Hill’s Prescription Diet I/D Canine (Dry)

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆

Hill’s Prescription Diet I/D Canine dry dog food is not rated due to its intentional therapeutic design.

The Hill’s Prescription Diet I/D Gastrointestinal Health product line includes only one dry dog food. Although the formulation appears to be designed for dogs with digestive health issues, we found no AAFCO nutritional adequacy statements for this dog food on the Hill’s website.

Hill's Prescription Diet I/D Canine

Dry Dog Food

Estimated Dry Matter Nutrient Content

Protein = 26% | Fat = 14% | Carbs = 52%

Ingredients: Whole grain corn, brewers rice, dried egg product, chicken by-product meal, corn gluten meal, pork fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), powdered cellulose, lactic acid, dicalcium phosphate, chicken liver flavor, iodized salt, potassium citrate, choline chloride, calcium carbonate, potassium chloride, dried beet pulp, soybean oil, 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, minerals (ferrous sulfate, zinc oxide, copper sulfate, manganous oxide, calcium iodate, sodium selenite), preserved with mixed tocopherols & citric acid, phosphoric acid, beta-carotene, rosemary extract

Fiber (estimated dry matter content) = 2.6%

Red items when present indicate controversial ingredients

Estimated Nutrient Content
MethodProteinFatCarbs
Guaranteed Analysis26%14%NA
Dry Matter Basis26%14%52%
Calorie Weighted Basis24%30%46%

The first ingredient in this dog food is corn. Corn is an inexpensive and controversial cereal grain of only modest nutritional value to a dog.

For this reason, we do not consider corn a preferred component in any dog food.

The second ingredient includes brewers rice. Brewers rice is a cereal grain by-product consisting of the small fragments left over after milling whole rice. Aside from the caloric energy it contains, this item is of only modest nutritional value to a dog.

By the way, contrary to popular belief, brewers rice has nothing to do with the process of brewing beer.

The third ingredient is dried egg product, a dehydrated form of shell-free eggs. Quality can vary significantly. Lower grade egg product can even come from commercial hatcheries — from eggs that have failed to hatch.

In any case, eggs are easy to digest and have an exceptionally high biological value.

The fourth item lists chicken by-product meal, a dry rendered product of slaughterhouse waste. It’s made from what’s left of a slaughtered chicken after all the prime cuts have been removed.

In a nutshell, chicken by-products are those unsavory leftovers usually considered “unfit for human consumption”.

In addition to organs (the nourishing part), this stuff can contain almost anything — feet, beaks, undeveloped eggs — anything except quality skeletal muscle (real meat).

On the brighter side, by-product meals are meat concentrates and contain nearly 300% more protein than fresh chicken.

In any case, although this item contains all the amino acids a dog needs, we consider chicken by-products an inexpensive, lower quality ingredient.

The fifth item is corn gluten meal. Gluten is the rubbery residue remaining once corn has had most of its starchy carbohydrate washed out of it.

Compared to meat, glutens are inferior grain-based proteins lower in some of the essential amino acids dogs need for life.

This inexpensive plant-based ingredient can significantly boost the total protein reported on the label — a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.

The sixth ingredient is pork fat, a product from rendering pig meat.

Commonly known as lard, pork fat can add significant flavor to any dog food. And it can be high in linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid essential for life.

Although it may not sound very appetizing, pork fat (in moderate amounts) is actually an acceptable pet food ingredient.

The seventh item is powdered cellulose, a non-digestible plant fiber usually made from the by-products of vegetable processing. Except for the usual benefits of fiber, powdered cellulose provides no nutritional value to a dog.

The eighth ingredient is lactic acid, a nutrient found naturally in many living organisms. It’s likely added here to adjust the pH of the product which (in turn) reduces the growth of unwanted biological contaminants.

From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.

But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to have much of an effect on the overall rating of this product.

With four notable exceptions

First, we note the use of beet pulp. Beet pulp is a controversial ingredient… a high fiber by-product of sugar beet processing.

Some denounce beet pulp as an inexpensive filler while others cite its outstanding intestinal health and blood sugar benefits.

We only call your attention here to the controversy and believe the inclusion of beet pulp in reasonable amounts in most dog foods is entirely acceptable.

Next, the product includes soybean oil is red flagged here only due to its rumored (yet unlikely) link to canine food allergies.

However, since soybean oil is high in omega-6 fatty acids and contains no omega-3′s, it’s considered less nutritious than flaxseed oil or a named animal fat.

Thirdly, we find no mention of probiotics, friendly bacteria applied to the surface of the kibble after processing to help with digestion.

Finally, the minerals here do not appear to be chelated. And that can make them more difficult to absorb. Non-chelated minerals are usually associated with lower quality dog foods.

Hill’s Prescription Diet I/D Dry Dog Food
The Bottom Line

Even though this is a prescription product, our review has nothing to do with the accuracy of claims made by the manufacturer as to the product’s ability to treat or cure a specific health condition.

So, to find out whether or not this dog food is appropriate for your particular pet, you must consult your veterinarian.

With that understanding…

Judging by its ingredients alone, Hill’s Prescription Diet I/D appears to be a below-average dry dog food.

But ingredient quality by itself cannot tell the whole story. We still prefer to estimate the product’s meat content before concluding our report.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 26%, a fat level of 14% and an estimated carbohydrate content of 52%.

And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 53%.

Below-average protein. Below-average fat. And above-average carbs when compared to a typical dry dog food.

Yet when you consider the protein-boosting effect of the corn gluten meal, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing only a modest amount of meat.

Bottom line?

Hill’s Prescription Diet I/D is a grain-based dry dog food using a modest amount of dried egg product as its main source of animal protein.

However, due to its intentional therapeutic design, this dog food is not rated.

Special Alert

Rice ingredients can sometimes contain arsenic. Until the US FDA establishes safe upper levels for arsenic content, pet owners may wish to limit the total amount of rice fed in a dog's daily diet.

A Final Word

The descriptions and analyses expressed in this and every article on this website represent the views and opinions of the author.

Although it's our goal to ensure all the information on this website is correct, we cannot guarantee its completeness or its accuracy; nor can we commit to ensuring all the material is kept up-to-date on a daily basis.

Each review is offered in good faith and has been designed to help you make a more informed decision when buying dog food.

However, our rating system is not intended to suggest feeding a particular product will result in specific health benefits for your pet.

For a better understanding of how we analyze each product, please read our article, "The Problem with Dog Food Reviews".

Remember, no dog food can possibly be appropriate for every life stage, lifestyle or health condition. So, choose wisely. And when in doubt, consult a qualified veterinary professional for help.

In closing, we do not accept money, gifts or samples from pet food companies in exchange for special consideration in the preparation of our reviews or ratings.

To learn how we support the cost of operating this website, please visit our public Disclosure and Disclaimer page.

Have an opinion about this dog food? Or maybe the review itself? Please know we welcome your comments.

Notes and Updates

01/04/2010 Original review
08/10/2010 Review updated
05/24/2012 Last Update

  • gotmoose

    Who cares whats inside as long it helps the dog. I’d pay for dirt in a bag if it helped my dog with his intestinal issue. It works for my dog and thats all that matters to me.

  • aimee

    Oops missed this follow up question.

    What I think is best and what many pet owners are willing to feed ( myself included) may well be different. I think a fresh diet is best but for cost and convenience I feed a mix of commercial and fresh. So kibbled renal friendly diets have a place.

    I’d guess we’d see corn in renal diets because of cost and availability. But I did read that in people with renal failure that there is a shift to using plant based proteins in their diets. I don’t know if shift is the right word… but there is current research into this area and it is showing promising results.

  • aimee

    I strive to be an open minded, objective critical thinker that follows scientific methodology. But being human I’m sure I fall short.

    I really don’t see my conclusion as being that different from the author you cited. I said “It seems that at this time it isn’t clear” whereas the author, when answering the question should celiacs avoid corn, said “That’s not clear”

    In regards to the chiropractor site, my “spidey sense” was on high alert. Take this statement for example : “When animals eat corn as a staple they have shorter life spans.” WOW Where did that come from?

    Now technically that is likely true. In this country corn is a staple in livestock production and those animals do have short life spans because they are slaughtered at a young age. But Sheesh!! Talk about stacking the deck !!LOL

    Then in large bold print he reports the statement from the study about celiacs reacting to corn BUT completely leaves out the part about the “corn” that was used in the study tested positive for wheat gluten!! Why is he withholding that information from his readers?

    After alerted to that I have to take anything he writes with a huge grain of salt. : )

    Perhaps what I see as employing critical thinking skills..you see as being close minded?

    I know you find me frustrating…. I also know you are a kind hearted and generous person. I appreciated the “edit” but honestly I’d never interpret anything you ever say to me as being mean spirited.

  • losul

    The major dog food manufacturers have you brainwashed and you are being ripped off in both mind and pocketbook.

    While few deny that smaller amounts of corn is not harmful, and maybe even beneficial for most humans or even dogs, even USDA reccomendations for humans (omnivores) of ASSORTED (not just corn, but assorted grains) grains are at most 25% of the diet, and somehow you think it is right and healthy for a CARNIVOROUS dog to be fed upwards of 75% of it’s daily, weekly, lifelong, diet in corn (or any other grain for that matter) alone?

    Shame on YOU for being so gullible.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1140685339 Betsy Greer

    It gave me pause today when I was leaving the vet and crossed paths with the Royal Canin rep who was on his way into the office. I wondered if he made as much as my friends who are pharmaceutical sales reps.

    Thankfully, my pup had just had blood drawn for titers and I had a wonderful conversation with my integrative vet about raw diets and homeopathic flea & tick preparations.

  • isabella

    Ali – when you say vets don’t make money on food you are completely wrong!! Do some research. I worked at a vet for many years and met with multiple hills and royal canin reps. Vet practices make a significant amount of money on this food, and the patients who they brainwashed to eat it because it makes pets sick! Reasons why I could no longer be in that industry.

  • Shawna

    So, in your opinion, kibbles are completely fine for dogs with chronic kidney disease?

    If anything you wanted was available and fiscally reasonable for the large commercial product would you chose corn? Or is corn chosen because of cost and availability not health reasons.

  • Shawna

    Don’t know have never looked for the data.. Yes, I do think that dogs living in a culture that ate large amounts of this grain or that have a better tolerance for this or that grain.

    Yes and no.. Our ancestors utilized grain. But there are several buts…

    1. But, they ate wild grains not the hybridized grains of today.

    2. But, they “prepared” those grains differently than we prepare grains today (sprouting, long soaking in adidulated medium, fermenting etc — aka sour dough bread made from freshly ground wheat)

    3. But, the grains back then weren’t genetically modified

    4. But, grains were eaten with other traditional foods. I’ve read that the Italians eat (or ate) anti pasto to help coat the villi with the fat in the food. Then after their pasta meal ate their salads in which the fiber “brushed” the villi clean of any gluten that attached. More Italians may have been, or may now be, gluten intolerant if they are not eating their food in the traditional manner?

    5. But, it may actually be the newer pesticides used on the foods that are causing the reactions. This again is irrelevant as long as they continue using these same pesticides. If they quit then things can be reevaluated. Until we have been able to resolve mercury contamination in fish we are told to eliminate or greatly reduce the amount of potentially contaminated fish we consume. I see no reason why pesticide contamination of grains would be any different.

    Sorry again for my intensity today.. It’s been a long week and I kinda snapped..

  • Shawna

    I really have never met anyone that I feel is as closed minded about certain issues as you. If it isn’t provable in your little world then it surely isn’t so.. I don’t get that? I’m gonna give it one more shot though.

    “There’s no question that many people with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity also have issues with corn.

    Some of the problem likely involves gluten cross-contamination in the corn (like all other grains, corn can be quite gluten-contaminated unless the growers and processors take specific steps to protect their crop from accidental contact with gluten).

    However, a 2012 research study indicates that the immune systems of people with celiac disease may in fact react to corn in a way that’s similar to how they react to gluten.

    The study, published in the journal Plant Foods for Human Nutrition, looked at the amino acid sequences in corn and compared them to the sequences found in gluten molecule. The researchers found some similarities between the amino acid sequences in the two different grains.

    Next, they performed a computer analysis to see if the corn amino acid sequences might bind to the IgA antibodies produced by the body when gluten is ingested. They found evidence that this might happen in people who carry either of the two “celiac disease genes,” HLA-DQ2 and HLA-DQ8.” http://celiacdisease.about.com/b/2013/04/16/study-finds-some-evidence-for-corn-cross-reactivity-in-celiac-disease.htm

    I know you don’t consider emperical evidence as adequate but imo you should evaluate the BIG picture not just what science has proven to date (science that you personally have read that is)..

    “As a physician with 10 years of experience treating gluten sensitivity, I have seen corn be a severe problem for the majority of gluten intolerant patients.” http://towncenterwellness.com/announcements/corn-gluten-damages-those-with-gluten-sensitivity/

    Of course there is all of Dr. Symes data.

    Lastly, since there is no “guaranteed gluten free” (wheat “gluten” of course) corn currently available on the market does it really matter if the corn, like oats, was contaminated with wheat gluten or not? We know with oat contamination can actually happen in the field so having a facility like Hills that cleans between products is irrelevant.
    I know I got snippy and I apologize for that.. I’m just really exhausted of rehashing the same ole stuff over and over again…

  • aimee

    If I were to design a diet for homemade fresh food than no I would choose a different source.

    If though I was trying to formulate a large commercial product than commodities available would be different. I could see using it as part of a balanced AA blend from different sources.

  • Kate

    One should not and cannot live on corn, Mary. Nor does anyone feed their kids corn for every meal every single day… I wonder why.

  • Shawna

    I should also note — not everyone reactive to gluten actually has celiac disease. So those 1 in 133 people may actually be even more when you factor in those reactive to gluten but not true celiacs.

    “”For the first time, we have scientific evidence that indeed, gluten sensitivity not only exists, but is very different from celiac disease,” says lead author Alessio Fasano, medical director of the University of Maryland’s Center for Celiac Research.

    The news will be welcome to people who have suspected a broad range of ailments may be linked to their gluten intake, but have failed to find doctors who agree.” http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704893604576200393522456636.html

    What do you wanna bet that the veterinary community is even less likely to consider gluten sensitivity?

    As stated before, my issue is with dairy not gluten but it took me over 20 years to find a doctor that made the connection between food and my VERY diverse set of symptoms.

  • Shawna

    Nope, I don’t think we differ at all.. Never once did I say we needed “to eliminate wheat from humanities diet because a small percentage of people have a genetic auto immune reaction to gluten.” Never once. In fact, I EAT GLUTEN sparingly. As well as eating sprouted wheat and barley regularly…. Please site to me where I have ever said we should ban wheat from human consumption.

    So you think that 1 in every 133 people is a “small percentage” then?

    US Department of Health and Human Services, National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse writes

    “Originally thought to be a rare childhood syndrome, celiac disease is now known to be a common genetic disorder. More than 2 million people in the United States have the disease, or about 1 in 133 people.” http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/celiac/

    What I’m trying to do is bring awareness about this horrible but very controlable disease. I whole heartedly agree that not every human or dog on the planet is reactive to gluten but when people like you downplay the importance of the information it does make me want to push the issue even harder. I have stated this before but I want you to think about this —- my friend had her colon REMOVED by her doctor because he was not aware that her symptoms could be caused by gluten (or other food allergies). She is my age, 45 years old and is on disability for life. As well as being on a special diet because she has to limit her intake of fiber. Not to mention she continued having her HORRIBLE symptoms even after her colon was removed… Yes, this is an extreme case but I see things like this over and over and over agin…. Yes, I am passionate and even obsessed about it. There are adults, children and dogs who are suffering because of gluten etc. I’m not posting this information for your benefit but hopefully for theirs.

  • Pattyvaughn

    From the standpoint that we don’t breed dogs that have signs of allergies or are otherwise unhealthy, yes, we do select for dogs that do well on grains, however unintentional. I just had my very nice working border collie neutered because of his food intolerences, even though the criteria for breeding border collies should always be working ability and he shows no signs of having anything wrong with him as long as he is on the right food.

  • Guest

    Oh dear, ditto big time. Please don’t use this food. My goodness me, look at the seriously ridiculous amount of corn ridden ingredients in this evil man dubbed dog food. I mean, we humans can’t even properly digest corn, let alone your poor pooch. Not to mention that cellulose is completely indigestible. Almost akin to using caustic soda down your body with out the immediate physical effects. It’s no wonder so many dogs on this and similar cheap cereal ridden dog food ingredients is justly and strongly suspected in causing cancers in dogs. Poor things!!!

    A raw meaty bone a day, keeps the vet away!

  • aimee

    I did read that article along with the citation. It seems that at this time it isn’t clear as the “corn” that the celiacs were reacting to in the study cited was found, when tested, to be positive for wheat gluten

    But we differ as I don’t think we need to eliminate wheat from humanities diet because a small percentage of people have a genetic auto immune reaction to gluten.

    So if a small subset of celiac are found to be reacting to corn as well it doesn’t to me mean everyone should stop eating corn.

  • aimee

    That does make sense, so then has it been reported that there is a lower incidence of food allergy/intolerance in cultures that traditionally use corn as a staple compared to cultures in which corn use is more recent?

    Do you think the dogs from these cultures would then also have differences?

    I thought the whole “anti grain” philosophy rested on the idea that humans haven’t had time to adapt to this food source. Am I understanding you right that you are disagreeing with that idea?

    Do you think that we are unintentionally selecting for dogs that do well on these food stuffs?

  • aimee

    Shawna,

    I don’t think I really missed anything, perhaps just looking at it differently.

    “Intestinal mucosal damage was also produced with methotrexate and with cetrimide The effect of a wheat diet was assessed.”

    Despite the intestines being damaged, increased permeability wasn’t found when the intestines were damaged with these other methods.

    The authors also report that in a previous study using the compound that this study used, no increased permeability was found.

    So it may take a very specific type of damage and maybe even a specific genetic strain of rat to see this effect.

    The way you presented this report appears that you are citing it as support Symes corn zonulin/ gut permeability hypothesis. Yet the authors report the increased permeability was not due to a change in tight junction permeability. Which is why I said I don’t know why you referenced it.

  • Shawna

    Thank You :) …….

  • Tina

    Please do not use this food for long periods of time. I was uninformed about dog nutrition and listened to my vet’s recommendation. My yorkie mix suffered from Cushing’s Disease and this was the only dog food that allowed her to keep the lysodren down. I thought I was doing the right thing by feeding it to her exclusively for a couple of years. Then Hill’s changed the formula without warning or notice. My dog was unable to adjust to new formula and her health declined rapidly. The ingredients are inferior and I now know that no dog (or animal) should rely exclusively on one food. Don’t be afraid to give your dog “real food” or a variety of foods. Every dog is different and it takes time to figure out what agrees with them but so worth the effort. I used hill’s ID because it worked in the short term but did serious damage in the long run. They will change the formula on a dime if it means a greater profit margin. I wish I had handled it differently and did not have blind faith in my vet and his nutrition guidance.

  • Pattyvaughn

    When I first came on a year ago, I could click on your old posts, labeled as Guest, but it still linked me to your commenting history. It doesn’t do that sort of thing anymore.

  • Shawna

    Thanks!!! Not familiar with Dr. Bruce Syme. I’ll have to look him up..

  • Shawna

    This is something we’ll just have to agree to disagree on.. I do have one question for you though. If you were custom designing a diet for a dog with chronic kidney disease would you use corn as a source of the protein?

  • Shawna

    Here’s the kicker aimee —- those cultures that do consume corn (or any food) on a near daily basis have been doing it for a LONG time.. Not just the lifetime of one person.. If allergies and moreso intolerances have a genetic basis wouldn’t it be the cultures newer to the consumption of the problematic food that would be the most reactive?

    I’ve been told that being Native American increased my risk of being intolerant to dairy proteins. I’ve also heard that other cultures have increased suseptibility to certain food intolerances as well.

    Additionally, those cultures often have specific ways of preparing the particular food (like fermenting soy to make tempeh) that we here don’t necessarily do. Corn is no exception from what I remember reading.

  • Shawna

    Nice rebuttal aimee but you missed something. They used the “compound” to test the theory regarding intestinal damage to see if the “damage” not the compound would increase the risks of gluten intolerance. And why yes, yes it did. I’ll just bet you that there are other things, like candida overgrowth or salmonella or worms or NSAIDS or……that also damage the intestinal tract. Could be wrong but I think I’ve read that :)

    Did you happen to read the article stating that they are now rethinking corn as an alternative grain in celiacs.. They have proven, just as I have stated here before, that celiacs (some) do in fact react to corn too.

    Okay, you got me on the Symes thing. He does have the same access… BUT, most of us won’t pay the fees for many of those research papers that he very likely pays for. So yes, we have access —- for a price.

    I have supplied research articles proving several of his “hypothesis” right here on DFA…

  • Guest

    That definitely wasn’t me as I would have responded to our mutual good friend, Shawna.

  • Guest

    Yeah I guess so….about guests passing through. I think that’s what must happen to all former Disqus subscribers….that once you delete your account, all your posted comments change from your original user name, to guest. That’s what happen to mine.

  • Pattyvaughn

    Guests pop up all the time, and once since I started posting here, Shawna asked if it was you, no answer so I assumed not.

  • Guest

    I thought you were referring to Bruce Syme for a moment until I read further down.

    There’s another Syme named Dr. Bruce Syme BVSc(Hons), MRCVS who writes in more layman terms the following, “The basic controversy has arisen because of the very high cereal content
    used in processed pet foods. Many canned and dry dog foods contain up
    to 4 times as much cereal content as meat. This cereal is cleverly
    flavoured with meat render (boiled offal and carcass remains), and is
    often disguised as “meaty chunks” using food dyes and gums. The simple
    fact is that dogs and cats are not designed to eat such a high content
    of highly refined starch (cereals ground into flour). These cereal
    flours are used as cheap fillers, to bulk out the pet food, and increase
    profit (decrease manufacture costs) as meat proteins are very
    expensive. Cheap starch has little nutritional value, except for
    calories, and can result in a diet with too much refined sugar.”

  • Guest

    Ahh, no this wasn’t me. This is not my writing style. I knew it was much longer than 8 months since I started commenting again.

  • aimee

    Once digested and absorbed why wouldn’t the carbs, fat and AA be utilized? If you are referring to AA use.. as long as the AA are balanced with AA from other sources I see no reason why they wouldn’t be well utilized.

  • aimee

    Shawna,

    Do you know of any comparisons that found increased food intolerance/allergies in those cultures that do consume corn on a near daily basis?

  • aimee

    Dr Symes has access to the same data that you or I have. Why would it be different?

    Dr Symes does have some interesting ideas but at best they are hypothesis which is fine as long as we all recognize that.

    So… rats were fed various gluten grains and maize and intestinal permeability was normal.

    The rats were then tube fed a
    compound to damage the intestine and after the intestine was damaged intestinal permeability increased when gluten grains and to a lesser extent corn was fed, but not when rice or soy was fed.

    When the damaging compound was discontinued the intestinal permeability returned to normal even through the continued feeding of the diets. Permeability did not continue it was contingent on the presence of the test compound.

    Other compounds which damage the intestine were fed and increase in permeability was not seen. The effect was compound specific.

    The increased permeability was due to a change in cell function (Isn’t the basis of Symes ideas that the tight junctions open? This was not seen.

    So the practical take home message is??? Well I don’t know.. is it Don’t tube feed your dog with high doses of compounds that damage the intestine when feeding gluten grains or corn?? Ok I won’t : )

    Not sure why you posted this study ???

  • Shawna

    Aimee,

    I know you are going to call me out on this sooooooo, this post is for you…. :)

    “Maize Prolamins Resistant to Peptic-tryptic Digestion Maintain Immune-recognition by IgA from Some Celiac Disease Patients

    Abstract

    Maize is used as an alternative to wheat to elaborate foodstuffs for celiac patients in a gluten-free diet. However, some maize prolamins (zeins) contain amino acid sequences that resemble the wheat gluten immunodominant peptides and their integrity after gastrointestinal proteolysis is unknown. In this study, the celiac IgA-immunoreactivity to zeins from raw or nixtamalized grains, before and after peptic/tryptic digestion was evaluated and their possible immunogenicity was investigated by in silico methods. IgA from some celiac patients with HLA-DQ2 or DQ8 haplotypes recognized two alpha-zeins even after peptic/tryptic proteolysis. However, digestion affected zeins after denaturation, reduction, and alkylation, used for identification of prolamins as alpha-zein A20 and A30 by MS/MS sequencing. An in silico analysis indicated that other zeins contain similar sequences, or sequences that may bind even better to the HLA-DQ2/DQ8 molecules compared to the already identified ones. Results concur to indicate that relative abundance of these zeins, along with factors affecting their resistance to proteolysis, may be of paramount clinical relevance, and the use of maize in the formulation and preparation of gluten-free foods must be reevaluated in some cases of celiac disease.” http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11130-012-0274-4#

    I found others as well… :)

  • Shawna

    PS — most data on zonulin and gut permeability centers around gluten but Dr. Symes and others have obviously read data that lay persons are not privy too. However, I did find this research (zein is the protein in corn similiar to gluten in wheat).

    “Gluten, zein, and pepsin/trypsin digests of gluten all induced the permeability defect in triparanol-treated rats. It is concluded that although gross disruption of the mucosal structure may not sensitise rats to cereals, various causes of mucosal cell damage can produce a susceptibility to gluten toxicity that resembles gluten-sensitivity in man.” http://gut.bmj.com/content/24/9/825.abstract

  • Shawna

    DVM Dr John Symes writes extensively about corns ability to cause food intolerances. Food intolerances are FAR MORE COMMON than allergies — which are really quite rare. Not only that but authors, like Dr. Symes, discuss how corn can actually CAUSE allergies by causing a zonulin increase resulting in gut permeability.

    I highly doubt feeding a child corn on the cob off and on can be likened to feeding corn for every meal for life…. Just me though.

  • Shawna

    As we’ve discussed numerous times, digestibility and ability to utilize what is digested are two very different things. When most people say “digestable” I imagine they mean what is utilizable by the body not simply what gets digested. Could be wrong on that but I don’t think so.

  • aimee

    In the digestibility studies I’ve read, as used in extruded dog food, not only is corn highly digestible, but its digestibility is greater than or equal to meat sources.

  • Pattyvaughn

    Corn is not more highly digestable than meat. It does not provide a dog more or better nutrition than meat. When you are feeding these diets, you are replacing the greater portion of meat with corn, but you are still paying meat prices. If meat allergies are a problem then the dog will still be allergic to what little meat IS in this stuff. That negates your argument.

  • Pattyvaughn

    Cellulose can be sawdust so to properly refute what Monkey said you should contact Hill’s and ask them the source of their cellulose, and if they bother to give you an answer, by all means post it.

  • monkey

    True, sawdust is a really dumbed down version of cellulose. I dont know for sure where Hills gets theres but it can be a processed powder that comes from virgin wood (untreated).

  • Guest

    No, it couldn’t have been me, was it? It feels longer than 8 months ago that I last commented before making comments again this week. What da?

  • Guest

    Was this me, or another guest, lol. I don’t recall, but then again, it something I would have written.

  • Guest

    I’m finding I have to break down my responses in more than one submission because Disqus format is making it hard to read what I’m typing towards the latter part of a paragraph or two.

    Corn is just a cheap starch filler or binder to hold kibble together. That’s why the likes of Hills, P&G, Nestle, Mars etc, try and spin any positives out of using corn or similar in the cheaper money saving process of their poor quality man-dubbed dog food.

  • Guest

    One of the main reasons why corn, cooked or otherwise is not recommended by many people for our dogs is because the fact that corn and any grains or whole greens/carbs don’t digest nearly as well as they do for us people. Some would argue that corn doesn’t digest that well with people either. The reason is because such don’t become subject to appropriate enzymes for digestion such as the Amylase enzyme, until food reaches the dog’s colon (I think its the colon from memory – haven’t read up on for a while). Whereas for us humans, we start the breaking down process of such foods as we chew on same, because our saliva contains the Amylase enzyme and the dog’s slaiva does not.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1002439570 Mary Blumreich

    Properly cooked corn is highly digestible for dogs and less likely to cause allergies than some meats. Corn is a nutritious food and if you don’t think so, then the next time you put a corn on the cob or a helping of corn on your kid’s plate, ask someone to kick your behind…shame on you.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1002439570 Mary Blumreich

    That is so silly. Sawdust and chicken beaks. Cellulose is not sawdust and there are no chicken beaks in Hill’s foods. Many human foods contain cellulose, as does toothpastes. Chicken by-products don’t mean beaks and feet. You are another one of those people who parrot things you read from other uninformed people.

  • Brinny

    HDM, I have a friend who’s dog is sick so he took her to the vet. They ran blood work and my friend said “all of her numbers are high”, and the dog has liver problems. They put her on Hills I/D along with some medications. Are there any better options out there (without knowing the full extent of the dog’s condition)?

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1002439570 Mary Blumreich

    Corn, properly cooked, as in Hill’s food, is less likely to cause allergies than some meats.

  • http://www.thegreedypinstripes.com/ BryanV21

    Wouldn’t you rather find a good food that works? I mean, it’s great that your pup is feeling better, but you can’t feel good about feeding it… can you?

  • Belle

    I went through the same thing with my Lhasa Apso from puppy. Changed vets when she turned one and the new vet, after examing her, prescribed Hills I/D and, like you am not happy with the ingredients, but it worked. No more diarrhea and visits to the vet for this. Great for dogs with sensitive digestive systems.

  • Hound Dog Mom

    Hi iluvmychis -

    If you need a lowfat food for a reasonable price check out Fromm Classics Mature Adult (11% fat), Fromm Gold Weight Management (10% fat), Merrick Whole Earth Farms Senior (10% fat), NutriSource Weight Managent (9% fat). Wellness Core is definitely a good food, but a bit pricier. Look into senior options when checking out brands as they’re generally lower in fat. You can add
    lean meat to boost the protein content as most lower fat foods tend to be lower in protein as well (Wellness Core being one of the few exceptions).

  • http://twitter.com/iluvmychis iluvmychis

    My chihuahua has had two bouts of pancreatitis and I almost lost her the last time. She was put on this food (the I/D Low Fat specifically). I just can’t stand the ingredients nor the cost. It is horribly expensive especially considering the fact that it is chock full of corn. Does anyone have a good option for an alternative food? I was reading about Wellness Core reduced fat. I really have to watch the cost and don’t have a lot of nearby retail options either. Any suggestions? TIA!

  • Lojoo7

    have you changed your dogs food our bulldog is on hills id and we feel theres a better food out their any suggestions?

  • LabsRawesome

    Hi TobysMama, I agree with Bryan. I would also try adding canned Pumpkin (not the pie filling) to his food, to firm up the stools. :)

  • http://www.thegreedypinstripes.com/ BryanV21

    For starters, your hunch about not getting enough nutrients and thus eating dirt is correct. I recommend finding a food that is more animal-based (I don’t simply say “high protein” since some foods will boost their protein level with things like peas instead of meat/fish).

    Also look for grain-free foods. Grains are pretty much filler, and since it can be tougher on the stomach you might as well do away with them entirely.

    Since you were feeding i/d, which is hardly cheap, I don’t expect price is a huge issue, so I’d look into Orijen, Evo, and Nature’s Variety Instinct. If you’d like to spend less, and of course… who doesn’t, then check out Zignature if you can.

    The best would be a raw diet, and if you want you can buy commercial/pre-mixed raw products from companies like Primal and Nature’s Variety. They are very high in animal-based protein and low carb, as well as grain free. And having not gone through the process of making kibble, the ingredients are much easier for a dog to digest.

  • TobysMama

    Can someone please help??? I am going crazy with researching all these dog foods. My four month old goldendoodle was malnutritioned when we adopted him. We went through natures recipe lamb and rice puppy food, pro plan select turkey and the only thing that ever gave him solid poo was boiled chicken and rice. After four vet visits, shots, medication and stress and worry about him not gaining enough weight the vet put him on the Perscription ID for gastrointestinal health. He has had solid healthy poop since we started it but now he is eating dirt every single time we go outside. From research I fear this is because he is not getting the nutrients he needs from this Prescription ID dog food.
    All I really want to know is what dog food is best for his bowel problems and to gain weight. I would do anything for his health and I just want to know what that is!
    My vet recommended the Purina and I know how awful all those fillers can be for a dog, but he says it’s actually easier for the dog to digest. I just don’t believe him especially since my puppy has had diarrhea on it before.
    Any suggestions or words of advise?

  • VickiRobertson

    Suggest that you visit a local holistic pet store in your area to discuss nutrition options for your Yorkies with GI problems.  Since every dog is unique it would be impossible to recommend a single food.  Notwithstanding, the addition of a digestive enzyme and probiotic to your dog’s daily diet will greatly aid in improving digestion and GI well-being.  The holistic pet nutritionist can equally make a recommendation for you.

  • Marino_Denise

    My 11 year old GSD has been on this kibble for almost 3 months due to a mild case of pancreatitis. He has always had skin issues, but this food made his skin and ears erupt. I am now fazing him back to his regular food which is Holistic Select Lamb Recipe.

  • Polivares79

    I found this info helpful though I am unsure what to do now.  Vet says feed my Yorkies the Hill ID but I don’t want to feed them expensive low rate food.  They use to eat Innova.  My question is what foods are top rated for dogs with GI problems?  Can you help?

  • LindsayM

    The reviews are based on ingredient evaluation as they pertain to species appropriateness.  Comments/opinions are just that – opinions.  Humans cannot thrive on sawdust and chicken beaks, so why should one expect their pet to?

  • Guest

    Well said, Addie, InkedMarie, Shawna, HoundDogMom, et al!  @Ali Goria misses the entire point of dog food reviews here on this site which is to evaluate the nutritional quality of foods based solely on their ingredients. @HoundDogMom equally states that an Rx food should not be used as a long term feeding plan and I completely agree.  My opinion is that too many rely on Rx foods because they may (or may not) address a disease symptom but do not address the underlying cause AND with continued use take an overall nutrional toll on an animal’s overall wellbeing.  Surviving does not equate to thriving.

  • Hound Dog Mom

    Most dietary needs can be addressed without the use of a prescription food. In a few extreme cases, yes I do feel they may be necessary, but a prescription food should definitely not be in a long term feeding plan. There are high quality foods with fat levels appropriate for dogs with pancreatitis – The Honest Kitchen’s Zeal, Weruva, Addiction, just to name a few. Also, many vets can help formulate homemade diets using real species-appropriate foods to address certain health conditions. I know I personally would never feed my animals a prescription foods unless every single option available had been exhausted.

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/A2PMLA573HRFCMGKX2XF4EODT4 Scott

    OK one persons opinion is just what it is.  I have a soon to be 3 year old chihuahua and last winter he ended up with pancreatitis and we put him on Hill’s Prescription I/D and he has been wonderful.  Before this he was having high end foods but in the end those foods and their meats (lamb for example) contain so much fat and grease it plugged my little guy up and his pancreas could not digest it into the proper amino acids fast enough.  

    So, in my opinion I/D is a good food and easy for small dogs to digest nicely.  He mainly gets the dry and once a day as a treat he gets the same but the wet version.  For other snacks he is having 100% naturally dried chicken and the odd time a soy cracker call Gentle Snackers from Purina.

    So with my knowledge I say Hill’s is good as it is all formulated to go hand in hand with a dogs health condition.

  • Shawna

    Hi Ali ~~ These prescription foods can help but they are not the only options.  They may be the only option a particular vet knows of but that doesn’t change the quality of the ingredients and overall food.

    My dog was born with kidney disease.  Symptoms noticed even before weaning.  Her life expectancy was grim.  I refused to follow my vets advice and put her on prescription K/D.  There is NO WAY the ingredients in that food will sustain health in a kd dog.  Yes, it will help with symptoms but at the expense of the health of the dog.  Back when Audrey was diagnosed Hills still used the preservative ethoxyquin in their foods (including their kd food).  Ethoxyquin is scientifically known to damage kidneys…  Why would they use it in their KD food?  When I asked my vet, she didn’t even know what ethoxyquin was let alone its consequences???

    Audrey is not nor never has been fed prescription foods and turned 6 years old the end of June and is still in EXCELLENT health.  Same symptoms as when 6 weeks old but symptoms have not progressed.  She is not on any prescription medications, doesn’t require veterinary intervention etc. 

    I/D and all the others will help with symptoms but at what exense?  A pet nutritionist like Monica Segal could formulate (or recommend) a diet much better then anything Hills makes..  Just my opinion of course.

  • InkedMarie

    All one needs to do is look at the ingredients. They are far from excellent. I know of dogs who have medical issues who don’t need to feed such an inferior food as Hills Prescription, or any Hills, for that matter. You can feed other high quality foods if you’re willing to put in the time to research and either find a food, or make your own. 

  • Addie

    As stated in the review, “Our ratings have nothing to do with the accuracy of claims made by the manufacturer as to this product’s ability to effectively treat or cure a specific health condition.
    So, to find out whether or not this dog food is appropriate for your particular pet, you must consult your veterinarian.” The review simply analyzes ingredients, and protein content, never once making claims about the efficacy of this product.  There is nothing wrong with informing consumers about what each ingredient is, and supplying a place to discuss it. 

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002166668687 Ali Goria

    You have no idea what you are talking about and have no business trying to bully anons and their dogs who you don’t even know.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002166668687 Ali Goria

    You should not be “reviewing” prescription foods here and undermining their value especially when prescribed for dogs you don’t even know. All you food nazis don’t have a clue. This can be a miracle food for many dogs especially with acute conditions specifically IBS or even megaesophagus. The ingredients are there for a reason, better absorption/assimilation/low residue along with additional ingredients like B12 levels you don’t find in non prescription foods. The fractionalized mixed fiber sources make it digestible, these compromised dogs cannot eat, for example a whole grain or even harsh protein. Stop trying to bully people who are following their vets sound advise. Vets do NOT make money on food it’s a pain to even carry but it’s a necessity and Hills, while they can be criticized for many things, makes an excellent RX food – especially the canned.

  • Guest

    Marsha – even if this is the “only” food your dog can eat, it does not mean it is the best nutritionally for him.  It’s not rated a 5* because the ingredients are garbage.  There is a huge difference between a dog surviving (case in point: a dog that can “only” eat one food) and a dog that is thriving (no major health issues, including digestive health).
     
    No 2.5* dog food is going to make a dog thrive, despite what you may think about your bulldog.  See the individual explanations for each ingredient to learn why they are not optimal for any dog.  If you feel your dog is “thriving” on this food, he’s got some serious underlying issues that need addressing.  Poor thing.

  • melissa

    Marsha-

    The ingredients tell a different tale-why is this the only food he can eat?

  • Marsha Baker

    This is the only food that my English Bulldog can eat. I think it should be a 5 star !!!!!

  • guest

    Hi Chuck – I recently helped a friend transition her pekingnese off the Hills I/D. The dog has colitis and would alternate between diarrhea and constipation with occasional vomiting.  The transition needs to be slow but the big key to making it work was the addition of a probiotic supplement (examples are InClover Optagest, Animal Essentials Plant Enzyme & Probiotic, Green Dog Naturals Whole Dog Daily) AND switching to a higher quality food (in her case we chose PureVita Grain Free bison).  We also used The Honest Kitchen’s Perfect Form supplement which is great for GI issues like diarrhea.  Keep in mind that dry kibble is more difficult to digest so switching around brands of food may not make a big difference as you’ve already seen.  Find a good quality kibble that meets your budget and rates a 4-Star or higher on this website.  When feeding, start with adding HALF of the recommended probiotic amount to every meal for the first week or two, then increase to the full recommended amount. In addition to sprinkling the probiotic on his food, add water to it so the kibble is just floating.  The water will help give your dog’s digestive system a headstart in breaking down the dry kibble.  Stirring in a small amount of quality canned food will increase the palatability of the “soup”.

    A probiotic, in my opinion, is a real + for dogs on a dry kibble diet.  And in the case of a small dog like yours, the addition of this supplement won’t break your budget.  For example, the 100gram bottle of Animal Essentials plant enzyme & probiotic retails for around $15 and will easily last you 1-2 years. A small dog only requires 1/8tsp. per feeding.

    Don’t expect miracles overnight but you should definitely see improvement over the course of several weeks.  Best of luck!

  • chuck

    I have a yorkie who had gas and soft stools. After running tests, my vet said he could not find anything wrong with him. The vet put him on Hill’s ID. Just like abg1997 described, my yorkie gets severe diarrehea and/or vomiting when I try to slowly transition to new dog food. I have tried Nutro Natural Choice venison for sensitive stomach, Nutro lamb, and Iam’s sensitive ocean fish. He was previously eating Iam’s healthy naturals chicken when I took him to the vet for testing. Any ideas or suggestions on what to do to get him on a less expensive food?

  • Abg1997

    I have a female black lab that is just over one. I have had to keep switching her back to Hill’s I/d. I have tried everything since I brought her home at 8 weeks old. I have never had an issue with any of the other Black Labs I have owned. Only her. No matter how slowly and how little food I add to transition her to a new food nothing works. Within 24 hours she is back to diarrhea and vomiting. You name the top brand foods for nutrition, I have tried them all. I am sticking to the Hill’s. It’s the only food that doesn’t kill her stomach. Whether or not it, Hill’s I/D, has ingredients a dog should or shouldn’t have, she can not stomach any other food. 

  • neezerfan

    Definitely stop going to that vet. She is not looking out for your or your dog’s best interests.

  • LabsRawesome

     Seriously, for 90 bucks a bag she could be feeding a great food like Brother’s complete or Orijen. lol

  • http://www.facebook.com/bryanv21 Bryan Van Dusen

    If I were you I’d find another vet, as they are either very uninformed or simply money-hungry jerks (I guess they could be both). 

    Chicken fat is NOT chicken by-product. That claim alone makes me want to join you in picketing outside that place so all their clients know what’s going on. Chicken fat comes from rendering chicken, and then the fat is skimmed off the surface of the liquid (sounds gross, but it’s actually a fine ingredient). Chicken by-products are the leftovers after human-grade meat is taken off of the chicken carcass. 

    And like you mentioned, the cost of Hill’s is ridiculous. For what they charge, there’s no reason for them to use by-products, corn, and other cheap/worthless ingredients. Especially when you can get just about any other food for less.

  • 3DogGirl

    I recently fostered and adopted my third dog, and took him in to a new vet to get blood work done, shots, etc., and basically make sure all was well.  I asked the vet about his weight, as he was on the skinny side (but had gained weight since I fostered him, as he was SUPER scrawny).  He’s only about 20 months old, but I wanted to make sure he didn’t have worms or anything.  I feed our other 2 dogs Kirkland lamb and rice kibble, and I add things like carrot, cooked veg, garlic powder, eggs, cuts of meat, broth, to their dinners, and they are both the picture of health.  I changed their kibble from Canidae to Kirkland for money reasons only, as I found it to be surprisingly comparable for a much lower cost.

    Anyway, I got a chilly reception from the vet when I said what brand of dog food I feed them all.  She, of course, wanted me to consider feeding them Hill’s prescription kibble, which was THE brand offered at the office.  I declined, and said I would just keep offering him large meals and adding extra protein and healthy fats.  I bought 2 cans of the wet food anyway just to end that conversation. 
    Well, the wet food looked AWFUL.  The first ingredient was water, and then a bunch of junk.  It looked to be about 1/2 rice and smelled gross.  The dogs didn’t even eat it, and I returned it a few days later.  
    The vet’s assistant actually went so far as to photocopy pages out of a Hill’s-sponsored booklet about how corn is actually great for dogs, and by-products are only something that’s produced during the processing of something else (ie. chicken fat is a by-product of chicken?  isn’t it just called “chicken fat”, not “chicken by-products”??)
    Maybe this little rant should be over in the Hill’s wet food discussion, but it made me angry that this vet is trying to convince me of something I know is wrong.  I have half a mind to write a snippy little email rejecting their claims.  I am SO unimpressed that the Hill’s food was something like 90 bucks a bag for cheap fillers and garbage, and I was actually made to feel badly for feeding my dogs “Costco brand food, because you get what you pay for”.  Ugh!!  Sorry for yelling.

  • Alexandra

    Labfan,

    My German Shepherd had digestive issues coupled with a systemic yeast infection. The Brothers Complete Allergy was fantastic for him. Within two weeks most of his issues cleared up. I fed it for six months to him and now I rotate through all of the varieties for my dogs.

    The best thing is Richard is a frequent poster here and he is the owner of the product and is very hands on with those of us having issues.

  • hounddogmom12

    Hi labfan,

    If you read through the past posts for the Hills I/D there are a lot of great suggestions for alternatives to this food. I would suggest finding out which ingredient(s) are causing the reaction (generally corn, soy, wheat, other grains, or chicken are to blame) and find a quality 4 or 5 star food without these ingredients. In many cases adding digestive enzymes and probiotics can help as well. You may also want to seek out a holistic vet that is more knowledgeable about nutrition than your current vet, they would be able to asses you dog and make some more healthful dietary recommendations.

  • labfan

    I’m confused! If my vet recommends this for my black lab, who suffered from severe g/i infections as a very young puppy (giardia, campo bactillum..), and who seems to react to most other foods, am I doing a ‘bad thing’ by not seeking out alternatives, and if so, what ingredients should I be looking for in a dog food for dogs with sensitive stomachs?  Also, my dog has a combination of the wet (tinned) food and the dry biscuits, but you don’t analyse the tinned meat product – is that because there is no substantial difference between them?  Help please!

  • Ourdestinfamily

    thank you very much for the outstsanding , easy to understand break down of the ID product.  I will have to search to find a better product for a  11 yr old schnauzer that almost died of what we believe was a  pancreatic   disease.  
    Do you have a product you recommend.   thank you for your help!!!

  • hounddogmom12

    It sounds like the grain that are causing the itching (due to the fact she did fine on grain-free). Why were you prescribed this food? Why don’t you just switch back to the Instinct if she did well on it?

  • Ariq Cabbler

    consider a product I tried for my frenchies sensitive stomachs and skin allergies: Instinct Grain-Free Rabbit dry food. 

  • Argintc

    HELP ME!
    My 6 month old American Bully was prescribed this food when I was originally feeding her Nature Variety Instinct  which is a grain-free dog food. She is currently eating the ID Gastrointestinal and is itching constantly and has horrible gas. I want to know input on if I should switch back to the grain free she seemed to be doing great then I fed her a gluten free bone and she puked all night and I had to rush her to the vet. She ended staying overnight and the vet said she just has a sensitive stomach and began feeding her the ID. She was on the ID once before (only for a week) because before feeding her the grain free diet she was on Diamond dog food which was recalled so I took her off it and because she had constant diarrhea. I want to know since she is constantly itching herself and up until I fed her that new kind of bone she was doing great on the grain free diet, should I put her back on it???? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated!!!!!!!

  • Deb

    my 15 yr ole dog was prescribed this food. what can I use instead? She has been a lot better since using this food, but I think we need a better one. @ShawnaW:disqus ould love suggestions. Thank you.

  • guest

    thanks for the info but this dog food is for the liver. I had my dog on Grain free Wellness but had to switch to this product. I don’t care for the by products and fillers but if it helps her liver then i have to follow the vets recommendation. I will find out on her next visit if this is working along with denamarin  and hope that her liver stabilizes back to normal levels. I have a Lab on Wellness grain free Ocean Core. She had many allergies and issues, not anymore and her coat looks awesome. I think the Grain free food is a wonderful thing providing  that the protein and and phosphate (if I recall) levels are not high. I have had great luck with the Grain Free Wellness food. My other dog with the Liver issues, could just be genetic or caused by bacterial. Not sure what caused her liver to react. She has been on great quality food her entire life. I had to do a lot of research and figure out what is in the dog food, and I was astonished at all the bad ingredients in their food. I just wish with all the recalls someone could enforce better quality for pet food. The problem lies in outsourcing some ingredients in the dog food itself.Even the brands I trusted have outsourced some of their ingredients. That is the scary part. 

  • Kelley Erin Parsons

    I love it. My dog is doing great with this product in combination with the canned food. It is a little pricey, and does contain a filler, but my results have been wonderful. My 9 lb Maltese suffered from diarrhea and soft stools. He had been to the vet. and changed diets many times for this issue.  I was hesitant to give him the I/D because of the lower meat content and fillers. I wanted him on something rich and good. Turns out for my little guy rich and good was the problem! He had tried Blue Basics, Innova, Wellness small bites, and Bil Jac small bites. All of them made him ill since he was a puppy I had been looking for a food. We even gradually switched him each time! My dog’s energy level has increased and he no longer has soft stools. It is not the ingredient list I would prefer, but my dogs body is telling him it works for him so I’m sticking with it! 

    It is a little pricey for the content, but worth every penny. It is much better than the extensive vet bills and food bills I was paying when I was trying to find something for him! I would recommend this to anyone with a dog with a sensitive stomach. 

  • Shawna

    Hi Julie ~~ kinda late to the game here but have a few additional suggestions..  I like the green tripe recommendation (especially if raw – canned loses much of the benefits).

    Diarrhea with fresh looking (red) blood is colitis — colon inflammation.  Can be caused by pathogens, food intolerance, dysbiosis (incorrect balance of good to bad bacteria — this is where the green tripe fits in (plus good protein and enzyme source).  If you have access to a health food store the product slippery elm will go along way to help.  It coats the digestive tract and helps stop further damage.

    If you have access to a holistic vet that is trained in homeopathy — consider scheduling a consultation.  My holistic vet recommended a homeopathic that stopped the diarrhea IMMEDIATELY (homeopathics can be purchased at the health food store for about $7.00).  My Pom Gizmo gets colitis with red blood diarrhea from NSAIDs like Metacam or Rimadyl and from chicken (any kind — kibble, treats, raw etc).  I was able to figure out the cause thanks to the homeopathic..

    There were other things that helped mend Gizmo’s colon — probiotics (or tripe), SeaCure, aloe vera etc.

    Good luck I know how frustrating this can be..

  • Juliebtexas

    Thank you everyone for your advice! I’m glad to hear (well, not glad… but relieved a little) that other people have had similar problems… I’ve just been extremely discouraged by the fact that I cannot even talk to my vet because he just tells me to feed her science diet and that any other food is crap. So it is good to get some advice from well-meaning people. 
    I think I will try the Brothers food for now and see if that clears up her problems. 
    thank you so much again! 

  • sandy

    Interesting article.  Thanks for posting.

  • Toxed2loss

    Julie,
    Shawna has answered this question many times and you can find it in older posts. She has mentioned green tripe for extreme cases as well. I advise cutting to the chase and using the Brother’s allergy, or great life grain & potato free. Brother’s formula contains vital probiotics that would be extremely beneficial to re-establish a healthy gut. IMO

  • http://BrothersComplete.com/ Richard Darlington

    Hi Julie

    Many of us here can relate to your story. My son Pierre rescued a Cairn Terrier (slightly mixed) and we had the same problems for a short time. 

    Please email me at richardd9229 then add yahoo.com with your name and address and I’ll send you my cell number so we can go through the specifics of your situation if you want to go into greater detail, which will help me.

    I’ll send you some samples of the Allergy formula which is very basic – Just turkey and egg – as well as a red meat sample that has a 14 unit polysaccharide prebiotic to feed the probiotics and help them grow into a healthy vibrant bacterial colony.

    Shawna and Toxed – before you tell me that Dr Becker on the Mercola sight doesn’t recommend prebiotics when Candida is overgrown – let me say under normal conditions I agree. At least with the normal 2 to 3 unit prebiotics but the longer chain prebiotics (14 unit) can feed the bacteria without contributing much if anything to the Candida.

    I’ll explain in more detail if you’d like to talk on the phone. My ability to type compared to my ability to talk is like comparing a 10 year old chevy in downtown traffic to a helicopter.

    I’ve seen this many thousands of times over the years and in the vast majority of cases it’s resolved quite successfully by getting the dog on a good grain and potato free food, along with a few other system strengthening ingredients. 

    If “Systemic Candida” is present then it can take months, on a diet that is free of Grain, potato, and sugar in any form, to starve the Candida back into balance. During that time probiotics are fed to the dog to restore gut health and strengthen the immune system.

    Here are some pictures of J.P. a few months after we rescued him and put him on healthy food. He’d been living on the street for heaven only knows how long before the pound grabbed him and his coat was so matted we had to shave it off and let it regrow. He’d put on a few pounds to get to the weight in this picture. The other picture is of Dog Doctor JP giving a lecture on the value of good nutrition.

  • Ngdixie

    Hey Juliebtexas.  Honestly, at this point, I would put your dog on a very simple and easily digestible diet.  Many of my customers’ dogs did well on Lotus and NutriSource with that same exact problem.  However, if I were you (or them), I would consider feeding Green Tripe.  This is possibly one of the best things to give your dog for the next month for her body to heal on her own (new and healthy flora and a healthy GI tract).  Here’s an article to help you understand it better: 
    http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/the-stink-on-tripe/

    Not only have I seen it do wonders on my own dog, but people who have dogs and cats with IBD (so blood and mucous in stool).  I would not suggest feeding it permantly, but definitely use this diet as a ‘healing’ process.  

    Best of luck!

  • Mike P

    Hi julie,maybe try a grain free food.You can email Brothers for a free sample.Maybe Brothers Alergy formula will work.Check out the Brothers website and Richard Darlington the owner is always on DFA to give you advice.Good Luck.I’m sure one of the most informed posters here will help you out as there are many great people who visit this site.Keep checking back for some suggestions.

  • Bob K

    Juliebtexas – First, what else is your dog eating?   Treats?  Bones?  People Food, Lake River, River water,  grass, dirt, grass, other animals feces?  Second – Make a list of all the dog food brands and formulas you have tried and keep track of the ingredients.  Do you give your dog a monthly Heartworm and parasite preventative?  Monthly Flea and tick preventative?  These are poisons.   How is your dogs coat?  eyes?  ears?  Skin?  Scratching?  Biting his body?  

    Its not that hard to get a dog to eat, usually mashing or mixing in things like, yogurt, canned pumpkin (Not pie filling), a little gravy, soft dog food, a little fat from a left over roast or ham, chopped chicken or a lightly cooked egg, etc.,,,,  Also microwave with a little water for 10 – 15 seconds to bring out the smells helps.  Not HOT !!

    Now for foods- Start with a 4 or 5 star grain free formula and see how it goes, remember to transition slowly to a new food.    Always track the ingredients to see what works and what doesn’t.  Usually after a few different formulas, you will find something that works.  This process will take several weeks if not months unless you get lucky with the first food.   Try a chicken grain free, if it does not work, then lamb grain free, if it does not work, then transition to a seafood formula that’s grain free.  After the third type of food if you are still having problems, see a Vet again perhaps one that specializes in dog allergies or perhaps holistic vet practice.  Best of luck. 

  • Juliebtexas

    Hi, I really need some advice. Sorry this is so long but I am just at the end of my rope with this… 

    I’ve had my cairn terrier Daisy for almost a year now and she has had a ton of problems with her food. When I got her, the breeder told me to feed her Eukanuba, which I did. I later found this site and switched her to Blue Buffalo (small breed puppy), which gave her terrible diarrhea for over a month, so I thought that Nutro Natural choice (small breed puppy, later SB adult) was a good compromise, since it lacks the crap in Eukanuba but is cheaper than BB and didn’t upset her stomach. But recently she won’t eat. She will go for days without eating, start throwing up bile, then I will relent and buy her soft food (Nutro Ultra) and she has bad, often bloody, diarrhea off and on. So I take her to the vet, they test her for worms, parasites, giardia, etc. All are negative, so they tell me she has a food allergy. What do they give me? I/D. mostly corn with some by-products thrown in. 

    What do i do? Do I feed her this? do I find a new vet? I can’t see how this food is any better than what I was feeding her…. it has a ton of ingredients, many of them questionable, and I heard that a lot of dogs are allergic to corn, so how would this help?

    If you read all of this, thank you SO much. I just don’t know what to do….

  • http://heartseed.sf.net neighborlee

    Our vets office has two female vets and one male ;)

  • http://heartseed.sf.net neighborlee

    Gordon, there you go again, with adhominem attack on my personal choice, of non violent, healthy food for my pet, backed up by aafco and facts, that dogs are not purely carnivorous. Im sorry the facts are inconvenient for you, but facts are they are omnivorous even in nature ( grass etc.)I am also way more inclined to ‘not’ feed harmful waste products found in meat based dog foods, because they are just as harmful to dogs/cats, as to me.As noted earlier, my vet also did not tell me to not feed this veggie diet, and I told him the name brand. NO negative reaction, and she and I talk all the time about pets, so she would have easily had reassurance to converse with me on this subject if she chose to.

    ” And its good to have a faith in some concocted up supreme being, regardless whether such exists or not, and that has you exactly how our society wants you. ”

    Since you brought it up, Im not letting you off the hook. How exactly does society ‘have me’ in so far as relates to my supposed mind control effects ( assuming that is your intent) ? YOu have meandered into very weird,conspiracy theorists terriroty, but based on your own words, Im not surprised. THis line of topic isn’t going anywhere fast so its time you left it alone, ignore me, or whatever you need to do , to go through your day without resorting to such angry , hateful divisive tactics.

    I assure you my mind is mine, and fullly capable of embracing all life has to offer, not just topics related to ‘god’; which is why I am here, to verify the heatlh of my pets on a given dog food. The article on ‘ID’ was very instrumental in helping me ‘see the light’ … ;)

    cheers

  • Gordon

    neighborlee – You lost me. I’m kinda tired going around in circles on this issue. I just feel sorry for your dog being denied its scrumptious and delicious meaty based foods that its inner wolf so desires. I guess it doesn’t know any better by now, being so used to the wrong food going down its throat, the poor thing. :(

    I’m sure at the least, it has your love though, which is important. And its good to have a faith in some concocted up supreme being, regardless whether such exists or not, and that has you exactly how our society wants you. And given that it probably keeps you contained and believing, then there’s nothing wrong with that, I say. :) Let’s move on, as we know where you stand on the issue with meat. Nothing more needs said. All the best! :)

  • http://heartseed.sf.net neighborlee

    GOrdon, as per this page for dog nutrients, it is quite clear that while dogs are in the carnivore class, that they survive just fine with , or without meat, as the URL I posted earlier clearly claims. You can agreee or not, but those are the facts, just as you are free to agree, or not, that god exists or that personXYORZ lived and taught mercy and compassion and maybe even vegetarianism ( mercy not sacrifice), and that those ideals give strength and comfort to those who embrace them. You have no facts that I can think of , to disupte such things, but I guess atheism doesn’t necessarily demand such proof for their claims just as other forms of public protest may or may not. Maybe one day when you lose someone to death ( as I have several times), you may feel differently about this subject ( my life experience, so something Im perfectly capable of discussing). I hope it isn’t something you experience until much later in life, having gone through it, but then its not without its teachable moments.

    Such beliefs, in god or other similar topics, I’m positive, is dependent also on who our families were, and how we were raised and perceived our childhood and our environment.

    I somehow doubt, that aafco would stand by this product, and intend to deceive the public, unless you know something I do not, and as a responsible public service, I doubt, no matter whom here find peta distasteful, that they also, would be able to operate with their facts, and remain in business or not asked to remove certain points from said websites; and so far I’m not seeing that occur.

    WHile I do ‘not’ want to continue this ‘religious debate’ as it most certainly is not related to this webpage(on its own), I must wonder why you feel god/jesus is irrelevant in a world of economic woes and tied to a disparity between the rich and poor, when that is the exact totality of god/jesus message, whereby the rich ( by not giving to the poor etc.) shall have a tougher time finding heaven, than a camel through eye of needle. How that idea was lost on you is beyond me, but given you don’t believe, may well mean you aren’t well read on the subject either. That is fine and no one is going to force you to believe otherwise ( or read it), but at least lets put forward the real facts and not leave chasms of infactual data represent the true compassion contained in the passages of such works.

    As a side note to further showcase how my beliefs do not infringe my capablity of legitimate thought, I may believe in god/Jesus, but I do not believe in Capitalism, and completely embrace The model of A Resource based Economy. Capitalism is a slap in the face to the beauty of creation and that it was meant to be shared instead of profited from, and allows the nightmare we see unfolding today in the world. So I agree with you there completely, that its just a mechanism for masters and slaves. We need to share the resources we were so graciously given, while freely being willing to work in our respective fields for the pleasure of security of knowing no one could ever take our homes or electricity, or any other necessity from us ever again.

    I think sometimes that religion gets a bad rap, from those who had bad childhoods where a given religion may have been forced onto them, and their subsequent rebellion and disbelief carried forward. We weren’t all forced at the alter to believe, some of us had good parents. This is getting egregiously off topic, but given that your post was allowed(?), I feel completely obliged to defend that which was never meant to be oppressive, but ironically to your point, completely uplifting to those you speak of :)

    I am 100% positive, that my views on religion and vegetarianism help define the person I am today, and why I am passionate about providing the best nutrition I can ( why I’m glad to have found this webpage as another source of info ) to the companion animals that are part of my life, thanks to gods gift to us all, without which the chemicals we are all make of, would never have existed to begin with. Think of that the next time you drink a glass of water , or watch a sunset ( preferrablly with your beloved pet) ;)

  • Gordon

    neighborlee – You haven’t present any facts disputing that dogs are not carnivorously biased? I agree that dogs can be classed as omnivores, but it is an indisputable scientific fact that they prefer and require a majority of meat protein in their diet. You’ve only presented a biased perspective from a source that is not independent and gains to profit on selling their product and any associated information, in Nature’s Recipe. Hence, it renders your source unreliable at best, and given its specifics, totally useless and void of any truth.

    The truth is, there are no independent scientific evidence suggesting dogs are vegetarians and that they don’t naturally favour diets highest in meat protein, like their evolutionary and ancestral biology governs! I mean, there is just no such verifiable factual literature supporting your argument. There are only some biased manufacturers and distributors who argue your point because it is cheaper material wise for them and they gain to make huge profits via deception. Therefore those sources do not count in anyone’s language, much less the scientific community. And I’m not talking about a small number of non related professionals like human neurologists like Dr. Gupta, or related professionals by those employed by the pet food industry, selling carb loaded junk pet foods.

    With regard to Jesus, I think the concept of any controversy surrounding him or any religion is just that…controversy….something I personally don’t believe in. Now I might offend some people here when I say, I don’t believe in the Bible or God, or the messiah in its current form. These are stories concocted by historical leaders to control the masses and nothing more. Today, the never ending barrage of the religious message is nothing more than a disguise to fool people in serving our human masters, and therefore to serve the economy and our global monetary masters. This, as opposed to having the economy serve us, and help the poor, and not have the rich become richer, and the poor, become poorer, and us common folk having to bear the brunt of the GFC whilst the rich, laugh all the way to the bank. That’s the real truth behind the facade of religion and God, as we know it.

    I apologise, Mike for the above paragraph and to anyone else if I have offended anyone. But I felt compelled to air my opinion on this, since neighborlee’s comments struck opposite accord with me. If you feel the need to edit out the above paragraph, Mike, then you may do so. :)

  • http://heartseed.sf.net neighborlee

    Thanks for your understanding.

    , ty so much for the verification, and gotcha.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Neighborlee… I provide this website as a free and open platform to everyone to discuss topics related to dog food. Like all visitors here, you have every right to free speech.

    However, please read the Disclosure and Disclaimer link located in the footer of every page on this website. This document clearly states the editor “reserves the right to delete any comment that is… completely unrelated to the topic itself.”

    Your last 2 comments weren’t deleted because they were controversial. They were removed because they had nothing to do with dog food.

    I also removed the 2 comments made earlier by another poster that included a mean-spirited slur regarding what the letters in PETA stood for.

    Thanks for your understanding. :)

  • http://heartseed.sf.net neighborlee

    I never intended to violate any terms, so ME goes to read them . I assumed free speech was literal, and I can’t imagine I said anything to offend that, on any level. I’ve done nothing, but state facts, even if some people find them inconvenient, and are always related to feeding our beloved animals, the same food we would give to ourselves and our children. Many studies exist, leaning to one side or the other, but I take great stock in Dr Gupta’s and other neurologists studies, so its those I lean on for my views, so that hardly makes anything I’ve said, controversial :)

    My only goal is non violence in all forms of life, so its just a means to an end, nothing more. I aspire to the live of Jesus in everything I do, and dog food is one such route I must take, or be a hypocrite for not trying. I would not feed my dog anything I would not eat myself :)

    ty for reading

  • http://heartseed.sf.net neighborlee

    I was unaware of these ‘terms’, and because of an email I received, noting that due to free speech, someones words could not be filtered, I am surprised by your comment. I consider that odd at best, but ok ;)

    OH btw, and unless you wish to bunk this information ( you are free to do so, as I applaud factual data), here is something to counter something you said, about dogs:

    http://www.naturesrecipe.com/content.aspx?id=84#DogQ9

    Q.) Can dogs be vegetarian?
    A.) Yes, dogs belong to the carnivora class but are true omnivores. This means that they can live healthily with or without meat. Nature’s Recipe® Healthy Skin Vegetarian Recipes, dry and canned, are fortified to be 100% complete nutrition for the adult dog.

    I am not a medical doctor or VMD, but unless they are providing false information or have badly trained doctors giving them advice, I suspect this speaks volumes for my position. If this could be proven wrong, I would certainly consider it , but again aafco stands by this product.

    This post IS about dog food , and the topics that releate to it.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Neighborlee… I can understand your passionate feelings about PETA. However, your most recent comments have nothing to do with the topic of dog food. And because your latest remarks are in direct violation of the Terms of Use of this website, they have been deleted.

  • http://www.facebook.com/Toxed2loss Toxed2loss

    Neighborlee,
    Once again you are taking scripture out of context. Have you not heard, “text without context is pretext.” Anyone can cut and paste anything to make it say what ever they want. This is not the forum for religious discussions.

    If your argument has any merit, stick to the facts. If the facts don’t support it, let it go – move on.

    Bottom line: dogs are predominantly meat eaters. Cell biology says that dogs need L- carnitine and omega -3 animal fats for optimal cellular function, among many other animal sources of nutritionals. That’s a fact. Wishing it isn’t so, won’t change that. Arguing is pointless, especially if you are going to falsify and/or mislead in a futile effort to substantiate a faulty position.

  • Shawna

    With the law suit again???? Why doesn’t PETA sue Dr. Karen Becker or Dr. Goldstein or any of the others that publicly endorse high meat protein diets and recommend against vegetarian diets?

    “Myths of Vegetarianism
    Written by Stephen Byrnes, PhD, RNCP
    December 30 2002
    Myths & Truths About Vegetarianism

    Originally published in the Townsend Letter for Doctors & Patients, July 2000. Revised January 2002.” [Link removed by Moderator due to malware]

    Dr. Joseph Mercola
    “The Fallacy of Vegetarian Diets” http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2006/03/30/the-fallacy-of-vegetarian-diets.aspx

  • http://heartseed.sf.net neighborlee

    http://www.thenazareneway.com/biblical_%20vegetarianism_denis_giron.htm < Since someone questioned me on misinterpreting Jesus teachings, then here you are for verification purposes only:

    Isaiah 1:11-16
    "The multitude of your sacrifices– what are they to me?" says the LORD. "I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. When you come to appear before me, who has asked this of you, this trampling of my courts? Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations– I cannot bear your evil assemblies. Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts my soul hates. They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them. When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you; even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are full of blood; wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight! Stop doing wrong!

    I"d say, that I have every desire to speak the truth, to those that are capable of listening anyway, and in theory , that is all of us, because as from children , none of us want to do harm, and that is at the core of every major religion on Earth, as shown here:

    http://www.serv-online.org/pamphlet2005.htm

    Enough said, as this should provide plenty of information making the vegetarian/vegan case, to those truly interested.

  • http://heartseed.sf.net neighborlee

    None of you want any truth, your just spouting industry nonsense, when clear evidence is given to you which directly disputes it. If you have proof to counter Dr. Gupta’s claims , then bring it here and that can be discussed, but so far Im not seeing anything that does that.

    Peta hasn’t been sued for issueing false information about animal diet on their website. Hire a attorney, or push for someone to do it for you ( aclu ?), or your words are meaningless and just adhominem attack.

    It’s clear that meat, especially from the meat industry is horribly tainted, yet you are just fine feeding it to your beloved pets, and this article is one such proof of it, and we had a actual VMD here precisely telling you that. MOney buys influence, so open your eyes everyone to the world around you, and what you’re willing to feed to your beloved pets.

    The jesus myth in the bible about his eating fish is hugely debated as you can see here , by this decently researched article:

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kamran-pasha/was-jesus-a-vegetarian_b_276141.html

    Im so sorry that these facts are ‘inconvenient’ for some, but they are discussion worthy, and no amount of denial about the meat industry is going to change anything for you. Meat causes enviornmental damage, food shortage and death of countless billions of innocent animals whom aren’t asking for death & cruel treatment. It’s easy to ‘bypass’ this guilt because your hands aren’t tainted by blood ( the industry workers do the evil deed for everyone ), yet the ‘raw meat’ is colored and flavored for you, else it would not be savory. In all of this you still find no problem with eating meat, and if so, further introspection is helpful.

    This website article was about diet for your pet, and discussion centering around the nurtional value, or not, of that diet is fair game and provides edification for those that want the best for the pets they love so much.

    You had your say, and I mine. The diet my dog gets is high in protein ( not sure where you get that it wasn’t ) and is balanced according to natures recipe’s website, and you may go and look for yourself if you doubt that.

    I can’t add more, so I leave you all with the hope you will decide to eat , while doing no harm, or killing anything, and I took nothing out of context, Jesus clearly was talking about not sacrificing innocent animals, because god didn’t want that, instead what was wanted was kindness , empathy and compassion.

  • Gordon

    Yeah, that’s confused me too. Because didn’t Jesus eat and advocate the eating of fish?

    Anyway, re your Japan statement, neighborlee, which I didn’t fully understand, they are responsible for the continued slaughter of blue whales, under the disguise of, in the name of science for scientific research, when it is well known, that whale is one of their food delicacies.

    neighborlee, what would your solution to wild dogs such as wolves be, regarding their naturally programmed drive to hunt and scavenge meat from killed or lying dead ungulates (herbivorous animals)?

    Also knowing that it is an indisputable fact that the domestic dog is a direct descendant of the wolf and carries 99.82% of the wolf’s mitochondrial DNA, and therefore requires the same high meat protein and low carb diet, as the wolf, how could it be a good thing that dogs become vegetarian and hence eat a diet almost entirely carbohydrate loaded?

  • http://www.facebook.com/Toxed2loss Toxed2loss

    Neighborlee, Jesus was a meat eater; specifically he ate the passover lamb and fish. You took his statement out of context. His statement had nothing to do with diet at all. Clearly you aren’t concerned about speaking the truth…

  • monkey

    I don’t think we should be talking about our own nutrition but we should be talking about our dogs. Just because you are a vegetarian doesn’t mean your carnivorous dog should have to live with that. If you refuse to support the “meat industry”, then don’t own a dog. Go get yourself a rabbit.

  • http://heartseed.sf.net neighborlee

    Shawna, feel free to name your scientist, that is your right, but it won’t change the debate as relates to the violence in the meat industry or the health factors it presents, but I suspect you already know that ;)

    Then there is Jesus ( name your religion, they all include this tenant ) with his saying of , give me mercy not sacrifice, clearly indicating the preferred diet, and why.We all know killing is wrong, we just deny it because the food is wrapped up pretty , then colored and chemicals added so we like the taste, otherwise it wouldn’t be palatable. I don’t call that much of a ‘natural’ diet to say nothing of the violence wrought to get to that point.

    I never fail to be surprised when intelligent people claim their way is better, not realizing they just said its better to eat meat, knowing full well the horrors of said industry. It perfectly proves the point about the desensitization that people go through which allows them to maintain plausible denial about those they allow harm to ( the vulnerable), all in the name of righteous indignation over their right to ‘nutrition’; and then go further into denial that we maintain balance better than nature, when we are the ones causing disease by artifiical means, and the upset to nature to continue to climb to over population.

    If you got sick on a vegetarian diet, I would be curious to know exactly how . There is no reason for sickness, short of not adhering correctly to a given diet, or obviously allergies, even though those are quite rare.

    Short of polling the entire country, it is a good choice for ‘most’ people, becuase meat literally makes you ill ( Japan is a great example too ), and most feeling people ( once they think about it enough ) are ‘ill’ when they learn how animals are treated within said industry, to say nothing of the exploited animals, vulnerable to those with the means. That might sound harsh and its not the intent whatsoever, but I can’t imagine a better way to say it, and keep the truth part of the conversation.

    As Henry Baily Stevens said: ‘ we operate a church and a schoolhouse at one end of the street and a slaughterhouse at the other; to teach peace yet eat like birds of prey; each generation has run amok for the ugly lies it has been taught,- viz viz: that people must be killed for military obectives, and animals for food. As I said earlier, its easy to turn a blind eye to the horrors, when the gruesome part has already been done for us.

    http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/08/19/heart.attack.proof.diet/

  • Shawna

    Hi Neighborlee,

    I currious why you keep bringing up the law suit thing. They are not suing for HIGH animal based protein diets either. In fact they are not suing over euthanized animals in dog foods.. I see the law suit angle as a mute point.

    I’m wondering — if we didn’t value cattle for their meat do you think we would protect them from predators and feed them etc. Is it possible that cows might be extinct without human involvement. Or pigs and chickens. I don’t see many people owning cows cause their fun to play with.. hee hee hee.. No seriously – who would own and therefore protect and feed livestock?

    I agree with the teachings of Dr. Joseph Mercola — Some people are healthier on a vegetarian/vegan diet. However some people are healthier on a high animal based protein diet. But the majority of us are healthier on mainly veggies/fruits with some animal protein. I found myself to be in this group over the years when I tried both a vegetarian diet and the Atkins diet. SICK on both diets.

    The above video didn’t say anything about meat? However, for every article you have supporting vegetarian as a healthier lifestyle — I can find one that supports the eating of meat (also from doctors, scientists and nutritionists).

    (Ethical reasons aside–cause I do agree with you on many points) — I support your life choices but I don’t think it is a “healthful” choice for everyone and I certainly don’t think it is healthful for an animal with canine teeth (most) and short digestive tracts designed to eat meat — that have not evolved to be different then their wild counterparts (proven via science).

  • http://heartseed.sf.net neighborlee

    http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/08/19/heart.attack.proof.diet/index.html

    If its not good for us, I see no reason to think its good for them. Considering that Companies sell both vegetarian and vegan foods for our companion animals, and haven’t been sued yet is clear indication again, that there is nothing wrong with it ( along with this study ). I mentioned several times to my vet anyway, that I do this, and they didn’t forcibly try to stop me with their VMD, by offering their medical expertise.

    What speaks ‘much’ louder to me, is that they willingly feed our animals low quality food and think nothing of it, yet not one bag of vegetarian food is on most vet shelves. They give no medical advice when you bring it up, but they won’t offer any. If they are against it and say nothing, then they don’t deserve their license, but somehow I doubt that’s the case with the several vets over the year that have not declined my right to feed a vegan diet.

    Hearing about these issues with such dog foods, makes me even more elated that I went this route when I did.

    Everytime we eat meat ourselves or our animal companions, we are contributing to the suffering and demise of innocent sentient animals. They can’t protect themselves, so the onus is on us, to do it for them. That is called mercy, not sacrifice.

    If we don’t, are we not the savages ( unwilling ones )…That might seem too much for some to bear, but one that lived 2000 years ago wasn’t shy about saying it, ” Give me mercy not sacrifice “.

    That isn’t a admonishment or judgement of those currently eating meat; instead a call to inner contemplation, just as I did 30 years ago when a new friend in my life asked me to consider the option ( She is a nurse ). I wasn’t a bad person, though I fed into the whole meat thing not knowing ( my parents didn’t get it either ) any better. That is simple desensitization, and its not a sin, but its sure liberating when the cycle is broken ;)

    Short of the whole diet thing, that continues to give me great passion to continue to advocate for a non meat diet, so as to end suffering and death, and thanks to this article, I am even more empowered for my companion animals health.

  • Gordon

    Thanks for bringing that to my attention, Shawna. I don’t have Pitcairn’s book and now won’t be getting it, thanks to your information. You obviously have his book.

    The reason I put Picairn’s name in the list of the other 3 (All books of both Lonsdale and Billinghurst I have, and only articles on Pottenger), is due to previous mentions of him in an Australian forum, as well as on here some time ago, and as well as Lonsdale claiming that Billinghurst “stole” Pitcairn’s ideal, as well as an unverified Wikipedia page about him, stating in a paragraph, “He is a strong advocate of feeding dogs and cats a raw meat diet,[2] Pitcairn claims that such a regimen is very healthy for dogs and cats; among other things, he recommends raw meat to support the health of cats with kidney disease,[3] a position not held by all experts”

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Pitcairn

    And so is why I placed him in the list, in addition to not wanting to sound too biased naming mainly Australian experts, hence balancing the list with another American in the name Pitcairn, to make it 2 and 2 (Aussies and Americans) instead of one ancient American in Pottenger and 2 Australians.

    So no, there is nothing else re Pitcairn that you’re not aware of. Mea Culpa.

  • http://heartseed.sf.net neighborlee

    Gordan, no apology necessary among friends ;) …we all learn, and often daily.

    Thx for being here and sharing.

  • Shawna

    Have you read Pitcairns views Gordon? They are SOOO very different from the other 3. It surprises me that you would include him as an “expert”. Pitcairn would actually be more on Peta’s side then Lonsdale’s side in an argument (based on his opinion as written in his book — “Dr. Pitcairn’s Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats” Third Ediution).

    On page 97 he writes as a column heading “Vegetarians Are Healthier” (speaking of humans here). On page 98 he discusses the “toxins” in meats–including human grade meat (hormones, antibiotics etc etc). Page 99 he discusses the “Global, Ethical, And Environmental Concerns” of a meat diet. And on page 100 her writes “For these reasons, I recommend prioritizing the recipes in chapter 4 that use the least amounts of meat. While all of the basic dog recipes are tailored to require fairly low amounts of meat, the minimal-meat choices for dogs are (in this order): Quick Canine Oatmeal…….”

    Is there something about Pitcairn that I am not aware of?

  • Gordon

    My apologies neighborlee. Thanks for the clarification that Sanja is a male. I was confusing the name with Sonya.

    However, I’ll pass on any research into him thanks. For now at least. There are others that I’m currently researching. So, he’ll have to wait.

    Having said, it is highly unlikely that my mind will change since Mother Nature knows best, and not Dr. Gupta. :) That is an indisputable fact.

    I believe there are 4 experts besides our grand parents and prior era and Mother Nature, and they are Dr.s Pottenger, Lonsdale, Pitcairn and Billinghurst. I’ll take their advice and Mother Nature’s thanks.

    But I do appreciate your perspective however extremely and unequivocally I disagree!

  • http://heartseed.sf.net neighborlee

    THanks again for this article, it was a real eye opener for me, and my dog will be healthier for its posting.

    Ty so much.

  • http://heartseed.sf.net neighborlee

    Hi gordon,

    Do some research , and get back to me. Dr. Gupta isn’t some fy by night doctor. He is a he btw Gordon, but you would have known that, had you done the research.

    “The nutritional needs of dogs and cats can be met with a balanced vegan diet and certain supplements. ” , and natures recipe food is just that, and its aafco approved.

    Did you know that cats weren’t even native to America , so that throws out their supposed requirements, and otherwise threw apart the animal ecosystem when they were introduced.

    If you think Peta is wrong, which they are not, then you too are free to sue them, if you’re so sure, and free animals from non violent diets ;) Ours has been on natures recipe ( balanced and complete) for years now, and he is just fine, and I don’t have to sleep at night thinking about the horrors of the meat industry, knowing animals are free’er’ to roam and care for their young and enjoy life, as we are. Who really agrees to kill others for food, short of Mark zuckerberg. A real hero .

    The Einstein comment was just that, a clearly highly intelligent and educated Scientist, who was vegetaraian. The link is obvious, in that he was a thoughtful intelligent man, that understood the atrocities in the meat industry, read it for yourself Mr. Gordon:

    http://www.ivu.org/history/northam20a/einstein.html < that is the research you could have done, and explains precisely why I mentioned Einstein.

    If you dont work for the meat industry, then you clearly are misinformed , and desensitized to it all, the horrors included. Have you seen videos of the meat industry, how it treats animals, etc. As a caring individual, which most of us are, it is impossible to see them and not be horrified literally.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathy-freston/shattering-the-meat-myth_b_214390.html < this is for your humans aren't natural vegetarians statement , so consider reading it.

    [Link to malware removed by Moderator] < thats a really good read as well, so if such foods are bad for us, does anyone really think its 'ok' for our companion animals ? I have no death wish for my dog or cat.

  • Gordon

    Oh about Einstein and IQ’s in general. They have nothing to do with diet (At least not once developed), and one is born with a set IQ, however, can improve or decline depending on whether they have been abundantly breast fed and that mothers have eaten healthy in the 9 months of pregnancy. At least, so says a recent study, I recall hearing about some months ago, reported by a news program.

  • Gordon

    Hi neighborlee – There is no better protein or iron source better than that, that comes from meat, for both humans, and carnivorous animals!

    I don’t want to sound like an arrogant lay person, when I say that if what you’re saying that Dr. Sanja Gupta, says what you claim, then she truly has no idea what she is talking about!!

    How can meat be bad for wild dogs? It is Nature’s designed dietary rule, that wild dogs, be it wolves, dingoes, coyotes, foxes, etc, eat a majority of raw meat in their diet. So does that mean that Dr. Sanja Gupta is right, and all mighty Mother Nature is wrong?

  • Shawna

    Thank you too!!! :)

  • http://heartseed.sf.net neighborlee

    Shawna, and I do AND appreciate, and understand where you are.

    Peace out, and ty so much for your views ;)

  • Shawna

    I have done my research.. I teach nutrition classes and have studied many of the best nutritionists and vets on dog and cat diets..

    My dog Audrey was born with kidney disease. She has been on a raw meat and animal based high protein diet since she was weaned.. That was over 5 years ago and she is doing fabulously.. Not on medication, never sick, never required sub Q fluids etc. All I do is diet and animal organ, glandular supplements. A vegetarian protein diet would be disasterous for her kidneys — amino acid bioavailablity wise. I can provide science to prove this…

    And, many doctors and nutritionists (my M.D. is also a Certifiec Clinical Nutritionist—recommending a Weston Price style diet) recommend meat based protein diets.

    I do understand AND appreciate your commitment to animals. I refused to purchase pork (for myself or dogs) because of gestation crates as an example. BUT, I have Native American genes and I assure you my ancestors were meat eaters and there hasn’t been enough time for me to have evolved to a non meat eater. I do buy clean, ethically raised meat though (both for myself and my dogs).

  • http://heartseed.sf.net neighborlee

    Shawna, if that is true, why don’t you get them to sue peta, and remove that page.

    That would surely clear things up I suppose, to once and for all put this to rest.

    That has yet to happen, so I guess much of what we see here, is just adhominem attack, no doubt from many whom likely support the violence of the meat industry. I don’t know how you sleep at night.

    Violence begats violence, and those that are stuck working there, have high percentages of suicides. Is that the kind of world we want to live in ? We are as we do, so again, it should surprise no one how things have turned out. You an thank Saul of Tarsus, in part, for that.

    Some of the greats were vegetarian/vegan, and a quick google would verify that. Einstein was one , if that tells you anything. Ghandi was too. http://www.veganwolf.com/famous_vegetarians.htm

    There was even a article that highy suggests that Jesus was as well ( google: huffington post jesus vegetarian ; should find it), and given his view on sacrifice, should that surprise anyone ?: ” Give me mercy, not sacrifice “.

  • http://heartseed.sf.net neighborlee

    my bad: oofca> http://www.aafco.org/

  • http://heartseed.sf.net neighborlee

    SHawna, again, do your research, Dogs are omnivores, and there is no reason they can’t eat a totally vegan diet, just like cats, as long as all the nutrients an vitamins are there. Those are the facts,whether you, or the meat industry likes it or not.

    If meat is bad for us, and check Dr. Sanja GUpta for that, then its not good for dogs either, and that includes cancer, diabetes and god knows what else.

    Morally and ethically as well, its just wrong, but thats a opinion from someone who has done alot of research, and knows right from wrong. Thou shalt not killl is rather clear, but those in denial think it doesn’t apply to animals, because well, animals cant fight back or use guns, like we do.

    When I found out how bad ID was, I immediately stopped it,and got him natures recipe vegetarian mix , with gravy formula and he just loves it and it has OOFCA’s stamp of approval.

    Besides, my vet knows about this diet, and has no problems with it. It’s a national clinic as well, but this one is in the NorthWest.

  • Shawna

    Neighborlee — I agree with Michelle and Sandy. Sandy has a good reference in Dr. Becker too… Dr. Becker is a vegetarian herself but this is what she says about a vegetarian diet for pets..

    “PETA needs to rethink their position on this subject. And fast.

    I’m certainly all for the ethical treatment of animals, but there is nothing ethical about forcing a vegan or vegetarian diet on an animal designed by nature to be an obligate carnivore.

    There are powers in the world greater than man (or woman), and one of them is nature. Nature dictates to us, not the other way around.

    I certainly understand and appreciate the personal decision many people make to adopt a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle. I am a vegetarian myself. But pushing my personal philosophy on another species is not appropriate. ” http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/09/15/peta-thinks-cats-should-be-vegans.aspx

    Dr. Martin Goldstein is another WELL respected vet. He too is a vegetarian. And also advocates a high protein meat based diet (raw — same as Dr. Becker) for cats and dogs.

  • http://heartseed.sf.net neighborlee

    MIchelle, as I thought, yes you are 5 years old, and I have just reported you.

    I knew right off you were a trouble maker, welcome to the human race..NOT.

    Peta notwithstanding, I and my dog are NOT eating, by the death and suffering of any sentient creature. If you are ok with that, I suggest you check all the facts, and then the mirror you stare into, because something is wrong with the reflection. Most people who ‘don’t get’ the vegan thing, as just in denial, and seriously desensitized to industry voodoo.

    To sandy: same thing.

  • sandy

    Unless your dog has a serious serious medical condition requiring vegetarian food, you are doing him a dis-service for sure!

    Feed lot raised animals, grain fed raised animals raised to be fat and marbly, given hormones, and antibiotics, that have lost their natural balance of omega 6 & omega 3 like free range animals, yes they are bad for us. But your dog who is still 99% wolf has to have meat!!

    There are dog food companies that use free range animals, antibiotic free, hormone free animals in their food by the way.

    Here is a link from a holistic vet. Do some research. Feed your dog what he is made to eat instead of forcing to eat rabbit food.
    http://www.drkarenbecker.com/nav_sets_04/set04.htm

  • http://heartseed.sf.net neighborlee

    I would be happy to Michelle, and its not funny, or is that your way of making a laughing matter out of companion animal diet ? It’s important to me, so unless you are 5 years old, I’d prefer you reduce your laughter, as its not mature , OR funny.

    Here is the link IN CASE your serious about looking into it, but Ill not hold my breath ;)

    http://www.peta.org/issues/Companion-Animals/meatless-meals-for-dogs-and-cats.aspx

  • Michelle

    neighborlee, LOL, meat isn’t good for dogs? That is a good one! :) Just where did you get this info? How is meat not good for a primarily carnivorous animal? Please enlighten us.. :)

  • http://heartseed.sf.net neighborlee

    I read recently that meat for dogs isn’t recommended, which makes sense, as its not good for us either, as clearly outlined by specialists, and neurologists like Dr. Sanja Gupta.

    I feed my dog Natures Recipe dry , vegetarian receipe, and it meets the stringment requirements of this article, and thank god. I feel so good , not having to contribute to the awful meat industry , knowing my dog is healthy and happy.

    Great article , thx so much ;) )

  • sandy
  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Elaine… There’s an excellent article about urinary stones that discusses this problem and makes some practical suggestions.

    Also, the Urolith Center at the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine provides an excellent website devoted to the identification of different types of urinary stones. This site also offers some excellent recommendations, too.

    In any case, since I’m not a veterinarian, I cannot provide specific health advice or product recommendations. You may wish to check back for a possible response from one of our other readers. Hope this helps.

  • sandy

    Here’s another one. http://www.aplus-flint-river-ranch.com/article-healthydalmatiandiet.php

    This one says Flint River Ranch has low purine formulas.

  • sandy
  • Elaine

    Hello:
    I would like to know what would be the best dog food ingredient for my dog recently had bladder stone (urate) removed. His vet told me that he’ll need Hill’s Science Diet u/d for the rest of his life, but this is so expensive, and my dog does not really like it at all. Please advise how to find out food with less purines for his diet.
    Thanks,
    Elaine

  • melissa

    Rosie-

    Personally, if its working, and given the fact that your dog has had three recent bouts of pancreatitis, I would not mess with anything until you consult your vet. I do question one thing-you are giving pancreatic enzyme? That is not something I am familiar with for pancreatitis issues, but rather EPI. You dog can survive eating ID if that is the ONLY option-consult with your vet!!!!

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Rosie… The dog foods on this website are rated based upon their apparent ingredient quality and meat content. And nothing else. Our ratings have nothing to do with expected results. Unfortunately, since I’m not a veterinarian and due to the biological uniqueness of each pet, it would be inappropriate for me to provide specific health advice or product recommendations. Please see our FAQ page and our reviews for more information. Or check back for a possible response from one of our other readers. Wish I could be more help.

  • Rosie

    My almost 16 year old Yorkshire Terrier has recently gone through 3 bouts of pancreatitis. She is currently eating dry Hills I/D along with canned I/D, which we use to hide her pancreatic enzyme and Zantac pills in. Her blood-work is ideal with the exception of her lipase. She has suffered from excessive stomach acid with vomiting all her life which we thought we solved with the Zantac. I have now read on the internet that Zantac can actually cause pancreatitis. This discovery that Hills is low quality has left me in a quandry. I am very tempted to just keep things as they are given her age and the fact that she feels better than she has in a very long time. Is I/D a food that can sustain my dog for the rest of her life or is it meant to be temporary, weaning to a more complete diet after issues have resolved? As an interesting observation, the I/D makes my 12 year old Chinese Crested dog vomit. Thanks

  • Willow

    My cousin knows someone who works higher up in Science Diet and says the food is in fact “not high quality”. Sorry to say.

  • Carol Fussell

    As was mentioned by another boxer owner, this food has saved my 6 year old boxer’s life. We were certain we were losing him afater months of sickness…and now he is gaining weight and thriving – Poor guy is missing his “treats” though. Any recommendation on an appropriate treat for a dog with serious gastrointestinal issue?? Thanks.

  • Jonathan

    Jackie, I doubt your vet would knowingly prescribe something harmful for you to feed your dog. Just like I doubt human Doctors know that their prescription pharmaceuticals really cause more problems than they are worth. In both cases, good people have been misled by research provided by profit-first corporations that are more interested in hiding the symptoms of their other corporate sins than fixing real problems. If there were a ton of money to be made by Big Food and Big Medicine in convincing everyone that eating real food (in the case of dogs, raw food) is the way to treat chronic disease, many of our (and our dog’s) health problems would probably go away in a few generations. There is nothing special about Science Diet. Nothing about it makes is a medicine. This is the same carb-heavy non-sense as the rest of their foods. At least consider the alternative. Real food.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Jackie… You’re right. And like you, I trust Bailey’s vet, too. Don’t know what we’d do without her. That’s why I remind readers in this (and every professional veterinary product) review that “it’s not our intention to judge the appropriateness of any dog food to treat a specific condition”. And to “consult a veterinarian” for help. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

  • Jackie

    I trust my vet. She is my friend as well and knows how much I love my dogs. She would not prescribe something she thought would hurt them. Don’t you think that what they recommend should be taken into consideration along with actual results? Recurring bouts of sickness and trial and error with other foods can’t be better than finding something that finally works. I see a vast improvement so far and plan to continue as long as he stays healthy. I do appreciate the fact that you’ve done so much research. Just thought I’d throw this out there.

  • Ron

    Billy,
    My now 14 year Labrador has something similar to yours.
    If you do have to use the SD I/D which I had to also, I would use the wet canned version if possible, it worked much better for her and I think it has better and less ingredients. Sometimes when they are having these problems, kibble seems hard for them to
    digest properly.

  • Jan

    Billy, the Hills I/D was what my vet recommended for my dog’s diarrhea (mostly due to parasites), and although I was also concerned about the quality of the food, it was the only thing that worked for her. She was on it for almost 7 months and did great. I was so relieved that she finally got over the months of illness and diarrhea. She was able to transition to higher quality foods – I transitioned her to Blue Buffalo Life Protection (chicken and rice so that it wasn’t totally different than the Hills) and now to Wilderness (chicken) and she is doing great. Last year I thought she was destined for a life of stomach/intestinal difficulty, but it didn’t turn out that way. So don’t lose hope; maybe you will be able to feed him a different food later. But for now I’d try what your vet says and give the chance for him to heal. It isn’t the best quality food, but it changed our lives to one of getting up in the middle of the night every night with her squealing to go outside and diarrhea all over the floor to being able to sleep through the night and cheering out loud for solid poop in the yard! Let us know how it goes.

  • Billy

    Ok, so my 11 year old Labrador has been going to the vet about every 6 months for the last two years with a bout of diarrhea. It usually lasts about 4 days and during this time he acts normal, although 1 of the times he did get a bit dehydrated and had to be hooked to an IV to recover. He has been eating Nutro Ultra products since around age 6. His entire life he has been a picky eater, never one of those “constantly starved”-attitudes a lot of Labs have. When he was younger, and was fed only once a day, he would sometimes vomit bile maybe once every 2 weeks. The vet concluded he had high stomach acidity and it would be better to feed him 2, maybe 3 times daily with smaller portions, which helped tremendously. I’m writing because now his diarrhea bouts went from every 6 months, to 1 month, now with the appearance of blood and mucus in his stool. We just went in today for an ultrasound and blood work. Everything came back normal and the diagnosis is inflamed colon and a potential food intolerance or allergy (vet’s words) development. He is prescribed an antibiotic as well as a recommended diet change. They prescribed him Hills I/D dry kibble. I am nervous after reading the rating here but I am more nervous of just blindly selecting another dog food and potentially subjecting my dog to further gastrointestinal problems. I will try Hills I/D, per the veterinarian’s recommendation (which, by the way, is at the state university here and is considered the best place in town to bring your pet) and let everyone here know how it goes.

  • sandy

    Actually one of my dogs always did better with some grain, so he eats 1 part regular food and 2-3 parts grain free. Works for him. Don’t feel like you have to use one food or the other all the way.

  • sandy

    Sounds like a plan. I’ve used the Duck and Salmon formulas on my dogs before. Just remember to keep going slow and feed less of the Wilderness. And keep in mind Wilderness is potato based. There are also tapioca based and pea based grain free foods if she should have a reaction to potatoes.

  • Jan

    Hi everyone – I forgot to let you know what I ended up feeding my dog with the sensitive stomach. My vet wanted me to transition very slowly to something with chicken and rice since that’s what my dog was used to, then transition to the food I wanted to feed her long term. She’s now eating Blue Buffalo Life Protection Chicken and Rice dry food, and is doing great with it. There were no issues during the transition or now, so maybe here system wasn’t permanently damaged by the parasites. But now I’d like to transition her to something of a lbetter quality that is grain free. What do you all think of Wilderness Blue Buffalo chicken? Shameless, I love the ingredients in the Nature’s Variety Instinct Organic Chicken Formula you recommended; I only eat organic food myself but I’m just not sure I want to give up the dry food for my dog since she’s doing very well on it and spend the extra money if I don’t have to. I definitely want something grain free that is very high quality but would prefer to stick to dry food if possible. Any recommendations are appreciated. Thanks everyone!

  • Dahlia

    Christina, I understand your concerns. If your yorkie does not respond to the canned I/D food, I would rather get some dry I/D diet food and wet it to “sponge” it and make it easier for him to swallow. Let me explain.

    I have a “senior” dog (she’s ten, but very healthy and runs like a marathoner) with ulcerative colitis. Once or twice when she was little she presented bloody stools, but nothing serious that required emergency vet care. However, after her seventh birthday, she had a very scary episode. The vet finally diagnosed her with colitis and put her on the I/D diet; she has been on it for the past three years.

    The food seemed to be really good, gives her great energy, and no bloody diarrhea. The only times she has gotten sick again was eating something she found on the street while walking (she was faster than me and swallowed it), a relative that did not follow instructions and wanted to be nice and give her a “treat”, and hookworms. However, they changed the formula a few months ago and now she cannot tolerate the canned version.

    Before, you could see the rice grains in the food (actual rice grains, not bits and pieces), but now the canned version is like any other cheap version. I can tell you the dry version works for these types of veterinary emergencies. For the long run, after he gets better, is another thing.

    I started researching in case I needed an alternative food, because of the change in formula, and I CANNOT believe what’s in this. You think when the vet recommends you something that is THIS expensive and requires a prescription, it is the absolute best. Honestly, until very recently I had no idea what the ingredients meant, their nutritional value and the like, and now I’m just disgusted at the price I have to pay for such a cheap product.

    I have mixed feelings because it works; it keeps my dog’s digestive system under check, but now I wonder if it’s taking a toll in some other aspect of her health. At times I wonder if they put some kind of medicine or something in it that they are not telling about (why “prescription” food if there is nothing to be prescribed in the ingredients list), or if it’s that all of those cheap fillers just pass right through her and she gets her calories from the cheap carbs and pork fat, and the nutrients from the added vitamins and minerals.

    My plans now are to slowly switch her to a homemade diet, with limited ingredients, grain free and low fat, which I’ve been reading is the best course for dogs with digestive system issues. I hope she’ll tolerate it. I talked to my vet about this and he asked me why I didn’t just switch her to another brand of veterinary diet. After a little research, they cost more and are just as cheap. So, he advised me then to introduce her to the homemade food little by little over the course of six to eight weeks and see how it goes. If she starts to get stomach upset, I guess we’ll be stuck with the expensive food made with cheap ingredients.

  • Melissa

    Christina-

    Only two cans??? I own several dogs with pancreatitis issues and I can assure you, I fed ID(or Purina EN-both the same) for at least one MONTH after bouts of the pancreatitis. Make no mistake, pancreatitis can kill your dog, and kill him very quickly. I am surprised given the vomitting and bloody stool that he was not hospitalized for at least 24 hrs on IV fluids to prevent a crash. Given the fact that he developed this while on a home cooked diet tells you that something was not right with the diet.

    At your next recheck appt,(or before you run out of the ID) please speak with your vet regarding long term maintanence of pancreatitis dogs. Typically speaking, you can wean them onto a commercial diet but he will require a lower fat food(less than 12 percent typically) If your homecooked diet was the culprit(and it appears to be) then he needs to get off of it or this will reoccur.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Christina… It looks like your dog is seriously ill. I’d suggest you follow your vet’s professional advice and ignore the comments you receive here or anywhere else on the Internet (no matter how well-intentioned). Wish I could be more help.

  • http://www.drianbillinghurst.com/ Gordon

    Christina – If I may offer my 2 cents worth, it might be better to feed your dog human grade raw and lean chicken and turkey meat from the butchers. Add a little kale and/or spinach (Mashed up very well). This should serve as a lower fat meal and I’d imagine a far better alternative than this Hills diet, based on its grain ridden formulation.

    Companies like Hills and Purina, constantly market their formulas not only to you and I, but also to Vet clinics (Especially their so-called prescription type formulations), and is why your, and most Vets advise feeding these types of foods for these type of ailments such as pancreatic and allergy disorders.

    There’s so many different types of colitis, and maybe you should follow your Vet’s advice, at least until your dog gets better. After which, you should search for a quality low fat dog food as a permanent feeding fixture. Check out at the 4 or 5 star rated dog foods on this website, and look at the dashboard for the fat content.

  • Christina

    Ok, guys. I really need your help and advice. I have a 7 y.o. yorkie. It started about 2 month when he began to have very thick dark urine. They did ultrasound on him and said that they could see some “extra tissues” in one of his gall bladder ducts. So, he got antibiotics for 1 month and some liver support supplements. So, it actually got better and now he has a crystally clean urine. Right now I have another problem. Yesterday he was vomiting the whole evening and night and then in the afternoon when I came back from school I saw that he had several BLACK semisolid bowel movements with some black liquid on. So, I immediately made an appointment and brought him to clinic. They ran blood test on him, stool specimen and x-ray of his abdomen. The doctor said that his pancreas enzymes are elevated and that he has bloody stools and some bloody diarrhea. So, the doc concluded that he probably has pancreatitis and colitis. So, doc put him on antibiotics and some dewormer pills, and also adviced for my dog to eat this I/D canned food for at least couple days to let his intestines heal and rest. So, now what I am reading here about ingredients I become more and more worry. I will definitely finish those 2 cans because I ran out of option, I don’t know what to do better for my doggie. But I am thinking that maybe after his treatment I need to find some better food. So, based on his treatment history and diagnosis, what kind of food do you advise? Low fat diet?
    PS he was for years on commercial dry foods from pet stores. Then when he started to have his problem with urine, it was an eye opener and I decided to cook for him. I boiled some chicken with fresh carrots and some crackers and multivitamins. But I don’t know, may be it is not working. I also gave Missing link powder supplement, but now I am willing to try high quality food. Please help me and my dog to choose the food to make him healthy again. THank you for any imput.

  • Joy Douglas

    Thanx Mike, I have found a new friend….JOY

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Joy… I’ve already reviewed Orijen. But my reviews are based upon the label and have nothing to do with expected results. Since your dog has previously been so sick and now appears to be doing well on I/D, I’d be reluctant to switch to something else without extreme care. Unfortunately, since I’m not a veterinarian, it would be inappropriate for me to provide specific health advice or product recommendations. You may wish to check back for a possible response from one of our other readers.

  • Joy Douglas

    Hello Mike. Like several of the comments here, my dog also had soft stools. But the difference in my dog is that he was pooping nothing but puddles of blood (SEVERELY) and the I/D put a stop to it. I don’t think he could survive another bout of this, he has had 2. There is a food from Canada–Orijen, Do you know anything about gastrointestinitis and this food?

  • sandy

    Hi Jan,

    I posted a comment on the B/D page, but my friend has been transitioning her IBS Boston Terrier dog from the hills to the Nature’s Select Salmon & Sweet potato slowly without any issues. I would even finish the bag you have. No need to rush.

  • Jan

    Thank you all for your input; it is very helpful. I’m going to research the products you suggested and I’ll let you know what I end up with and how it works for my dog.

  • Jonathan

    Jan, I would go to Natural Balance LID. I have seen great results with digestive issues when people switch their dogs to NB LID. And once your dog is on NB, you can work in other things, too.

  • melissa

    Jan-

    While everyone will have an opinion, lol, I would recc something not very “rich” and transition her upward as she adjusts to digesting /eating other brands. If you take a dog from ID staight to something that is high fat etc, you will find you get the runs and are back at step one-at least that has been our experience with the various dogs that have had stomach issues.

  • Mike P

    Jan I would go with a great grain free product like Merrick before grain chicken ..or a nice 4 star product like avoderm chicken and rice formula ..or both ..before grain chicken and top with avoderm chicken and rice canned …alot better on the pocket book ..hope this helps

  • ShamelessRawFoodie

    Jan – My suggestion is that you transition gradually to REAL FOOD. Your dog’s ‘sensitive and potentially damaged intestinal tract’, as you describe, would probably benefit from not having to digest high-carb processed baked kibble. And REAL FOOD can heal. Here is an example of an easy-to-find raw organic chicken dog food:
    Nature’s Variety Instinct Organic Chicken Formula
    http://www.naturesvariety.com/InstinctRaw/dog/orgchicken
    Ingredients
    Organic Chicken, Organic Chicken Liver, Organic Chicken Heart, Raw Ground Organic Chicken Bone, Organic Chicken Eggs, Organic Bok Choy, Organic Carrots, Organic Apples, Organic Pears, Montmorillonite Clay, Organic Persimmons, Organic Flaxseed Oil, Organic Yogurt [Organic Milk, Organic Skimmed Milk, Fructooligosaccharides, Pectin, Live Yogurt Cultures (Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Bifidobacterium Animalis, Enterococcus Thermophilus, Lactobacillus Bulgaricus, Lactobacillus Casei)], Organic Alfalfa Sprouts, Organic Parsley, Organic Blueberries.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Jan… Unfortunately, since I’m not a veterinarian, it would be inappropriate for me to provide specific health advice or product recommendations. Please see our FAQ page and our reviews for more information. Or check back for a possible response from one of our other readers.

  • Jan

    Sorry – I left this comment on the wrong page (B/D instead of ID), so I’m posting it here too.

    My dog, adopted last year, had persistent parasites and diarrhea. My vet recommended we feed her Hill’s I/D for her sensitive, and potentially damaged intestinal tract. It took months to get her through it, but she’s been better for awhile now. My vet said we could start mixing another food with it, to eventually move her off it to another food. She recommended something with chicken and rice. Do you have any recommendations for a 4 or 5 star food that is good for sensitive intestinal tracts?

  • Karen

    I don’t even know why this garbage they try to pass off as prescription dog food gets two stars. It contains several of the worst commercial dog food ingredients on the market. My dog developed all sorts of digestive and rectum problems on this vet prescribed food. I can’t believe so many vets don’t have the sense or the patience to read what crap they are peddling to ignorant consumers.

  • Jonathan

    Not to let Cathy down… Ray, your Rx I/D dog food choice is industrial waste and floor sweepings.

    Now, that’s not to say it isn’t helping your pup’s specific problem… but I assure you that there are products that could be beneficial to your dog without containing low-quality ingredients! :-)

    I beseech you to re-read the review and maybe consider a Natural Balance LID, or any other 3-5 star foods on Mike’s list here…

    http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/best-dog-foods/hypoallergenic-dog-foods/

    Many of those are good for GI issues.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    ShamelessRawFoodie… Your comment here is unnecessary and provocative. Please keep your comments on topic.

  • ShamelessRawFoodie

    Ray,
    Be prepared for comments by Jonathan and other dog food snobs bashing your Rx I/D dog food choice as industrial waste and floor sweepings.
    I advocate raw feeding. REAL FOOD is fuel for good health, with powerful nutrients that heal. For gastrointestinal issues, what could possibly be better than REAL FOOD?
    People and pets can seem to do ‘very well’ eating toxic fast food for decades. Animal bodies can take alot of abuse. Research raw feeding and you might be impressed.

  • Ray

    My dod is on this I/D food and it is the best food he ever ate, he is doing very well on this food

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Melissa… We have not yet published a list of low fat dog foods. Until then, you may wish to look at our list of low protein dog food. These foods are usually low in fat, too. Please look in our library to find the article.

    Unfortunately, since I’m not a veterinarian, I cannot provide specific health advice or product recommendations. Please see our FAQ page and our reviews for more information. Or check back for a possible response from one of our other readers. Hope this helps.

  • Mellissa

    My 3 yr old chihuahu had been on origins for a year before coming down with an acute nearly fatal bout of pancreatitus. Her vet now has her on hills id canned and she has been in recovery for a week. It seems it works for illness recovery but I’m so bothered by the ingredients in the list as I worry about long term nutritional needs. And for what its worth, she was on the five star food before and that was so rich it made her ill. It’s almost time to wean her onto another food low in fat and high in fiber and my vet is not much help in food advise. I’m looking into Acana light n fit as well as Artemis weight management but I am so worried she will get sick again. I
    can’t bare to lose her. Please advise. Also PLEASE :) consider reviewing the canned id formula as many people in these comments are speaking of that. Thank you very much.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Andrew… Unfortunately, since I’m not a veterinarian, I cannot provide specific health advice or product recommendations. Please see our FAQ page and our reviews for more information. Or check back for a possible response from one of our other readers. Wish I could be more help.

  • Jonathan

    Andrew, you should try one of the Natural Balance Limited ingredient Diet formulas. I have know several people who’s dogs have had success with overcoming intestinal issues with these foods. What was the food you were feeding?

  • Andrew

    I have a 3 year old black lab and she has been placed on the Hills Prescription Diet, by her Vet, due to soft stool, blood in the stool and extreme gas. After being on the Hills product for only a couple of days her stools firmed, the blood went away and the gas issue stopped. As soon as she was transitioned back to her normal dog food, a high quality holistic food, all symptoms returned. As per the vet we put her back on the Hills Prescription Diet and the issue stopped.

    My wife an I are now in a position of not favoring the ingredients and quality of the ingredients in the Hills product, but also recognizing that our dog is symptom free when on it. Is my dog just stuck with the Hills product or is there a higher quality option that you have heard of?

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Maybel… Although some would disagree, we shamelessly favor meat-rich (higher protein) diets for healthy dogs of all ages. However, your dog is being treated for an intestinal condition. So, I’d defer this recommendation to a veterinary professional. For more information, please visit our FAQ page. Look for the topic, “Dog Food Protein”.

  • Maybel

    My 7 yrs old GR had loose stool, and sometimes laced with blood, for weeks. After weeks of antibiotics and 2 blood test in 4 weeks(which showed good result),
    I reluctantly gave in and tried the I/D dry & canned food as the last option, as per my vet recommendation.
    Amazingly after 1 week, I see improvement in her stool. Then my family gave her treats and steam chicken breast(unboned) and the loose stool came back again after 2 days.
    It took another 3 weeks & on strict I/D diet before I was satisfied with her nice, firm stool again. Now that I’m satisfied with her stool, I gave her first her treat and after 3 days,
    gave her 3/4 cup I/D with 1/4 cup Natural Balance UP.

    She always have good quality kibbles: California Natural, Innova, Evo before she finally settle down with Natural Balance Ultra Premium.
    Hence I got no idea the caused of her diarrhea and still haven’t figured out where went wrong.
    While I do not like the ingredient of I/D, it has work wanderfully for her to recover.
    My plan is to switch her completely back to NBUP and hopefully this switch will still give me firm stool, in the next few days/weeks.

    I have read that high protein diet for older dog shouldnt cause any health problem.
    Looking at NBUP analysis, it has protein,fat,fibre (23%,13%,3%) compared to a general (>28%,>15%,4%) of other good quality kibbles (Orijen, Acana, Taste of the Wild). Have I been underfeeding her protein all these while?
    I would like to watch out for her weight, would a grain free diet/ decrease the grain be ideal while increasing her protein intake?

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Dr. Katz… Thanks for your honesty and your courage to leave this comment. The value you obviously place on proper nutrition makes your clients (and your patients) especially lucky to have you as their vet.

  • http://www.caringhandsaa.com Elisa Katz, DVM

    Hi Mike,
    I am a veterinarian. Though I see that you are not, I share your views regarding the low quality ingredients in Hills’ foods. This was not always the case. Once upon a time, they were a great, much smaller company. However, in veterinary school most of our nutrition education comes from these big companies who “brainwash” us and schmooze us by offering free food for reading their “educational material” and taking quizzes. I think what you have done here is a good thing in trying to make people more aware of these ingredients. I personally try not to recommend any food that I would not feed to my own pets and this includes all of Hill’s diets and most of the other highly commercialized brands. Most holistic veterinarians have taken extra time to become more knowledgeably about food since what an animal eats can have a tremendous impact on their health, much the same as humans.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Roy… I can truly understand your affection for this product. In a similar situation, I would feel the same way. Our ratings are based strictly on the label (meat content and ingredient quality). Your ratings are based upon results. In a nutshell, this food may be 2 stars to us. But it’s a solid “5″ to your Boxer. Thanks for sharing your experience.

  • Roy

    My 4 year old male boxer has had stomach problems for over 2 years (I believe his whole life). His stomach would growel and he would dry heave untill he vomited. Most times on an empty stomach. At times blood would also come up. And at times blood mixed with his stool. In any case my vet put him on Hill prescription diet I/D and his troubles stopped. After a few months on this food I started giving him different dry dog foods to try and lower my cost. All top of the line dry dog foods. Each time he would revert back to being sick the same way. I tried mixing half (another food) half (Hills) but this was no good either. Enough said, this food works wonders for him. I don’t care what others may say about this food, it cured my dogs problems and thats good enough for me. He is healthy, energetic and loving and I will pay the price for his happiness!

  • Karen

    Lisa, you sound like me!

    I have 2 chihuahua puppies, 4 months and 5 months old.

    The 4 month old has an iron tummy. The older pup is a wreck!

    She came to us on Veterinarians Formula Puppy, I switched her to Blue Buff-worse. Tried Orijen, seemed too rich for her so now we were trying Fromm’s Surf and Turf, also grain free like the Orijen.

    Soft stools and about every 5 days we have the yellow, bloody gelatinous stools, no matter the food. Been checked from tip of her darling snout to the tip of her tail. She is healthy, gaining weight and energetic to the maximum.

    I tried pedialyte with slippery elm bark, pumpkin and white meat chicken and removing the kibble for the last 48 hours to calm her tummy and we had the mucous again this morning!! She has several vets baffled.

    I relented today (hey, I’d seriously try about anything I am getting so desperate) and bought this food.

    She happily ate it. Her sister who enjoys the Fromm’s and Ziwipeak dehydrated raw was not as captivated!

    She has not had a stool today while on this. Each thing I have tried I thought was the answer and I have been wrong. I think she will/may eventually outgrow this but I will either be seriously supplementing her if she has to stay on this food or I will be mixing it with the ZP after we have her nice and stable for a time.

    Unless I have to, I do not plan on keeping her on this food long term.

  • Pat

    The Prescription i/d canned and dry food (combo) has worked very well for the shelter dog we adopted 4 months ago. Our vet has her on i/d with FortiFlora (prescription probiotic) and she’s has had no diarrhea in 6 weeks. I think the combination of both is what’s important. We tried yogurt with live culture and over the counter probiotic but it wasn’t enough. I will eventually try getting her on a more natural ‘healthier’ food again but the i/d does work and she likes it.

  • Leah

    Does anyone know the salt content in canned ID dog food? I have a dog in CHF and he is on the ID.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Lisa… The nutrient numbers reported in this review perfectly match those found on the Hill’s website. Either Hill’s has changed the formula and forgotten to change their website or you may be using expired product.

  • Lisa

    Also it is a different formula than the dry above…same ingredients, but what I am feeding is 22% P, 9% fat and 3.5 Fiber…(?)

  • Lisa

    Yep! Same here! My 9 mos puppy has had terrible gas and soft stool since I got her in June 2010. The litter was weaned on Eukanuba, but I wanted to feed her a better quality food and went through TOTW, 4Health and Blue Buff all grain free, but no good. Even tried Wellness Lamb and Rice…no good. Terrible room clearing gas and soft stool impossible to pick-up outdoors :( She has been checked for everything..worms/parasites etc and even treated with several different antibiotics including Flagyl and Albon. Finally started i/d and with in 2 days everything cleared up. No gas and small firm stools. She has much more energy and is doing great!! But I am having a really hard time feeding her this food knowing all the so called bad ingredients in it, but it works for her! And it is SO expensive. Am thinking of letting her grow up some and in a couple months maybe try supplementing with a really high quality food just to get some meat back in her diet…hard to know what to do (?)

  • Jonathan

    Have you tried Natural Balance Limited Ingredient Diets? They have several unique proteins to choose from and they all use potato or rice as the carb. I’ve had several people switch to one of these LID’s and had great results. They also make a food called Synergy that is for sensitive stomachs. You could give that one a try. Also, have you tried Wellness Core Ocean? Grain free, only fish protein, and 7% fiber.

    Good luck

  • Doug

    I have a year old Irish Wolfhound that has had Chronic Diarrhea.
    It was to the point where I was unable to take the dog anywhere. Tried about three or four different foods with white rice mixed in with no luck.
    I D has been the only solution so far. The cost is killing me, This dog eats ! Not sure what to try next, Bummed, broke and confused But will continue the search. Ideas anyone ?

  • tina

    my dog used to eat simply dry food, but has developed colitis and has been quite poorly,the vet advised id diet (can) its the first time ever she is happy to eat ..but i am not sure if i am doing the right thing. the only advise i get, is from the vet, am i doing the right thing? any advice? in between bouts of colitis i weaned her on to natures diet its in a square box also a wet food. does anyone know if this is a good dog food?. .. yesterday vet put her back onto id.. anyone know or suggest a diet for colitis in a dog?

  • Jonathan

    That’s great, Carolyn! :-)

  • Carolyn Carpino

    Hey just wanted to get back to you guys about my german shorted-haired pointer. I have tried the wellness simple food solutions the flavor lamb & rice and its been a couple of weeks and i am very happy with it he is doing great no gas or diarrhea. I feel much better about not having to give him this food anymore. I just wanted to say thank you for the advice and taking the time to write me back and even to take the time of making this great website I really appreciate thank you, you guys are great!

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Penny… Increased water consumption with a new food can certainly be possible. But it can also be an important clue to a more serious medical problem. If you feel it is truly excessive, you should discuss this symptom with your vet.

  • Penny

    Do you think the dry i/d diet may be cause for increased thirst? Since starting my 11yo golden retriever on it she seems to be
    drinking much more water. Anyone else had this happen, too?
    Your thoughts?

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Chuck… You are incorrect. The information reported in this review is 100% accurate and taken directly from the Hill’s website. Maybe you’re using an out-of-date bag. Just the same, I’d suggest you get your facts straight before making such a rude and mean-spirited remark to someone you don’t even know.

  • Jonathan

    Chuck, you should attempt to know what you are taking about. Sean is correct. That is the canned version you are feeding your dog.

    Here is the canned id ingredients…

    Water, Egg Product, Turkey, Rice, Ground Whole Grain Corn, Pork Liver, Soy Fiber, Dicalcium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Iodized Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Taurine, Thiamine Mononitrate, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Biotin, Riboflavin, Calcium Iodate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Sodium Selenite, Folic Acid.

    Still not a very impressive food. It’s nice that your dog seems to be doing well on it, but there is no reason he couldn’t do well on a higher rated limited ingredient food like Natural Balance.

  • Sean

    Chuck, it appears you are confusing the ingredients of the I/D canned food with those of the dry. Mike has listed the ingredients of the dry here just as they are on Hills own site.

  • Chuck

    There seems to be some bad information from the reviewer or just and outright lie. When you look at the ingredients list for i/d dog food it reads; Water, egg product, Pork, liver, Whole grain corn. So, corn is the 5th ingredient used, not the first.

    My dog has used it for the last two weeks and it has been great. The reviewer should attempt to be honest.

  • Roy

    I have a 4 year old boxer. His stomach has gurgled constantly and he has thrown up almost daily (usually just liquid at any time for no reason) for the past 1 1/2 years. I have tried several different foods at any exspense, with no luck. My vet did tests and then suggested this food. He has been on it for over three weeks now and has only vomited 3 times and his stomach has stopped gurgling. Although this product has gotton many bad reviews it has worked wonders for my boxer. please excuse my mis-spelling

  • Helen

    My old vet prescribed the gastrointestinal ID for the persistent stomach problems my dog had been having. I’d tried him on a couple of foods previously (Organix/ Natures Balance Ultra Premium) and, though he’d seem to settle down for short periods of time, the loose stools/ diarrhea just kept coming back. He did completely settle on the ID, but, like the others on this site, I have serious concerns about the quality of the food for long-term feeding. When I switched to a new vet after moving, I had occasional problems with supply and ended up cooking for him for a week or more at a time. At which point, I discovered that he could eat pretty much anything that was fresh and simply prepared – different meats, rice, oats, quinoa, various fruits and vegetables. No problems at all.
    I don’t feel confident yet that I can provide a balanced enough diet through cooking so that’s a long-term research project, however I’m now trying him on the Bravo pre-prepared balanced raw diet to see how that works. It costs the same as the gastrointestinal ID but has none of those nasty questionable ingredients. It’s early days yet but so far so good. If it doesn’t keep working I’ll probably end up cooking for him, but I’m hoping it won’t come to that! I’m keeping him on the kibble for his lunchtime snack since he gets a lot of entertainment out of knocking around his Kong dispenser, and he needs to be kept busy.
    But anyway, a non-expert suggestion to some of the others looking for help, remember that there are options other than dry food that might work for you, especially for the picky eaters (not that I’d know about that with my canine trashcan…). Good luck.

  • Jonathan

    I think it’s a sign…

    A message written on the wall…

    Your dogs know it…

    And now you should know it, too…

    STOP BUYING THIS FOOD!

  • RRR

    The new “improved texture” Science Diet i/d is also making my dog ill. She throws up the next day after eating it. I have tried introducing it twice by mixing it into kibbles as I always have….same results both times.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Cindy… I’m not a vet, so I can’t cure your dog’s colitis. But I can commend your dog for his wisdom in insisting his food include something closer to a real food than just kibble. Imagine mixing all your daily human meals together in a blender, mixing it with plenty of carbs (corn, wheat, potato flour, etc.), then “baking” that dough into a dry, lifeless cracker. And then eating this unnatural kibble, twice a day, continuously… forever.

    A good quality, meaty canned dog food can go along way for ending any dog’s boring, human-designed menu. Don’t worry. It looks like your dog may have the right idea.

  • Jonathan

    Cindy, what food was your dog eating before the I/D?

    Colitis can be the result of several different things…. sudden diet change, stress, food intolerance or allergy, IBS, infection…

    Have you tried a high quality dry food that contains no corn, wheat, soy and dairy yet? Natural Balance, Wellness, and Blue Buffalo all make limited ingredient foods with a unique protein like bison, lamb, or duck.

    You may want to ask your vet about that.

  • Cindy

    I am not sure how I came across this website, but I am glad that I did. My 12 year old cocker/beagle mix has had colitis all of his life. We have spent a fortune on vet visits. The vet put him on ID canned/dry mix about a a year ago and he has been doing much better. Until….now that the canned food formula has changed. He is passing gas, irritable, and has bloody, dreadfully smell liquid stool again. After reading the reviews about the ID…I am worried. He won’t eat the dry ID without some of the canned food in it. He has also been on a teaspoon of plain Greek yogurt a day, and a pinch of probiotics powder from the farm store.

  • Jonathan

    Carolyn Carpino, that’s a tough one. You’ve tried quite a few quality foods. Wellness Simple may do the trick. If not, Natural Balance L.I.D. may be another one for you to try. They have several unique proteins like duck, bison, and venison. Also, have you tried canned food only? Or raw?

    In any account, let us know what happens…

  • Junie

    Mary,
    I am having the very same problem with my Yorkshire. Two years on I/D for pancreatitis with no problems; one week with the “new texture” and we are headed to the vet with vomiting and bloody stool. He eats nothing else but the I/D. The new “texture” is killing him, literally. It is more than a new “texture”. It is a different dog food altogether. It is not the same light color anymore, so they cannot tell me they just added water.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Mary… Sorry to hear about all your dog’s problems. You may find some of the answers you’re looking for on our FAQ page.

  • Mary

    My dog is a chihuahua. He has IBS. We have had him on Canine I/D canned 6 years. the mixture was so dry I used to have to mix it with water, and I would give him the canned I/D in little chunks for treats. Never had a problem. Now, they have changed the texture. It stinks, and he will not eat it. It also has given him diarrhea. I tried Natural Balance L.I.D. The only one he will eat a little of is the lamb and rice. I have researched myself into a coma trying to decide what I should try next. Right now he is on both. 1/2 I/D canned and 1/2 Natures Balance L.I.D. lamb and rice. I never know which he’ll eat, but once he starts with one, he usually will eat the other also and sometimes even clean his plate. Sometimes he won’t eat at all. Has anyone else had this problem with the new “texture” of the canned food, and what have you done? Does anyone have a canned food for IBS in small dogs they can recommend me to try? He has recently developed asthma also since adding the L.I.D. and he is now on asthma meds. Maybe just coincidence though. Thankyou so much for any help or advice you can give me. He is 13, epileptic, asthmatic, has allergies, (skin and ???), and IBS. Poor little guy. We live in SE Tennessee. Thanks again! :)

  • Carolyn Carpino

    Dear Jonathan,
    The foods that i have tried are Complete Health® Super5Mix® Just for Puppy Wellness(when he was a puppy), Blue Wilderness dry food,Wellness core Original recipe,super5mix complete health whitefish and sweet potato. After during research i figured out that a lot of protein will produce gas for him. Now i have him on hill’s prescription i/d and im going to try the Wellness Simple Food Solutions. Hope this helps!

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Dino… Glad to hear this dog is working for your dog. I’ve heard many good reports about the efficacy of this product. Unfortunately, I’ve not yet reviewed the canned version of this dog food. But it is on my To Do list.

  • Jonathan

    Dino, what was your dog eating when she began all the loose stool problems? If the answer is Beneful, Pedigree, Purina One, Kibbles ‘n’ Bits, Ol’ Roy, et al one star foods, then I think I know what the problem was…

  • Dino

    I have an 8 year old English Bulldog. She had been experiencing all of the loose stools and diarrhea described here by other dog owners. Her doctor put her on the Science Diet id and she has had normal solid stools ever since (which has been about 5 months now.) I agree that it is very expensive and that is what brought me to this site to look for an alternative, however there is no doubt that this product works and the dog loves it. English Bullies experience many allergic skin reactions from grains, especially corn, however she has not had any outbreaks while on this food. I don’t know much about the nutritional breakdown of it but I can say that it definitely works. I mix the wet and kibble together. I would like to know if you have checked the ingredients in the canned food?

  • Jonathan

    Carolyn, what foods have you tried already? That info would be helpful for some of use to make more pointed suggestions…

  • Cathy

    Carolyn,
    Brands you might try:
    Blue Basics
    Natural Balance Limited Ingredients
    Wellness Simple Food Solutions
    Also, take one month to transition slowly.
    Canned pumpkin or plain yogurt can sometimes help with doggie digestion issues. A teaspoon per day sometimes works wonders!

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Carolyn… I truly wish I could take the time to search the many dog foods on my website to help you find a product to meet your pet’s special needs. However, the Dog Food Advisor was never intended to provide custom services of this nature. Why not limit your search to the 3, 4 and 5-star brands I’ve already screened from the many recipes currently available. You should be able to find one that meets your needs.

  • Carolyn Carpino

    Hi im looking for some guidance in a better dog food. I have a two year old german shorthaired pointer who has digestive health problems he would get really bad gas and diarrhea on any other food than the Hill’s Prescription Diet I/D Canine (Dry). I have switched around to different food brands because i do not approve of hill’s prescription i/d ingredients. However, every time i tried and i would do it the right way of gradually switching over from one food to the next. I kept running into the same problem all the food would give him bad gas. I want my dog to have better food with better ingredients but i have not come across a food that was like hill’s prescription i/d. Do you have any dog food recommendations that would promote digestive health but with better ingredients then hill’s prescription?

    - Thank you for reading this and i think all the reviews on this site are great.

  • Heather

    I have only briefly read over this review and I’m sure you are totally correct in EVERYTHING you say. I just have to add, this is a GREAT food for dogs that have digestive issues or loose stool. I work at a vet and I do understand that most of the Hill’s and the Science Diet foods are poor choices for food, but some dogs need certain ingredients in their food. But just like every other food, do what’s best for your dog! I/D is amazing for dogs that are sick with diarrhea and vomiting. We use it all of the time. :)

    I just wanted to add! Thanks again for great articles & reviews!

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Philip… Since I’m not a veterinarian, it would be misleading for me to assure you a particular food will provide the results you’re looking for. However, there are a number of dog foods designed specifically for dogs with food intolerances. Even though your dog may not be allergic to certain ingredients, many of the foods listed in my recent article about hypoallergenic dog foods may contain foods that may help.

    Some lots of Blue Buffalo Wilderness are currently being recalled due to potentially toxic levels of vitamin D.

    By the way, giant breed puppies (like your Dane) can be prone to skeletal problems caused by rapid growth. Be sure your food is rated for puppies and that you do not overfeed your pet (the leading cause of hip dysplasia). Hope this helps.

  • philip

    i had my great dane puppy on nutro and he had diarrhea so my vet recommended i/d which worked out perfect but i dont feel like paying $75 for dog food with corn and by-product. would switching to blue buffalo wilderness or add beet pulp to his diet make a difference since he is a big puppy and i cant really afford a bag every other week

  • Pingback: Now I'm in a real quandry! More dog food advice, please - Page 5 - Pet Forums Community

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Angie… It would be unfair to all the many good dog foods out there if I were to endorse a particular product. In any case, nearly every product line in our database offers a puppy (or all life stages) food. By the way, we’re in the process of preparing an article about puppy food complete with some suggested products. Should be posted soon. So, stay tuned.

  • Angie

    My 4 month old German shepherd has the same problem as Nancy. He is on Science Diet I/D food but want to transition over to a 4-star food. Would you recommend transitioning over to Natural Balance Ultra. Or could you recommend a formula suitable for puppies. I already tried Blue Buffalo and it failed. Someone also recommended California Natural, would like your opinion since I am getting nowhere with my vet since they push Science Diet. Thank you

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Nancy… Since I’m not a veterinarian, I’m not medically qualified to judge the appropriateness of a food (like I/D) to treat a specific health condition. However, there are other professional prescription-type dog foods designed to treat GI problems. Unfortunately, I haven’t yet reviewed any of them.

    Once you know your dog is comfortable and stable on I/D you can probably (with your vet’s help) GRADUALLY transition to a better quality food. Take a week to SLOWLY “dovetail” the new food into the older one.

    Try matching this food from a macronutrient (protein-fat-carbohydrate) standpoint. I/D has a very average (and common) macronutrient ratio (26-14-52) so it should be very easy to find a 4 or 5-star food that mimics this formula (yet using better quality ingredients). Premium Edge Adult Chicken (29-17-46) comes to mind… but there are many others.

    Simply check our nutrient dashboards and find a similar ratio. Be sure to check your decision with your vet. Hope this helps.

  • Nancy

    Hello,
    My golden retriever is a rescue. She’s about 2-3 years old. We’ve had her for about eight months, but in the past month or so she’s been having mushy, mucousy stools and after a week on Metronidizol (which did help) we have her on ID. She’s doing SOOO well, however I’m quite upset with the quality of this food. I can’t believe what I’m reading. Is there another, healthier alternative and is this food harmful if given long term? Thanks for your help.

  • http://DogFoodAdvisor.com Mike Sagman

    Hi Kevin… After reading your story, I truly wish I could help you more. However, since I’m not a veterinarian, I’m unable to judge the appropriateness of Hill’s I/D to treat the condition you describe.

    In any case, from a standpoint of ingredient quality and meat content alone, I’m certainly no fan of the Hill’s Prescription Diet products. Why not ask your vet to help you select a better quality dog food. You may even want to consider one with a slightly higher fiber content. Hope this helps.

  • Kevin

    I’m am looking for some guidance. I have an 11 y/o female German Shorthaired Pointer. I have had her since she was 6 months old. She is my best friend. In March of this year she started having diarrhea everyday and extremely pungent gas. The diarrhea was completely colored water. This went on for a couple of weeks without any improvement. I took her to the vet and they performed a bunch of tests on her and felt that this was an bacterial issue. She was given some antibiotics and we went home. We spend the next couple of weeks going back and forth to the vet as she was not getting better. She was giving steroids and holistic solutions but nothing seemed t help. We finally started using Tylan powder (Tylosin) and Hill’s i/d canned food as she would not eat the dry food. Things improved at the end of May and all of June. Two weeks ago she started having diarrhea again. The diarrhea is not watery like the first time its thicker and this time her gas odor was strong but smelled very much like the i/d food. I am still giving her the i/d food and tylan powder but I added metamucil as per my vets instructions. My vet seems to think now that she may have cancer in the intestines. Is it possible that the i/d food is not the answer for he bowels? Would she possibly fair better with a better canned food and may be this isn’t cancer at all? She plays with her toys, eats and shows now outward signs of having cancer (lumps, wounds that won’t heal, discoloration of the gums or around the eyes, dramatic weight loss or gain).

    I understand that my love for my dog makes accepting the thought of cancer difficult and I do believe that I have a very good vet but I’m just trying to explore all options.

  • Stella

    My MinPin was diagnosed with liver disease, probably cancer, She was opened up but we chose to close with no biopsy because her liver was very bad. The vet sold me Hills I/d but I am going to take it back and put her on Wellness Core canned, the fish recipe. I have used it before for a pre-diabetic bitch with UTI issues and it works wonders. I myself eat only natural products and would never eat any of the stuff in the Hills I/d and have decided my dog should not either.

  • Sydney Krivenko

    I have a Pointer mix on the LD diet for the past 4years and her Liver rates improved but she is a canine trash can and ia constantly worrying for food. She will not eat the dry kibble without some canned meat. She is now 14 and before she ate The same Greyhound kibble as my Greyhounds, which is always high in protein. Still, the Greyhounds survived on that diet for 13/1/2 years .
    Now I have two Toy Poodles which have sensitive tummys and I am studying the various foods and their ingredients. they were raised on Royal Canin which their breeders fed and I have now on Burns Mini Bites, which they like and eat with some cooked lamb heart, separately. After 3 months of. Burns they seem to do great on that food.
    By the way, my Poodle boy is glued to my side and that since he came to us 8 months ago. I don’t have to work fortunately and take him with me, but when I can’t he screams until I am back. Remedy: gradually increase the time you are away from 2 minutes to several hours. I tend to think that time changes some habits and as the dogs get older, they stop some of them. Try to talk to a good dog behaviourist about your sheltie.

  • Liz

    Hmm, my Vet gave me this dogfood for my lab with severe separation anxiety and digestive issues. He also rx’d Prozac, an anti-spasmodic and an anti-biotic, similar to one given to people that return from Mexico after drinking the water. Although as I write this, my dog is eating his entire bowl. I will see how this works for a week and I am supposed to call the Vet back. I may go back to the Nutro food w/Herring for sensitive stomachs. The goal is to get control of the diarrhea and gas while we address the separation anxiety. As long as he is with me, he is fine. It’s when he goes to doggy daycare and I am now there, when it gets bad and the longevity of it, alone with no appetite, is worriesome. I will let you know how it works.

  • John

    My vet tried to sell this to me as being suitable for my Sheltie who has digestive issues. Suffice it to say, no sale!