[Milena p]

My dog is on Hill’s w/d wet food and I am looking for a substitute. Thank you

[Susan]

Hi why is your dog on the Hills W/d? the fat is low for a wet tin food at 12.7% & the crude fiber is very high at 12.4% .. Need to know dogs health problem??
When you look for a wet tin foods they haven’t been converted to dry matter (Kibble) like the Hills vet diets have already been converted, so when looking for a wet tin food you’ll need to look for a wet tin food around 2-3% in fat…. need to know why your dog was put on the W/d in the first place. A lot of weight management foods are lower in fat & higher in crude fiber then the normal formulas…
Wellness make their Wellness Weight Management Core formula, it’s grain free, fat is 3.50%min you need to email Wellness & ask what is the max fat% & fiber % & when converted to dry matter & how high is the fat % in the Weight Management Core formula..
http://brands.wellnesspetfood.com/core/dogs/wet-weight-management

[Milena p]

Hi Susan,
Thank you for your response. My dog was put on w/d due to months of having diarrhea. He was treated first with antibiotics and once the treatment ends the D was back, then the vet suggested to add metamucil to his food and that helped for a little bit. Eventually after trying other Hill’s Rx foods W/D worked and since June he is on that. He is stable now but I really want him to be on food with more nutrients than Hills.

Thank you
Milena

[Susan]

Hi, yes I understand about not wanting to feed a vet diet, I got my boy IBD stable on a vet diets, then after being on Eukanuba Intestinal Low Residue kibble for 9months I slowly started to add all types of foods to his diet till I worked out what he can & can’t eat… Have you thought of cooking & you freeze about 1-2 weeks worth of small meals? you will need to boil pumkin & high fiber veggies, you can cook chicken cause the Hills W/D is chicken & you know he’s OK after eating the chicken in the W/D food or try ground turkey, even if 1 meal is a cooked meal & the other meal is the Hills W/D & then you slowly stop feeding the Hills W/D… Cause the fiber is high in the W/D food you might need to add the boiled pumkin & sweet potatoes to another wet tin food if he gets diarrhea again…My boy has the opposite he needs less fiber, too much pumkin & sweet potatoes makes his poos very sloppy….
Now you know he needs a very high fiber diet, I’d email Hills & ask for the Soluble Fiber% & the insoluble Fiber% so you can work out does the W/D have more Insoluble Fiber or more Soluble Fiber then google what veggies & foods have the fiber you need & cook them & freeze them. or look for wet tin foods that have those ingredients..

[pitlove]

Hi Milena-

If your dog was suffering with diarrhea for months and the W/D is giving him relief I think it is best to continue with the food as the vet suggested. Or speak with him about what commercial diet might be comparable. What we want and what is best for our pets is often different.

[anonymous]

Ditto
I agree with pitluv.

[Susan]

Do you know back in December 2013 I remember reading on a Royal Canine vet prescription kibble bag “This diet is not recommended for long time use” also said the same on the Eukanuba Vet diet kibble bag as well…. I don’t have any vet diet kibble bags to read & see if it still say’s “not recommended for long time use” don’t know if these vet diets have changed since 2013 & if people can feed these vet diets long term to their dogs the ingredients are still the same …. Vet diets were made to get your dog stable with their health problem then you found a suitable more heathier diet for your pet, that’s what Vet Diets were originally made for….
When your paying $4.30 for 1x tin of wet food that’s only weights 3.70g a tin (Hills have made their 400g tin smaller now once they were 400g wet tin) plus with the crappy ingredients your heart aches & the guilt starts to set in every time you open a tin or bag of expensive kibble, you know this isn’t right what your feeding your poor pet, so that’s why people post, a post on DFA asking for help if there’s a food similar to the vet diet they’re feeding that has worked for their dogs, the vet doesn’t have a clue what the ingredients even are in the vet diets, the vet probably wouldn’t even care what you feed your dog as long as it doesn’t have diarrhea or whatever health problem it had to begin with, most vets are fine with you feeding something else besides the vet diet, vet diets are for temporary use..
1 tin cost $4.20 or $46 for a box of 12 tins online, my boy would need 4 tins a day depending which formula it was, a box of 12 would only last for 4 days for a 20kg dog, its cheaper & heathier to cook their meals or buy a premium pet food online….

[pitlove]

Hi Susan-

Yes, there are certain therapeutic diets that are not intended for long term use and others that are. Without stating which vet diet you were using in 2013, your statement is misleading and meaningless.

I know you are anti-vet and all, but you are playing a dangerous game with people’s animals suggesting they follow your advice over a professional.

[Susan]

Pitluv
I did state what brands of vet diets I was feeding, if it says “not recommended for long time use” on one vet formula, it would say it on all their formula’s, it’s not misleading it was printed on side of kibble bag back 2013-2014 on both brands of vet diets, both in fine print on the side of the kibble… it’s to saved their arse if ever they get sued..
I do & have feed vets diets when my boy is ill they have never really helped him & he reacts to most of the ingredients….
I AM NOT anti-vet I have a great relationship with Patches vet she often rings me to ask how is Patch going & what was the name of the kibble you were feeding Patch that helped his stomach or which kibble was it that he stopped scratching that doesn’t have high fat content… Patches vet called me just before Christmas cause Hills have changed their Z/d formula & added more fiber & never told anyone or the vets & she has 3 very sick dogs for Christmas, so I drove over to the vets & gave them all a Xmas card from Patch & gave her
& another vet the printed new Pro Plan vet diets with all the fiber, fat, protein percentages that we have just gotten in Australia & I know the Pro Plan Hydrolyzed formula is exactly like Hills old Z/d formula…cause I had spoken with the Purina Vet Nutritionist 1 week before & she gave me all the fat, fiber percentages for Patch…

I DO believe in feeding a dog/cat a vet diet when very ill but not to be feed for the rest of his/her life they are short term fixes not long term….

[pitlove]

Susan, I’m sorry, but you’re incorrect. Many of the vet diets can be fed long term.

[anonymous]

Yes, many dogs are fed prescription diets long-term and sometimes for the remainder of their lives, depending on what the prescribing veterinarian recommends would be in the best interest of the pet in order to maintain optimal health.
Often, once the dog has been stable for a while the vet might okay some additions to make the food more palatable, but the prescription food remains the base.

[Susan]

Pitluv
Yes maybe now from 2014 or 2015 vet diets can be feed long term now,
but before 2014 & back in 2009-2010 when my boxer was on a vet diet Hills Z/d I remember telling the vet I was seeing at the time, this Z/D can’t be feed long term but I think he knew Angie was dying & didn’t say anything….then 2012 when I rescued Patch we tried most of the Intestinal & skin allergy vet diets from 2012 to 2015 & I remember showing my new vet a small bag of the Eukanuba Intestinal that Patch was eating I got off the shelf & I showed her “Not for long term use” & she said, yes we’ll only be feeding Patch
the Eukanuba for 9 to 12 months enough time for his stomach & bowel to heal then we’ll start introducing other foods into his diet…. I wanted to change his vet diet kibble that day it was Summer & poor Patch was so itchy & stunk real bad with yeasty skin after being on the Eukanuba vet diet for 2 months…….now I’ve learnt he’s sensitive to Beet Pulp, Corn/maize, chicken, barley, vet just said his poos are going good I don’t want to rock the boat yet just start bathing him daily if you have too instead of weekly & applying the cream I prescribed (Hydrocortisone 1%) & sold me Paws Nutriderm replenishing conditioner to leave on after I bath him in the Malaseb shampoo… then I started doing my research & it took 2 yrs to find a kibble that made Patches poos firm never gave him any stomach/pancreas pain & kept his coat looking beautiful & shiny he still gets a bit itchy from environment allergies that can’t be helped, it’s only thru the Summer/Autumn months, we can cope with that he’s not like he was when on the vet diet…”Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb is what works for Patch & I remember coming on this site DFA & people knocking all Diamond made foods, saying its real bad etc so I never tried the Taste Of The Wild & wasted 1 yr trying other kibbles… The TOTW has better quality control now then most kibbles on the market…

Food Safety

When a new batch is made 1 bag of kibble is taken off every pallet the bag is cut open & the kibble is tested…also they use purified water & TOTW is the only kibble I have never had any problems with & Patch has a very sensitive stomach when it comes to off rotten
potatoes & veggies or off meats, he gets diarrhea very easy, the ingredients have been
changed for the Australian market we don’t have the fish oil which I prefer less change the kibbles oxidizing & going rancid as soon as the bag is opened from the oxygen, we have Canola oil instead & 1 formula the Pacific Stream has no peas for all the dogs with EPI & IBD, we contacted Diamond & begged them to not change the Australian & Europeon made Pacific Stream & add the Garbanzo beans cause these sick dogs probably wont cope & could get real bad diarrhea again like what is happening in the UK where the Pacific Stream just had been changed & garbanzo beans where add….& a few dogs are having bad diarrhea… & TOTW listened & didn’t add the Garbanzo Beans, it made a lot of people happy…Patches vet rung me & asked is Patch OK I haven’t seen you both in 6months, I said yes Patch is finally off the vet diet & eating TOTW & doing really well…

Since 2013 Hills & Royal Canin vet diets have changed their packaging & ingredients 2-3
times now & in August 2016 Hills improved their Z/D & I/D Digestive Care formulas
& wrote in small writing “New Formula” but never notified vets, I’d say Hills did this cause Purina Pro Plan had just released their new Pro Plan Vet Diets in Australia their Hydrolyzed HA & EN Gastroenteric & another 2 vet formulas so Hills had some competition these Vet Diets are lower in fat I only know all this is cause I had contacted Purina in America the year before when I couldn’t find Patch a food for his stomach & skin low enough in fat & told Purina we do not have any Vet Diets for the skin & stomach that are lower then 15% in fat… but I was very disappointed with the ingredients some of Purina vet formulas are worse then Hills formulas, the Purina HA uses Corn Oil Patch cant have corn I told Purina lady she said this might get changed if dogs are reacting to the corn oil then the Purina lady said don’t forget its money back guaranteed you just try it & see so if Patch has another bad stomach & pancreas episode again I’m going to either try the Pro Plan OptiDigest-Sensitive Digestion or the OptiRestore-Sensitive Skin & Stomach or i’ll try Purina HA Vet Diet but when I spoke with the Purina lady she said the Vet Diets might be better for Patches IBD they have better quality control then the Pro Plan normal formulas….
The people in America that are feeding the Pro Plan formulas not the Pro Plan Vet Diets, should email Purina & ask can the American Pro Plan Formulas be improved like the Australian Pro Plan Formulas have been improved, Purina might listen if they get enough people asking..These are our Pro Plan Opti formulas the ingredients are a bit better…. https://proplannutrition.com.au/dog/products/optirestore

[Donna B]

My problem is a little different. My 6# Pom mix was given Hills ID wet food for treatment for diarrhea. She also needs to loose 1 pound. The vet said she could actually stay on that food for the rest of her life and remain very healthy. I knew that I would be putting her back on a healthy food on she was better. She is a very, very picky eater. Before feeding the ID canned she would only pick at her food and even walk away from it. Unfortunately, she LOVES the ID formula. Are there any suggestions for a food that might come close to the taste of the Hills formula? Kibble is hard for her to eat due to loss of teeth but I do keep a bowl of Fromm’s available that she will nibble on. Suggestions, please !

[anonymous]

You could try presoaking the kibble in water or plain homemade chicken broth (no onion or additives) overnight in the fridg prior to serving. Maybe mix a little of the prescription food in with it.
My small breed does well on Nutrisca salmon and chickpea as a base.

[Susan]

Hi Donna, read the ingredients to the Hills I/d formula then start looking for better quality brands with similar ingredients & fat %, one problem Hills have already converted their wet tin foods fat% & protein% to dry matter (Kibble) normal wet tin foods & raw haven’t been converted to dry matter (kibble) yet…. Which I/d formula is she eating?? there’s a few Hills I/d formulas, there’s I/d Low Fat Restore, fat is around 8%max, converted, then there’s their normal Hills I/d wet tin formulas where fat is around 14%-15%max, converted, so when you look for a wet tin food it can’t be over 3-4%max-fat, if you see a wet tin with 5%-fat when you converted 5%min fat it’s around 20-25% fat if it were a kibble & can cause pancreatitis if your dog is prone to Pancreatitis…. you might be best using the Hills wet tin food as a base & cook lean white meats like turkey, chicken & pork grounded mince or tin tuna in spring water & add some boiled pumkin, carrot make a batch & freeze small meal sizes & add 1/2 Hills wet tin & 1/2 cooked mix together, it will work out cheaper cooking, if just a hassle…

[Donna B]

Thank you Susan, good information ! The formula she is on is Chicken & Vegetable Stew….Digestive Care. Crude protein, min 3.5%
Crude fat, min 1.5%

• This reply was modified 7 years, 2 months ago by Donna B.

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