# Nutritional Credentials?



## hortonnewf (Dec 27, 2009)

My daughter is a 4th year vet student. She has been raised with dogs and in the last 5 or 6 years she has observed me ranting and raving about the quality of dog food. 

I have sent her several links to dog food ratings/eval sites. She has looked at them and she definately knows what I am telling her about quality dog food. 

She asked her Nutritionist Expert (professor) at her vet school about the differences and value of quality dog food and the response was along the lines of different dogs have different requirements. AND this vet prof said she questions the credentials of these dog food ratings people. 

Are these lists based on hearsay, science or something in between? 

I would love to send my daughter the scientific proof that quality dog foods are better than store brands, but where can I find this??

Thanks!
Donna


----------



## rannmiller (Jun 27, 2008)

Wow, it really disgusts me how far the dog food industry has infiltrated the veterinary industry/school system. Why don't you tell her to look into that connection first and then look into the natural nutrition of dogs' counterpart, the wolf. Ask her how many wolves she sees raiding corn fields and rice paddies rather than hunting and eating other animals. There isn't enough money to do enough studies to negate all the studies the pet food industry has done because they have the money because they're the ones who can benefit financially from these "studies."


----------



## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

I agree with rann...

Tell your daughter to start questioning her professor.Tell her to do some research into natural feeding or more holistic foods and take that to her professors. And then have her report back here :wink:

Or better yet...tell your daughter to join up here so we can educate her on the real foods that dogs should eat!


----------



## SuZQuzie (Nov 26, 2009)

Everyone says that the animal science education system is completely infiltrated by the evil dog food complanies, but I don't see it. :shrugs: Most programs only offer very basic nutrition classes unless that is someone's specialty. That being the case, don't expect them to be nutritionists; it's not their job.

Here is the list of the nutrition classes offered at one vet school:

Veterinary Nutrition and Metabolism (2 units)

That is 2 units out of the 42 units necessary to graduate.


Back to the OP, most of what is online is hearsay. Most well-meaning pet lovers tout that one thing is toxic or another thing is essential without knowing why. Take ethoxyquin, for example, a common preservative for fish meals. I have heard it compared to spraying Raid on one's pooch's chow on this very forum. If one were to look at the real studies published by real journals, all it does is increase the production of some enzymes of the liver by an amount that causes no harm to the do.


----------



## hortonnewf (Dec 27, 2009)

<<Here is the list of the nutrition classes offered at one vet school:

Veterinary Nutrition and Metabolism (2 units)<<



I don't think a nutrition class is even required to graduate at some vet schools. It is an elective, some may have several electives on nutrition, but there is no requirement at every school.

Donna


----------



## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

hortonnewf said:


> <<Here is the list of the nutrition classes offered at one vet school:
> 
> Veterinary Nutrition and Metabolism (2 units)<<
> 
> ...


If this is really true...I am appalled. I mean, nutrition is a core base of health. Poor nutrition no doubt causes poor health, we can plainly see that with us humans... 

I think that in a way, vets need to be nutritionists even if it may not be their job per se. Its different in the human medical field, because people actually do go to nutritionists all the time. But pet owners rely on their vets the majority of the time to fill them in on nutrition. One of the main conversations that vets have with their clients on a day to day basis is about food, and what is best. I know this because they ask me too!


----------



## ruckusluvr (Oct 28, 2009)

my vet feeds and recommend purina dog chow, and puppy chow


----------



## Guest (Jan 2, 2010)

ruckusluvr said:


> my vet feeds and recommend purina dog chow, and puppy chow


And a lot of reputable breeders do, too. I hate seeing gorgeous puppies being fed garbage. At least I was able to convince one breeder to switch from Iams to Canidae.


----------

