s Mark food. But for convenience with auto-ship from Chewy, we switched back to Diamond Naturals. He ate Diamond Naturals without issues for about two months, but now he’s less enthusiastic. I’ve had to mix his food with a bit of peanut butter or a cooked egg to get him to eat. Once he does start eating, he finishes the bowl, but he doesn’t eat as quickly or happily as he used to. Because this is my first Labrador (I’ve had other dogs but never a lab), I’m wondering: 1. Could this be normal due to age? (Maybe he’s just less excited about food now.) 2. Is he being picky because he’s been offered peanut butter or eggs? 3. Could the food itself be the issue? If it’s the food, what do other people feed their labs? I’ve heard mixed or bad reviews about Purina, Pedigree, Blue Buffalo, Hill’s Science, Royal Canin, and Taste of the Wild, so I’d like to avoid those if possible. Some extra info: • He’s a bigger boy but not overweight. • He gets plenty of exercise. • His behavior hasn’t changed, he’s lively, playful, and happy, with no signs of illness. Also, here’s a pic of Jefe for tax 🐾 Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated! submitted by /u/NootNootFarms to r/labrador [link] [comments]

So I have three dogs- 1 chiweenie, 1 Chihuahua and 1 Coonhound. I have been trying to do research but there is so much back and forth information idk what to believe. At first I was feeding my dogs Hills Science Diet, but the coonhound only ate like 2-3 a week because she just didn’t like the food. I started farmers dog and did half Hills and Half farmers dog- which seemed to work pretty well. They really liked FD so I’ve been doing FD, but my Coonhound has watery poops, and apparently FD has high fat content. I looked into JFFD, but it also isn’t backed by too much research. Apparently Royal Canin is goood, but there’s so many additives. Should I look into feeding raw? I just want the healthiest food option for my dogs. I don’t want bad additives and fake food, but I want them to get all nutrients but also enjoy their food. Any suggestions?? submitted by /u/Commercial-oreo7502 to r/DogFood [link] [comments]

Dear devoted pet parents, My 18 month old small mix breed was perfectly perfect in every way until she was fed a grain free diet along with homemade food. I got her at 3 months of age. edit: She started the GF and homemade at 12 months of age. So I reality it was 5-6 months of grain free and homemade food before her diagnosis. I made the choice to feed her these out of love and naviety. I honestly bought the marketing that grain free was a less inflammatory, less allergenic, and overall a more natural option. I saw this food as an option, nothing fringe or risky. I looked at the grain free dog food bag and saw steak, potatoes, peas, blueberries, and thought “geez this is something I would eat,“ so of course I want to give it to my dog, she is family. I was also feeding her homemade steak, eggs and split peas. All out of love. Before giving her split peas, I looked up “are peas good for dogs?” and I read, yes in moderation. So I regrettable gave them to her in moderation. Not daily, but the steak and eggs were daily. The homemade food we added later, it did not begin when I first got her. Edit: After conversation with my family, we now remember that we had fed the dog Hills Science diet puppy small dog for the first 12 months we had her. My mind was a bit overwhelmed upon her diagnosis, but I am glad this was remembered. So in reality its is after 5-6 months of eating grain free and later homemade food that my sweet baby went from having no heart murmur and zero health issues, to recently being diagnosed with a “really bad” heart murmur, enlarged heart and very likely dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) She was referred to a cardiologist several hours away. The appointment is in three weeks. I wish I would have been told of the risks of making home made food and the risks of grain free food. Especially as a lay person really has to search deep to find out that there are risks to these diets. It’s not common knowledge, at least to me. When I learned of the heart risks of what i had been feeding her, I brought her in for a check up to rule out damage done. During this vet visit, I was told that she has a ”really bad” heart murmur and an enlarged heart and very likely dilated cardiomyopathy. I knew immediately that I caused the heart disease by what I had been feeding her. My dog was not yet given heart medications. Her diet immediately changed and I now only give her dog food from the WSAVA guidelines, which include Royal Canin and Purina Pro Plan. There may be more, so ask your vet. Don’t trust Google! This is all very new, so she has only had the change of diet for five days. She appears fine and happy, but she has coughed a handful of times and last night she vomited up foam. I am hoping that she is one of the dogs who recovers from this. This is all very recent, so I am still very shaken. What is also getting me is the same vet gave my now deceased chihuahua, who was born with a heart murmur, prescription grain free dog food (for sensitive stomachs) for years and years. All while also giving him heart medications. The poor guy lived to be 15, but he suffered. So my warning to all the loving pet parents out there, don't blindly trust anyone. Just because they sell a food product like grain free at the local pet store as an option, doesn’t make it safe option for your dog. And while it’s fun and seems loving to make a warm home cooked meal for your dog, it’s extremely risky. Unless you are a food scientist, it is impossible to assure your dog gets all the nurtients they need. Dogs are not like us, although we love them like our children. You are gambling with your dogs life if you give them grain free, home made, or any food not on the WSAVA guidelines, which include Royal Canon and Purina Pro Plan. Both being popular among the ”in the know” crowd. I am overwhelmed with sadness that I caused my dog harm by the choices I made, but I am also very upset that grain free food, which is for sure linked to diet DCM, was even an option for me to purchase. And why didn’t my vet give me the heads up that this diet is at the minimum controversial? PLEASE SAVE YOURSELVES AND YOUR BELOVED DOGS THE HEARTACHE AND ACCEPT THIS WARNING ❤️‍🩹🐶 EDIT TO ADD: I appreciate all the kind responses and words of hope and healing. I am also very glad that so many of you are already “in the know.” That’s wonderful. Aafter conversation with my family, we remembered that the dog was fed Hills Science small puppy food for the first 12 months we had her. So in reality it was only5-6 months on this new diet (GF and homemade). I just want to clarify that I am a pretty basic person and did not buy grain free because it was trendy or boutique. Until this conversation, I had never even heard of the term “boutique brands” dog food. I shopped for the dog food at the local big box pet store. I now know after reading these comments that there is a big difference between the GF prescription dog food my chihuahua was given and the GF products sold at these pet stores. I had no clue. Also, I always gave my dog the dog food along with the homemade food, as I unfortunately believed Google when I read that there can be benefits to giving your dog homemade dog food, as long as it’s paired with regular dog food to sure all the nutrient needs are met. I did not realize that google gives people differing responses, as someone commented that when you look up “can I feed my dog homemade food?” all you get is No and a list of red flags. Sadly my algorithm did not provide that sound information. I really wish it had, That commenter should count themselves lucky. Please be kind to me and others going thru this. If this GF dog food thing is such an important issue, which I agree that it is, the FDA should be taking a firmer stance and not relying on the dog owners to get this information on their own. Many pet owners do not have access to good vets and it’s a bit extreme to expect the average pet owner to seek out this information, especially when they have no clue that it exists or why they should be seeking it out. submitted by /u/Louisa1774 to r/Dogowners [link] [comments]

Dear devoted pet parents, My 18 month old small mix breed was perfectly perfect in every way until she was fed a grain free diet along with homemade food. I got her at 3 months of age. Edit: after conversation, our family remembered that we had been giving the dog Hills Science small puppy food for the first 12 months we had her. So in reality, she only had GF and homemade for 5-6 months. I was a bit overwhelmed since this diagnosis, but I am glad this detail was remembered. I made the choice to feed her GF and homemade out of love and naviety. I honestly bought the marketing that grain free was a less inflammatory, less allergenic, and overall a more natural option. I saw this food as an option, nothing fringe or risky. I looked at the grain free dog food bag and saw steak, potatoes, peas, blueberries, and thought “geez this is something I would eat,“ so of course I want to give it to my dog, she is family. I was also feeding her homemade steak, eggs and split peas. All out of love. Before giving her split peas, I looked up “are peas good for dogs?” and I read, yes in moderation. So I regrettable gave them to her in moderation. Not daily, but the steak and eggs were daily. The homemade food we added later, it did not begin when I first got her. After 5-6 months of eating grain free and later homemade food, my sweet baby went from having no heart murmur and zero health issues, to recently being diagnosed with a “really bad” heart murmur, enlarged heart and very likely dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) She was referred to a cardiologist several hours away. The appointment is in three weeks. I wish I was told of the risks of making home made food and the risks of grain free food. Especially as a lay person really has to search deep to find out that there are risks to these diets. It’s not common knowledge, at least to me. When I learned of the heart risks of what i had been feeding her, I brought her in for a check up to rule out damage done. During this vet visit, I was told that she has a ”really bad” heart murmur and an enlarged heart and very likely dilated cardiomyopathy. I knew immediately that I caused the heart disease by what I had been feeding her. When I asked the vet if this new diagnosis was caused by diet, she assured me no. When I told her what I had recently learned about the link of diet to these heart issues, she said she would look it up and left the room. I could then hear the vet and a vet tech taking turns reading out loud all the horrible things this diet does to dogs hearts. It seems they had no idea of diet related DCM. My dog was not yet given heart medications. Her diet immediately changed and I now only give her dog food from the WSAVA guidelines, which is several brands including Royal Canin and Purina Pro Plan. There maybe more, but please ask your vet. Don‘t trust Google! This is all very new, so she has only had the change of diet for five days. She appears fine and happy, but she has coughed a handful of times and last night she vomited up foam. I am hoping that she is one of the dogs who recovers from this. This is all very recent, so I am still very shaken. What is also getting me is the same vet gave my now deceased chihuahua, who was born with a heart murmur, prescription grain free dog food (for sensitive stomachs) for years and years. All while also giving him heart medications. The poor guy lived to be 15, but he suffered. So my warning to all the loving pet parents out there, don't blindly trust anyone. Just because they sell a food product like grain free at the local pet store as an option, doesn’t make it safe option for your dog. And while it’s fun and seems loving to make a warm home cooked meal for your dog, it’s extremely risky. Unless you are a food scientist, it is impossible to assure your dog gets all the nurtients they need. Dogs are not like us, although we love them like our children. You are gambling with your dogs life if you give them grain free, home made, or any food not on the WSAVA guideline, which I know include Royal Canin and Purina Pro Plan. Both are popular among the “in the know” crowd. I am overwhelmed with sadness that I caused my dog harm by the choices I made, but I am also very upset that grain free food, which is for sure linked to diet DCM, was even an option for me to purchase. And why didn’t my vet give me the heads up that this diet is at the minimum controversial? PLEASE SAVE YOURSELVES AND YOUR BELOVED DOGS THE HEARTACHE AND ACCEPT THIS WARNING ❤️‍🩹🐶 EDIT TO ADD: I appreciate all the kind responses and words of hope and healing. I am also very glad that so many of you are already “in the know.” That’s wonderful. Also after conversation with my family, it was remembered that we fed the dog Hills Science small puppy for the first 12 months we had her. So it was 5-6 months of the GF and homemade diet before her new diagnosis. I just want to clarify that I am a pretty basic person and did not buy grain free because it was trendy or boutique. Until this conversation, I had never even heard of the term “boutique brands” dog food. I shopped for the dog food at the local big box pet store. I now know after reading these comments that there is a big difference between the GF prescription dog food my chihuahua was given and the GF products sold at these pet stores. I had no clue. Also, I always gave my dog the dog food along with the homemade food, as I unfortunately believed Google when I read that there can be benefits to giving your dog homemade dog food, as long as it’s paired with regular dog food to sure all the nutrient needs are met. I did not realize that google gives people differing responses, as someone commented that when you look up “can I feed my dog homemade food?” all you get is No and a list of red flags. Sadly my algorithm did not provide that sound information. I really wish it had, That commenter should count themselves lucky. Please be kind to me and others going thru this. If this GF dog food thing is such an important issue, which I agree that it is, the FDA should be taking a firmer stance and not relying on the dog owners to get this information on their own. Many pet owners do not have access to good vets and it’s a bit extreme to expect the average pet owner to seek out this information, especially when they have no clue that it exists or why they should be seeking it out. submitted by /u/Louisa1774 to r/DogFood [link] [comments]

Hello Everyone, I'm currently feeding my dog NutraNuggets - Lamb & Rice. Sometime in the last year my dog has developed allergies. My mom was telling me how my Aunt was feeding her dogs carrots, and had the same symptoms. Turns out, her dog was allergic to carrots, once she stopped feeding carrots, her dog had no problems, and switched up her food. I've been eyeballing Hill's Science Diet - Lamb and Brown Rice but $90 every 4 to 6 weeks is steep, especially when it's only available in a 33lbs bag (that I can find). My dog is a German Shepherd, who has a sensitive stomach. She's 60lbs, but anything more than a medium sized dog treat gives her a bad time in the bathroom. Lamb & Brown Rice seems to be safest food for her to eat, I've tried giving her Chicken / Beef / Salmon, and I've come home to some things I'd rather not experience again. What I'm hoping to get from this post is a middle ground dog food that i can test as a trial run to see if switching foods improves her situation. If it does, something better than that, if there is one that's better than Hill's Science Diet. I want facts and information. I will do my best to answer questions when they come in. If I've broken the rules, let me know, and I'll amend my post. I want the best for my dog, she's had a rough life before I got her and for my first dog, I couldn't have asked for a better one. Edit #1: I've got an appointment scheduled, hoping to get a sooner one. I'll discuss a hydrolyzed diet, and a referral to a Dermatologist. I plan to take my dog to the vet my mom takes hers to, and get a second opinion. I'm in agreement with several of you, I think a change in my environment caused it. I've been wondering if it was the peppermint essential oils or the Glade wall plugs. I can always get rid of those items while I wait for the appointment. submitted by /u/DreadStarX to r/DogFood [link] [comments]

ETA: Thank you SO MUCH everyone! What a beautiful community we have here in Crown Heights! I cannot thank each and every one of you enough for being a light during these dark days. May your generosity be returned to you tenfold! Also I'm good for now—you all are the best! This is a stretch, but money has been tight for me for a while, and I’m really at a loss for how to feed my dog. I’m a freelancer, but I have struggled to find work for nearly two years now, and I’ve already asked my family for more help than they can afford. I’d also be open to any tips for what I can make her that is relatively inexpensive (or at least less expensive than her usual $23 bag of food—Hill’s Science Diet—which only lasts for about a week). I cannot express how mortifying it is to ask, but it is so painful to not be able to feed my dog. I am expecting money in the next week or two (from a difficult client, so we’ll see…); it’s just this interim time that’s tough. I’d also be happy to be pointed toward any mutual aid orgs that could help. Ideally dry food would be the best, if you have it, as wet food makes her really sick. Thank you, and I’m sorry if this isn’t the right place to ask. submitted by /u/nota_mermaid to r/crownheights [link] [comments]

I use the Hills science diet dog food for my miniature schnauzer. Want opinions on what others use. Rosie loves this dog food. I also give her an egg, carrots etc for treats. submitted by /u/Swan1950 to r/MiniatureSchnauzer [link] [comments]

So I started my draht off on victor hipro plus like the breeder used. Since then both me and the breeder moved away from victor. Currently feeding my dogs hills science diet, which is as expensive as buying people groceries. Almost. Anyways, what is everybody feeding their dogs that maybe doesn’t cost $2.40-2.50/lb and is still decent quality? I’m not looking to feed my dogs some ol Roy, but I am tired of spending $150+/mo. submitted by /u/Parking_Fan_7651 to r/birddogs [link] [comments]

The global pet food industry operates as a tightly controlled oligopoly. Mars, Nestlé Purina, Hill’s Pet Nutrition, and Royal Canin dominate not just manufacturing, but veterinary education, research funding, and increasingly, veterinary clinics themselves. When grain-free and alternative protein diets began capturing significant market share in the 2010s, threatening to disrupt this profitable ecosystem, the industry didn’t compete on innovation. It deployed fear. The DCM Scare: A Timeline of Panic Without Proof In July 2018, the FDA announced it had begun investigating reports of canine dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs eating certain pet foods, many labeled as grain-free, which contained peas, lentils, other legume seeds, or potatoes as main ingredients. The market impact was immediate and devastating. Looking at 16 brands’ grain-free dry dog food sales from mid-July 2019 through early October, revenues in aggregate decreased about 10 percent, while other dry dog food sales were increasing. The panic spread through veterinary clinics and pet owner communities. Yet by December 2022, the FDA stated it had insufficient data to establish a causal relationship between reported products and DCM cases. The investigation received far fewer DCM reports from 2020 to 2022 compared to the preceding two years, with most case reports clustering around the dates of FDA announcements. The agency essentially admitted the investigation led nowhere — but not before alternative diet manufacturers lost market share, faced lawsuits, and saw their reputations damaged. The Researchers Behind the Scare: A Web of Industry Funding Who drove the initial panic? Until 2017, the FDA saw one to three reports of DCM annually, but between January 1 and July 10, 2018, it received 25 cases, with seven reports coming from a single source: animal nutritionist Lisa Freeman from Tufts University’s Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. Freeman’s funding sources tell a revealing story. According to PubMed, Freeman has received funding from leading sellers of grain-inclusive foods, including Nestle Purina Petcare, Hill’s Pet Nutrition, and Mars Petcare, since 2002. Her recent disclosures state she has received research funding from, given sponsored lectures for, or provided professional services to Aratana Therapeutics, Elanco, Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Nestlé Purina PetCare, Mars, and Royal Canin. But the conflict of interest goes deeper. FDA records obtained under the Freedom of Information Act indicate those reports may not have been fully representative of cases seen at the Tufts clinic. In a June 2018 email to FDA veterinary medical officer Jennifer Jones, Freeman attached a document instructing vets to report cases to the FDA if a patient was eating any diet besides those made by well-known, reputable companies or if eating a boutique, exotic ingredient, or grain-free diet. This protocol essentially cherry-picked cases against competitors while exempting the very companies funding Freeman’s research. The other key researchers showed similar ties. Darcy Adin from the University of Florida has been involved in studies funded by Purina since 2018 and by the Morris Animal Foundation since 2017 — a nonprofit founded by the creator of the first line of dog foods produced by what became Hill’s Pet Nutrition. Joshua Stern from UC Davis has authored studies funded by the Morris Animal Foundation since 2011. When pressed about these conflicts, Stern acknowledged that it’s hard to find a veterinary nutritionist who hasn’t done research for pet food companies. This isn’t a defense — it’s an admission that the entire field operates under structural capture. The Science That Debunked the Scare — And Was Largely Ignored While the FDA investigation generated headlines and market panic, controlled studies told a different story. University of Guelph research published in The Journal of Nutrition found that dogs fed diets containing up to 45 percent whole pulse ingredients and no grains over 20 weeks showed no indications of heart issues. The study involved 28 Siberian Huskies in a randomized controlled trial, with each dog assigned to a diet containing either zero, 15, 30, or 45 percent whole pulse ingredients. The dogs’ body composition altered less than 0.1 percent from baseline no matter which diet they were on. Lead researcher Kate Shoveller was clear about the implications: the data suggest the inclusion of pulse ingredients in dog food is not a causative factor and emphasizes the importance of understanding the nutrient composition of each ingredient. This was the longest controlled feeding study on the topic — far more rigorous than the observational case reports that triggered the FDA investigation. Yet it received a fraction of the media coverage. Even studies by industry-funded researchers failed to establish causation. A study led by Lisa Freeman that found chemical differences between dog foods associated with DCM and other commercial dog foods was not meant to find causal relationships among chemical compounds and dog health. Yet business-to-consumer media outlets covered the research as if it had found such a relationship. The Lawsuit That Named the Game In February 2024, a $2.6 billion lawsuit was filed against Hill’s Pet Nutrition, its research foundations including the Morris Animal Foundation, and affiliated veterinary researchers. The suit alleges that the FDA’s DCM investigation was fraudulently induced by Hill’s-affiliated veterinarians at Tufts University and other major research institutions, all of which received extensive funding from Hill’s-affiliated entities. The veterinarians allegedly caused the FDA to take drastic action by flooding the agency with hundreds of DCM case reports that were intentionally chosen to overrepresent the commonality of grain-free diets among dogs suffering from the disease. Whether this lawsuit succeeds legally is less important than what it exposes: a pattern of conduct where industry-funded researchers shaped a regulatory investigation in ways that damaged their funders’ competitors, all while the actual controlled science showed no causation. How Corporate Capture Works This isn’t about conspiracy — it’s about incentives. The pet food industry doesn’t need smoke-filled rooms when it has: Captured research funding: The major manufacturers fund the studies, the journals, and the researchers Veterinary education control: UC Davis has a Hill’s VIP Market program where faculty, residents and students get discounts on Hill’s food, and Purina has donated $50,000 annually to the veterinary school’s Center for Food Animal Health since 2006 Clinic ownership: Major corporations now own veterinary chains where their products are sold Continuing education: Industry sponsors determine what vets learn about nutrition throughout their careers When Freeman instructs veterinarians to selectively report cases involving “boutique” brands but not “well-known, reputable companies,” she’s not acting maliciously — she’s operating within a system where her career, her funding, and her institution’s resources all flow from those same “reputable companies.” The result is structural bias that doesn’t require intent. Hypotheses that threaten incumbent products don’t get funded. Null findings don’t get publicized. Press releases outrun peer review. And veterinarians repeat industry messaging to worried pet owners without understanding they’re marketing products, not practicing medicine. The Endgame: Protecting Market Share, Not Dogs The FDA ended regular updates on its DCM investigation on the Friday before Christmas 2022, effectively burying the news. The agency released less-than-positive news on a Friday in hopes it would go unnoticed leading into the weekend. After years of investigation, thousands of case reports, and significant market disruption, the FDA stated that while adverse event numbers can be a potential signal of an issue with an FDA-regulated product, by themselves they do not supply sufficient data to establish a causal relationship with reported products. Translation: We have no evidence that pea protein causes heart disease. Yet the damage was done. Alternative diets lost market share. Grain-based formulas from major manufacturers regained dominance. And pet owners were left believing that feeding their dogs peas could kill them — despite controlled studies showing exactly the opposite. More than 150 published studies didn’t reveal to researchers any firm connection among cases of canine dilated cardiomyopathy and grain-free dog food. The science never justified the panic. But the panic achieved what science couldn’t: it protected the oligopoly’s profit margins. What Pet Owners Need to Know Peas are not killing your dog. Legumes, including pulse ingredients, have been used in pet foods for many years with no evidence to indicate they are inherently dangerous. What matters is overall diet formulation, nutritional balance, and quality control — factors that have nothing to do with whether grains are present or absent. When your veterinarian recommends switching to a “reputable brand,” ask which companies fund their continuing education. When you see an article about dangerous ingredients in pet food, check who funded the research. When the FDA announces an investigation but provides no causal evidence, demand to see the controlled studies. Corporate capture thrives on information asymmetry. The antidote is educated skepticism and an understanding that in pet food science, following the money isn’t cynicism — it’s basic due diligence. The pea protein panic wasn’t about science. It was about market control. And it worked precisely because most people assumed that researchers, veterinarians, and regulatory agencies operate independently of the industries they study. They don’t. And your dog’s diet shouldn’t be based on their marketing. submitted by /u/thehomelessr0mantic to r/Pets [link] [comments]

Okay. I know this has been asked a million times, but hear me out. I got my new weenie puppy Purina pro plan puppy formula. I tried the chicken flavor, she wasn’t a fan…so we tried the lamb flavor…still didn’t care for it too much. Started mixing the wet PPP food in, still not enthusiastic about it. So I switched her to Royal Canin Dachshund puppy formula, which was a little better. BUT I took her to my parents who also have a new dachshund puppy, and they are feeding her Whole Hearted grain free beef and pea recipe, which I always thought was the most average food, and she LOVES it. She scarfs it down. Licks the plate clean. So I’m wondering if I should switch her to that food, but I just want her to get the best available for her health and I never thought that was it. So what do you all think? I also considered buying Hills Science Diet when we finally get through the food we have now… submitted by /u/itzcaitycat to r/Dachshund [link] [comments]

I scraped comments from 90+ posts where people asked “what’s the best dog food?” (plus some big pet and vet recommendation threads), then ran the whole pile of thousands of comments through an LLM pipeline to see which brands consistently get love vs. mixed reviews. Goal wasn’t “most mentioned,” but “most positively talked about.” Method in a nutshell: – Scraped 90+ “best dog food?” threads & pet care megathreads – Ran GPT-5 + Gemini 2.5 to extract brand names and classify sentiment – Scoring = ~70% positive vs. negative differential + ~30% positive/total ratio – Merged name variants so duplicates didn’t inflate results (e.g., “Purina Pro Plan Sensitive Skin,” “Purina Pro Plan Salmon” → one entry) + some other nerdy sentiment tweaks that I won't bore you with – Added a “Signal Score,” which mixes positive/negative ratios, upvotes, and comment quality, highly upvoted or detailed comments count more than short, low-effort ones. Would love your feedback! submitted by /u/LoneKnight25 to r/DOG [link] [comments]

I have a 125 lbs Rottweiler mixed with pittbull/boxer he’s got a sensitive stomach from having parvo when he was 8 weeks old he is 3 and a half now; and also a Boston terrier mixed with a fox terrier (allegedly) and he’s about 4 and a half years old 25 lbs . Beef seems to make their farts really stinky and upset tummies so I stay away from anything with beef ingredients, I want to make sure they are getting all the things they need to be healthy but I have no idea where to begin. Currently they both get Hills Science diet chicken and barley recipe dry dog food mixed with Hills perfect digestion chicken rice and vegetable stew and is fine but I feel like they could have a much better diet I love them so much. I spend around $300 a month on food now so I have a pretty big budget to work with. Any tips or suggestions are very appreciated! submitted by /u/Skating-Go0se to r/HomemadeDogFood [link] [comments]

I'm in charge of buying our dog's food, but me and my dad keep on getting into spats about her diet. Somehow, my dad has become convinced that brands like Farmer's Dog are best for dogs and that the brands I buy (Purina, Hill's, Pedigree, Royal Canin) are bad. It has to do with the commericials talking about how kibble is ultra processed, it's unappealing to most dogs, etc. Our dog doesn't also like kibble much. So, my dad thinks wet food is preferable over kibble. I try to tell him "no", that there's no major difference and that kibble is perfectly fine. He disagrees and says I'm forcing our dog to eat food she doesn't enjoy. "How would you like if you were forced to eat what you're served and nothing else?" This in turn led to him thinking human-grade wet foods are better for dogs, because they're more "natural" and less "processed". He also grew up with dogs who ate home-cooked food and lived to seniority, so he doesn't understand my views. My dad also likes Cesars because it comes in various flavours, like bacon & eggs or steak. I tell him the dog doesn't care. He thinks I'm just being cruel. When I try to tell him that the brands I prefer are science-backed and that vets overwhemingly prefer them, he says that vets get paid to say that. 😬 TLDR; How do I convince my dad that we shouldn't switch to Farmer's Dog, Ollie, or FreshPet? Does anyone have any good, but not overly sciencey, videos or data I can show him? submitted by /u/Gallantpride to r/DogFood [link] [comments]

For our next CANADA Score product rankings, we've focused on the Pet Food industry. Canada has tonnes of good, high-quality, home-grown options. Perhaps your pet wants to be patriotic too? 🙂 To remind, we independently assess each brand on four key factors: ownership, manufacturing, sourcing and job creation, and assign a CANADA Score out of 10 to estimate that brand's true contribution to the Canadian economy. To see all 75 pet food brands that were assessed, or to get more details on how CANADA Scores are derived, see www.theCanadaList.ca. submitted by /u/TheCanadaList to r/BuyCanadian [link] [comments]

Howdy folks, I am freaking out because of these tariffs going on. The US declared theirs and now Canada's declared ours. How does this relate to dog food, you may ask: well, my pup eats Hill's Science Diet Sensitive Stomach and Skin and has done so for YEARS but it's manufactured in the USA and already SUPER expensive here in Canada. When we first started buying it for her it was around $90, now it's $110 . I'm worried with these new tariffs it'll get even more expensive. It may be time to start considering a switch to something made here in Canada. However, reading about Canadian brands like Acana and Orijen is, well, not reassuring. My girl is a 6.5 years old lab/texas heeler/mutt mix with sensitive skin. Any canucks out there that can make some recommendations? Thanks in advanced! Edit: Thanks for all the suggestions folks - it really helped calm me down submitted by /u/aflibbertygibbet to r/dogs [link] [comments]

Hi! I work at a pet store and also am a little obsessed with ingredients for my cat food (and dog food). Some of my coworkers (who have also had other years of experience in other pet stores) and I really dislike these brands. Some have switched their pets from SD or RC to frozen raw and have very positive feedback. I’ve heard some stuff that Hills Science Diet pays vets to have them in the vet office. That’s mostly what vets prescribe to people from what I can tell. We get a lot of customers that come in to get SD and RC. But why? The ingredients aren’t really that impressive. Here’s my mini rant that literally nobody asked for: Most recently took my kitten (8 months old) to the vet. For context my kitten eats kitten canned food, kitten kibble (small quantities), freeze dried raw, or frozen raw food (taking a break on the raw food because of bird flu). Our vet went on a pretty long rant about how raw diets and freeze dried raw brands “aren’t regulated”. That raw food could have a lot of bacteria and salmonella regardless of how it’s processed and how cats immune system can’t really fight that off well so canned food is best. That “cats will live just as long as on regular kibble and canned food.” Idk about anyone else but since I switched our dog to frozen raw food for even just 30% of his diet, it’s been a GAME CHANGER for his energy level and for his mobility. Maybe I’ve been just getting way too invested in the industry? What is your opinion on it all? EDIT: I AM ABSOLUTELY NO BETTER THAN A VETS OPINION. I question only to know more and have more of an understanding. This was our first vet visit with her and at the end of it all she said “it’s completely up to you at the end of the day. This is just how I feel about it” and it’s true. But there’s nothing wrong with asking questions and wondering why. Also nothing wrong with doing our own research. I always tell people to look stuff up and come to their own conclusions about things. Thank you for everyone’s opinions and stories. It’s really really helpful. I love hearing people stories about what works best for their pets and what doesn’t. All this information is very helpful. Not only for me but I’m sure also for a lot of other people curious too. IMPORTANT. There’s a comment in here linking about bird flu! Bird flu is real and everyone should be informed about it. It’s very very important that if you know anyone who is feeding raw (especially to their cats) that they know about it and STOP feeding raw. At least until this all dies down. submitted by /u/No_Oil_7351 to r/catfood [link] [comments]

I need some advice on anything I can add to my dog’s food to make her want to eat. My dog is a yorkie (13 yo but still very playful and energetic) and has been on the Royal canin hydrolyzed protein diet for years now. She absolutely hates it, has never enjoyed eating it and I can say with absolute confidence that she would rather starve than eat it. She only eats bc we hand feed her and we do this by playing with her. Basically, with one hand we play with a toy she really likes in front of her and she gets so excited that she’ll eat from the other hand with food in front of her. We feed her twice a day and each time could take hours. Sometimes she’s not in the mood to play, or she’ll get bored of a toy. Those are the most difficult feedings. It is very time consuming and I’m growing more and more frustrated. I am very busy lately but I can’t do anything that needs to be done because I have to sit there desperately trying to get her attention somehow so she can eat while she does her best to ignore me and the food. And I can’t stop insisting or she will literally stop eating which stresses me out because then I just worry over her health. In the past we have tried to allow her hunger strike until I presumed she would eventually eat from survival necessity. It didn’t work and she got so weak from not eating it took ages for her to eat again, she lost a lot of weight and since she is only about 8 lbs it made a big difference. She also got bloody stool again. So we are not willing to try that again. We have taken her to more vets than I can count, nobody has any suggestions for her refusal to eat other than just “keep trying” every now and then they would give her something to stimulate her appetite but even then she won’t eat on her own, just will put up less of a fight. A bit on her history and food preferences: She used to be on normal food years ago and was free fed (I know it’s not ideal but I was a kid and didn’t know any better) she didn’t seem to have many issues in this era. Eventually she would get diarrhea and bloody stool so this is when she was switched to hydrolyzed. We tried the hills science diet for sensitive stomachs wet food about two years ago out of desperation and lo and behold she began to eat on her own for the first time in years. After a few months on that she started getting stomach issues again so we had to switch her back to Royal canin. A few weeks ago we decided to give a new vet a chance and they recommended she try the hills d/d food sensitivities one, it is a venison protein, she doesn’t like neither the wet or dry food. I have tried microwaving it, adding water, adding cheese, rice, beans, scrambled eggs, chopped up fruits/vegetables, peanut butter, all of which she enjoys enough on their own but it’s not enough to make her want to eat the food. The only thing she shows enthusiasm for eating is the greenies dental treats for some reason, that’s the only thing she never has to be coaxed into eating. We are now trying a new thing with instead of playing we try holding a greenies treat in front of her to try to get her to eat. Because I noticed she started shaking during playtime/feeding and I worried I was doing more harm than good. But the allure of the greenies treat is beginning to not be as effective. She always stares at us eating our food and would happily eat it if she could so I think it’s not so much she refuses to eat in general but that she doesn’t like her dog food. I am out of ideas and open to anything. I just want her to eat, preferably from her bowl. Though I am frustrated I love my dog and I want what’s best for her, please if anyone has any ideas on anything I can do or add to her meals to entice her that would fit in her hydrolyzed diet I am open to suggestions. I would literally do anything, thanks to anyone that gives any advice. submitted by /u/willowfest to r/DogAdvice [link] [comments]

Hello all, my dog had a bout of pancreatitis for the first time thankfully he’s recovered well but he’s still on home-cooked meals. He was on the science hills food for large breed dogs beforehand and now we’ve tried to reintroduce it into his diet but when we do, he vomits, regardless of how little we put in. Does anyone have a dog food recommendations that sat well with their boxer after recovering from pancreatitis? I had a boxer before and we fed her Solid Gold, but I read they’ve had recalls and they’re also super expensive. Any suggestions are much appreciated! Also he turned 3 yesterday. submitted by /u/Photomotostatio to r/Boxer [link] [comments]

Hello! I have a 6 month old Alaskan malamute, my husband and I feed him red meat and dry dog food the hills science diet brand for large puppy breed. These past few days he no longer gets excited or shows interest during feeding time, he is on a feeding schedule breakfast at 7am and dinner at 5pm. He is not sick, still plays, runs around and goes out for his daily walks. Any advice as to why he suddenly hates his dog food? submitted by /u/Ohsandreee to r/DogAdvice [link] [comments]

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