Science Diet?

[DrKym]

Just one question.......

What is the process of extrusion and why is it so bad?

Extrusion is the process of extruding the food and then "puffing" it usually baked or fried into a kibble , the reason it MAY cause an issue is that some dogs are more prone to bloat. Hence an artificially fluffy food eaten quickly and then water added through drinking MAY cause torsions.

[Kfamr]

I personally would not feed Science Diet, even if the vet perscribed it (there are other foods that are specifically made for health problems with better ingredients) However, that's just me.

It's certainly not a horrible food, but there are better out there that would be more worth the money.

[DrKym]

Michelle? Remeber how awful it was when I lost Emmy to bloat? they still swear it was because of the kibble.

If the handler had kept her on RAW she never would have been lost

[JenBKR]

Oh goody, let's turn this into another kibble vs. raw debate

[DrKym]

Oh goody, let's turn this into another kibble vs. raw debate

Oh no not at all! She was not used to it is all, wolfed her food an water, I have NO issues with ppl that feed kibble there are some wonderful ones out there.

Simply that this dog never had it, and it was tragic for her, please don't misinterpret it as a slam against kibble! I prefer RAW, but I know there are many very good diets available also!

[borzoimom]

Michelle? Remeber how awful it was when I lost Emmy to bloat? they still swear it was because of the kibble.

If the handler had kept her on RAW she never would have been lost

Yes I do- and my girl too.. Never again- PURE PAIN!

[mike001]

I don't know about extruded foods for dogs, but I did lose a foal becase of extruded horse feed.

[JenBKR]

Oh no not at all! She was not used to it is all, wolfed her food an water, I have NO issues with ppl that feed kibble there are some wonderful ones out there.

Simply that this dog never had it, and it was tragic for her, please don't misinterpret it as a slam against kibble! I prefer RAW, but I know there are many very good diets available also!

Ok thank you for verifying that - there have been so many debates over the whole raw vs. kibble...just didn't want another one

[borzoimom]

Oh no not at all! She was not used to it is all, wolfed her food an water, I have NO issues with ppl that feed kibble there are some wonderful ones out there.

Simply that this dog never had it, and it was tragic for her, please don't misinterpret it as a slam against kibble! I prefer RAW, but I know there are many very good diets available also!

ANOTHER REASON I am afraid to send Zubin out when Galina does her litter.. He has been fed raw his whole life.. Even the one day they dont out of months- its like half feeding and GROUND AND SOAKED!
If I had to feed kibble for any length of time, it would be bil jac- its instant mush, not extruded with organ. ( but I dont have that problem...)

[caseysmom]

I am still waiting to hear what is so bad about colgate? They have been making dog for since 1940.

[bckrazy]

however the fact is- only the "heart"/pulp of corn can be digested even finely ground still turns into a filler that is passed in the stool.

Bil-Jac contains corn. As the 2nd/3rd ingredient, in all formulas. It's like the pot calling the kettle black.

Honestly, I see it this way... everyone here would like to do the best possible for the dogs with the funds they have, right? Well IMHO you can really do much better than Science Diet with the same funds. I'm not saying SD is the worst food evuhhh, but it is HIGHLY over-rated, if you get down to really considering quality.

Natural Balance is $1/lb (about $35 for 35 lbs); Canidae is $1/lb ($40 for 40 lbs); Eagle Pack Holistic is a little over $1/lb ($37 for 33 lbs); Wysong is a little over $1/lb ($34 for 33 lbs); Solid Gold is a little over $1/lb ($37 for 33 lbs); Chicken Soup FTDLS is less than $1/lb ($30 for 35 lbs)

Clearly, there are many better options with BETTER ingredients. Of course we can't say what is right for your dogs, but I definitely encourage you to try other kibbles, because it is worth it!

[borzoimom]

Bil Jac http://www.biljac.com/store/dogmain.asp it also explains why not extrusion food.
I have extensive information over 20 years in the contents of dog foods..

[pitc9]

I am still waiting to hear what is so bad about colgate? They have been making dog for since 1940.

I was waiting too so I had to go back and look again and found someone that answered it.

LOL...I don't think it has anything to do with there being anything wrong with colgate but colgate is a toothpaste company and we are talking dogfood. Usually when you have a company branching off in a hundred different direction that means the quality of the porduct drops. JMO

But this responce is not from the person that the question was directed to.

[Lady's Human]

Colgate is just like any other major company.

They branch off into other areas to expand their profits and stability. They don't just decide, "Hey, let's make XYZ", they normally buy another company that is already making it, and change the corporate structure to suit their internal goals (unless it is a truly new and unique product).

They are no different than any other conglomerate, and lowering quality standards would be ridiculous, as it would destroy the customer base of the company they acquired.

[DrKym]

I would tend to agree there LH, I do know several petfoods are owned by Nestle, and IMO that is a brand name I do trust, I don't know how good bad or indifferent the food is that they produce as I have no personal experience with it at all.

I would expect it to live up to my preconcieved expectation of their parent company (Nestle)though, which I find very good.