Hill's J/d

[Guest betheab199]

So Carol visited the vet today, as she is having a tough time with stairs, has had a couple of incidents where she "pulled a Bambi" and just seems sore and arthritic.

The vet I saw has a 15 yr old dog (not sure of the breed) who was having some of the same issues. She was ready to medicate, but tried the Hill

s prescription diet for joints first and said it really made a big difference for her dog. I was just curious if anyone here has their greys on this food, or if anyone has any good less-spendy alternatives.

 

We did get some Novox to use for now, as it takes the diet a few weeks to work. Also Prolin for a possibly leaky bladder. All in all good visit.

 

I was surprised that Carol "don't hate me because I'm beautiful and not really the brightest bulb" figured out how to work the swinging door to escape from the exam room! And she seemed to enjoy socializing with a rambunctious Golden!My dogs never cease to amaze me.

Edited January 3, 2012 by betheab199

[Hubcitypam]

Here are the J/d ingredients --

 

Whole Grain Corn, Chicken By-Product Meal, Flaxseed, Soybean Mill Run, Brewers Rice, Soybean Meal, Pork Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), Chicken Liver Flavor, Powdered Cellulose, Fish Oil, Lactic Acid, Potassium Chloride, L-Lysine, Calcium Carbonate, Choline Chloride, Iodized Salt, DL-Methionine, Vitamin E Supplement, 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), L-Threonine, Taurine, Soy Lecithin, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), L-Tryptophan, L-Carnitine, preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid, Chondroitin Sulfate, Phosphoric Acid, Beta-Carotene, Rosemary Extract. Maybe just try some flaxseed and fish oil with whatever you're feeding now?

 

Two of the front desk ladies at my vet have diabetic dogs and feed W/d at the vets urging. I refuse to feed it to Poodle. I am in no way a dog food snob, but I just can't get on board to feeding celluose and soy bean mill run, or corn as the first ingredient. J/d then puts chicken liver flavor in to make all those fillers taste like meat. Hills used to use peanut hulls in their "light" foods but have replaced it with the mill run.

 

 

 

 

[tbhounds]

Ingredients be that as they may-- I have heard some amazing positive feedback about the J/D with dogs and cats. If feeding that vs giving long term NSAIDs I'll choose the food.

[HeidisMum]

I'm very interested in this thread. I have been talking with the vet about Heidi's arthritis. She was on Dasaquin w/MSM. That seemed to be helping for a while, but she is in need of something more now. We have talked about NSAIDs, acupuncture, physical therapy, additional suppliments andHills J/D. The vet said they have seen a big improvement with some dogs on the J/D food. I also know someone that swears by it with her dog.

 

I haven't decided which route to go, but I too am one that will try a food over long term NSAIDs.

[krissy]

I feed Summit 50/50 J/D and Iams Lamb and Rice (because I get it free from school and brings down my food cost of the J/D). Summit really likes it and it has the added benefit of giving him the shiniest coat and firmed up his stools. I started feeding the J/D on the recommendation of our orthopedist surgeon. It has had some good clinical trials with great results (reduction in lameness etc.). I don't have the papers on my computer unfortunately.

 

Keep in mind that diet and chondroprotectants (glucosamine/chondroitin) are therapies that do not work for every individual and work extremely well in others. They are therapies that don't do any harm and hence the reason they are always recommended for arthritic dogs. Do they always work? No. Do they always have drastic results? No. But it doesn't hurt to try.

 

Personally, if this was a situation I was in... I would try the J/D for 3 or 4 months and see if there are any changes. If yes then I think you have your answer. And if no, you can revisit the issue with your vet and see what alternatives are available.

[Guest betheab199]

Ingredients be that as they may-- I have heard some amazing positive feedback about the J/D with dogs and cats. If feeding that vs giving long term NSAIDs I'll choose the food.

I really like this vet. She said that she had research showing it helped, and her own 15 tr old arthritic dog, who is coping well without NSAIDS.

 

Here are the J/d ingredients --

 

Whole Grain Corn, Chicken By-Product Meal, Flaxseed, Soybean Mill Run, Brewers Rice, Soybean Meal, Pork Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), Chicken Liver Flavor, Powdered Cellulose, Fish Oil, Lactic Acid, Potassium Chloride, L-Lysine, Calcium Carbonate, Choline Chloride, Iodized Salt, DL-Methionine, Vitamin E Supplement, 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), L-Threonine, Taurine, Soy Lecithin, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), L-Tryptophan, L-Carnitine, preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid, Chondroitin Sulfate, Phosphoric Acid, Beta-Carotene, Rosemary Extract. Maybe just try some flaxseed and fish oil with whatever you're feeding now?

 

Two of the front desk ladies at my vet have diabetic dogs and feed W/d at the vets urging. I refuse to feed it to Poodle. I am in no way a dog food snob, but I just can't get on board to feeding celluose and soy bean mill run, or corn as the first ingredient. J/d then puts chicken liver flavor in to make all those fillers taste like meat. Hills used to use peanut hulls in their "light" foods but have replaced it with the mill run.

Hmm didn't realize that corn was the first ingredient. I did consider giving fish oil instead. We'll see how it goes!

[Guest june]

I have two 9-year olds, one who has some congenital deformities in her back feet. I recently switched from Iams Mini chunks to large breed w/gl-ch and am seeing a difference in her activity level. If we get to a point where she needs more I'd try the Hills if my vet recommends it. As long as she is healthy that is what matters to me.

[Guest KennelMom]

our old, arthritic greyhounds always did well with a grain free food and joint supplement...we never had to do the daily NSAID bit. Though, not all joint supplements are effective in all dogs and that can take some playing around. We always had the best luck with (liquid) Healthy Joints K-9 by Thomas Vet Labs.

 

Personally, feeding J/D would be a last resort before going to daily NSAIDs.

Edited January 4, 2012 by KennelMom

[GeorgeofNE]

People say some snarky things about Hill's foods, but I think that my last dog probably hung around for a couple of extra years because of their kidney diet. I didn't care WHAT was in it, it made him feel better.

 

I'd give it a try.

[Guest sirsmom]

People say some snarky things about Hill's foods, but I think that my last dog probably hung around for a couple of extra years because of their kidney diet. I didn't care WHAT was in it, it made him feel better.

 

I'd give it a try.

 

Ditto with our cat.

[Guest verthib]

I never use Hill's/Science Diet. It's junk, just awful. Full of fillers etc.

 

Also, the vets swear by it because they get kick backs. Don't be fooled by a vets' strong recommendation. If they wanted dog's to eat food that was good for them theyd recommend a natural or holistic food. I would NEVER feed that junk to my dogs. I'm not a food snob but I do want my dogs and cats to eat good quality food with real meat and nothing artificial or full crappy fillers.

[Batmom]

I'm pretty skeptical as to whether glucosamine/chondroitin have any benefits other than placebo effect, but it doesn't hurt to try.

 

I *have* had good results from some of the other Hills prescription foods and even (eek! gasp!) from Science Diet Lamb & Rice. The grain free, "natural," and "holistic" foods? Several of those have made my dogs truly ill -- as in, vet visit and call to the manufacturer to report an adverse reaction. Who knew, eh? YMMV.

[JJNg]

Wow...I'd like to know what kind of kick backs I'm supposed to be getting from Hill's for recommending their foods. I must be missing out on something.

 

Seriously, I hear this negativity about Hill's so often on the 'net, but in practice, I see many pets whose quality of life is improved and extended through the use of food that is nutritionally formulated to meet specific medical needs. If you're interested in a vet's take on the concept of prescription foods, I posted my thoughts in this thread just last night.

 

Regarding j/d, it is supposed to work through high levels of omega-3 fatty acids. I believe they just added glucosamine/chondroitin to the formula due to popular demand.

[krissy]

I never use Hill's/Science Diet. It's junk, just awful. Full of fillers etc.

 

Also, the vets swear by it because they get kick backs. Don't be fooled by a vets' strong recommendation. If they wanted dog's to eat food that was good for them theyd recommend a natural or holistic food. I would NEVER feed that junk to my dogs. I'm not a food snob but I do want my dogs and cats to eat good quality food with real meat and nothing artificial or full crappy fillers.

 

Actually the word "holistic" has no legal definition. Anyone can call their food holistic and it can mean absolutely nothing. Pedigree or Ceasar's could start calling their foods holistic without changing anything in the food if they wanted. Hence the reason vets don't recommend feeding holistic. I mean, if you do your research and it's truly a good food that's fantastic. But just seeing the word "holistic" on a bag tells you nothing about it.

 

Fillers... other than the fact that greyhounds get gas and some dogs may have grain sensitivities (however, most dogs that have food allergies are allergic to the meat protein in it and not the grain, hence the reason why allergy diets use "novel" proteins like kangaroo and duck) animals need to get their energy from somewhere. And dogs are not exclusively carnivores like cats are. I'm not saying they shouldn't get any meat protein, I'm saying that personally I don't think corn is the end of the world. It's a great energy source which is why it is in the food.

 

As for kick backs, vets make money by marking up the price of the food. They buy it from the company for X price and sell it for X + Y price in order to make a profit on it. I don't know what other "kick backs" you think we get. Cocaine? Heroin? Votes in the next federal election? Most of the vets and vet students I know feed a veterinary diet. If it's complete crap as you suggest and vets only sell it because of kick backs, they wouldn't feed it to their own animals. I feed my dog J/D because it has scientific backing. Maybe not as much as we would all like, but certainly more than most non-veterinary diets.

 

I'm not saying people have to feed a veterinary diet to feed a quality diet. I'm saying really do your research and look past all the marketing gimmicks. Every time I see the Blue Buffalo ads I get angry. Blue Buffalo may be a great food, but suggesting that their food is better than all those "big name brands" because it is "holistic" is misleading and untrue. If it is really a good food, please by all means feed it to your dog. But don't think that just because they make a big hype about it being "holistic" that that makes it superior.

[Guest verthib]

Personally I wouldn't feed anything that doesn't have meat as the first ingredient and I won't feed corn, holistic or not. But once again we're all entitled to our opinions and have to feed what works best for our own animals. Good night all!

[tbhounds]

I never use Hill's/Science Diet. It's junk, just awful. Full of fillers etc.

 

Also, the vets swear by it because they get kick backs. Don't be fooled by a vets' strong recommendation. If they wanted dog's to eat food that was good for them theyd recommend a natural or holistic food. I would NEVER feed that junk to my dogs. I'm not a food snob but I do want my dogs and cats to eat good quality food with real meat and nothing artificial or full crappy fillers.

Kickbacks?? We're does this kinda stuff come from?? <snicker>!!

[Guest sirsmom]

I never use Hill's/Science Diet. It's junk, just awful. Full of fillers etc.

 

Also, the vets swear by it because they get kick backs. Don't be fooled by a vets' strong recommendation. If they wanted dog's to eat food that was good for them theyd recommend a natural or holistic food. I would NEVER feed that junk to my dogs. I'm not a food snob but I do want my dogs and cats to eat good quality food with real meat and nothing artificial or full crappy fillers.

 

Can all the good results from dogs with kidney disease, bladder stones, diabetes etc be wrong?

[Guest BrianRke]

I have always heard mixed things about the Hills prescription foods. I think its a decision you and your vet need to discuss. Like others have said, I dont like the ingredient lists on any of their foods and I doubt I would ever feed it to my dogs. What I would do, is find out what type of supplements they are adding to the food that they are prescribing for that pets particular need, and add that/them to a higher quality food. This may not be possible for all the */D foods but it may be an alternative for some of them.

[JJNg]

What I would do, is find out what type of supplements they are adding to the food that they are prescribing for that pets particular need, and add that/them to a higher quality food. This may not be possible for all the */D foods but it may be an alternative for some of them.

The majority of the prescription diets are not about added supplements. More often, it's about the entire balance of nutrients and ingredients, or restrictions of certain components (like low phosphorus in the kidney diets, low iodine in the feline hyperthyroid diet). So for many of the formulas, the only alternative is home-prepared recipes - which are doable in many cases, but not something most owners want to tackle.

[Guest verthib]

I never use Hill's/Science Diet. It's junk, just awful. Full of fillers etc.

 

Also, the vets swear by it because they get kick backs. Don't be fooled by a vets' strong recommendation. If they wanted dog's to eat food that was good for them theyd recommend a natural or holistic food. I would NEVER feed that junk to my dogs. I'm not a food snob but I do want my dogs and cats to eat good quality food with real meat and nothing artificial or full crappy fillers.

 

Can all the good results from dogs with kidney disease, bladder stones, diabetes etc be wrong?

 

 

Probably not... but I still wouldn't feed my dog a food that has corn, corn meal, wheat gluten, animal by-products, etc. My personal choice for my dogs. I would rather give them a wholesome food with meat or other whole protein as the first ingredient. I feed my dogs a food with two ingredients: salmon and sweet potato. Nothing mystery in it. I love it, and they love it. Everyone has to do what they feel is right for their dog.

Edited January 8, 2012 by verthib

[Batmom]

I never use Hill's/Science Diet. It's junk, just awful. Full of fillers etc.

 

Also, the vets swear by it because they get kick backs. Don't be fooled by a vets' strong recommendation. If they wanted dog's to eat food that was good for them theyd recommend a natural or holistic food. I would NEVER feed that junk to my dogs. I'm not a food snob but I do want my dogs and cats to eat good quality food with real meat and nothing artificial or full crappy fillers.

 

Can all the good results from dogs with kidney disease, bladder stones, diabetes etc be wrong?

 

 

Probably not... but I still wouldn't feed my dog a food that has corn, corn meal, wheat gluten, animal by-products, etc. My personal choice for my dogs. I would rather give them a wholesome food with meat or other whole protein as the first ingredient.

 

Even if that would be damaging to their health?

 

 

I feed my dogs a food with two ingredients: salmon and sweet potato.

 

Which food? Or do you buy the ingredients separately? How do you supply adequate fat, vitamins, and minerals?

 

The Natural Balance food that I think you were feeding before doesn't have a meat as its first ingredient -- the first ingredient is sweet potato, and it also contains canola oil, potato fiber, etc.

 

 

 

Edited January 8, 2012 by Batmom

[Guest verthib]

I stand corrected, I looked at the bag and it obviously has more than two, however if you read WDJ's articles they at least recommend having a protein in the top two and I trust their advice. And of course I would not feed a food that was damaging to their health but I would not, again, feed foods with corn, corn meal, animal by products etc. Just my personal choice...which we are all entitled to do.

 

Oh and yes my food is NB and it's a limited ingredient diet as I just like to try to stay with a basic food with little unnecessary additives. It works well for both of my dogs. If others find Hills works for them, that's great for them I guess.

 

It's expensive but my animals are worth it. My cats are on a 'whole/natural' food as well.

[Batmom]

What's the big objection to corn? It has more protein and fat, and far less sugar and fiber, than sweet potato. More iron as well.

[Guest verthib]

What's the big objection to corn? It has more protein and fat, and far less sugar and fiber, than sweet potato. More iron as well.

 

IMO its a cheap filler. I like the fiber of sweet potato and I don't necessarily need my dogs to have more fat. If you prefer corn, that's your choice.

[Batmom]

But a "cheap filler" that's more nutritious in some respects than sweet potato (and certainly more nutritious than potato fiber). Okey doke.