Upon reading my review again, I realized I omitted something I wanted to share with you. The authors were critical of prescription diets, stating that, in some cases, they exacerbated the pet’s problems.
Gracie had irritated skin when she joined our family. Skin allergies and irritation are common in terriers. Also, she probably did not enjoy the best diet either in her previous family situation or at the shelter.
It was difficult to determine exactly what caused the problem – environment, diet, both? We gave her a little Benadryl each day. We tried a two nationally-recognized brands’ sensitive skin diets. We did not see an improvement in her skin’s condition. She was not a huge fan of the food. She also seemed to eat grass quite a bit, which made me wonder if the food gave her tummy troubles too.
This book helped me better understand the ingredients in pet food. After doing more research about various brands, I finally found something that works. Gracie eats Castor & Pollux Organix dog food. It does not contain corn or wheat, two ingredients known to cause issues with sensitive skin. She loves the food. Her skin looks great. She nibbles occasionally on grass but in a quantity and at a frequency that is typical for the average dog.
My cats are both on prescription diets. I plan to do research about their food too. I would like to switch them to an organic blend that might address their weight issues. If I find something that works, I will let you know. If you have found something, please comment below.
It is up to us to educate ourselves about the foods we give our pets. On the point of prescription diets, I can wholeheartedly agree with the authors. Sometimes, the “cure” is worse than the disease.
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