Pet Food Ingredients - N - Name (Science Diet Prescription Foods)

N

Name

Sitting in the Vet's office, I notice that there are many of these bags and cans of  Hills brand Cat and Dog foods.

So now I want to know what they all stand for.

the /d stands for Diet - as in meal, not diet as in weight management.

Not all letters have a corresponding food, but I am sure I can think of some way to fill in the blanks.

*Red ingredients are ones I consider not so fantastic ( what I have learned so far)
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a/d- Critical Care- Given after surgery or recovery from illness. 

Ingredients -Water, Pork Liver, Poultry Liver, Chicken, Corn Flour, Pork Protein Isolate, Fish Oil, Chicken Liver Flavor, Calcium Carbonate, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Guar Gum, Potassium Chloride, Taurine, Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, Magnesium Oxide, Ascorbic Acid (source of Vitamin C), Zinc Oxide, Ferrous Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Beta Carotene, Manganous Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Biotin, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite, Folic Acid.

How it's stated to help-

• Highly digestible ingredients and extra calories to help during recovery
• Highly digestible proteins to help wound and tissue healing, preserving lean body mass and promoting a healthy immune system
• Increased level of potassium to help avoid depletion
• Highly palatability with a soft consistency aids acceptance by inappetant pets and gives flexibility in feeding -- by bowl, spoon, syringe or feeding tube

Possible Option- 

Wellness CORE Turkey& Duck

Turkey, Pork Liver, Turkey Broth, Duck, Guar Gum, Carrageenan, Ground Flaxseed, Cranberries, Potassium Chloride, Taurine, Dried Kelp, Chicory Root Extract, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Alfalfa Meal, Salt, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Proteinate, Vitamin E Supplement, Choline Chloride, Cobalt Proteinate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Copper Proteinate, Manganese Proteinate, Niacin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Sodium Selenite, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Potassium Iodide, Biotin, Folic Acid.

• Wellness has higher quality protein & is grain free.
• Almost any food can be made more palatable if you add a bit of water and stir it up. 
• (Carrageenan is possibly bad - but there are two forms - one is used in foods and comes from red algae or seaweed - the other is from the same source but acid is added at high temperatures which is said to be unsafe due to the possible link to Cancer.)
• Wellness is about 20 cents cheaper (depending)

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b/d- Canine- Healthy Aging and Alertness- Brain Support

Ingredients -
Whole Grain Corn, Chicken By-Product Meal, Pork Fat, Brewers Rice, Soybean Mill Run, Flaxseed, Soybean Meal, Fish Meal, Lactic Acid, Chicken Liver Flavor, Dried Egg Product, Soybean Oil, Dried Carrots, Dried Spinach, Dried Grape Pomace, Dried Tomato Pomace, Dried Citrus Pulp, Potassium Chloride, Oat Fiber, Choline Chloride, vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin), L-Lysine, Iodized Salt, Calcium Carbonate, L-Tryptophan, Taurine, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), L-Carnitine, Mixed Tocopherols for freshness, Lipoic Acid, Phosphoric Acid, Beta-Carotene, Natural Flavors.

How it's stated to help - 

• Clinically tested to support memory and learning ability in older dogs
• Antioxidants to help protect brain cells and support a healthy immune system
• High levels of L-carnitine to help preserve muscle mass
• High in Omega-3 fatty acids to support brain health
• Appropriate levels of protein, phosphorus and sodium to promote heart and kidney health
• Contains fruits and vegetables with naturally occurring vitamins and antioxidants

Possible option-

Merrick Salmon & Sweet Potato

Ingredients-
Deboned Salmon, Salmon Meal, Sweet Potatoes, Peas, Potatoes, Whitefish Meal, Natural Flavor, Canola Oil, Deboned Whitefish, Apples, Blueberries, Yeast Culture, Organic Alfalfa, Flaxseed Oil, Potassium Chloride, Salmon Oil, Salt, Minerals (Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Zinc Sulfate, Iron Amino Acid Complex, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Potassium Iodide, Cobalt Amino Acid Complex, Sodium Selenite), Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Niacin, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Thiamine Mononitrate), Choline Chloride, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Dried Lactobacillus plantarum Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus casei Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus Fermentation Product.

• Merrick has higher quality protein & is grain free
• Salmon is high in Omega 3 fatty acids
• Quality Fish containing L-Carnitine
• For around the same price as a 17 lb bag of Science Diet b/d, you can get a 25lb bag of Merrick Salmon & Sweet Potato

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c/d- Urinary Tract Health- Bladder Support


Ingredients-
Brewers Rice, Corn Gluten Meal, Chicken By-Product Meal, Pork Fat, Chicken, Chicken Liver Flavor, Lactic Acid, Fish Oil, Choline Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Sulfate, Iodized Salt, Potassium Citrate, DL-Methionine, vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin A Supplement, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Taurine, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), Mixed Tocopherols for freshness, Phosphoric Acid, Natural Flavors, Beta-Carotene.

How it's stated to help-

• Clinically tested to dissolve struvite uroliths in as little as 7 days (Average 27 days)
• Rich in fish oil - an excellent source of Omega-3 fatty acids - to help promote healthy skin and a shiny coat
• Controlled sodium, magnesium, and phosphorus levels for bladder health
• Antioxidants to promote a healthy immune system
• Ideal for long-term feeding and multi-cat households.
• Dry and canned formulas can be mixed or fed concurrently

Or - stop feeding dry food. 
The main cause of Struvite Crystals is DRY FOOD - kick the kibble 
Fluffy needs more water.
The urine is too concentrated.
Magnesium ammonium phosphate - bind together to form crystals - the crystals can bind together to form stones. (this is all to sciency for me)

You have a few choices -

A c/d or crappy diet - food which costs way more than it should, considering the rather low quality ingredients. 

Stop feeding dry food - stick to wet food. A good quality wet food!

Raw Diet - hey if you only have 1 cat then your excuses must be limited.

• Weruva Steak Frites is a low phosphorus wet food containing NO Gain, GMO, MSG 

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This is getting rather long and I am only on d/d
I will continue this post in chunks.