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Food question

Published on: June 11, 2023 • By: adventureswithruny · In Forum: Dogs
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adventureswithruny
Participant
June 11, 2023 at 04:41am
My dog has been on royal canin hepatic for almost a year. I read today on the package that it should be given only up to 6 months but my vet said it should be for life. Any insight on this? Should I ask another vet or try to ask the brand direct? Thanks!
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adventureswithruny
Participant
June 11, 2023 at 04:42am
He is 12 years old and has had some hepatic problems before but nothing too serious. The food was more like a prevention.
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Liz Buchanan BVSc MRCVS
Keymaster
June 11, 2023 at 10:31am
Hello!  And congratulations on your attention to detail.  I am surprised by this and would hope that your vet can take the time out to double check or explain their thinking behind this.   The key is not necessarily to do with matching what it says on the packet, but rather to be sure that whatever's being done is thought through and intentional and that the science behind it makes sense.   I think it would be perfectly reasonable to speak to Hills.  I would phrase the question non judgementally, as in 'Ive noticed it says this on my dogs food.  Why is this?'  (Write down answer, it might be slightly complicated - and ask them to make it simpler if possible).  Then, 'My dog has been on it for X time for Y disese - I wonder whether it's unimportant or whether theres something I should ask my vet to prescribe instead?  Could I ask them to speak to you?'  and then to go back to your vets - and take it from there.
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adventureswithruny
Participant
June 13, 2023 at 05:16am
Thanks so much, that makes sense. I will reach out to the company. I have asked my vet a few times already if a food change is possible because I do struggle on making him eat it some times. He is kind of done with it and I don’t blame him, it smells so strong like vitamins. I know it’s the food and not loss of appetite cause he managed to get to the cat’s food and ate a good part of her plate. I have tried with both hills and royal canin but he’s done. Do you know of another brand or food type I could discuss with my vet as an option? Kibble or home cooked? Or any good place for resources I could find on hepatic diets just to bring it to them and have a conversation about a possible change or mix up on the food department, I would really appreciate it.
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Liz Buchanan BVSc MRCVS
Keymaster
June 13, 2023 at 09:07am
Hello - now then, thankyou for explaining fully.  This is an interesting development.  The reason you want to change food is that you think that your dog doesn't like it / is tired of it.  This one always rings alarm bells for me - as omnivorous humans, we are rarely short of food and indeed used to a varied diet and priviledged to be able to indulge our taste preferences. Some of these, probably for evoluntionary reasons, are geared to eating fatty / sugary foods because our ancestors would have benefitted from the energy boosts, in a way that we do not today.  Hence the food our inherited preference for fat and sugar pushes us towards, as humans, is often food that isn't good for us.  Let's hold this thought and get back the cat.
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Liz Buchanan BVSc MRCVS
Keymaster
June 13, 2023 at 09:31am
Dog.  I apologise - I was concentrating on the food there!   When dogs have liver disease, they are sometimes less keen on food - often as a result of the liver disease, or because the pancreas has become inflamed.  For me, the best thing to do here would be to identify and treat the reason theyre suddenly less keen on food - does the liver nedd extra suppport?  Does the pancreas need pain releif?   I mean, if I was feeling a bit sicky and off my food and you offered me something I really liked, I might be more likely to eat that than something good for me.   However, I would much rather you found out why I felt icky and treated that!   Does that make sense?
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Liz Buchanan BVSc MRCVS
Keymaster
June 13, 2023 at 09:47am
In short, owners often come to the conclusion that dogs are off their food because of taste preferences. However this rarely happens in healthy dogs.  They evolved to live where food is scarce.   Therefore we would reccommending discussing it with your vet, because it is often a sign of something else.
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Liz Buchanan BVSc MRCVS
Keymaster
June 13, 2023 at 09:48am
*reccommend*
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