I used to feed my doggy poison. :D

[IAmLink]

For the record, vets know next to nothing when it comes to pet nutrition. You'd have to find an actual nutritionist vet and/or a holistic vet to get solid nutritional information about dog food.

Chappie dog food, just like Science Diet, is another one of those dog foods that the dog food companies pay the vets to say good things about and to recommend to their patients.

Science Diet is fine. Our dogs are perfectly healthy on it.
But my younger dog is always trying to get food. x3

Just because a dog seems healthy on the outside, doesn't mean that it is in the best health it could possibly be.

You'd likely see a major difference in your dog's health, activity levels, and physical appearance if they were on a more high quality diet.

All you have to do is look at the ingredients to see that there is a major difference between Science Diet, and some really high quality foods like Merrick, Fromm, etc.

Note: I am not telling anyone to feed their dog anything specific and/or trying to say that anyone is a terrible owner for feeding their dog a certain food. I am giving my honest advice with regards to the research I have done on dog food to give this information.

Just though I'd put that out there before I was attacked again

[Junsui]

For the record, vets know next to nothing when it comes to pet nutrition. You'd have to find an actual nutritionist vet and/or a holistic vet to get solid nutritional information about dog food.

Chappie dog food, just like Science Diet, is another one of those dog foods that the dog food companies pay the vets to say good things about and to recommend to their patients.

Science Diet is fine. Our dogs are perfectly healthy on it.
But my younger dog is always trying to get food. x3

Just because a dog seems healthy on the outside, doesn't mean that it is in the best health it could possibly be.

You'd likely see a major difference in your dog's health, activity levels, and physical appearance if they were on a more high quality diet.

All you have to do is look at the ingredients to see that there is a major difference between Science Diet, and some really high quality foods like Merrick, Fromm, etc.

Note: I am not telling anyone to feed their dog anything specific and/or trying to say that anyone is a terrible owner for feeding their dog a certain food. I am giving my honest advice with regards to the research I have done on dog food to give this information.

Just though I'd put that out there before I was attacked again

Really? It sure feels that way, Link.

And just because some random person on the Internet tells me that the dog food our dogs have lived on for years and had long healthy lives with is bad doesn't make them right.

You can think what you like, but really, I'm guessing more dogs benefit from SD then die.
But I get the feeling things like Beneful is not exactly high quality, just from commercials. they push how good their food is way too much. :/ I could be wrong, however.

[IAmLink]

Where did I call you a bad owner?

You don't believe me? Look it up, read the ingredients.

This thread is for people that want to feed their dogs the best kind of diet they can. Whether that be kibble, home made, or even raw. You don't need to comment here if you don't want to learn more information.

[Junsui]

Where did I call you a bad owner?

You don't believe me? Look it up, read the ingredients.

This thread is for people that want to feed their dogs the best kind of diet they can. Whether that be kibble, home made, or even raw. You don't need to comment here if you don't want to learn more information.

I commented here to say that Science Diet is fine.
And I have looked at the ingredients. Last month, unless they had some dramatic change since then.
I highly doubt the vets that approved of our dog food were paid to. They don't even sell it with the rest of the dog food they sell there.
Our dogs aren't dead, dying, or in bad shape, so I'd say Science Diet has no negative effects.
The ones that died lived to be 15, two out of our four died of old age.

[IAmLink]

Just to prove a point...

Science Diet (Advanced Fitness)

Chicken, Whole Grain Corn, Whole Grain Sorghum, Whole Grain Wheat, Chicken By-Product Meal, Soybean Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Animal Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), Brewers Rice, Chicken Liver Flavor, Lactic Acid, Soybean Oil, Flaxseed, Iodized Salt, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, L-Lysine, vitamins (L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Calcium Carbonate, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Taurine, preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid, Phosphoric Acid, Beta-Carotene, Rosemary Extract.

speaks for itself, really.

@RED & Half Moon
The first three I posted were cat food formulas from Purina, EVO, and Taste of the Wild. :3 I can track down some more if you want me to.

Bumping up this that Jazi posted earlier.

Vet does not equal nutritionist. Vets actually know next to nothing about dog nutrition unless you actually see a specific nutritionist and/or holistic vet. Vets sell Science Diet because that company pays them to sell it. Vets are also taught in school by unhealthy brands, that's why they push them.

Unhealthy on the inside does not equal dead, dying, or mortally sick. What about people with really high metabolisms that stay skinny, yet they eat pizza and burgers and other junk food all the time? Are they healthy? No. Do they look healthy on the outside? For some reason, yes. Dogs that, throughout their whole lives, are put onto a diet of a high quality food, will have a dramatically different and more healthy life than one on a lesser quality food. Dogs fed a lower quality of food have more common health issues, duller coats, and even show old age symtoms faster.

You will find tons of sites that say the same about Science Diet:
A high rated site that tests the quality of dog food:http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/hills-science-diet-dog-food-adult-light-dry/

A dog owner site:http://www.lab-retriever.net/board/fire-hydrant/7260682-science-diet-really-bad.html

Another dog owner site:http://www.dogster.com/forums/Food_and_nutrition/thread/741724
And another thread:http://www.dogster.com/forums/Food_and_Nutrition/thread/506852

[Lupen]

I had a big long paragraph written out, then my internet decided to be retarded. I hate my life.

Anyways... Sorry for butting in, but Link is right. Even if your dogs live to an old age, that doesn't mean they are the best they could be. It's like people... some people can smoke their entire lives, or eat fast food their entire lives. They'll live to an old age, if they're lucky, but they'll feel like crap and most likely have other health problems, some they never even knew about. Wouldn't you rather your dog be the healthiest and happiest it can be? Not just live?

My dogs been on Pedigree almost his entire life, he's seven now. It's not Science diet, but it's similar as far as healthiness goes. He has skin problems, thyroid problems (which has caused him to get to an astounding weight of 140 pounds as a golden), and allergies.

My other dog died from cancer at the age of five. She also had seizures, coarse hair, weight problems, and a few other issues, like a reacurring anal gland problem. Whether or not this is all from food, I'm not sure, but it didn't help any.

Point is, your dog can just live or skirt by, or they can be the best they can be.

[Cardinal]

Science Diet Adult Active dog food: Ground Whole Grain Corn, Chicken By-Product Meal, Animal Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), Dried Beet Pulp, Soybean Oil, Dried Egg Product, Flaxseed, Potassium Chloride, Iodized Salt, Choline Chloride, vitamins (L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Vitamin E Supplement, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid, Beta-Carotene, Rosemary Extract.

Corn is indigestible filler. By-products are factory waste. Animal digest could be anything including euthed shelter pets, rotting roadkill, diseased/dead/dying/disabled cattle, or just.. God knows what. :l Beet Pulp is sugar and linked with stressing the Pancreas and diabetes. Beet pulp can also lead to hyperactivity and behavioral problems.

Some Science Diet also has BHT/BHA which are known to cause cancer.

Healthy Mobility Adult Dry: Whole Grain Corn, Whole Grain Wheat, Chicken By-Product Meal, Soybean Meal, Animal Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), Chicken Liver Flavor, Corn Gluten Meal, Flaxseed, Fish Oil, Dried Beet Pulp, Lactic Acid, Powdered Cellulose, Soybean Oil, Natural Flavor, Potassium Citrate, DL-Methionine, Choline Chloride, L-Lysine, Calcium Carbonate, vitamins (L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Taurine, Vitamin E Supplement, minerals (Manganese Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Iodized Salt, L-Tryptophan, L-Threonine, preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid, L-Carnitine, Phosphoric acid, Beta-Carotene, Rosemary Extract.

Corn, wheat, soy are indigestible. By products. :l 'Animal' fat. More corn. Sugar. Heres a new one.. Cellulose is basically.. sawdust.

I wouldn't touch it. :l

[Jazi]

BOLD is real meat.

ITALICS are things that a carnivore wouldn't need in such large amounts, some people argue that carnivores don't need them at all.

BLUE are things that are suspicious, such as "natural flavor" (could be ANYTHING).

Remember that the higher up a product is mentioned, the more of it there is in that ingredient.

The added color is red, for things that are red flags and should be avoided at all costs. Dogs cannot digest corn nearly as readily as peopel believe... we as humans can't even, nor can cows. By-product meals are also bad news.

A little explination of my marking system. You'll notice I didn't get into the vitamins and added nutrients and preservatives only because the controversy around those has still been marked to anecdotes and speculation (unless somewhere has some good solid proof that I haven't heard about?), but a look at the first 5 ingredients of your pets' food should tell you whether or not it's a crap brand to begin with. I expect to see at least three real meats as the first three ingredients, I refuse to feed anything with corn, wheat, or gluten, and as soon as I see "byproduct meal" the product goes back on the shelf and not in the food bowl.

Luckily, when my one GSD had bloat and developed a sensitive stomach on top of her lamb and corn allergies, my vet wholeheartedly recommended we start her on a raw diet even though she sold Science Diet. Once we made the switch we haven't looked back. It turned a dog that was clearly dying, thin, dull coat, lack of energy from the trauma of the surgery and the pancreatitus she'd developed into a dog that had a nice shiny coat, looked alert, lean instead of starved, and would have her short bursts of energy. It did not stop the affects of bloat caught a little too late from killing her, but it certainly gave her a much better quality of life while she plowed through it.

[Imzadi83]

For the record, vets know next to nothing when it comes to pet nutrition. You'd have to find an actual nutritionist vet and/or a holistic vet to get solid nutritional information about dog food.

Chappie dog food, just like Science Diet, is another one of those dog foods that the dog food companies pay the vets to say good things about and to recommend to their patients.

Science Diet is fine. Our dogs are perfectly healthy on it.
But my younger dog is always trying to get food. x3

My dog was on Science Diet. She had a blood clotting disorder that the vets could never explain. She had very little energy her entire life and she was a Terrier. She died of cancer. Knowing now about the problems with the ingredients I will never feed any dog Science Diet ever again.

[Junsui]

You can rant and try to get me to change all you want, but my dogs are healthy and have always been, and that speaks for itself.

And i never said the vet sold it ^^; i said that the vet didn't sell it, but they still approved it.
Really, I trust random people on the Internet as much as I trust a rabid dog. I'm not going to change, sorry. :/ My dogs would have trouble adjusting anyway, even if it was considered.

They've never had any problems though, maybe it's the way you put your food in things/ could be a coincidence/ something else?