Wednesday, April 15, 2009

How do we as pet owners save other pet owners from Hills Science Diet?

I live in Kansas were Hills is owned and produced. I work at a natural pet food store and I have gone to Kansas State and worked at the vet school. Every were I turn people feed science diet or prescription diet without blinking an eye or reading a label. I am only 22 years old and I find the money to feed my dogs good food (Merrick and honest kitchen or urban wolf). I know that at K-State vet school the first year students get a backpack on the first day of class with the Hills logo and a note saying that they would be %26quot;teaching%26quot; nutrition to the first year students. If I heard that my doctor had been taught nutrition by Oscar Myer I would find a new doctor. Besides the moral concerns, the food sucks. It is full of by-products, grains and cancer causing agents like BHA, BHT and ethoxiquine. And don%26#039;t get me started on beet pulp. Now they have a %26quot;natural%26quot; food which is about as natural for a dog to eat as a shoe. My question is, how do we convince other pet owners that Hills is bad?

How do we as pet owners save other pet owners from Hills Science Diet?
that is an excellent question and one i have pondered many times. not just with hills but other foods as well. most people i find are just unaware of what they are actually giving there pets and some just dont care. unfortunatley, hills, eukanuba, and ivd (now royal canin) are the only ones that make diets for specific purposes. i have found that the majority of people do not want to put that much effort into their pets nutrition. they want convinence. if they have to cook it forget it. or by the same token, if they have to research, forget it. for example. say your pet is diabetic or has kidney issues. you want a diet that is either high protein low carb or low protein high carb depending. most people dont want to look up nutritional values when they can get a prepackaged diet from their vet. and if the vets sells it, then it must be good, right.





all you can do is try and educate. i do think however, that with more and more americans becoming health concience and since we went through the food recall then more people are starting to become open about researching their pets food. i myself will talk someones ear off about nutrition. i think it is extremely important for pets to be on quality diets and i try not to feed mine anything that i myself would not eat. beet pulp? my horse eats that. why would i want to give that to my dog or cat? horses are herbavoires, duh. also, people see the word %26quot;natural%26quot; and automatically assume that it is good food. natural can mean anything. corn and animal by products are %26quot;natural%26quot; but i sure as hell am not feeding that to my pets.





kudos to you for delving further into pets nutrtion.
Reply:Continue to be vocal about your pet food choices. Heck, I came around once I actually started reading the labels. Before someone told me to I thought Science Diet was good food. Boy was I wrong.





**Edit for Shawn** Actually, its exactly like the fast food we feed ourselves with. Its the equivalent to feeding your dog/cat french fries and only french fries.
Reply:It%26#039;s probably better than the Fast Food us Americans fill our bodies with!
Reply:I saw this on another veterinary site, and thought you should ask these questions to the company you recommend. By the way, we recommend Royal Canin, Hills and Purina prescription diet. I know their answeres to all these questions, do you?





1) Do I have experience with the product.


2) Does the company have a veterinary nutritionist working specifically for them.


3) What is their quality control and monitoring (not available to all but I have a very good assessment of it)


4) Do they make the product or co-pack?


5) Do they know everything about their products? Can I call and ask them what the selenium level of product x is and not only do they know (most small companies don%26#039;t), they will tell me right then. I can tell you this is a real biggie for me. If I call and can%26#039;t get nutrition info - I won%26#039;t recommend the food.


6) Do they feed the diet to animals within the companies facility. Small companies may or may not do feeding trials and if they do it is almost always at another location. Their nutritionist may not have seen a group of dogs or cats that ate that diet for any lenght of time.





7) Does the company do nutrition releated research (I know then are up on the issues and contributint to the science).
Reply:I have a 16-year-old Sheltie with Cushings Disease, genetic - comes down through the mother. She has been eating Science Diet her entire life.


I have a 15-year-old Pom who people think is a puppy. He has been eating Science Diet his entire life.


My other dog has allergies to wheat products so he gets something else.
Reply:Showing people is the easy part. Actually convincing them is harder. I don%26#039;t know, probably the best ways would be something on the news exclusively about Science Diet, have you noticed that all the recalls and stuff skate right over Hill%26#039;s? God, I could swear that they%26#039;re paying those people to keep it on the shelves.





If someone made a YouTube video about the production of Hill%26#039;s and it became popular, a lot of people would become interested.





Edit: Actually, what amazes me is that my vet is educated and does not recommend Science Diet and thinks foods like Innova is great. That vet is awesome and he%26#039;s great, the animals just love him. I guess it%26#039;s %26#039;cause he has 6 dogs of his own!
Reply:I don%26#039;t know, but you have me convinced! How about some of those pet blog sites, get it going thru there. If you search under %26quot;pet blogs%26quot;, there%26#039;s a bunch of them, look them over.
Reply:thank you.... do your research, not just for this brand but all others...


and in the future i will look for your show on discovery, part science and fact/ part pet care....





it is really hard for most of us to understand all the labels, and even tho we try not all brands are equal, and not all brands are good. i understand most dog foods are actually advertised to humans, with pretty pictures and foolish words on the package...





so if you can do the research, and share what you learn with the rest of us, it would be much appreciated...





right now we use beneful, i know not the best, but it is what we can afford right now....
Reply:First of all the vets that carry it must know what an awful product it is, but it is easy money for them and more business when the animal gets sick. Just like the pharmacy companies and the drs. Everyone seems to be on the take. You have to be careful about defamation charges and not get into a lawsuit. People need to be educated to purchase foods that have NO byproducts or corn in them for sure as it is just a filler. What%26#039;s with rice hulls I saw in a recent holistic food. There certainly is no food value in that. It is like eating hot dogs every day. Sure you can live on it, but it is not healthy and can expect problems later on. To be safe just tell people to start reading the ingredients no matter what they have been told or what the brand is. By-products, corn, wheat, rice hulls are pretty much fillers and just make the animal poop more. Check into the Ultra-dog food sold at Petsmart made by Nutro products. It is great. Have had my dogs on it for over 3 years..But of course first read the ingredients. You will be pleasantly surprised.
Reply:EXCELLENT question ! Not only that, vets stock and plug their products because they can win sales contests and don%26#039;t know any better. Most vets don%26#039;t know squat about nutrition unless they%26#039;ve gone on to further study on their own. But because a vet recommends this food, the customer thinks its the best. Not so.





Whole Dog Journal does a good job of comparing dog foods and has done a number of articles in the last few months because of the food recalls.





This website rates various foods and shows that Science Diet failed. Seems Hills are better at marketing than nutrition.





http://www.acreaturecomfort.com/ratingpe...
Reply:Science Diet is what we feed the dogs at the Humane Society shelter, because it%26#039;s donated to us, but I%26#039;ve NEVER continued to feed it to my adopted dogs after they%26#039;ve come home with me. In my experience at the shelter (and until I could wean my dogs onto something better) Science Diet makes them unbelievably flatulent, itchy, and it makes their poop smell horrendous (I know poop never smells nice, but this stuff makes it so much worse). I seriously thought one of my dogs must%26#039;ve had coccidia when I first brought him home, because his poop was so foul, but the vet told me it was the nasty Science Diet he%26#039;d been fed at the shelter.





I%26#039;m currently using Natural Balance potato and duck for my dogs, and I%26#039;ve seen a huge difference in their coat, skin, and they aren%26#039;t nearly as gassy. It%26#039;s not the most expensive, but it%26#039;s good quality food, and when you%26#039;re going through a 25lb bag of dog food every week like we are, it%26#039;s the best we can get for the money.





Each time I send a newly adopted dog home with their forever family, I send one 5lb bag of Science Diet home with them, and I ask that they please let that be the LAST bag they ever feed the dog (and of course, I explain why!). I give them instructions on how to wean them off Hill%26#039;s, and I recommend a higher quality dog food. You don%26#039;t have to get the most expensive brand, but there are so many other brands that are tolerated better.





That%26#039;s how I%26#039;M personally trying to get people away from Science Diet.
Reply:well u could take the label from a science diet bag and a label from other bags of dog food and ask people u see buying science diet which one they think is the science diet label. make sure it the labels arent marked with the name of the food. and just see which one they think and then when they guess the other food that is good tell them they r wrong. or just simply say that it is crap.
Reply:i can%26#039;t agree more. and most vets don%26#039;t get a very long course on nutrition. and the science diet is what they are told is the best of the best.





i feed a local dog food and cat food. its not the best but its not crap and they only use local grown products but thats why i give raw with it..or home cooked things.





the thing is EVERYONE has a thought on what to feed. and reading a label is not easy if u don%26#039;t know what all those odd names for things mean.
Reply:You won%26#039;t convince me . Science Diet is one of the best pet foods on the market and always has been.



credot siosse

What is the psychology behind wearing the same clothes everyday?

I know a guy who wears the same outfit everyday. He wears the same STYLE of t-shirt, underwear and socks, but his jeans and shoes are the EXACT same pair. He is not poor, dirty, smelly nor does his work require him to dress this way. He showers often and cares about his appearance/fashion as the products/clothing he owns are designer labels.





I once suggested he wear something other than his %26quot;uniform%26quot; to a party we were going and he was highly objective. When shopping, he gets VERY ANGRY %26amp; FRUSTRATED and finds something wrong with everything he tries on--despite him being the perfect size for clothes.





What is all this about? Please explain in detail, I have two Psych degrees and I really want to understand this.

What is the psychology behind wearing the same clothes everyday?
So when he shops for clothes, he really hates all of the clothes that aren%26#039;t just like his clothes.





He is used to the stuff that he wears, and finds anything else upsetting -- because they don%26#039;t feel right, because they change his visual field in an alien and disconcerting way.





Clothes are a second skin -- they cover you, are in contact with a lot of your surface area, and change your visual field (filling a portion of it with their color and pattern). For these reasons, they are kind of a big deal.





I, myself, am sensitive to a LOT of fabrics -- I shop first by touch, as there are a lot of clothes that feel like nettles to me.





A few months ago I stumbled on a documentary on PBS that was a How To for parents of kids who hate anything new. They talked about clothes being one of the problems (the kids throw tantrums when asked to wear new clothes -- but then they resist any new anything).





Seeing this (which I%26#039;ve thought about a lot since) is what made me %26quot;unpack%26quot; that tidbit of information about the shopping and his general resistance as I did.





The main thing I%26#039;d say to you, however, is to leave him alone and stop bugging him about it. (Did you mean to say, when you suggested he change for the party, that he was %26quot;objective%26quot;? What did he say?)





You might try searching for info (or on PBS to see materials related to that show I came in on and don%26#039;t know the name of) on %26quot;the timid child.%26quot;





If I%26#039;m reading your friend right, he%26#039;s one of these. It%26#039;s genetic, some people react with aversion to the new.





All of the above is just guesswork, mind.
Reply:The clothes are his image, he may have some low self-esteem and may have some perfectionist traits.





I wear the exact same pair of jeans or shorts and shoes sometimes depending on my situation the next day but I%26#039;m not stuck on them.
Reply:a) if you have two psych degrees, and you%26#039;re looking for answers HERE, you need to rethink your gameplan.





b) why are you asking US why someone else does what they do? try asking HIM.
Reply:I really feel comfortable in Danskin, and Land%26#039;s End clothing and will buy a couple pairs of pants in different colors.





You suggested he wear something different at a party....were you trying to push his buttons? or just being a friend, and if you were a friend, I would still be a good friend regardless of his clothing style.
Reply:He%26#039;s found a style of clothing he feels comfortable in and thinks he looks good in. Leave him alone or you spend your money and buy him a new wardrobe.
Reply:Maybe he likes his pants and shoes.
Reply:Maybe he feels that by not changing his jeans and shoes, that it%26#039;s something he can say is constant. No matter what comes or goes, his jeans and shoes will always be the same until he dies.





Other than that, I have no idea. No degrees either. Also dido that guy above me, why don%26#039;t you ask him?
Reply:Better than being bollocks!
Reply:If you find something you like, you gotta stick with it. Think about it. He%26#039;s happy enough with these items that he doesent need to change them daily. I think deep down you actually very jealous of this man. He%26#039;s content with his apperance, when you on the other hand have to shop regularly and still havent found the happiness he has. Also, you want him.... :dodgy:
Reply:first all extremely great answer. also what the hell and who the hell is man. this guy must a homeless guy with no money. does he eat.
Reply:Identity, Every human being on the face of this earth searches for that one item, in order to find their niche in this world. Some time that Identity can be associated with a school, some use basket ball shirts, some use base ball shirts, some just use appeal. and many used make-up. all to have their own unique identity. Police use their uniforms. There are many oh so many things that people use to id themselves. All to say I belong...... Why? one reason is because of the way we are educated, others are because the government you live under wants to force separation between the racists in order to prevent the racists from presenting an united front. And believe me they would bomb cities and kill millions in order to prevent that from happening. Some people do it because they simply don%26#039;t wish to change period....................... I have a Ph.D. In The Philosophy Of Psychology. (With Degree in Clinical Psychology Both are Majors)
Reply:Every outfit envokes an emotion.. so whatever emotion this outfit envokes is the emotion this individual probably identifies with the most.
Reply:How do you know he%26#039;s wearing different underwear every day? I%26#039;m not judging, just don%26#039;t think anyone else noticed that...



myspace quizzes

Where can i buy designer labels for a bargain? bags, watches , perfumes , shoes. make up, cloths etc?

you can try going into the suburbs to some outlet malls... they have all designer clothes for real cheap... if you dont mind wearing barely used clothes you can try finding a place called platos closet... also places like nordstom rack or marshalls... any where you go be prepaired to do some major hunting through racks of clothes cause all these places tend to be really unorganized

Where can i buy designer labels for a bargain? bags, watches , perfumes , shoes. make up, cloths etc?
wholesale name brand handbag,apparel, jewelry, shoes,Golf equipment, and fashion accessory at http://www.fashion001.com/ Report It

Reply:try outlet malls. if your looking for designer items, there%26#039;s a gucci outlet in santa monica i believe. the prices are unbelievable %26amp; you can purchase items from past seasons you%26#039;ve missed out on.





cosmetics wise there are CCO which are basically cosmetic outlets. they carry everything from mac to dior to chanel. go to http://outletbound.com to look for one near you =)
Reply:ebay
Reply:TK MAX
Reply:china town in new york city
Reply:TK MAXX
Reply:platos closet! there is also a store in northampton, MA called deals %26#039;n steals but i don%26#039;t know how close Northampton, MA is to you
Reply:Consignment stores and second hand stoeres. Swapmeet do carry their desingers clothes. Check your local business are discounted department such as Loemann%26#039;s, TJ Maxx.
Reply:E-bay is your best bet. You get some great bargains.





I%26#039;ve bought a few things that I%26#039;ve saved a fortune on. It%26#039;s worth the look you never know unless you go! ;-)
Reply:hi .





try the site http://www.just-replicas.com








you will find very good watches and bags and all replicas goods .
Reply:usually they have them for like insanely cheap prices @ 2nd hand stores. they are in better quality thatn you think! outlets are anoher good place to buy. if none of these options work for you, try being a super smart shopper! like go to the expensive stores and buy something on absolute final sale
Reply:ebay have some good bargains at times on designer stuff. i like ibuy tv on sky they do fendi, gucci, prada, chloe on there and the bags go for a fraction of the price.





i love this little 2nd hand shop in germany where i live, i buy authentic real designer bags from there,





try second hand shops, carboots, ebay, etc to find the best bargains.





i have just bought some von dutch from america and the exchange rate to british puonds was so cheap to buy and ship to me.
Reply:EBAY I JUST GOT D%26amp;G JEANS 4 £40 and miss sixty jeans 4 £30
Reply:if you go to www.chicoutletshopping.com you will find some outlets names around europe with brand, designers and how to get there depending of where you are. also they are others good outlets in Italy...good luck.




horses for loan

What type of shoes should I buy?

I want a pair of sneakers that dont have to be labeled for a specific group of people.


For Instance I dont want like Vans because those are supposedly %26quot;skater%26quot; shoes and Jordans are %26quot;ghetto%26quot; and Converses are said to be %26quot;emo%26quot; ...well I dont want people doing that..do you guys know any shoes I can wear without being labeled?

What type of shoes should I buy?
i wear all types of shoes but it doesnt matter what people say! nikes are really nice tennis shoes and a simple white one will go a long way.....


for the dressy type outfit some flats or mary jane flats will look really cute but me personally i have converse, nikes, and flats but just buy whatever shoe YOU like and make it your own! hope this helps!!
Reply:puma
Reply:Get some kind of comfortable shoes that are YOUR style. Pumas, perhaps? AE has some cute shoes...
Reply:Keds are really cute and Steve Madden shoes too. And you cant go wrong with flats cuz just about every girl owns a pair or two.
Reply:try a pair of sketchers.......they have a variety of styles and are really comfortable. have fun shopping!
Reply:Let%26#039;s see.... Um..Well al the shoes I wear arent labeled, so maybe you would like my shoes. I just wear regualar old sneakers, like ones at payless that you used to just run in. so just shop at payless. nothing has a label there :)
Reply:FLATS!


they are amaing and so simple! i love flats from:





www.forever21.com


http://store.delias.com/frontpage.do


http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/


and


www.alloy.com/
Reply:coolness
Reply:Um...Jack Purcells?





I dont knoww, they are from the same company as Converse but theyre slightly different and less %26quot;emo-ish%26quot;





This is what they look like...





http://www.converse.com/zproductdetails....
Reply:Stop worrying about being labeled because of the shoes you wear. If you think they%26#039;re cute then wear them. By wearing shoes that are supposedly for a certain group and mixing it with your style, you can totally change the stereotype.
Reply:well i know preppy popular people that wear converse and vans.....





but you could try rocket dog. they have a lot to choose from!
Reply:PacSun has these cute shoes from Roxy that run about $34 a pair. SO cute!!! You don%26#039;t have to be a surfer to wear them either. Here%26#039;s a whole list of them w/ pics: http://shop.pacsun.com/webapp/wcs/stores...





Keds are cute too, and come in lotsa diff colors and styles. Kswiss sells just plain white sneakers if your looking for something like that.
Reply:when you wear shoes, you shouldn%26#039;t care about being labeled. all you should care about is if the pair of shoes your wearing match or complete your outfit. when you wear a certain pair of shoes, it doesnt mean you are a skater or emo. it just means you like those shoes and you think they are comfortable and nice to wear. don%26#039;t care what other people say.
Reply:Any type of shoe you buy you will be labeled. Lacoste=prep. Adidas, Nike, etc. =sporty. It%26#039;s just the way it is.
Reply:get nikes, or keds.
Reply:go with some cute keds. i just bought a pair and love them.


there%26#039;s also a lot of cute puma shoes out there, although, I%26#039;m not sure if there%26#039;s a %26quot;label%26quot; attached to those.
Reply:COOL
Reply:coach sneakers are what i prefer!
Reply:i haven%26#039;t heard most of these %26quot;labels%26quot; fixed to shoes but try rocket dog...they have tons of syles and are kinda cheap. they are not gym shoes but they are cute everyday tennies...
Reply:Well first of all it doesnt matter what people think they go on your feet, your wearing them and as long as you like them nothing matters. But i prefer Converse All Stars and the Slip On Converse and im not emo.But you cant go wrong with . . . .





*Nike- running shoe


*adidas - running shoe


*Puma -running shoe





*Flats





*AE sneaks.



visualarts

Do people at your school label themselves? If they do what labels are there?

Well labels suck so i ahte when people label themselves. The reatrds in my school label themselves as:





*Emos


*Preps


*Chongas/Wanksters


*and the other people fall into an nameless category which consists of people who consider themselves %26quot;goody two-shoe emos%26quot;

Do people at your school label themselves? If they do what labels are there?
Back in the 80%26#039;s, our school in Owasso, Oklahoma used only a few labels. Hicks, Jocks, Preps, and Nerds.





Life was simpler back then word wise, but not life wise. Imagine, no I-Pods (we had, dare I say, Walkmans!), no DVD%26#039;s (they were called Laser Discs!), and the girls in the 80%26#039;s (probably some of the readers%26#039; mothers today) used enough AquaNet to launch a space shuttle to Mars and back.
Reply:Yeah, the pakistani%26#039;s lable them as NWMPA some sort of gang but we all know that they%26#039;re sh*t scared of black kids! lmao they just get tough with chinese kids
Reply:labels are meaning less
Reply:my label is sarah and it is that because that is my name
Reply:It%26#039;s stupid when people categorize themselves. When they do, I come up with my own label for all of them: %26quot;idiots.%26quot;



visual arts

What is more important to you, how the clothes/accessories look or what brands you are wearing?

I personally just care that they look cute. I truly have nothing in my closet, including shoes, that cost me more than 20 bucks. Is it really worth having top designer labels?

What is more important to you, how the clothes/accessories look or what brands you are wearing?
I was a thrift store shopper all of my yourg life...Now I own a high end boutique. The most important factor about dressing, is to dress YOUR body. Make sure that items fit properly, and that their cut is flattering to your shape and size. Higher end garments are usually cut from higher quality fabrics and cut with more fabric in the right places, but not always. It is ok to splurge on items that are classic, well crafted and well cut. I don%26#039;t care who%26#039;s name is on the label, I still shop for truly classic, well made, vintage clothing.





the short answer: it is more important to me that my clothing really fits well and looks good.
Reply:Well the most important thing is how you feel when you wear them. I have some designer clothes and some I just come across because I thought they were cute or a great price. I think its how you put them together. I always receive compliments on my outfits. I also try to buy things when they are on sale. No you don%26#039;t need designer labels to feel good or look good!!
Reply:don%26#039;t be close-minded to anything!!! i have a closet full of clothing i%26#039;ve picked up at thrift stores...i actually just came across the cutest shirt i bought at a thrift store years ago...never wore it. i only bought it because it looked like curtains my mom had when i was young. it is now my favorite article of clothing!!! on the other hand...i have no problem spending 200 bucks on a pair of jeans if i like the way they make me feel when i pull them on!!!
Reply:To me, the brand definitely does NOT matter. It%26#039;s all about the style and feel.
Reply:none vanity is just that besides i have better to worry about ;P
Reply:how it looks. If you can afford it then you buy. Other than that you substitute and work with what you have.
Reply:I LOVE CUTE CLOTHES! so ya. I agree with u. Some non-designer clothes even have awwesom quality. Nothing in my closet cost me more than 40 bucks thou lol...


(my mom likes desinger clothes)
Reply:i am totally the same. not all designer labels are worth it, however, some are better quality.
Reply:no you r right-you have nothing to prove-who cares what brand it is
Reply:how they look on me ...i could care less about the brand thing....if it looks nice and theyre 15 dollar pants ..hey ill buy them...now if i see some 40 dollar pants that look good on me ..ill buy them also
Reply:i like how they look and feel and thats most important to me but i also care bout the quality and sometimes when u go cheap it just doesnt last or atleast not the way u want it to. and $20 shoes wouldn%26#039;t last me more than a month lol unless they were crazy marked down.


i mean i agree w/ u that some designer labels are just crap clothes w/ a name thats in at the moment. but some things like levis jeans for $60-$80 not only look good but they will last for a while, same w/ $80 puma%26#039;s they going to last too so to me its worth it cause ur going to have a that stuff around for a while and get your moneys worth out of them
Reply:well I think both because where I come from u could get teased if u don%26#039;t have on name brand stuff.
Reply:i really like cute clothes and accessories so no brand is not as important. but brand names are more trendy and help to make an accessory cute so they are still necessary for me or at least a cute look that plays off of a designer. i mean with all the money they make they should be good for something right?
Reply:definitely not the brand. although you might get a kick out of SEVEN JEANS for 90 bucks. be a leader and start your own trend!
Reply:It%26#039;s totally all about how well you sport the look...who cares what the brand is. I am the thriftiest person I know but, always get compliments on my style and how and what I put together to pull off a cute look. Have confidence in yourself and your style!!! Not the brand your wearing!!!
Reply:I think it is important that they fit, are comfortable and they make me feel good. I really don%26#039;t care about labels. I can%26#039;t believe what some women will pay for clothes. Not me.



tanning

How do I work out the size of some clothes etc. to sell on eBay?

I am in England and want to know what is the best chart to use to establish what size garments and shoes are that I want to sell on ebay. Unfortunately the size labels on some of my families items are missing or they are foreign %26amp; I cant find good all round conversion chart on the internet. Any tips please.

How do I work out the size of some clothes etc. to sell on eBay?
click european sizing and it shud come up with no.10 being ebays own, hope this helps
Reply:get a tape mesure most people can convert..



poems