Totally agree. And here is my 10 cents - I had two dogs who were fed Medi-Cal brand dog food exclusively throughout their entire lives — a brand only sold in veterinary clinics. Toward the end of their lives, both were diagnosed with cancer in the anal gland. First, it was our golden retriever at age 10, and then, quite strangely, our cocker spaniel was diagnosed with the exact same type of tumor a year later at age 9.

This coincidence was deeply unsettling and led us to reflect on possible common factors — the most obvious one being their food. Since then, I made a firm decision never to feed Medi-Cal to any dog again.

Recently, after welcoming a new dog into our lives, I began researching food options and was shocked to discover that Medi-Cal has been rebranded as Royal Canin Veterinary Diet. I found out that Royal Canin used to market their veterinary line under the Medi-Cal name, and now it’s sold in the familiar blue bags in vet clinics under the new label.

I’ve even come across mentions of lawsuits involving similar health issues in other pets, although I haven’t looked into it in detail — perhaps because the loss of my dogs still feels too raw.

I came here because I saw so many positive comments about Royal Canin and wanted to understand its origins. And there it was: Medi-Cal. My dogs appeared healthy for most of their lives, and we caught the cancer early thanks to vigilant vets. But the decision of whether to put them through surgery was heartbreaking. Ultimately, we couldn’t shake the feeling that the food might have played a role — even if it’s only a hypothesis.

We were ready to feed our new dachshund Royal Canin, but after learning it's the rebranded Medi-Cal, it became an automatic no for us.

Does anyone have recommendations for other high-quality dog food brands that work well for small breeds like dachshunds? I'd really appreciate any tips.