Hills Prescription Diet k/d
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| Price: $$$$ | Website
Hills Prescription Diet k/d
I read on the Hills website that this food “is clinically proven to improve quality of life in dogs”. I’m not really sure what that means? Does it improve the quality of life in dogs that are currently not being fed, or being fed sawdust? Or do they mean it improves the quality of life in dogs that are currently being fed something like Orijen?
Do you see my point? It’s a meaningless statement to me.
I hear claims of sick dogs being given 6 months to live, then survive on this food for years. That might be true, but would they have done better on a food with better ingredients? I don’t know, and I can’t answer that. Instead I’ll give you a rundown on what’s awful about this food…
- Brewers rice – This is a waste product, and it’s the top ingredient in k/d! How can that be healthy?
- Pork fat – This is the only meat product in the food, and it’s not even meat!! I was under the impression dogs needed meat? They’re not herbivores.
- Egg product – a lousy source of cheap protein.
- Corn gluten meal – This is a by-product of a waste product.
- Beet pulp – Cheap filler, high in sugar.
- Iodized salt – Can cause kidney dysfunction and hypertension!
- Calcium sulphate – Plaster of Paris!
- Phosphoric acid…
How on earth can they charge such a premium price for a food with so much rubbish in it? Even the vitamin and mineral sources are relatively standard, none of them are quality. At least they’re included I suppose.
It’s like mashing up a Berocca and feeding it to your kids in a Big Mac.
Where to buy?
What’s good about this food….
Flaxseed is high on the ingredients which is necessary for kidney health. Low in salt, low in phosphorous.
….and what’s not so good.
The ingredients are appalling.
Ingredients:
Brewers Rice, Pork Fat, Dried Egg Product, Flaxseed, Corn Gluten Meal, Chicken Liver Flavor, Powdered Cellulose, Lactic Acid, Calcium Carbonate, Dried Beet Pulp, L-Lysine, Potassium Chloride, Potassium Citrate, Choline Chloride, Iodized Salt, Calcium Sulfate, vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), L-Threonine, Taurine, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), L-Tryptophan, Magnesium Oxide, Mixed Tocopherols for freshness, Phosphoric Acid, Beta-Carotene, Natural Flavors.
In 2001 before I educated myself about dog food, my 11 year old Shih Tzu was diagnosed with a kidney disease and my vet told me he needed to be on Hills K/D because he needed to consume a lower amount of protein to take the strain off his kidneys. His health and quality of life declined rapidly after I changed his food – he only lived 7 months after his food was changed.
All science diet has poor nutritional values.Doesnt matter which one because this is supposidly the absolute best..I sell dog and cat food all day.We don’t even carry Science diet anymore.It has to be a 4 or 5 star dog food and Science diet is like a 1 star.Bottom of the barrel.Junk.
This is specifically a prescription diet for dogs with kidney issues. That’s why it’s is so expensive. The limited amount of protein is to limit the strain on the kidneys.
Hi Roxy,
Have a read of the following resource on kidney disease in Dogs and Cats, particularly regarding special diet – http://www.2ndchance.info/kidney.htm
A low phospherous and low sodium diet is required, with increased omega fatty acids. Protein is dependent on stage of the disease, but it’s worth stating that original testing was conducted on rats which have a vastly different metabolism. Little is known about the continued effect of a high-protein diet on dogs and cats. If you can provide further references I’d be happy to read them.
I maintain the cost of such a prescription diet is not justified given the poor quality of ingredients, but unfortunately for us consumers they have the market sector covered. Feeding sick animals poor quality ingredients doesn’t strike me as the ethical thing to do, they’re a profit-first company.
What food would you recommend for senior dogs with these issues? From what I understand they do need a low phosphorous food and this is the food that some vets recommend for that.
Hi Melissa, I would recommend investigating a wet or fresh diet for a dog with kidney problems.