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Science Diet

Claimed Listing Business owned by slord. Added on 08/07/2009
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147 Reviews

AnnieandLexi
11/02/2009

Science Diet 5

My dog won't eat anything else but SD. She was raised on Ol' Roy and would not eat that when I bought it for her. I tried many different types of food. First I started with the lower quality foods, Beneful, Purina, Ol' Roy, etc. She would not eat any of it. My vet recommended SD and gave me a free sample. She has loved it ever since. SD time is her favorite part of the day. She is now 7 years old and acts just like she did when she was one. SD is the best thing that ever happened to my dog. Everyone should give it a try.

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roccosmom
09/23/2009

Science Diet 5

I have a Shih tzu-we got our puppy when he was 9 weeks old and he was on SD small bites until about about 11 and a half months of age-had no issues.

Researching and reading all sorts of negative comments in regards to SD let me to change his food (we did as we should and changed it slowly over the course of a week-I did not suddenly change his food so please don't attribute the following as a result of doing it improperly)....he soon developed chronic bouts of constipation and diarrhea...we tried several brands such as Wellness...Blue Buffalo...and Orijen-all "high quality" foods that were recommended by others....we brought him to the vet at least 4 or 5 times within a matter of two months....we, nor the vet could figure out what was wrong....they thought he'd swallowed something and had a blockage (negative), tested for parasites (negative), was given a $200.00 test for salmonella poisoning (negative), in between waiting for test results he was given antibiotics to firm up his poop....after all the testing came back negative the vet summed it up to him having an extremely sensitive digestive system and told us he'd need to be on prescription diet food for the rest of his life.

I couldn't accept that and in my stubborness I decided to try to go back to the food that he'd been raised on as a puppy (he's 14 months old now). I found Nature's Best Lamb & Brown Rice under the Hills SD brand from Petsmart. They have a money back guarantee so I figured I had nothing to lose....

Well, within two days of being back on this food I noticed a huge improvement....now a month later his poop is firm, and his digestive system has regulated. He's energetic, he's happy....and he loves his food.

I don't know much about canine nutrition, but I do know that whatever was in that higher quality food just did not agree with my dog. We spent countless dollars on vet bills only to find out that it was the food that was doing him harm. SD may not be the highest quality out there, but its more than sufficient for my dog.



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Coco Xie
09/18/2009

Science Diet 1

Horrible!! The First few ingredients are the worth ones for dogs, stop feeding your pet this brand~

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buddysmom
09/17/2009

Science Diet 1

Cheap ingredients that are not good for our pets! Dogs cannot digest corn or any grain for that matter, yet you can find whole ground corn, whole ground sorghum, whole ground wheat, soybean meal, corn gluten meal in a basic bag of SD dog food. Not to mention all the by-products (which are leftovers from the edible parts of animals - stuff like beaks and feathers) and the "animal" fat. What kind of animal is this fat from? If they can't name it, you shouldn't buy it!

This stuff is absolute crap. Dogs deserve real meat protein from specified meat sources. They NEED meat protein to thrive and be healthy. Do your research and feed your dogs human quality, all natural foods.

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tracyandcoco
09/05/2009

Science Diet 1

I have just taken my puppy on her first trip to my parents home in Florida and while here she has refused to eat her regular food. So yesterday I went to the vet and got her SD. She has had diarrhea ever since and it's so distressing.

If anyone has had the same issue please let me know how you helped your dog recover. Before this she was on a very healthy, organic raw food. Today she would only eat baked chicken.

She is a very small toy puppy and the vets in this area are closed tomorrow. I am worried.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you.
Tracy

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El Perro Patron
08/27/2009

Science Diet 1

Like many others, I switched to SD K/D that was prescribed by my vet for a temporary ailment my dog had. He immediately started having larger and more frequent stools, began itching constantly and developed hotspots and thinning hair. I switched brands to a more natural food that was based in ACTAL MEAT, not CORN AND CORN BYPRODUCTS! After that, his stools returned to normal as did his skin. I started researching and found that the ingredients in SD are nothing but garbage. Not only does Hills give kickbacks to vets who push this stuff, but they also "sponsor" the few nutrition classes that are taught in most of the veterinary schools. Talk about conflict of interest! Why not have McDonalds and Pepsi sponsor nutrition classes in our nation's elementary schools next? Seriously, I wouldn’t feed this garbage to a stray dog.

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MiniLover
08/25/2009

Science Diet 2

I wouldnt recommend this food at all! its nothing but by-products, fillers, and preservatives! Now I know there are some people that say its the worst food ever, but they are just being melodramatic. Working at petco for yrs really opened my eyes to not only dog foods, but animal health period! Hill's is recommended by vet's because they get payed for it! Any dog food(or cat food) you can buy at a market is basically junk food.. with fillers and by-products. I know people who feed their dog's Science Diet and their dogs are very healthy and active, but even with that said... I still wouldnt recommend it.

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DLT88
08/25/2009

Science Diet 1

This is one of the most dangerous foods to feed your pet. It contains ethoxyquin as a preservative. It is a weed killer and is a known carcinogen. When the cr*p was starting to the hit the fan about 10 years ago, Hills took advantage of a labeling loophole to deceive the public. The carcinogen is added to one of the ingredients which they buy from another source. That source adds the ethoxyquin in their ingredient so that Hills does not have to list it on their label. I e-mailed back and forth with Hills at that time, and they had to admit that ethoxyquin was still in their kibble -- which was followed by a load of corporate propaganda about not enough proof being available that is causes cancer in dogs and cats. Well -- just go on line to any Intestinal lymphoma or intestinal tumor groups for cats or dogs --- and you will find a bunch of well-meaning owners who were feeding their pet --- Hills Science Diet. I was feeding this to a colony of stray and feral cats in the mid-90's thinking I was doing something good for them. 8 of the 10 cats developed intestinal lymphoma and intestinal tumors. The other 2 cats died from a (1) coyote and (1) cancer in the jaw. Of the cats who joined the colony after I switched foods, ZERO have developed it.

After your dog or cat develops cancer in the intestines, your 'wonderful' corporate-controlled vet will try and sell you MORE Hills "special foods" to help your pet with the cancer that Hill's food caused in the first place!! It's a SCAM and Hills knows very well what it is doing ---- making money. They have no soul and do not care about your pet. BOYCOTT THEM BIG TIME. Don't let your vet sell you more of their cr*p.

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VegasGirlie
08/19/2009

Science Diet 1

I'm reading quite a number of reviews from people who swear by this food because their vet recommends it. I work for a vet and like others have mentioned, the doctors get kickbacks from the Hills for promoting and selling their crappy food. To make it worse some of those prescription formulas are like fifty bucks for a twenty pound bag and the main ingredients are corn and by product meal. I never recommend Science Diet to any of our clients even though I could get in trouble for doing so. There are many food on the market that are of much better quality for the same price.

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nnorris
08/16/2009

Science Diet 1

AWFUL....DO NOT USE!!!

We have been feeding our Lab and Hound Mix this food for awhile. All of a sudden the Hound Mix is itching, licking and making herself raw. Spent tons of money at the vet and they said she had allergies. Paid a ton to have her on steroids all to find out a few grand later that the food she is on. DO NOT FEED this to your pet even if your vet recommends it.

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BirdyGirl
08/16/2009

Science Diet 1

Total junk food.

How many ways do they list corn????

Everyone knows corn goes in looking the same way it comes out your bum.

They'll list corn 3 or 4 different ways and by the way, CELLULOSE IS used to make card board and paper and is found in SD. Gross.

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kristelmc
08/12/2009

Science Diet 1

This Food Is HORRIBLE! SERIOUSLY! SO NOT FEED YOUR POOR DOG THIS! My boyfriend and I switched our 3 month Rott onto this because the vet said to, and our poor baby was sick for DAYS! He was pooping 10 times a day, which is clearly not healthy. He was so dehydrated we had to buy him pedialyte to replenish his poor body. He was always tired, less active, he was always whimpering, and COULD NOT CONTROL HIS BOWLS! i do not recommed this to any one! i suggest you simply buy a high quality food that you can buy at the super market. combined with a vitamin and and pup wlll be fine!

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jamsaxon
08/05/2009

Science Diet 1

Took my dog off Science Diet and switched her to California Natural - Salmon. She was scratching and licking profusely and her skin was always red and irritated. Additionally, she was overweight as well.

These problems have gone away in the few months since I took her off the SD. The vet originally recommended the SD but with all the improvements after the switch I wonder what she is thinking now.

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Science Diet 1

Our vet put our dog on the Hill's Science Diet K/D for renal problems. The food is so bad tasting that our dog will eat her breakfast at 3 p.m., when she know she will get nothing else. She eats her dinner at around 11 p.m. I called Hill's and they suggested that I put oregano in the food. Why don't they?!!!! We tried doctoring it up with chicken broth. Then she started throwing it up. We then combined it with Pedigree's healthy digestion and she licked the Pedigree off the Hill's food and would, much later, finish eating the Hill's.

The bad part is that Hill's seems to have an exclusive deal with vets so that they can only carry the Hill's brand. We found Purina NF and Royal Canin for renal problems. She readily ate these with no problem.

Hill's shame on you!!! And vets, why do you accept these exclusive deals with Hill's? Shame on you too!

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Carambola
07/30/2009

Science Diet 1

This is probably the worst food i have given my poor dog. For one it has corn which is indigestable to dogs, a wealth of animal fat, and other ingredients like stool hardeners and such. When my dog ate it she seemed constipated, her eyes would water frequently and she hated eating. When i switched her food to a natural brand which has foods that humans would eat, she was happy to eat and she isn't constipated and her eyes don't water, even her coat improved. Plus some of their money goes in to advertising their produvts with vets so they will reccomend the dog food and sell it to people. Plus, so many people complain of how their dogs have gotten sick from the food and it seems the company doesn't claim that their food was the problem or take action. It is disgusting. Here's my rule: If you wouldn't eat what is in dog food, don't give it to your dog. And i am sure many people would not like a crunchy blend of corn, chicken and fat for every meal.

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Bean41289
07/22/2009

Science Diet 2

I don't recommend this food at work. It has corn, wheat and soy. Not only that but Hills uses Animal Fat for a preservative. I did call and ask what kind of animal they used and the person told me either chicken or pork. So then how come they can't put that on the bag? I don't know. There have been a lot of customers that complain that their dog(s) poop more or they are hungry again after being fed. In reality, you need to feed more because of the grains. I went to a SD seminar last summer and the lady said that if you don't feed your dog or cat SD then you might as well buy a shovel and a coffin because you are killing it! I will not sell this to a customer.

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mariammorris
07/19/2009

Science Diet 2

I started feeding my Chihuahua SD puppy when he was 9wks old. The breeder had started him on Eukanuba but he was pooping 10-15 time a day so I switched him. There seemed to be a large improvement with Science Diet. He wasn't going as much and he seemed to like it just fine. However, he still wasn't very healthy. His skin was red and flaky and he was loosing hair. I was told by my vet that this was normal because he is a blue chihuahua and they tend to have skin conditions. I thought there was nothing I could do about it.
Then when I was visiting my sister months later, I spotted a Holistic Pet Center. I dropped in to see if perhaps they had something topical i could apply to my chi's skin to help it. They did have something topical but they also insisted that his diet was the main problem for him. I was really resistant but grudgingly I purchased a bag of Azmira Holistic dog food. With in a weeks of switching from SD to Azmira his skin started looking less red and flaky and in about a month I noticed that his hair was growing back! He is happy and healthy now. Also Azmira is CHEAPER than Science Diet (but hard to find). If your dog is healthy on science diet, great. But if not, try a holistic food like Azmira and I'd be really surprised if you didn't see improvements.

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slmrate
07/13/2009

Science Diet 4

I gave it 4 stars because I know its ingredients are not really that good, but nonetheless my dogs love it and are healthy when on it.

SD is not the best food, but it is not horrible, either. At the end of the day, it's the dogs' opinions (expressed in the form of their health conditions) that matter. If your dogs aren't in good heath when on SD, then feed them something else. But if your dogs are in good health when on SD, like my dogs are, then there's nothing wrong feeding them SD. I'm so tired of hearing people accusing SD users to be bad pet owners. I choose SD and I am not a bad pet owners. I take my dogs exercises regularly and give them a lot of love and attention. They are healthy and happy dogs.

I've tried several good brands (Wellness, Blue, Nutro, Natural Balance...) but somehow my dog just didn't do well when she's on these better brands. She had loose stool and her itching and paw-chewing problems got really bad, even when these brands were introduced to her slowly. Things got back to normal when I reluctantly switched her back to Hill's SD.

I am aware that SD's ingredients are not as good as other better brands, but my dog likes SD food and has been on it for 7.5 years. She was a 2-year old mutt when I adopted her, and she has never had any health problems. Together with regular exercise (she walks at least 3 miles everyday) and a lot of love and attention, she is in a very good shape for a 9.5 years old. Her teeth are great and she is very perky when she walks. The only reason I tried to change her diet was because of the large amount of negative reviews about Hill's SD.

I used to have a senior toy poodle who was 11 years old and in a terrible physical shape when I adopted him. He was on SD's senior/small bites for a bit longer than 6 years; he also didn't have any health problems, but was just getting old and eventually passed away in his sleep at home peacefully. When I adopted him, I was told that he would only live for another 2 or 3 years. But he lasted longer and was healthy and perky until the last 2 days when his body started to shut down.

In addition to my own dogs, I also have friends who feed their dogs SD and are doing well. Of course, I've also known dogs that don't do well on SD. So it's kind of like people, food A is good for people A but not B.



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kokol
06/17/2009

Science Diet 1

i used to fed my dobie with this brand. Have to add meat and fish oil to make her swallow this brand. failed

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ajeauxdn
06/16/2009

Science Diet 1

My Parents and I both Have Minture Pinshers. Both feed Science diet as recommened by our vet. My dog had terrible body odor, His anal glands always seem to stink water eyes and always chewed his feet. My mother's dog did not exhibit all the same symptons but did have inconsistent bowls, body odors and water eyes. We switched to nutra ultra brand and all of these things have dissappeared. Buy your dog good dog food and do some research!

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erynkts
06/16/2009

Science Diet 1

My mother's Staffordshire Terrier was being fed Science Diet by recommendation of her veterinarian. She suffered from horrible allergies. She licked and licked constantly. She also shed a lot and had a bad doggy odor. I did some researching and found out that science diet adult formulas contain corn, corn gluten meal and whole grain wheat, which studies have shown to be causes of allergies in dogs. Needless to say I informed my mother right away of this so-called "good food" and so my mom put her on Taste of the Wild grain-free Pacific Stream canine formula. She is doing much, much better! She does not lick anymore, she dosent shed like she used to, the doggy odor is gone and her coat is shinier. I wouldn't recommend Science Diet to anyone. I suppose some dogs can get along fine with it, but think of the kind of life they would have if they were fed a more nutritious food!

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Liberty Price
06/12/2009

Science Diet 1

I am extremely shocked with what I have recently found out about Hill's Science Diet along with the majority of every other pet food manufacturer. I have had labs for about 15 years now and just yesterday I took my 3 year old to the vet clinic to get a blood profile done to see what her figures were for her for the thyroid, glucose, kidney, liver etc. I was told today that her kidney levels were out of normal range. She has been on R/D science diet for the last year. My concern is after reading the ingredients from the Science Diet I'm wondering if the lack of strict guidelines on the "by product" and "EQ" that go into this food is harming my animal. This is scary stuff if you want to see for yourself go to this website and check the links. It will make you sick and it very graphic http://caninekidneydiseasebreakthrough.com/ It's not about talking bad about the pet food companies or trying to be anti big pet food companies, however I have had 3 labs die from liver kidney complications at the time the labs were a mother and two of her pups I knew that she did not have a strong pedigree and associated it with that. Now my concern is that my new dog at age 3 is going to struggle with kidney/liver problems at a young age all because of pet food. If there is anyone who has a recipe that they use to feed their dogs will you please post? I'm definately looking for an alternative.

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loebee
06/11/2009

Science Diet 1

I wouldn't feed this crap to a person on death row and I really am not impressed with people these days. I have been a pet groomer for almost 20 years and an avid show breeder and handler long before that. You might as well feed your dog Pedigree. All those who believe exactly what your vets tell you is a fool. Educate yourself and do the research. Do you know that nutrition is not elective course in vet school. Hell I have found that most vets can't even tell what a breed is mixed with. I have heard some say a dog is mixed with some off the wall crap that the dog does not even remotely look like. But yet people believe them, because hey they are a vet. And also vets are not trained how to prevent diseases in your pet: they are only trained how to treat it. I know some people who also take everything their doctor tells them to take without any questions or research. Because they are doctors! Please! The sad thing is that your pet is only as smart as you are. Geeze, I wonder why I see so many ill manered dogs! Lori Muddy Paws Grooming

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dashley111
05/06/2009

Science Diet 1

Pure JUNK! And costs almost as much as excellent, high-quality dog food (Wellness, Natural Balance).

My brother died recently, leaving behind his two labrador retrievers. They were taken to the shelter by Animal Control and stayed there a few days until I could drive out to pick them up. That shelter feeds Science Diet (donated), so I bought a bag so as not to change their diet - they didn't need any more changes in their lives, poor babies! I've never liked Science Diet (for my dogs or my cats), so I immediately started to gradually mix in the Wellness & Natural Balance foods that I feed my own dogs. I happened to read the ingredients in the Science Diet Large Breed dog food and was absolutely horrified! The first 6 ingredients are:

Ground Whole Grain Corn
Chicken By-Product Meal
Soybean Meal
Animal Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid)
Soybean Oil
Chicken Liver Flavor

Plus, the recommended "serving" was more than 6 cups for an 80-lb dog - more than double what the quality food recommends - because they're eating a bunch of corn that goes right through them!

After 7 days they were completely off of Science Diet, so I returned what was left to the store and got a full refund, I'm happy to say, and bought a bag of "the good stuff."

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willmy
04/16/2009

Science Diet 5

Please - have any of you guys had to try it for what it is prescribed for? doesn't look like it -

Prescription Hills SD helped my dog greatly. It is designed to change the ph level of a dogs urine long enough to try to dissolve struvite stones along with antibiotic treatment to avoid surgery!!! It will tell you right on the web site it is not a complete nutritionally balance and can not be considered a long term food - you feed for 1 to 2 months to see if it will work with your dog. While the dog also gets antibiotics -- it is a nutritional medician. IF your dog responds - viola - no need for putting him under and doing a bladder surgery. Please don't review if you have never tried things yourself -- it's like me writing a review on Edmunds for a Lamborgini or something.

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rbscorolla
03/26/2009

Science Diet 5

I have a 7 year old miniature pinscher. Science diet has a variety of brands specifically formulated for your dogs personal needs. For instance, light,puppy,senoir,adult, and other specality foods. I have been feeding my pet this brand all her life. She has never been sick. Her coat is beautiful and shiny and she is very active for her age. The vet has never forced the sale of food on me. I have used this product upon the reccomendation of other friends. I have never had a negative experince with this brand. I would tell anyone to use this product. Differerent dogs respond differently to different types of food. I would advise anyone to try SD and see the results for yourself.

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lucy2
03/15/2009

Science Diet 5

We have a new dog that came to us in January eating Science Diet Lamb and Rice dry food, adult small bites. She does very well on it in that her coat is soft and glossy, her "ouput" in the yard is easy to pick up and not too much (we live in a condo development so that is important). She finds the food very tasty so I never have to "doctor" it up or throw out food left in the bowl. I was going to change her food to the same food her sister is eating, but have decided, based on the results to feed them both the Science Diet. The number 1 ingredient on the label is lamb meal followed by brewers rice and rice flour (the main ingredients of the kibble) and the food is preserved with Vitamin C and E. It is not a fancy food (no fruits, vegetables or spices), but is digested very well.

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Smacko
03/12/2009

Science Diet 1

this is a very bad brand! it has been recalled a couple years ago and yet ppl still put it on there selfs to sell. U should stop feedig ur pet this brand one of my cats died for eating it

so swich ur food

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armywife65
03/10/2009

Science Diet 2

We had our dogs on Science Diet because the Vets recommend it and that is because the Vets get kick back on it. Science Diet helps out the Vet Colleges. In reality Vets really don't know what food is the best. However, I was lucky enough to have the vet assistant tell me about Science Diet and that Canidae and Innova is much much better for the dogs. That Science Diet has too many fillers and bi-products, which is very true.
Our dogs bowel movements were way to hard, they were always constipated and went potty several times a day.
I don't recommend Science Diet what so ever

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CeruleanTervz
02/21/2009

Science Diet 1

It gets one star simply because there's no option for no stars.

I worked as a vet tech for 8 years, through college. Science Diet is recommended by vets largely because they sponsor most of the nutrition for veterinary schools and provide BIG discounts on their products for vets and clinic staff. Vets generally only take a class or two in nutrition and guess who provides the info??? Some vets choose to spend more time with continuing education in nutrition. These are the folks that don't sell SD. (I'm not knocking vets at all... they're expected to be internal medicine practicioners, pediatrics, radiologists, dentists, general surgeons, etc. all in one. There's simply too much else for them to focus on!)

For the money, you'd be better off feeding Purina One or ProPlan. There are MUCH better diets out there in a similar price range. Try Blue Buffalo, Nature's Variety, Evo, Bil-Jac or Healthwise!

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Nutrition
02/10/2009

Science Diet 5

First of all...I think you have to realize what pet food industy is trually about and that is easy to place ingredients over nutrition into food. I mean blueberries and watemelon sounds amazing for humans...but hot tip maybe no the best for the health of your pet. By-products are in almost in every pet ingredient. Guess what jello, lamb meal, turkey gizzards alll have in common ...there all by-products. there are good by-products and bad. To say that corn is the grain of all evil is soo offside. It's in the processing of the corn it's 95% degestive and the least allergetic grain. There are a lot of misconceptions on what causes food allergies. Scientific data shows that in dogs 95%and in cats 80%
There a myths that allergies are caused by ingredients such as corn but that is not the case. To say that something is a filler would imply it has no nutritional value; when in fact corn is a superb source of nutrients. There is a misconception that whole corn is used – in fact the corn is baked and is much like ground corn you buy. When cooked it is highly digestible.We hear many concerns about by-products in pet food. We need to understand how they are defined and what they really are and what is their nutrient value.
By-products is really a play on words. Virtually all ingredients in pet foods are by-products. No one for example uses real chicken breasts as we know it.It's neck and backs of a chicken.
Another common myth is that meat should always be the first ingredient, inferring that if that was the case, there would be more meat than anything else in the food. Often the carbohydrates levels are higher than the meats because of the way they are listed in the ingredient panel.Meat first is often the first ingredient only to please the consumer look st the ash levels and mositure levels, and ingreident spliting.
PLease note vets don't get free food or speical deals for pushing product. Vets are in the field to help pets not sell pet food usually most pets are on a vet diet for a small amount of time. And cost per feeding is 60 cents per day for a 20 lbs dog. Science Diet SAVED my dog and I know that if it wasn't for Science Diet it would be here today. SO next time you compare foods see if there "As Fed" meaning that they did feeding trials on there food ie studies that it works! Or if It's fomulated that it wasnt tested and jiust caculated what meets the needs based on caculation. It's your choice! I'll like to base my foods on proof and case studies....as your pet store for some case studies of there so called natural no grain items...they won't or ask them for there dry matter information then see how meat weights in there food.....

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aubreyy
01/31/2009

Science Diet 1

Science Diet is one of the lowest quality foods out there. It's main ingredient is corn! Dogs like people dont digest corn. Corn contains aflatoxins which is a naturally occurring fungi that grows on corn, soy, and even peanuts. These aflatoxins are deadly to your dog. This can cause things like pancreatic cancer, liver disease, UTIs, which can lead to bladder problems and kidney failure! I work at a pet supplies store and most of our foods are holistic but we carry science diet because it is a business and our owner likes the popularity of it...a science diet representative told our employees that we are NOT ALLOWED to show our customers the ingredient pannel...obviously there is something to hide. And for the person who said you need to be an expert to know this stuff...you dont...it just takes a little knowledge, research and experience and most importantly common sense to know what is good for your dog. veterinarians know nothing about nutrition...science diet funds vet schools and brainwashes them to believe science diet and corn is good for your dog. its not! if you want a good brand of dog food...try the Natura products like Innova and Healthwise or Merrick or Before Grain. Stay away from "Science" Diet...try something holistic...for the well being of your dog.

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aaolson
01/20/2009

Science Diet 1

My puppy would not eat this dog food. I received a free bag from my vet. I was already feeding him Purina One Puppy Chow. I mixed the two bags together and he would only eat the Purina and leave the Science Diet in his bowl.

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Faustao
12/29/2008

Science Diet 1

  I work in a pet health food store, and a woman came in the other day that almost cried while talking to me, telling me her American Eskimo was has been on Hill's vet food its entire life and now it has less than a week to live before the kidneys completely fail.

How ironic. It was a young dog too. I didn't have the heart to tell her it was most likely the food in the first place that caused this problem!

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Hounded
12/16/2008

Science Diet 5

  I have NEVER been a Science Diet fan, in fact, have detracted as many people as possible from feeding the "overpriced, grain based junk" over the years. After all, I'd heard time and again how this food was nothing but a marketing gimmick, how the Vets were getting such a lucrative deal from selling it. Waaaay back in the day when raw diets were being shoved down everyone's throat (if you didn't feed raw in '01-'03ish you were abusing your dogs ... @@) we even used to call this brand Science Death. There has to be more misinformation, propoganda & outright lies surrounding this brand than any other, even the dreaded Purina!
     I have fed everything from raw to probably almost a dozen holistic foods over the years, including Best In Show, which has been out of business for some time, Canidae, Nutro Ultra, Back To Basics, Timberwolf, Merrick, Evolve, Natural Balance ... the list goes on. The latest in the holistic foods has been Wellness, both the CORE & the Just for Puppy. I'd been feeding Purina (GASP!!!) wasn't happy about a recent formula change, so decided to try somethign "better". HA! I have never had so many problems from a food. From compulsive stool eating and gastric problems in the puppy feed after feeding it for a few months this summer/fall to severe life threatening problems on CORE. No, absolutely not exaggerating. None of them did well - one had a seizure we have now determined to be related to hypoglycemia & dehydration. Vet believes there was great strain on his kidneys as the BUN and cholesterol were elevated - he was drinking and urinating so copiously on CORE, was just not doing well, loosing weight, and had a very mild petit mal seizure due to the havoc it was wreaking in his body.
     Anyway, I digress. On to my Science Diet review!
     I have been feeding Science Diet  Active Adult for about 3 weeks now and the changes are REMARKABLE. Just absolutely astonsihing. First, I want to say the feed has changed over the years, and is now preserved naturally, with mixed tochopherols. It is a low carb food, about 38%, which is similar to the amounts in foods like Purina ONE/Pro Plan, and Eukanuba ... and CORE. I find it's the holistic foods that are close to 50% carbs.
     I have 12 dogs, all of whom are now eating less of this product and digesting it well as evidenced by small, firm, infrequent stools. Teeth are clean, eyes are bright, very even energy level. Everyone's coat has drastically improved. Coats are soft, thick & glossy. Appetites are just ravenous! They absolutely love the taste of Science Diet :) That makes me happy because it's not possible for active working dogs (we hunt hare/squirrel) to maintain health if they pick at their food. Again, I am feeding very little to maintainweight. The largest dog, a 65lb Shepherd mix is eating 2 cups daily. He also has the best coat he's had since he was about 2 yrs old (he's 8 now) and the most unexpected, miraculous thing is that his chrinic moist, yeasty, wax encrusted ear infection is finally, after YEARS of treatment, clearing up more and more every day!!! I also had a very stiff young bitch who had a hunting injury as a pup. As of late, she's been walking aroudn hunch backed and stiff. Poor gal was very uncomfortable and lethargic. Well, not anymore. Her tail is way up, gait is normal, she is running around and is probably one of the most active dogs we own now!
     You just cannot blow off results like this. I pay about $44 for the 40lb bag, which I consider to be moderately priced. Insult the ingredients or the marketing all you want, but I have healthy Beagles (and a mutt) who are living proof that the holistic kibbles are not at all what they are cracked up to be. I hate the stupid argument that feeding SD or Purina is like feeding Mc Donalds ... while Innova or Orijen is like feeding fresh foods. WAKE UP. All kibble is processed, and feeds like Orijen are no less processed or any better because they have an entire spice rack and veggie stand in them. And for 38% carbs, you can bet that Science Diet does NOT skimp on the meat.
     So there's my review. This is one of the best foods I've ever used.

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katydidrocks
12/12/2008

Science Diet 1

NO SCIENCE DIET!!!! TRUST ME!!! Your dogs are probably doing great, I had a dog that lived 12 years on Kibbles and Bits. If you haven't eaten, or heard of AT LEAST the first 5 ingredients in your dog food they shouldn't be on it!! Do you get up in the morning and have meat - by - products for breakfast!!!!! Then why should your dogs!! Please, Science Diet is horrible for your dog!! You have worked in a clinic, does your clinic have classes on animal nutrition?? Trust me, I spend my entire day walking around a bunch of dog food, I know what is good and bad. Science Diet is at the bottom of the list when it comes to good dog food.  You can do so much better for them for half the price!! Verus is a awesome dog food made with all human grade ingredients! Healthwise is the same price as Iams and doesn't lack any quality!! Innova, Evo, California Natural all of these foods are so much better for them!! Please, just look into Merrick, or Healthwise and see what I mean. You have to trust me, I have seen so many people who were so hooked on Science Diet be so surprised when Verus made their dog do so much better! Just give it a try! Look into Verus, or Healthwise, and get some samples.

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VictoriaCK9
12/10/2008

Science Diet 5

I have raised my 2 dogs on Science Diet and they are doing great! I have a 14 yr old and also a 7 mth old German Shepherd. They haven't had any health issues. My 14 yr old male hasn't had any joint or athritis problems and I don't give him any supplements. Both of their coats look great! So in my opinion I give S.D 5 stars!!! I also work at a veterinary clinic and I can tell everyone we do NOT get a kick back from selling S.D. I would also like to tell everyone the biggest things you want to watch isnt so much the ingredients its the NUTRIENTS. The most important nutrients you want to watch are the Protein-Phophorus- and calcium. (most dog foods don't list the phosphorus and calcium you need to call the company and ask). My fiance just switched his 5 Belgian Malinois from Taste of the Wild to S.D about 2 months ago and he has seen a big improvement. He switched them because when he did his older dogs Bloodwork his phosphorus levels where to high. We rechecked the bloodwork on monday and all levels are great!!! Excessive amounts of Protein and Phosphorus can increase the risk of kidney disease as your pets get older! High calcium can cause your dogs to develop stones! Hope everyone finds this helpful!

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sis0052
12/08/2008

Science Diet 1

Science Diet dog food is not healthy food for dogs! I started my 8 month old puppies on Science Diet and in two months they started chewing non edible items in the house and in the yard. They had never done this before. One of them became very ill and got much worse within two days. I took the pup for emergency surgery for impacted gut, costing hundreds of dollars. They found two acorns, unchewed. These were from a Chinkapin oak in my yard. The acorns are small and slick. At first I thought it was a puppy thing. I started thinking that one acorn might have been an accident, but twohad to have been on purpose. A couple of days later when I was at a feed store I found Science Diet dog food on sale at half price. They were getting rid of it and selling other brands. Two reasons: One, they couldnt compete with all the veternarians who were also selling it. Two, because it was not good nutrition for dogs. They told me to look at the lablecontains mostly corngoes right through the dogs. Long story a little shortermy pups were eating non edible items because they were HUNGRY and lacking good nutrition!! From now on Ill be feeding Science Diet (whats left of it) to my chickens because thats good nutrition for them, NOT my dogs!

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shug357
12/02/2008

Science Diet 4

I have had my dog on this for years. When I adopted my dog from a pound his coat was in bad shape. It now looks wonderful.

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Joseph6714
12/01/2008

Science Diet 4

Kristy!!!
I have an Italian Greyhound who was on Iams and decided to switch
him to Nutro and the same with him, sick and threw up every day..I am
trying Science Diet today..he really ate it up,I will see how he reacts to it over this week,he is 7 years old by the way.
Nutro is CRAP and won't buy it again!

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truth176
11/04/2008

Science Diet 1

No! this dog food is garbage and is only pushed by vets bc they get a cut of the proceeds from sales.

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MMPanther41
10/23/2008

Science Diet 1

It is plain old nasty shit.

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Carriel34
10/21/2008

Science Diet 3

Well... Coming from a veterinarian's perspective (who has been practicing for over 13 years, and I used to be a veterinary technician myself) my mom (the doctor) has advised me that "Science Diet is not the best, but it is not the worst." So, I will give Science Diet three stars.

What is in the dog food, nutrient-wise, does matter! It's like a baby.. dog food provides proper nutrients just like a child needs proper nutrients in order to grow.

If Science Diet works for your pet, so be it. Having a boxer that is about 16 weeks I find that he has the world's most horrible gas on Science Diet. I do realize boxers are known for their foul smell, but I will be switching. I truly think if food agrees with their stomach he won't be gagging me. :) If you have gas/loose stools, chances are something isn't working out in your intestinal track, right!? :) (So true!)

It's kind of a personal choice, I'm not going to sit here and criticize anyone for what they feed as long as it's not old Roy or Alpo.. or the cheapest crap you can find. It varies from dog to dog on how they react to each food, just make sure it is approved by your veterinarian. It might take you a while to find a dog food that seems to agree with their tummy, but it will be worth it. I will be trying Canidae or Evo as that's what my mother recommended. Good luck to all pet owners out there!

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CrowMeris
10/15/2008

Science Diet 1

Virtually worthless. Good, informed vets won't sell it. If you find it at your vet's office, ask him or her WHY it's there. If your vet recommends it, find another vet.
Processed corn has no place in a dog's diet (a few kernels of fresh corn every now and then is fine). By-products have no place in a dog's diet.
Just because your dog eats it doesn't mean it's a good food. Here are the first 10 ingredients of the Original Flavor Adult Formula: Chicken, Ground Whole Grain Corn, Ground Whole Grain Sorghum, Ground Whole Grain Wheat, Chicken By-Product Meal, Soybean Meal, Animal Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), Corn Gluten Meal, Brewers Rice, and Chicken Liver Flavor.

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tut078620
10/13/2008

Science Diet 5

My 4 and 3 year old Pomeranian and Shih Tzu were overweight. I switched them to Science Diet Light. They are now at a healthy weight with a healthy coat and seem to like the food. Diarrhea is a rare event now. Additionally, I have an 11 year old Yorkie. Her coat was dull and it looked as though she was balding on her back. I switched to Science Diet for Mature Adult and she looks great. My vet recommended it and even said that it was a really good diet and he doesn't even sell Science Diet in his office - he sells some other prescription brand I can't remember the name of.

I noticed in all three dogs that when they did go use the restroom, their feces is a lot more solid, and there is more - I don't know if this is good or bad, but they seem to be less bloated and constipated and do not have trouble going now.

The vet had informed me that Science Diet has less fatty ingredients and more nutrients. Therefore the dog is absorbing more of the nutrients than the fat and feel fuller than when they eat low-grade dog foods.

I am surprised to see the many bad reviews and noticed that some of them say that the product was purchased in the Phillipines. I am in the United States - Texas and have not had a problem.

I guess different foods work for different dogs.

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sgstandardoo
09/22/2008

Science Diet 1

this is the worst, most overpriced crap on the market. if you feed this and your dog does well on it consider feeding it grocery store stuff. it would be cheaper and with better ingredient's. seriously check the label. vet's recommend it because they get kickback's from hill's. don't believe me, then check all your local vet's within a 30 mile radius. this stuff is pure s%^t !!!

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mrtambourinema n
09/20/2008

Science Diet 1

This is a helpful site to help those who are interested in learning how to read a dog food label based on the AAFCO regulations. Just remember that a lot of these dog foods are formulated to cut costs. 

http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=labeli nfo101
 
Another helpful link in respect to reading a dog food label is the fda itself:

http://www.fda.gov/cvm/petlabel.htm

This is where dogfoodproject.com gets most of their information.

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AleashaC
09/16/2008

Science Diet 1

The primary ingredient in the food is a low quality grain. Corn is a problmeatic 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.

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Loyalfox
08/21/2008

Science Diet 1

When I bought this dog food a few months ago, all 3 of my dogs turned up their noses to this food. When they realized that's all they were getting that night, they ate some of it. Then the next day, 2 of my dogs had horrible diarrhea. Won't ever buy this food again. My dogs are not picky and will eat just about anything. They now eat Taste of the Wild and have lustrous coats and look forward to eating their supper!

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maryhall45
08/20/2008

Science Diet 4

My Great Pyr. surgeon recommended science diet j/d. I can see a change in my big boy already. I have to mix the dry with canned to get him to eat it, but other than that this food is working for him.
He was diagnosed with Arthritis and Osteochondritis Dissecans at the very young age of 2 1/2. I wish I had always fed my baby this food.
Thanks,
Mary of Alabama

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