‘Veterinary’, ‘Prescription’ Dog Foods

‘The above title of this article is a term that has somewhat confounded me over the past many years.  From the surface it sounds quite extraordinary and trustworthy.  It seems pretty impressive…but once one is past the ‘hype’, and digs into the real ‘meat’ (no pun intended…the meat’s not there anyway!), the truth is immediately exposed.  Perhaps not to the typical consumer purchasing the product, but to the educated and trained eye, it is quite evident. 

These dog foods are touted as ‘complete’, ‘balanced’, ‘premium’, and claim to be of benefit to your canine companion.  I researched close to a half dozen veterinary prescription dog foods to find out the real scoop on their reliability.  Sorry to say to you, but no surprise to me, I was not able to find one that would meet my criteria of a quality product.  Maybe there is one out there…should I happen upon it, I’ll let you know.

It is my understanding, and I believe I have commented about this before, what little ‘nutritional’ training veterinarians receive while in school comes from representatives from the prescription dog food industry.  That’s why you see all those prescription dog foods available at your local vet.  I’m sure there’s a kick back for them to sell it.  Hmmm…a win/win situation for the vet and the prescription dog food manufacturers, but a losing situation in my opinion for the dog owner. I'm not faulting your vet, but I sure would like to give some canine nutrition classes in their office!

These ‘foods’, if I should call them that, many which contain chemical preservatives, unnecessary fillers and lack of protein (a mainstay in a canine diet), also have for the first ingredient such things as, corn, (if I find a reason your dog really needs corn, I’ll let you know) ground whole grain sorghum (a cereal grain) and brewer’s rice (a waste product of the alcohol industry and a low-quality grain)! ‘Whole grain’ sounds quite impressive….that’s got to be healthy for my dog, right? Well, there may be a reason somewhere down the line for its inclusion in your dog’s diet, but not as the primary ingredient. Whole grains (which is how all grain starts out), are very healthy for people, as long as they have not been refined to the point of removal of nutrients that are beneficial for a healthy diet.

In addition to the list we find chicken liver ‘flavor’? I question that. Where is the flavor derived from? Don’t know…that is not disclosed. It's probably not natural. Dried egg product?  'Product'? Is that some form of fake eggs? Don’t know…that’s not disclosed either.  Salt….you don’t need to add any extra in your dog’s diet. If there is a special need, and I come across it, I will let you know. They will get enough from the home cooked meals that include canned wild salmon, organic cheese and cottage cheese and that which occurs naturally in fresh vegetables.

Chicken by-product meal, another low quality protein source.  Fish meal, this is, in my opinion just bad overall.  Most fish meal contains ethoxyquin, which is used as a pesticide and is known to cause cancer in dogs among other maladies.  I found one particular prescription food that was a veterinary diet called GastroENteric.  It claims high digestibility, but yet the first three ingredients (are grains!), brewer’s rice, corn gluten meal (a low quality protein source, actually a ‘fragment’) and whole grain corn (there we go again with the ‘whole grain’).  ‘Enteric’ in the name implies that it does not break down in the stomach, but in the small intestine,  as supplements such as Vitamin C, garlic and even aspirin are sometimes enteric coated, meaning they do not dissolve in the stomach, but in the small intestine, as not to cause stomach upset for people with sensitive digestive systems. And by the way, a 6 pound bag of this, ‘on sale’ no doubt will set you back $18.49! Might as well be buying a top quality kibble with actual protein in it!

There is certainly more to be said regarding prescription and veterinary brand dog foods, as this article only scratches the surface.  I’m sure I’ve said it before…become a label reader! Be informed! Know what is in the product you are purchasing for your dog.  It could be the difference between a healthy dog and one that becomes ill with a disease later in life because of continual use of a poor quality food