Hill's Science Diet dry food - aye or nay?

ajjaxx

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Hey all! So I've been feeding my cat, Starbuck, Hill's science diet indoor adult dry cat food for at least a year or so now. Before that I was doing purina kitten and purina adult that I just grabbed at CVS. I thought that science diet was one of the good ones, but happened to catch a couple of comments on an article talking about how awful a brand it was. So I started googling, went through consumer reports, saw a lot of conflicting info, but a lot of people saying formulas have changed or the food is making their pets sick. I have no idea whether I should take reviews related to their dog food into account (they were all mixed together).

So I wanted to hear your thoughts on science diet, see if there's a consensus, and also any other recommendations you may have for brands (although, sadly, literally just bought a new bag a couple of days ago, but it's unopened).

A few notes about Starbuck:
- she's quite overweight (I've had very little success getting her to lose weight, but that needs its own thread)

- she's extremely picky - she seems to like most dry foods I've tried, but only a couple of treat types (most she ignores, including one of the ones she used to like), and basically no other food, not that that's super relevant

- she will not eat wet food (I've tried and failed with that transition as well)

Any information or advise you have would be greatly appreciated!


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2Cats4everLoved

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Hey all! So I've been feeding my cat, Starbuck, Hill's science diet indoor adult dry cat food for at least a year or so now. Before that I was doing purina kitten and purina adult that I just grabbed at CVS. I thought that science diet was one of the good ones, but happened to catch a couple of comments on an article talking about how awful a brand it was. So I started googling, went through consumer reports, saw a lot of conflicting info, but a lot of people saying formulas have changed or the food is making their pets sick. I have no idea whether I should take reviews related to their dog food into account (they were all mixed together).

So I wanted to hear your thoughts on science diet, see if there's a consensus, and also any other recommendations you may have for brands (although, sadly, literally just bought a new bag a couple of days ago, but it's unopened).

A few notes about Starbuck:
- she's quite overweight (I've had very little success getting her to lose weight, but that needs its own thread)

- she's extremely picky - she seems to like most dry foods I've tried, but only a couple of treat types (most she ignores, including one of the ones she used to like), and basically no other food, not that that's super relevant

- she will not eat wet food (I've tried and failed with that transition as well)

Any information or advise you have would be greatly appreciated!


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Hello there.  How old is Starbuck?

You really need to get her on wet or (and I speak with experience)  she'll probably end up getting Crystals, which can be stressful for her and costly for you.

Both my girl and boy cat were on all dry.  At first my girl Chestnut was on wet and dry, supermarket brands, but then she saw my boy cat eating only dry and she decided that's what she wanted.  Although he was on a special urinary SO diet because he got crystals at age 5.

I personally don't like Hill's, I'm sure there's nothing wrong with it, but a few years back they were pushing sales, so anytime a product is pushed it makes me wonder if it's a really good product or just good marketing, (I've been in advertising for 30 yrs) so I'm always leery.

My girl is on Royal Canin Urinary SO Calorie controlled, along with a wet diet.  I only give her a 1/4 cup of dry a day, and most often she doesn't finish.

She's been losing slowly but steadily.

My suggestion is, read all the ingredients.

There are several threads regarding dry food, I'll find for you.  In the meantime, if you search for Dry you will see many threads regarding your concerns.
 

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If she absolutely refuses wet food, I would try a grain-free dry food.  Cats are carnivores by nature and don't digest grains so easily and I've heard about some cats successfully losing weight once they've switched over.   I've heard a lot of negative things about Science Diet, and sadly the only reason veterinarians push brands such as that one so much is that they get paid to sell it.   My own vets office pushes to sell Purina too but both Purina and SD are some of the lowest rated foods health-wise for both cats and dogs because of certain ingredients in them. 
 

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I don't think Hill's Science Diet is particularly bad, it's just a waste of money for what it is. I fed my pets Science Diet for years because it's what the vets always pushed, but people who I considered knowledgable told me several times that I was wasting my money because the Science Diet ingredients aren't much better than the cheap stuff and there's much better for the price on the market.

I finally looked at the ingredients label and had to admit they had a point.  If you compare Science Diet to cheap food it looks incredible similar, while other foods in the price range have much better ingredients. My dog gets Merrick Backcountry both wet and dry now (high protein percentage yay!) and my cat eats a mix of different wet foods with low carbs.

My pets never had any health problems on Science Diet and I haven't noticed extreme changes from changing over food (though Sylvie did get more energy after the food change) so again, I don't think it's terrible or anything, it's just overpriced. My advice is to research what kind of ingredients you want to see on the label and then look for something in your price range that looks good.
 
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ajjaxx

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Hello there.  How old is Starbuck?

You really need to get her on wet or (and I speak with experience)  she'll probably end up getting Crystals, which can be stressful for her and costly for you.

Both my girl and boy cat were on all dry.  At first my girl Chestnut was on wet and dry, supermarket brands, but then she saw my boy cat eating only dry and she decided that's what she wanted.  Although he was on a special urinary SO diet because he got crystals at age 5.

I personally don't like Hill's, I'm sure there's nothing wrong with it, but a few years back they were pushing sales, so anytime a product is pushed it makes me wonder if it's a really good product or just good marketing, (I've been in advertising for 30 yrs) so I'm always leery.

My girl is on Royal Canin Urinary SO Calorie controlled, along with a wet diet.  I only give her a 1/4 cup of dry a day, and most often she doesn't finish.

She's been losing slowly but steadily.

My suggestion is, read all the ingredients.

There are several threads regarding dry food, I'll find for you.  In the meantime, if you search for Dry you will see many threads regarding your concerns.
She's about 4. I hear what everyone is saying re: wet cat food. I know how important it is, but for the life of me I just have never been able to get her to eat it. I'm sure to a certain extent she and I have played chicken with her waiting until I give her the food she wants and me trying to ignore her, and I always eventually fold, but it's not like I can starve here, obviously. 

I'm feeling weird about hills, and I agree with you about vet recs. When I called the vet hospital after I read about it, I said I fed her science diet. I asked if they knew about any problems with it, and what foods they would recommend. The person I spoke to didn't recognize the name, told me to go to a local non-chain pet shop and ask them what food is good. They also said that the foods that vet operation recommends are "Hill's, Purina, and Iams," so they were recommending the food I was calling about. And I have not heard anything good about Iams, so I'm finding it hard to trust that. I fed her purina as a kitten, and it's my understanding that one isn't all that great either, which is why I switched to Science Diet in the first place. 

Thank you for the resources, and I'll definitely check out the dry food threads. Thanks again!
 
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ajjaxx

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If she absolutely refuses wet food, I would try a grain-free dry food.  Cats are carnivores by nature and don't digest grains so easily and I've heard about some cats successfully losing weight once they've switched over.   I've heard a lot of negative things about Science Diet, and sadly the only reason veterinarians push brands such as that one so much is that they get paid to sell it.   My own vets office pushes to sell Purina too but both Purina and SD are some of the lowest rated foods health-wise for both cats and dogs because of certain ingredients in them. 
That's a great suggestion, thank you! My vet was pushing science diet (calling it Hill's), Purina, and Iams, so that was definitely a red flag for me, and why I came here after I hung up the phone. The vet in Ohio did the same thing, pushing their own in-house brand of diet food or something. I will look into grain-free food. Thanks again!
 
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ajjaxx

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I don't think Hill's Science Diet is particularly bad, it's just a waste of money for what it is. I fed my pets Science Diet for years because it's what the vets always pushed, but people who I considered knowledgable told me several times that I was wasting my money because the Science Diet ingredients aren't much better than the cheap stuff and there's much better for the price on the market.

I finally looked at the ingredients label and had to admit they had a point.  If you compare Science Diet to cheap food it looks incredible similar, while other foods in the price range have much better ingredients. My dog gets Merrick Backcountry both wet and dry now (high protein percentage yay!) and my cat eats a mix of different wet foods with low carbs.

My pets never had any health problems on Science Diet and I haven't noticed extreme changes from changing over food (though Sylvie did get more energy after the food change) so again, I don't think it's terrible or anything, it's just overpriced. My advice is to research what kind of ingredients you want to see on the label and then look for something in your price range that looks good.
Luckily, she hasn't had any health issues so far, aside from being overweight, but I can't blame that on science diet. I'm pretty sure she was still on purina when that started (but it seemed to be more about her getting spayed). Is Merrick Backcountry available for cats as well? I'll look into it. I definitely need to figure out what else is out there. Thanks so much for your advice!
 

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Luckily, she hasn't had any health issues so far, aside from being overweight, but I can't blame that on science diet. I'm pretty sure she was still on purina when that started (but it seemed to be more about her getting spayed). Is Merrick Backcountry available for cats as well? I'll look into it. I definitely need to figure out what else is out there. Thanks so much for your advice!
Hi!  I agree with others about Science Diet. It's not BAD but it's overpriced for what it is. It's nothing special. Vets often push Science Diet and Royal Canin because they get paid to do so. Ever notice that a lot of vets will have one, the other or both in their lobby for sale with a nice, fancy display? Who do you think pays for that display? 

Most "regular" vets are not experts on feline nutrition. It is glossed over in veterinary school and what they do know is often taught by representatives from the big pet food manufacturers. There are many people on this site who know a lot more about feline nutrition than a lot of vets do because they do the research. Some vets opt to learn more by continuing their education if they plan on specializing in feline care but most do not. 

Cats are obligate (true) carnivores and they require a diet that is high in protein and low in carbohydrates. If you have a cat who refuses to eat wet food (some definitely do), I'd suggest a good quality grain free food. You asked about Merrick Backcountry. Yes- they do make a dry cat food. You can find it on Chewy.com. https://www.chewy.com/merrick-backcountry-raw-infused-game/dp/126705

Merrick also has other grain free options. They have Purrfect Bistro https://www.chewy.com/merrick-purrfect-bistro-grain-free/dp/49263

and

Before Grain https://www.chewy.com/merrick-before-grain-chicken-formula/dp/33150

Merrick is also sold at Petco in the US

Look at different brands, read the labels and decide from there among the brands that fit your budget, 

ETA- Merrick also has a Limited Ingredient Diet line https://www.chewy.com/merrick-limited-ingredient-diet/dp/129890

These foods are available in different flavors. These are just examples. 
 
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ajjaxx

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Hi!  I agree with others about Science Diet. It's not BAD but it's overpriced for what it is. It's nothing special. Vets often push Science Diet and Royal Canin because they get paid to do so. Ever notice that a lot of vets will have one, the other or both in their lobby for sale with a nice, fancy display? Who do you think pays for that display? 

Most "regular" vets are not experts on feline nutrition. It is glossed over in veterinary school and what they do know is often taught by representatives from the big pet food manufacturers. There are many people on this site who know a lot more about feline nutrition than a lot of vets do because they do the research. Some vets opt to learn more by continuing their education if they plan on specializing in feline care but most do not. 

Cats are obligate (true) carnivores and they require a diet that is high in protein and low in carbohydrates. If you have a cat who refuses to eat wet food (some definitely do), I'd suggest a good quality grain free food. You asked about Merrick Backcountry. Yes- they do make a dry cat food. You can find it on Chewy.com. https://www.chewy.com/merrick-backcountry-raw-infused-game/dp/126705

Merrick also has other grain free options. They have Purrfect Bistro https://www.chewy.com/merrick-purrfect-bistro-grain-free/dp/49263

and

Before Grain https://www.chewy.com/merrick-before-grain-chicken-formula/dp/33150

Merrick is also sold at Petco in the US

Look at different brands, read the labels and decide from there among the brands that fit your budget, 

ETA- Merrick also has a Limited Ingredient Diet line https://www.chewy.com/merrick-limited-ingredient-diet/dp/129890

These foods are available in different flavors. These are just examples. 
Awesome! I will check out Merrick, and I'm doing some googling/perusing of the forum to get a sense of what the other legitimately good brands are (is blue mountain one of them? I've definitely seen that mentioned around here). 

I have always felt a little sketched out by the brands the vets have recommended to me, but I did not realize the extent to which the prospect of commissions influenced that, or the lack of knowledge of nutrition among veterinarians. That is very good to know going forward. Thank you so much!
 

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Awesome! I will check out Merrick, and I'm doing some googling/perusing of the forum to get a sense of what the other legitimately good brands are (is blue mountain one of them? I've definitely seen that mentioned around here). 

I have always felt a little sketched out by the brands the vets have recommended to me, but I did not realize the extent to which the prospect of commissions influenced that, or the lack of knowledge of nutrition among veterinarians. That is very good to know going forward. Thank you so much!
When I first got my girls I took them to the vet for their first visit. I was new to cat servitude and had done a lot of research into what was best for them nutritionally. I also had no idea that most vets were not experts on feline nutrition so when I went in there, I started talking to her about everything I researched and that I was going to eliminate dry food and get them on a wet food diet. She gave me a blank look and all she said was, "make sure their diet is high in protein and low in carbs." My first thought was- "Yeah- I just said that- thanks." I do my own research and give them foods that they will eat that fit my budget. THAT is the best diet for your cat. 


Are you asking about Blue Buffalo? I put them in the same category that I put Science Diet and Royal Canin. Overpriced and overrated. This is one of the brands that my cats WILL NOT touch. Royal Canin is another. Keep in mind though- I have 3 very picky eaters. 

The dry food I feed is Petcurean GO! I do not feed it as the main part of their diet though. They eat an almost exclusive wet food diet with dry as an occasional snack or topper to the wet food. I don't want to give it to them at all but they want it so I compromise and give it to them every now and then. They always win 


https://www.chewy.com/go-fit-free-grain-free-chicken/dp/37034
 
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ajjaxx

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When I first got my girls I took them to the vet for their first visit. I was new to cat servitude and had done a lot of research into what was best for them nutritionally. I also had no idea that most vets were not experts on feline nutrition so when I went in there, I started talking to her about everything I researched and that I was going to eliminate dry food and get them on a wet food diet. She gave me a blank look and all she said was, "make sure their diet is high in protein and low in carbs." My first thought was- "Yeah- I just said that- thanks." I do my own research and give them foods that they will eat that fit my budget. THAT is the best diet for your cat. 


Are you asking about Blue Buffalo? I put them in the same category that I put Science Diet and Royal Canin. Overpriced and overrated. This is one of the brands that my cats WILL NOT touch. Royal Canin is another. Keep in mind though- I have 3 very picky eaters. 

The dry food I feed is Petcurean GO! I do not feed it as the main part of their diet though. They eat an almost exclusive wet food diet with dry as an occasional snack or topper to the wet food. I don't want to give it to them at all but they want it so I compromise and give it to them every now and then. They always win 


https://www.chewy.com/go-fit-free-grain-free-chicken/dp/37034
Haha wow, that's rough - not at all confidence-inspiring, I would imagine. I had one vet at the same place I go to now who gave me a very long lecture about how dry food was like living on a diet of cereal, which was certainly when I redoubled my efforts to switch to wet food. But she didn't really have any other suggestions. I'm in law school, so I won't have time until the semester is over, but I think it is time that I step up my cat knowledge. I did a lot of preliminary research before I adopted her, and I learned a lot, but I still have a very basic level of knowledge I think. I would like to know more so I can at least tell whether a vet or anyone is giving me good advice. 

I'll check out Petcurean. I apologize if you've already said this, but what brand of wet food do you use? And the chewy link you posted, the "Go! Fit," is that the same as Petcurean?  Wow, whoops, I did not see the GO! after Petcurean. Haha sorry, I'm still waking up and have been panicking all morning because Starbuck wasn't eating at all since yesterday morning (although she seems to have started again on her own), my brain is not firing on all cylinders right now. 

Definitely could be blue buffalo. Yup, I just googled it - blue mountain is not a thing (oh no it's a greeting card co. I used to use hahaha). Sounds like it's not great, anyway. Thanks again for all of the information! I really appreciate it. Even after 4 years I still often feel like a cat noob hehe. 

Hehe cat servitude, that's a good way to put it. She definitely succeeds more in training me than vice versa. 
 
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destinyz12

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No problem- and in terms of good grain-free brands, someone else mentioned Merrick- I agree with the Merrick Limited Ingredient Diet one ( I plan on trying that one out with my cat once I switch her over from kitten to adult food soon) however the regular grain-free Merrick has cranberries in the ingredients which I am weary about, because I've read from numerous sources that the benzoic acid from cranberries are toxic to cats over time. I actually made a post not too long ago asking people yay or nay on cranberries in the ingredients, since a lot of grain-free foods have them in it.  I currently feed Whole Earth Farms grain-free kitten food which seems to have all healthy ingredients and the plan is to alternate the adult version of that and the Merrick L.I.D. if she likes it.  Whole Earth is cheaper price wise, and actually made by Merrick, but it's new within the last couple of years so not as well known.
 

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Haha wow, that's rough - not at all confidence-inspiring, I would imagine. I had one vet at the same place I go to now who gave me a very long lecture about how dry food was like living on a diet of cereal, which was certainly when I redoubled my efforts to switch to wet food. But she didn't really have any other suggestions. I'm in law school, so I won't have time until the semester is over, but I think it is time that I step up my cat knowledge. I did a lot of preliminary research before I adopted her, and I learned a lot, but I still have a very basic level of knowledge I think. I would like to know more so I can at least tell whether a vet or anyone is giving me good advice. 

I'll check out Petcurean. I apologize if you've already said this, but what brand of wet food do you use? And the chewy link you posted, the "Go! Fit," is that the same as Petcurean?  Wow, whoops, I did not see the GO! after Petcurean. Haha sorry, I'm still waking up and have been panicking all morning because Starbuck wasn't eating at all since yesterday morning (although she seems to have started again on her own), my brain is not firing on all cylinders right now. 

Definitely could be blue buffalo. Yup, I just googled it - blue mountain is not a thing (oh no it's a greeting card co. I used to use hahaha). Sounds like it's not great, anyway. Thanks again for all of the information! I really appreciate it. Even after 4 years I still often feel like a cat noob hehe. 

Hehe cat servitude, that's a good way to put it. She definitely succeeds more in training me than vice versa. 
Yeah It was not confidence inspiring at all- not in her at least. It just cemented in my brain that I am in charge of their diet and I was right to do my own research and do what I thought was best. 

I didn't mention wet food brands only because you mentioned that your cat will not eat them but I will be happy to mention the brands they eat. 

Friskies pates

Fancy Feast pates 

Sheba pates 

Nutro Natural Choice- this is a good line- they have minced, sliced, standard pates and chunky pates in a good variety of flavors

Nature's Recipe shredded chicken

Soulistic Good Karma ( shredded white meat chicken in a broth like gravy) and Harvest Sunrise (which is GK with bits of pumpkin which many cats like and is good for digestion) This is Petco's house brand

Pride by Instinct chicken, duck, lamb and rabbit

Merrick pates and LID pates

Merrick Purrfect Bistro poultry varieties- they are not big fans of the beef ones

What I do to keep them interested in canned foods is to mix and match. Most times I will give them pate with something else as a topper- the shredded chicken ones are GREAT for this as are the minced and sliced kinds. It gives them a variety of tastes and textures in the same dish. I also use Pure Bites freeze dried chicken breast treats as a topper to their meals. I crumble them on top and they love them. These are some of the healthiest commercial treats out there because they are chicken and nothing else. Like I mentioned- my cats are very picky and run hot and cold towards foods all the time- usually running cold on something right after I bought a case of the stuff. 
  I spend more time and money planning their meals than I do planning my own. 


A good website to use for more information on feline nutrition is http://www.catinfo.org/  This is the website of Dr Lisa Pierson who is a very well respected expert on feline health and nutrition. The website can be somewhat intimidating to some who are new to the game but there's a wealth of knowledge there. 

Yes- the GO! is the name of the line- Petcurean is the brand. It is made in Canada and they have higher quality standards on pet foods than we have here in the US. http://www.petcurean.com/

They offer a coupon that you can print and take to a local store that carries the brand for a free sample. You'll see the link on the home page above. 

Product locator https://www.petcurean.com/where-to-buy/canada-united-states/
 
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jade14

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I think there are worse foods than Science Diet and also better.  I work at a vet and no, they don't get paid or receive food for free for carrying Science Diet like some people think they do (if other clinics do then we sure don't know about i!).  I have done food orders and see how much we spend on that stuff...it is not cheap!  We carry Hill's based on preference of the vets.  We have had Royal Canin reps come in and try and sell us their food but we just prefer the Hill's..not for any incentive we get from them.  Now as employees we do get food for a good price (probably so we can't pass up feeding it and can tell clients we feed it!).  I do feed my puppy Science Diet, and she does great on it.  If she didn't do well on it I would pay more for a different brand.  At the moment I can't pass up the good price if it is something she does well on.  Someday I will be able to afford the better more expensive brands.  I feed my cat a rotation of Fancy Feast, Sheba & Science Diet Urinary wet food.  (I have tried high quality brands and he throws up or gets diarrhea).  I feed him a small dish of Hill's T/D in the evening (which he LOVES and meows for) and his health is great and his fur is shiny and soft. I do like Hill's Ideal Balance more than the Science Diet, the ingredients are a bit better in my opinion.  I fed the kitten dry food to Sawyer as a kitten and he did very well on it.  It seems like you have some good suggestions of other brands to try, I do really like Merrick and I also like Fromm as well, but you can't get it at stores like Petsmart or Petco.  
 
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