Hills Science Diet - why does my vet push this?

[BettySuarez]

I am assuming that they are on some kind of commission?

My dog has been unwell last few days with diahorrea and now vomiting. He is normally on the James Wellbeloved dry food (the low allergen variety) as he does seem to have a delicate stomach!

So I am going to take hime this afternoon but I just know that the vet will push the very expensive Hills Science variety.

Last time he tried to do this I asked exactly what was in the Science diet that made it suitable for my dog (ie the list of ingredients) but he just mumbled about it being best etc without realy quantifying why.

Any vets on here that are prepared to be brutaly honest

They get commission. Hills does give them a lovely glossy coat.

They do get comission. Hills is pretty good IMO but so is JWB. Starve your dog for 24 hours and then give rice and chicken for a couple of days if the d&v has stopped (I'm not a vet by the way). JWB doesn't suit all dogs so consider changing if the problem reccurs often. Burns is another very good food. Hope your doggy is better soon.

just bought some of this as we are looking after Mil & FIL's dog for 10 days

£15 a bag ! A BAG ! it was on special offer though in pets at home, two bags for £20.. so got two..

my dogs who are v old and have v sensitive tummies do really really well on tins of chappie.. the vet said they are excellent value for money

I'm a vet anbd have NEVER pushed a particular brand of food (in fact, got into trouble with a previous employer for refusing to push Hill's) IMO vets are there to treat pets, not to sell food, and I disagree with the idea that there is one particular food out there that is better than others- it's all about what suits YOUR dog.

Don't be fooled either by the more expensive= more protein/ better quality protein= better: remember dogs are naturally scavenging animals, therefore not necessarily best suited to a high quality, high protein diet.

I think JWB is good for sensitive dogs/ dogs with skins allergies, though!

I'm a vet too and I don't push any one diet. I have never been offered commission to do so either. Having said that though I do like Hills as a brand and in my experience it is quite palatable and generally not as likely to give digestive issues as some. JWB is a food I often suggest to owners of dogs with sensitive tummies as an option too.
Don't confuse the science diet range with the prescription range Hills do - science diet for regular feeding, prescription diets for specific medical conditions either as a short or longer term foods. Hills are not the onlt company to make prescription ranges though.

Hills sponsor universities vet courses and provide 'lecturers' to teach diet... Plus there's the commission - if individual vets don't get it, the surgery does.

All very corrupt.

Again a vet and a practice owner. We don't retail pet food so no pushing particular food here. Practices don't get commision, but just like any other item in any other shop it will be marked up on what the practice buys it in at. Pet food is seen as easy profit by many practices and that is why it is pushed.
Personally I prefer to offer my clients quality service so that when I recommend something for the good of their pet they are not wondering why I am recommending it.
Personally I think you see more of this in coporate practices such as V4P etc.

Another vet here. I'd be surprised and disappointed to see a vet directly "pushing" one brand of food (unless it is because an animal has an illness which can be managed with a prescription diet, which is different).

I am a huge Chappie fan though, it's helped many a skint client's pet get through pancreatitis and colitis

The big pet food manufacturers do provide services to practices such as nutrition training and support materials. We're fairly brutal though, we sell way more Royal Canin than Hills but were happy to accept fab materials from the Hills rep for our nurses

an I ask the vets a question? My cat suffers from food intolerances resulting in dirroreah. He is suffering at the moment so I ahve just changed back to Hills from the cheap crap that DH was buying. Would he be better trying JWB? I see it has been recommended on this thread as good for dogs with digestive conditions. The cat food is the same no?

Hills helps him but does not completely stop the dirroreah.

Shiny, that's a question for your own vet I'm afraid - it depends a lot on the case - what investigations have been undertaken, what results were found, what the likely or definite diagnosis is.

Having said that, in true IBD cats I've had more joy with Royal Canin Sensitivity Control than anything else. You also need to ensure she can't access food elsewhere eg neighbours. Some cats will still have bouts of diarrhoea for no apparent reason, possibly due to stress factors.

But go back to your own vet with this question before chopping and changing her diet too much.

I agree with OhFuck a question for your on vet again. Though again I have much more success with RCW sensitivity control than hills plus cats seem to like it better than hills.

Thanks he is off to the vets again on Monday. The vet doesn't want to put him thriugh the stress of any tests as it seems to be controllable with diet. It's when he eats cheaper food that sets it off. I normally buy Hills but DH inssists on buying cheap stuff.

dogfoodanalysis.com is a good site to go for information, though not all 6* brands (the highest category are available here).

As a result of this I switched to Orijen. If we can't get it we use Arden Grange.

Hills does not do well under their points system.