The Scoop on Prescription Pet Food Diets

I will never forget the afternoon I phoned Dr. Erin Holder, our veterinarian, about two years ago. I was extremely worried as Hubble, our white Oriental Shorthair, was vomiting several times a day, approximately two hours after eating. But on this particular day he had "hurled" about eight times in a few hours, was acting lethargic, running a slight fever, and was definitely not a happy camper. I was quite concerned since we were giving him only the highest quality grainless cat food, and had not switched brands. We rushed to him to her clinic to get at the bottom of his distress. Sadly I had to leave him at the hospital overnight for some extensive testing, but knew he was in the best of hands. Dr. Holder called to tell me she diagnosed Hubble with food intolerance and irritable bowel disease. It seems that the ingredients in the cat food we were feeding, chicken and beef were the culprits and the root of his problem. Apparently chicken and beef are high up on the list of foods, to which cats can become intolerant, even after years of consuming them with no trace of a negative reaction. Hubble responded beautifully to medication and the twice weekly subcutaneous vitamin B12 shots I administered, along with switching to prescription cat food, claiming to be more easily tolerated. Hubble, the feline vacuum cleaner, gobbled up the Rx venison and duck mixtures with delight. But with the exorbitant cost of these products, I was quickly going broke, and started to wonder if Rx products were the only way to go to keep him healthy. After doing extensive research, I was amazed to learn the FDA did not consider a prescription diet a prescription product. So how can the FDA require a veterinarian to prescribe it? "Prescription" diets don't meet the two criteria for prescription requirements; a fact that is little known to pet owners, (or even some veterinarians). 1. Animal foods do not adhere to the definition of a new animal drug since they are not medications. 2. Nowhere on the label is found the "legend" indicating that the food is approved by the FDA as safe and effective for its labeled intention. Additionally, since prescription diets are not considered "medication" by the FDA, they don't have to conform to the regulatory measures that apply to prescription drugs. Manufacturers can abruptly change its formulation if ingredients become too expensive, and the companies are not required by law to impart that information to consumers. I got to wondering if it was possible that calling a "prescription only" diet really just a marketing strategy, requiring a prescription that pet food companies use to sell these products.Additionally some veterinarians and online pet pharmacies make a rather hefty profit by selling them. Fortunately I was able to find identical cat foods containing meats to which Hubble was not intolerant, in larger cans at half the cost of those Rx diets. Happily, I am no longer under the constraint of having to obtain a prescription for his food. Hubble doesn't care either since it keeps him healthy and tastes the same. For more information about food intolerance and allergies, visit peteducation.com. Do you use Rx pet food diets or have you switched to similar products that are just as effective? Leave a comment and share your experiences. Dog Image Source: Flickr user madstillz; Cat Image Source: Flickr user dippy_duck