"1) Animal foods do not meet the definition of a new animal drug (indeed, they are not drugs).
2) The container labels for Prescription Diets (notice the caps) do not include the federal legend required by the FDA for prescription drugs (i.e., they have not been approved by the FDA as safe and effective for their labeled indication)
The concept of a “prescription only” diet has merely been a marketing success for pet food companies who label their products as such and somehow manage to have engendered a belief that a product labeled as a “Prescription Diet”...requires a prescription.
But this is NOT TRUE! There is no legal basis for requiring a prescription for a product that is NOT regulated by the FDA as a drug. Shall I repeat that or was it sufficiently clear?"
I have a prescription for a/d hanging on my refrigerator at the moment. Huh!
5 comments:
My vet has Melvin on a "prescription diet" as well. Although, I found that you can buy it for a lot cheaper at our local Pet Supermarket. I do have to say that AD has a higher protein count than most food, but usually it's a complete rip off.
a/d is jokingly referred to as "almost dead" for those cats that won't eat, or animals that need to get as much nutrition into them ASAP. I don't mind paying an arm and a leg for it, but I do mind having to hike 45 miles to the university pharmacy to get it when my vet is out.
I have to admit, this had never, ever occurred to me before. You are completely correct. It is kind of a rip-off, especially seeing as how some places like Petsmart will charge a 'consultation' fee to write a prescription for the food they sell (I got caught twice that way, after swearing never again the first time).
It would be good if it were overseen by the FDA, because then there would be standardisation and the requirement that it work as-advertised.
You know, in the "olden days", you fed cats cat food, but now there's kitten food, adult cat food, adult obese cat food, and of course the prescription food. It's all marketing.
Animal genetics, just like human genetics, change over time; therefore, you must change the nutritional makeup for animals over time. I personally have had two animals that would not be alive now without the use of prescription foods. We tried everything else 1st, and as a last chance effort we tried prescription foods, and it worked. I am willing to do anything and everything I need for my pets because I look at them as a family member and understand having them comes with a cost.
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