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stolen from the interwebs:
FACT: The ingredient list is full of cheap fillers that are hard to digest. It’s virtually a who’s who list of the cheapest, lowest quality ingredients possible. According to Science Diet’s web site, as of 9/6/03 these ingredients are used in Science Diet dog foods. Here they are along with Natura’s explanations in parenthesis.
CORN MEAL (corn is considered to be highly allergenic)
SOYBEAN MEAL RUN (referred to as 'floor sweepings'...nothing more than inexpensive filler w/ little or no nutritional value.)
CHICKEN BY-PRODUCT MEAL (questionable nutritional value...much less expensive and less digestible than chicken meal)
PEANUT HULLS (no nutritional value whatsoever, concerns regarding level of residual fungicides that soak into peanut hulls...used exclusively as a filler
CORN GLUTEN MEAL (there is no justification for the use of corn gluten in dog foods…only a cheap protein filler)
SOYBEAN MEAL (poor quality protein filler. Meat protein is better absorbed and retained and higher in essential amino acids like methionine, arginine, and taurine. Soybean meal has a biologic value less than 50% of that of chicken meal.)
SORGHUM (low digestibility)
BREWER’S RICE (lower quality rice product...missing many of the nutrients found in ground rice and ground brown rice)
ANIMAL FAT (byproduct of meat meal processing...origin of the contributing animals is never known.)
FACT: Animal fat is rendered from an unkown mix of animals that includes euthanized pets, roadkill, tumors, fetal tissue, and dead, dying, diseased & disabled animals in various stages of decay that do no meet USDA standards. The euthanized pets often contain Pheno Barbital, which is the drug used to euthanize them. This drug survives the rendering process and thus makes it into pet food. The FDA has confirmed that euthanized pets are an ingredient in pet foods. The California Veterinary Medical Assoc. confirmed that rendered products can legally include dead pets processed in rendering plants. Colgate-Palmolive, Science Diet’s parent company, owns one of the largest rendering factories in the country.
CHICKEN LIVER FLAVOR (used in pet foods primarily as a flavor enhancer…can potentially contain a disproportionate amount of toxins from the blood.)
BHA, BHT and ETHOXYQUIN. All 3 are proven to cause cancer. BHT & BHA are banned for human consumption in Europe and Australia. Ethoxyquin is manufactured by Monsanto for use as a rubber preservative. Yes, the same thing that’s holding your Goodyears together is being used by Science Diet to feed your dog. Ethoxyquin containers are marked “POISON”. It is listed by the FDA as an insecticide and by OSHA as a hazardous chemical.
FACT: Whole Dog Journal, a monthly periodical dedicated to canine health, conducts a yearly review of dog foods. This publication is largely unbiased based on the fact that they do not accept advertising. Needless to say, none of Science Diet’s products made their list of top foods. In fact, Science Diet Nature’s Best with Real Beef and Purina Beneful were the only two specifically mentioned as the worst dog foods based on “their lack of worthwhile ingredients.”
FACT: According to WDJ, high quality foods should contain the following:
1-Superior sources of protein, either whole fresh meats or single source meat meal (ex. chicken meal rather than poultry meal)
2-A whole-meat source as one of the first two ingredients.
Most SD products contain chicken by-product meal as the only meat protein source, and is either the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th ingredient.
According to WDJ, high quality foods should contain a MINUMUM of the following:
1-Food fragments such as brewer's rice and wheat bran. Beware any food that includes several fragments.
2-Meat by-products - any food that contains meat by-products as the MAJOR protein source indicates a low-quality product.
FACT: SD’s philosophy is to use the cheapest ingredients possible. Most of their foods are extremely high in both food fragments and chicken by-product meal.
FACT: As an example, here is the ingredient list for SD Sensitive Skin Adult: Brewers rice, corn meal, corn gluten meal, chicken by-product meal, dried egg product, vegetable oil, animal fat. flaxseed, chicken liver flavor.
Notice the ONLY meat protein is cheap chicken by-product meal? It is listed as the 4th ingredient. All the other ingredients are cheap fillers. This is a typical Science Diet product.
According to WDJ, high quality foods should NEVER contain:
1-Fats or proteins named generically (ex. animal fat/poultry fat instead of beef fat/ lamb meal)
2-Artificial preservatives (BHA, BHT, ethoxyquin)
FACT: SD uses animal fat in most of its dog foods. They use BHA/BHT/ethoxyquins as a fat preservative in many of its foods.
FACT: According to SD, a 40# dog requires up to 3 cups/day. The same dog requires only up to 2 cups of Innova or Wellness dog foods. They need to eat more SD because it is 33% less nutritious.
Science Diet is one of the biggest marketing scams in the history of the world.
FACT: Hill’s is heavily involved in the funding of veterinary schools. They give extreme discounts to young vets in order to hook them early. The nutrition seminars at many veterinary schools are run by Hill’s representatives.
I agree that SD has a terrific reputation, mainly because of idiot veterinarians that recommend its products. I know most people who buy SD have good intentions-to provide their pet with high quality food. Nothing could be further from the truth.
I don’t know how many times I have to repeat this-99% of veterinarians know ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about pet nutrition. I guarantee I know more about dog food than your vet. Don’t just listen to me-look at the FACTS. Look at the ingredient list. That speaks for itself.
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