Science Diet Reviews

I have tried so many things for my dog and finally went to Science Diet r/d canned. It worked fine the first time around. He loves the food! This morning, I opened a can and it kind of scared me! The bottom side of the lid had a white, spongy film on it. The complete "casing" of the dog food (sometimes comes out like a "jelly roll") had the same white spongy film all around it. The smell was horrible(!), like it had gone bad.around the bottom. On the paper of the can was a dry "ring" of what looked like previous wetness. I opened another can to compare it, to see if maybe, since it was early morning, I was not quite awake but no, the dog food slipped out just fine and smelled like how it's supposed to smell. My dog has had so many problems with his health. The last thing I can afford is another vet bill from him getting sick! I plan to contact my vet and Science Diet directly about this. Oh, and the can came from a sealed case. So far, no other cans have the same problem. How could this be?

We bought Science Diet for Large Puppies from Petsmart, the same food we have been feeding our puppy for the past seven months. When I opened the new bag bought in July 2009, our golden had horrible uncontrollable diarrhea with lots of mucus that night and the day after. We stopped feeding her the dog food for a few days and made rice and chicken. She returned to normal and then we fed her the Science Diet food again thinking that something else caused the illness. Almost immediately after eating the Science Diet, she is back to having horrible diarrhea. I have searched the websites and have not found any indication of a recall. However, based on the statements I have read here, I believe it is the food so I will not be feeding her Science Diet anymore!

My dog has been eating Science Diet J/D prescription dog food for several years and has never had a problem. But in June 2009, he started not wanting to eat it. I thought his mouth was hurting him and took him to the vet, but nothing was wrong. Then in July, he started vomiting every day and wouldn't eat it. I discovered that it must be the food, because he will eat Iams. I have seen many postings online of dogs that started having problems with Science Diet in May/June of 2009. There is no recall, but there must be something wrong with the food if lots of people are having the same problem. Consequences: carpet is being damaged by frequent vomiting.

Our Golden Retriever was 11 years old and in good shape for his age. We have always used Science Diet Sensitive Stomach. He did vomit from time to time, but I thought it was from the kids getting him excited after he ate. I am not sure on the exact dates, but some time in late May of 2009, the neighbor's 12 year black lab passed away. They had left over Science Diet and offered it to us since they knew we used the same brand. I thought it was sensitive stomach, but found out later it was the vegetarian type. I mixed it in with the current batch. Our dog did not like it and did vomit. I thought he was just being picky. I ended up throwing it all away because it was too much of pain to pick out the new food.

I woke up to find my mom's 17-year old dog had vomited in her crate, which is unusual. Despite her age, she had just gone to the vet last week and has a clear bill of health, but I chalked it up to an upset stomach. Today, my chihuahua who shares the same bag of food with my mom's dog and Yorkie threw up multiple times. I couldn't pinpoint the reason. Just a few moments ago, my mom's dog threw up again. This is a large amount of vomit, not just a bit of spit up. My Yorkie hasn't thrown up to my knowledge, he could have gone out to the yard. I am discontinuing use for good. I've used Science Diet for years without a problem. My mom's dog does not need the added stress of vomiting up her food. We were using the Adult Small Bites for her in particular.

I have used Science Diet for over 5 years and never had a problem. It must be a bad batch I purchased on April 18. I started using it on June. All 3 dogs were throwing up, diarrhea and sick. Not all 3 got sick at once, so it was hard to figure out what was making them ill. Finally, I googled and found all the similar comments from other dog owners. There is no recall from Science Diet, but I have discontinued use. I will be feeding them rice and chicken, homemade, for a week till they are better.

A month into the Dry variant and 2 of my dachshunds are throwing up and have diarrhea. One of them does not want to eat it at all. Everything seems to sound just like everyone else's comments on here. Strange thing, only 2 out of 3 are sick and they all eat the same food. But not taking any chances, Chicken and Rice and hopefully that will clear it up soon.

Possible bad batch of dog food - We have used Science Diet for 1 1/2 years without any problems, until this past week. We bought a 10lb. bag of food for our miniature schnauzer and he has been throwing up and has had mucus in his stool. Has there been a change in the composition of the dog food?

Possible Bad Batch! I purchased a new 20-pound bag of Hills Science Diet Small bites on June 3, 2009 and began feeding my 2 Jacks a couple of days later. (They have been on the same brand for over two years.) By June 8, 2009, both were vomiting and had loose stools. Prior to this, both dogs have always been very healthy. I immediately stopped this dry food and started making them a combination of white rice, scrambled eggs and carrots. It took 4 to 5 days to clear up their systems. I plan on returning the remaining food to Petco since I have been a loyal customer for 10 plus years.

Shortly after I started a new 40 lb. bag, my 3-year-old Golden Retriever started having diarrhea with huge amounts of mucous matter. I, at first, thought she may have eaten something in the backyard, but it was still going on a week later. I was out of town for a week and my son fed her Nutro lamb and rice while I was gone and the problem disappeared. When I got back, I resumed the Science Diet, and the problems recurred. I switched to Nutro and the problems were gone again. This dog has eaten Science Diet for over two years so it wasn't any sudden change in diet. I had lost two prior Golden Retrievers at young ages (6 and 7) and often wondered about the Science Diet since they both died suddenly from digestive disorders. Petco said there has been no reports of any recent problems, but this website certainly indicates that there are similar problems and that there is some contaminated food in the marketplace. I'm sure Hill's must be aware of this and is apparently doing nothing.

Our 4 year old cockapoo, Chloe, was diagnosed 2 weeks ago with bladder stones. Our vet did not do x-rays, rather she could feel the stones through palpation of the abdomen. Chloe was given an oral antibiotic and Hill's Science Diet S/D canned dog food. After 5 days on the dog food, she became lethargic, immobile, distended and vomited 7 times in 6 hours. We took her to our vet, where they did 2 x-rays and found signs of pancreatitis. The pancreas and small intestines were blurred on the x-ray and the vet said that was indicative of pancreatitis. We could also see undigested chunks of food throughout her large intestine and colon. They then confirmed the pancreatitis through blood work.

I have been feeding my dogs Science Diet for over 13 years, and recently, this May of 2009, she would hardly eat it. She has had diarrhea, and has been throwing up. I took one bag back, and asked if there was a recall, and they said there was none. I took her off Science Diet, and fed her rice and beef for a couple of days, and she eventually cleared up and was fine, until I put her back on Science Diet, and she had diarrhea again. I'm talking about squirting out. I will take her off Science Diet completely. They had to have changed something, and it's not good. Because of this, I was up all night, feeling what my poor dog was feeling. I will get a refund on this bag, and I'll never go back.

I have always fed my dogs Science Diet adult food and they have been fine. Very recently about a week after I started another bag, my Border Collie started throwing up and had diarrhea. Since he was acting normal, I waited it out but after 7-8 days, I broke down and took him to the vet. They took a ton of tests (x-rays, bloodwork, barium with x-rays) and found absolutely nothing wrong with him. About 7 days after my Border Collie got sick, my Lab started having the same problems. I stopped the food (since that is the only common thing they have) and within 3 days of a bland diet of rice and chicken, they both have stopped throwing up!

Two months ago, my 2-year old kitty, Roxy, passed away from pancreatitis. She was presented with symptoms of jaundice to the vet on February 4th and on February 13th, she passed away during exploratory surgery. She was first diagnosed with liver flukes and began in-hospital treatment. She seemed to be doing better and was released to come home February 7th. By February 11th, her jaundice had not cleared up so she was admitted back into the hospital and the veterinarian, stepping in for my regular vet, suggested that I take her to a specialist for an ultrasound. I did and they discovered enlarged lymph nodes surrounding the pancreas. The cytology report came back negative for cancer cells so I breathed a sigh of relief. It was soon cut short by the surgeon that said that surgery would be in order to resolve the blockage in the gall bladder.

I just adopted a 5 y/o Chessie from the pound. They gave us a bag of Science Diet kibbles. He hasn't had a single formed stool in the month we've had him; all are pudding like. He also could not hold it and went all over my carpet. I'm throwing the Science Diet out. I suspect too much corn in the formulation. I also noticed that he had frequent eliminations with excessive straining.

I have 2 dogs, one 4 years old and one 2 years old. I was feeding them the recommended dose of Hills Science Diet adult formula for almost a year. During this year, my 4-year old wouldn’t eat the food so I had to feed him a different brand. My 2-year old ate the Hills Diet daily and many health problems excelled like seizures and many, as time went on, digestive problems, constant vomiting and loose frequent stools. I took him to vet who promoted the Hills Diet food and told me he had sensitive stomach along with not to worry about the seizures as many dogs get this and it isn’t a reason to worry.

My 13-year-old Pomeranian mix, Kitt, was fed grocery brands that we thought were good for her (mostly IAMS/Purina). But as she got older, we thought her low energy levels and tears coming from her eyes were just old age. She would just sleep all the time and not bark much, even with the kids around. One day after talking to the Vet for a routine exam, we decided to try Science Diet small bite. To our amazement, she seemed to like the food better and, within 2 weeks, she had a new life full of energy. She was barking loudly and seemed to be a new dog! Her coat seemed shinier, breath was not as smelly and her stools were smaller. Hill's food cost more but is worth it. Our personal experience shows that good food really can extend the life of a loved pet and really make a difference. Thank you, Science Diet!

After purchasing Science Diet Dog Food, I noticed that the dogs were reluctant to eat the very expensive food. After several days, all 4 began having impulsive diarrheal stools and could not hold for any periods. I wound up throwing Science Diet out and cleaning up four very disgusting kennels multiple times. Now they are on Iams, there is not an issue.

My 17-year-old Siamese cat has eaten Science Diet food (dry and canned) her entire life, and the food has treated her just fine. She loves the taste of the Science Diet senior dry food and the k/d and w/d prescription canned food. She had kidney problems in the past and the k/d has done wonders. I cannot, however, get her to eat the l/d canned food for her more recent liver problems. It does not look or smell appetizing at all. However, I am convinced that the Science Diet k/d helped put several more years on her life. Her kidney problems are gone and have not reoccurred. Her coat is beautiful and her eyes are still bright and shiny. Thank you, Science Diet!

I switched both of my cats over to Science Diet original formula a couple of weeks ago. My 3-year old cat always ate Science Diet dry and wet food, but this is the first time trying the Original Formula. My kitten was eating kitten food so when he was ready for cat food, I changed them both over. A week into eating the dry food, both cats started getting black heads on their chins. My kitten developed a granuloma on his mouth and the back of his legs that we are still trying to treat. My 3-year old ended up getting bad acne that had to be lanced on her chin. Over the month on this food, I tore my house apart top to bottom to see what they were getting into. It was when my 3-year old had to stay at the vet for two weeks (due to the infected chin) that we discovered it cleared when they changed her to an all meat diet. I also took my little ones off of the dry and put him on prescription ZD.

I have used Science Diet for many years now and I have not had a single problem. There is usually a reason behind many of the health issues. Unfortunately, many blame the food. But in some cases it may be the food, but a lot of the time there is something else. Now when feeding a weight control food, a dog or cat will go to the bathroom more often (in some cases, a lot more often) than if they were on an adult formula because the weight control formulas are high in fiber, which in turn makes them go. In some cases, the pet may be allergic to something in the food and the owner may not know it. This in turn may cause them to vomit and have loose stool.

My pug is 2 lbs overweight and on the recommendation of someone, I started her on Science Diet Small Bites for weight loss. She has been eating the Science Diet for approximately 5 days and yesterday, she pooped a huge amount in the apartment; this was after I had taken her out that morning at 7:00am where she pooped large amounts twice! When I came home from work, there was poop behind the couch. I gave her the food per spec on back of bag. This is a dog that has been house trained since she was a puppy. She is 3 years old now. The bag of Science Diet (which is still full) is going straight to the garbage today!

Science Diet dog food has constituted over 95% of our four dogs' diet over 20+ years and we have nothing but success with it. I was also advised by my vet that this was a superior product & nutritious. Two of them ultimately died, one of old age and the other of a cancerous tumor.

I don't see how Science Diet is even considered a good food for your dog. All they put in the food are by-product (meat?) and ground yellow corn (which does not digest). How is that nutritious! My vet got me into the Science Diet trap and my puppy would barely eat, just smelled it and walked away. It took 2 1/2 days for a puppy to eat a bowl of food. We should all know puppies devour food, so this seemed odd to me. I later switched to a food I know is good and I've seen results from and the puppy ate away like he's supposed to. Later, after talking with my local pet supply store, I found out that Hills Science Diet gives money and incentives to vet clinics to push their product. This is outrageous, that a veterinary doctor would compromise the best interests of an animal for perks. It's almost as bad as a company that would have to offer perks to sell their food?!

Science Diet Chicken Dinner In Gravy -- In 2006 my cat died after going into acute renal failure. I knew about the original animal food recall and followed closely to make sure my cats food was not part of the recall. I normally bought a full case at a time as this was the only food my cat would eat, he was really after the gravy more than the meat. He began to have renal symptoms in approx. December, 06. I discovered late that my food had been recalled when I went to replace his case of food after the new year. He ate approx. 1-2 cans a day. He acutely began to go down hill after the new year. Shortly thereafter, he had to be put to sleep as he was suffering. He was an adult feline, but still had some good spunk and yeas ahead. It was during this recall time period he began to have acute symptoms. I reported this to my Vet, but she did not offer any explanation at the time.

My Mini Schnauzer had pancreas disease in July 08 I took him to vet and they gave me meds, told me to feed him rice and boiled hamburger. They gave me amox. I followed all directions. The vet said they will have to talk to Science Diet to see what food I should feed him since the old food was too high in fat for him (U/D). The vet called and put him on G/D. They told me to start adding 1/4 a day until he is back on all G/D. I did this but he kept on getting sick and I would put him back on rice and hamburger and Chicken.

After seeing these posts, I decided to tell my story about losing my Siamese cat at 18 1/2 years. Due to some slight kidney damage from a prescription many years prior, the vet recommended Science Diet K/D for my cat and not knowing any better, I switched him over to that product. He didn't particularly like it but the vet was insistent to the point that if I didn't use it my cat would die. What I saw over the next few months was a progressive decline, which the vet attributed to kidney disease. Then we had to start iv fluids and my little guy was very patient and dealt with it.

After seeing these posts, I decided to tell my story about losing my Siamese cat at 18 1/2 years. Due to some slight kidney damage from a prescription many years prior, the vet recommended Science Diet K/D for my cat and not knowing any better, I switched him over to that product. He didn't particularly like it but the vet was insistent to the point that if I didn't use it my cat would die. I raised him since he was a tiny baby, he had been with me through thick and thin and was my dearest little buddy. I was willing to do almost anything to make his life better.

I am very unsettled by the Science Diet dry dog food. I have worked in the veterinary field for 5 years now, when my shepherd was a puppy naturally I started her on the best food I could buy and considering where I worked I thought I was doing the right thing. I noticed she produced frequent stools through out the day (even more than usual for a pup) So I switched her to Purina Puppy food and she did much better. I continued to feed that with no problem for about 15 months or longer when I got another shepherd (who was an adult) that had poor body condition and coat. I figured once again to do the right thing and change to a so called better quality of food. I started feeding all the dogs Science Diet Adult dry dog food. Occationally I would find soft stool, but hey that happens right?

I have fed my three cats Fancy Feast Gourmet dry cat food for several years and throughout the cat food recalls without incident but in October my cats started to vomit fairly regularly when I fed them this food. I called Fancy Feast and they told me the packaging was in fact changed at the same time that my cats vomited. They also sent me coupons to use to purchase their food. My cats have progressively worsened in recent days. My vet changed them to Science Prescription Diet k/d and this seemed to make things a lot worse with vomiting occurring every day with two cats and one has black stool which indicates there is blood in the stool. I have stopped feeding them either of these two dry cat foods and they now eat Fancy Feast wet turkey feast and so far so good. No vomit. Both brands above should be investigated for contamination I believe.