CD dry food still prescription?

[lynneny]

I haven't been on these forums in a while - life has been busy, but I have a question for all you smart people. My husband went to our vet to get another bag of Science Diet CD dry food for Butterscotch, and the receptionist told him she was now charging tax on it because it's no longer prescription?

I just called our PetSmart, which also carries it, and the manager told me it is still very much prescription there. It's too late for me to call the company, so I'm wondering if anyone has heard about this?

thanks!

 

[sharky]

It is VERY much a RX

 

[misskalamata]

I pay sales tax on prescription food....

 

[katkisses]

Maybe she means your vet is saying you don't have to feed it anymore? So your not "prescribed" it anymore?

 

[lynneny]

NOPE - I just spoke with the regular receptionist - she's not the friendliest person - she said that "Uncle Sam is now dictating that they charge tax on it, it's still prescription food." HUH? The person there yesterday definitely told my husband that it was no longer prescription.

When I asked her when this went into effect, she just kept giving me the broken record that "they hadn't been charging tax on prescription food, and now they have to". Well you know what? They are building a huge new building on a new lot in town - wonder if that has anything to do with it?!? Probably not, but one has to wonder...

So now the bag is over $17 and it barely lasts a month.

 

[otto]

Hill Prescription c/d is indeed still a prescription food. (It's not Hills Science Diet, by the way, it's Hills Prescription, Science Diet is the grocery store formula) yes the price has gone up, but what price hasn't?

The price for the 4 pound bag is the same here, so your vet is not jacking the price just to shaft clients. Meaning no disrespect to vet receptionists everywhere, but they are not always the most informed source of information at your vet.

You can save a few dollars by getting the 10 pound bag, instead of the four.

 

[lynneny]

Thanks for clarifying that, Otto.

 

[katkisses]

I can't understand why c/d costs so much, the ingredients are crap, I guess it's just the brand. The regular Science Dietis $$$ too.

I just bought a 10# bag for $34. Ouch.

 

[otto]

It's expensive because it's a prescription food, specially formulated. The other prescription brands are just as costly, if not more so.

The Wellness I feed my other cats costs more than the prescription c/d

the c/d is made with corn for a reason. Corn gluten meal is a low ash source of protein and acts as a urine acidifier for cats with FLUTD.

In an effort to get my FLUTD kitty (Mazy cat) on a better quality food (she's been on the c/d for over three years) I switched her (against my vet's better judgment) to an expensive designer food that makes big claims about how their food prevents crystal formation and promotes a healthy urine pH.

At two months on the new food I had her urine tested. Her pH had shot up to 7.5 (6 -6.4 is healthy) and her urine was full of not only struvite crystals but phosphorous too. It was only a matter of time before she would have been in severe pain. In a male cat it could have been fatal.

So Mazy cat is back on the c/d. She won't eat the canned, and I am investigating the other prescription brands for a canned food she might eat, because I would prefer her to be on canned food.

The moral of this story

if your vet prescribes a prescription food it's for a reason; it's for the health of your cat. There are several brands of prescription food to choose from, if you don't like what the vet sells, ask for a prescription for one of the others.

 

[icklemiss21]

Different country, but I have always paid tax on prescription foods, but every state is different. If they collect it as a tax and dont pay it to the government it is fraud so i dont think it has anything to do with them building.

The laws stating what is taxable have to be laid out very clearly, call your local tax department and find out: http://www.tax.state.ny.us/

 

[katkisses]

I know why the corn is in it, but I do not understand Pork Fat being the 4th/5th ingredient.

But I have no choice, they were doing fine (2 males) on Nutro, but they started peeing alot on Nutro since they changed the fromula reccently. They ate Nutro for 2 years with no probs (until now). So we are back on c/d.

That said, as crappy as I think Hills is, it does keep my boys healthy and crystal free.

 

[sharky]

Originally Posted by KatKisses

I know why the corn is in it, but I do not understand Pork Fat being the 4th/5th ingredient.

But I have no choice, they were doing fine (2 males) on Nutro, but they started peeing alot on Nutro since they changed the fromula reccently. They ate Nutro for 2 years with no probs (until now). So we are back on c/d.

That said, as crappy as I think Hills is, it does keep my boys healthy and crystal free.

I too wonder about that :_)

 

[otto]

Originally Posted by KatKisses

I can't understand why c/d costs so much, the ingredients are crap, I guess it's just the brand. The regular Science Dietis $$$ too.

I just bought a 10# bag for $34. Ouch.

that is what the 10 lb bag costs at my vet too.

Originally Posted by KatKisses

I know why the corn is in it, but I do not understand Pork Fat being the 4th/5th ingredient.

But I have no choice, they were doing fine (2 males) on Nutro, but they started peeing alot on Nutro since they changed the fromula reccently. They ate Nutro for 2 years with no probs (until now). So we are back on c/d.

That said, as crappy as I think Hills is, it does keep my boys healthy and crystal free.

I don't like that pork fat and pork by product (first ingredient in the canned c/d) either. Bletch.

But...lesser of two evils. A lower quality food or cats suffering with crystals in the urine. (and they do suffer). I'll go with the lower quality food.

I am thinking about trying Mazy on the prescription Royal Canin SO canned. The Royal Canin SO dry isn't much better than the Hills c/d, but the canned does seem to have better ingredients, and I would like to get her on mostly canned diet like my other two are.

No vets locally carry it though so I will have to buy it on line with a prescription from my vet.

 

[ilovemy2cats]

Do you have a Petsmart near by? They might have the prescription Royal Canin. I don't know if all Petsmarts carry it but the one here does.

 

[otto]

No petsmart here. Just the feed & seed store.

But you've given me the idea to ask them if they stock it. Since it's prescription maybe they just don't keep it on the shelves. Or I can see if they could get it in, for less than I will have to pay on line. It's more expensive than the Hill's prescription.

Thank you!

 

[jcat]

Originally Posted by KatKisses

I know why the corn is in it, but I do not understand Pork Fat being the 4th/5th ingredient.

I asked the nutritionist at my vets' office about the pork fat (Jamie's on a urinary diet, too), and she said the fat is to prevent constipation, which can aggravate UTIs.

 

[otto]

Originally Posted by jcat

I asked the nutritionist at my vets' office about the pork fat (Jamie's on a urinary diet, too), and she said the fat is to prevent constipation, which can aggravate UTIs.

Thank you for that information! How interesting!

Oddly, Jennie had terrible problems with constipation while on the c/d. Just goes to show each cat's chemistry is different.

Fortunately she did not have to stay on it, like Mazy does.

 

[sharky]

Originally Posted by jcat

I asked the nutritionist at my vets' office about the pork fat (Jamie's on a urinary diet, too), and she said the fat is to prevent constipation, which can aggravate UTIs.

that make s alot of sense

thank you... IMHO would think there is another option but

 

[katkisses]

Thanks Jcat! At least it makes sense now!

It is the lesser of two evils Otto, I agree.

They do suffer from the crystals, they suffer even more when they have to have the p/u surgery, one of mine had to have it. Poor babies, it's terrible that so many cats get this.

 

[summermh]

Originally Posted by otto

the c/d is made with corn for a reason. Corn gluten meal is a low ash source of protein and acts as a urine acidifier for cats with FLUTD.

In an effort to get my FLUTD kitty (Mazy cat) on a better quality food (she's been on the c/d for over three years) I switched her (against my vet's better judgment) to an expensive designer food that makes big claims about how their food prevents crystal formation and promotes a healthy urine pH.

At two months on the new food I had her urine tested. Her pH had shot up to 7.5 (6 -6.4 is healthy) and her urine was full of not only struvite crystals but phosphorous too. It was only a matter of time before she would have been in severe pain. In a male cat it could have been fatal.

I'm curious to know which food you switched to, the one that didn't work? I've been researching Azmira, which clearly states their food has been tested as safe & effective for kitties with FLUTD. I just can't stand all the crappy ingredients in C/D, and with 2 other (healthy) kitties in the house, makes me sick that they're all eating it.

thanks,
Summer