It's important to remember that some veterinarians receive commission for pushing many of the prescription diet cat food options. An honest veterinarian will steer you towards quality foods, but some simply need the money to survive.
Unnecessary Ingredients in Prescription Cat Food
Commercially prepared prescription cat food includes unnecessary ingredients like corn gluten, wheat gluten and meat or poultry by-products. These ingredients have little nutritional benefit and many cats are allergic to corn and wheat. The fillers are used by companies to cut their expenditures on more expensive meats. They save money and you end up feeding your cat a diet that increases his risk of developing diabetes and other health issues.
Cat food should always list a protein first. Not by-product, but a pure protein like poultry, fish, lamb or beef. Many prescription cat food choices fail to meet that criteria. Cats are carnivores and need protein to retain optimal health. Unless the diet cat food meets this basic requirement, your cat's protein intake will fall short.
Hills Prescription Diet Cat Food Ingredients
Hills Prescription diet cat foods list brewers rice, corn gluten meal and chicken by-products as the first three ingredients. If you keep looking at the list, you'll find citric acid potassium chloride, calcium sulfate and choline chloride.
The food that is meant to benefit a cat's urinary health uses artificial liver flavoring to appeal to cats, yet there is no pure protein source listed. The closest you come is chicken by-product pork fat and fish oil. You end up paying a lot of money for food that is no better than grocery store purchased mass-produced dry cat food.
Purina Prescription Cat Food Ingredient List
If you look at the Purina cat food prescription diet ingredients, they are only minimally better. The first ingredient, corn gluten meal, is a filler linked to causing obesity in cats. Corn gluten meal is also an allergen. The second ingredient, chicken, is great, but then you progress into poultry by-products, brewers rice, oat fiber, wheat gluten and corn. Many of those ingredients link to allergies in cats and are truly unnecessary.
Options to Prescription Cat Food Choices
If you really want to improve your cat's overall health and avoid allergies, look to grain-free cat foods. EVO foods contain pure protein and no fillers or unnecessary ingredients. Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance duck and pea food is another grain-free nutritional cat food that suits cats that must be on a diet with limited ingredients to prevent health issues or allergic reactions.
Be very certain when using a prescription diet that there is truly a health benefit for the price you are paying.