WJLA Response: Veterinary/Therapeutic Diets

Veterinary diets are pet foods specially formulated to help nutritionally manage specific medical
conditions. Each diet has been developed and tested by Purina nutritionists, scientists and veterinarians,
all working to understand how nutrition can benefit pets with special health needs. Through proper
dietary management, Purina’s goal is to help pets lead active, healthy lives for years to come.

These “veterinary” or “therapeutic” diets are to be fed under the recommendation and guidance of a
veterinarian because they help manage specific health needs and may not be suitable as general foods
for all pets. In fact, according to the FDA, dog and cat food diets labeled with therapeutic claims should
be “made available to the public only through licensed veterinarians or through retail or internet sales
to individuals purchasing the product under the direction of a veterinarian.” Veterinary guidance is
critical to ensure the correct diet is selected for the pet, to assess the effectiveness of the pet’s
treatment plan, and to address pet health changes they may experience over time.

Therapeutic diets often require years of research to develop appropriate formulations, clinical studies
and third-party research partnerships to assess their effectiveness, and publication of the studies in
peer-reviewed journals. They also may require additional process controls during their manufacture, or
may require the sourcing of unique ingredients.

At Nestlé Purina, the quality and safety of our products are our top priorities. We welcome rigorous
science and peer reviewed research that employs sound methodologies and validation for accurate and
reproducible data. Our diets are formulated to meet the needs of dogs and cats, and have been
scientifically supported and evaluated for safety for decades.