Opinions on your vet

[Sophie45]

When I was responding to Greekblue's questions regarding supplements and the slightly controversial use of joint supplements, I started thinking about the vet's we bring our dogs to. I personally have found my vet somewhat dismissive sometimes to my concerns. For example, when I had concerns regarding giving my dog ivermectin (one of the heartworm meds) because ivermectin IS a poison, since it kills parasites, my vet basically said 'the benefits far outweigh the risks'. I didn't feel that she really addressed my fundamental concerns. When I asked about overvaccination, she was pretty dismissive about that, too.
When Sophie was attacked, I did a lot of homeopathic remedies that are purported to expedite the healing process. When Sophie's ribs (that were not just broken, they were CRUSHED from the 100 lb dog pummeling her on her side) knitted in about a month (the emergency vets said AT LEAST 8-12 wks) I talked about all the remedies that I did with Sophie. My vet appeared only mildly interested. I thought this was slightly miraculous-going from the night the injury occured hearing from the vet that my 13 wk old puppy would probably die due to her massive injuries to being fully healed in a month-but did not get much response. At that point, I had been a first time dog owner for 3 WEEKS, and am a social worker-no background in science or vet medicine-and fully believe my research and remedies helped my dog heal faster.
I have done intensive research on dog health and nutrition, and have read a lot of arguments that most veterinary schools provide very little formal education on dog nutrition (especially any alternative to regular grocery store kibble) and many commercial dog food companies give 'donations' to vet schools, which I would believe influences the education. I have also read that vaccines are very lucrative to vets, so that's why they push them. I have called almost every single vet in my county, and found only one (located 45 mins away from me, of course!) that supports titers, which I believe is less lucrative.
Most vets I have had experiences with sell Science Diet in their office, which is complete junk, IMO. I brought Sophie to the vets the day after I got her as a pup, and she recommended Purina or SD! I was appalled, and knew much less then than I do now, and STILL knew better.

So why haven't I switched vets? I have called many others, and they all have similar philosophies, and all seem terrified of 'looking and thinking outside the box' of conventional vet medicine, which might be debunked at this point, or at least concerns raised. I feel pretty resigned to doing my own research and decisions regarding anything slightly outside the norm.

What are your experiences? Do your vets suggest 'alternative therapies' or supplements, even as simple as apple cider vinegar or adding yogurt to their diets? Suggest raw or home cooked diets? Do they offer any HIGH QUALITY dog foods at their office (not SD!)? Ever suggest titers? Here is an interesting website:

TITER TEST

[Swiftwind]

I feel sorry for you and Sophie, your vet sounds like she'd be really frustrating to have. We've found a great vet for Harley and Abby. We actually took Abby to the vet a couple of weeks ago, and our regular vet wasn't there (I think he was on holidays, as it was just after Christmas), but this new vet seemed to know what he was doing. He was talking about getting Abby to lose a bit of weight, due to her recently diagnosed heart murmur. He said never buy any commercial dog foods, avoid anything sold at the regular supermarket, and told us that he highly recommends feeding our dogs home-cooked meals. He gave a few suggestions about what to feed them.

It's really frustrating when a vet can be so close-minded. They think that what they've learnt at uni/college is what they should stick too, and anything other is incorrect, or not as good. I can't believe she wouldn't listen to your ideas and thoughts.

[Rivsky]

I do feel sorry for people who struggle to find vets that they feel comfortable with and who try and push their own agendas onto people.

My vets (there are 2 at the same surgery River has seen since he was a puppy) are really pretty good. They have a no consultation fee where if they don't prescribe or diagnose a condition the entire consultation is free. They do this to make sure people come in before symptoms and problems get too bad and they've never once come up with something just so they can charge me the consult fee. They've never pushed their Advance or Science Diet products onto me - as far as I can tell they just stock them in their surgery and sure if I probably asked they'd recommend them to me but they have never tried to talk me into buying them and I've never fed them.

I did take River to a holistic vet to try and get some more indepth help with trying to find a way to help his anal gland problem and that was worth it in itself (though the cost was pretty high as he charged on time) as this vet knew all about raw feeding whereas my usual vets don't really seem to have that indepth knowledge. This particular vet vaccinates with nosodes and I haven't yet discussed with our regular vets their views on vaccinations. For my own reasons I've decided against the nosodes with River for the time being.

I do kinda feel sorry for vets these days though - we are living in such a litigious society that many of them are probably too scared to think outside what they've been taught and what has always worked - I really think it's a bit of a catch 22 with all the info avaliable on the internet and what they feel has been proven to work in the past.

[Beryl]

I don't think much of most health professionals -- human or animal. They are necessary at some time or the other, however.

I had a decent vet for my pom & GSD several years ago but that vet built a bigger facility and hiked his prices substantially to cover his bills. His kennel cost was raised from $11 to $30 in 3 months. Crazy! Granted, $11 was low but the hike was too much and too quickly. I'd been putting my dog there for 2-3 days at a time once/month for several years (business trips). I wasn't told about the hike and went on a 2 week holiday and returned to a bill almost 3X what I expected. I wasn't at all pleased.

I switched to a mediocre Banfield vet and after moving have another Banfield vet. This one seems to be OK. She was fine with raw feeding and gave me a website to do more research. She still wanted me to have a dental done on my dog who only has a little tartar on only two teeth -- the canines. I'm not sure I'd risk the anesthesia for 2 teeth. However, she informed me that my min pin's little cloud in his eye is a fatty deposit which is common to the breed. Last year, the other vet took us through some pointless treatment because she feared it was a scratched cornea.

I would prefer a holistic vet but I'm settling for what I have for now.

[rottielover]

I have to say I have a great vet.
With everything harley has gone through, she has stuck to my ideas, and researched everything I did to make sure it was appropriate.
As for vaccines. She is up for me doing the Titers, but she honestly told me she was not specialized how to read them. But I can find another vet to do that area.
For mild things like kennel cough, she prefers not to medicate with antibiotics , but to give the dog a small dose of a cough suppressant.
There are many reasons why I love my vet, but the main reason is she is open minded, and if she does not know something, she will research and get back to me.
For me that is a vet who really cares about the health of the animal and not the money lining her pocket.
She has also done a few things for me cheaper because of what I have been spending....

[SpringerLover]

I love my vet.

I have two actually, one for "normal" stuff and then I use my dogs breeder (further away) for anything out of the ordinary, because I really trust him.

Both listen to my ideas, my concerns, and address them. I don't particularly like one vet at the "normal" office, so I always request the same one.

[calgal]

If only everyone had a Vet. like mine. People come from LA just to bring their pets to him and that is 175 miles one way.
Anyway, he only believes in the first initial shots then only every three years and he does tell you about the titer test if you want to do that first. He has the calmest demeanor I've ever seen and makes you feel he has all the time in the world to talk to you and answer "in detail" all your questions. He believes in feeding real food or if you want, a premium kibble, and even gives out recipes for different ailments. It's no wonder he is called Dr. Doolittle by everyone. He's totally amazing with the animals. My dogs just love going to see him and when I have to leave, it's either drag them out or carry them. They just don't want to leave. He has boarding on the inside with 27-7 care for $15.00 a day.
He also does not do the guessing game and then give meds. He finds the problem first.
I've been to many, many vets. over the past 48 years, and he is by far the best I've ever had.
He will never do anything just to make more money. For example........I had a little foster Yorkie that a lady handed over to rescue so we could have him operated on for liver shunt. I took him to my Vet. and he said he was too far gone to live thru the operation so we gave him back to her. She was furious, and took him to her own Vet. who had her pay $6000.00 up front. The second he put the dog under, he died. He would not refund her money.
Finding a great Vet. can be frustrating, but they are out there. If your looking for one, then ask everyone you know about their own Vet. Make appointments with the ones you think may be good, for consultation as long as it's free. Have all your questions written down. If they don't answer them to your satisfaction, then scratch that one off but keep your notes on the Vet. for future reference.

[Sheltiemama]

I'm sorry that your vet is so closed minded. If I were you I'd find a holistic vet and start using him/her.

My vet is new to me and the dogs. I thought I'd have the same old negative song and dance about my home cooking and the supplements I feed my dogs. His office waiting room has a huge display of Science Diet dog and cat food. But surprisingly he was very open minded about what I was doing. We went through my menu and feeding technique as well as the supplements I give to them to keep their coats and skin healthy. He had no objection to anything that I was doing and actually commended me on taking the time and effort to feed my kids good wholesome food.

The more I learn about vets and their training the more I understand that they are taught to work within the paramaters of their training and anything "outside the box" is unproven and therefore not applicable. I don't happen to agree with that. Vets make their money on vaccinations and office visits so they are going to fight tooth and nail to keep the money coming in....

I happen to like my vet but if I don't feel my dog needs a vaccination I'll order a titer before I'll allow him to vaccinate. It's more expensive, yes but hey they are my kids and I want the best for them even if it does mean no shot!

[Sophie45]

thanks for all the input. Don't get me wrong-my vet is very friendly, good with Sophie, the staff is competent and friendly, and they are flexible and accomodating. But I just feel that she is VERY traditional, and I am somewhat untraditional. I know she truly cares about the animals, but maybe not about researching or suggesting other alternatives, such as titers, raw diets or even natural supplements, like adding yogurt, sea kelp, nutritional yeast or apple cider vinegar to their diets. My biggest complaint is that she endorses dog foods that are sub-par, which I feel is kind of ignorant since there are so many other dog foods that similarly priced and much better quality, and the additional cost is definitely worth the higher quality, IMO.

[dogs4life]

I go against the grain too, not just with my dogs but with my health and my daughters.

Here is my current view on medical professionals, they are only as good as their education, experience, and openness to learn and expand their own knowledge. Many medical professionals, including vets, are only good for their prescription pad and their ability to order tests. I have given up on expecting them to know what I need, in reality it's impossible for them to know everything about everything. So I only use medical professionals for what they specialize in...if I need nutrition advice, I ask a holistic vet or naturopath; if I need a broken bone set, I go to an emergency clinic or osteo doctor; if I need surgery, I go to a surgeon; if I'm stressed, I go to the bartender, no just kidding. I'm not saying it doesn't frustrate me, infact I wish I had someone I could trust with my "whole" dog, but I have not found someone yet.

I had a horrible time finding a vet who I could talk to openly about nutrition, which sounds like your main complaint. After being fed up with the vets who push kibble, I found a holistic vet I trusted, but like you I had to travel. She was 35-40 minutes away and I needed her help with Montana's cancer and her diet. We saw her a couple times in the office and then we consulted over the phone. It was great to have a concerned vet who knew my dog and her condition and was willing to help me work on her diet. I was so sad when she sold her practice...not sure why she left but she is now at a after hours e-vet hospital over and hour away now and not taking her old clients due to selling her practice and all. I miss her because I trusted her

[dogs4life]

I forgot to answer your questions, sorry...I will answer about the holistic vet we used to consult.

What are your experiences? - Pretty much covered that in previous message.

Do your vets suggest 'alternative therapies' or supplements, even as simple as apple cider vinegar or adding yogurt to their diets? Yes, she recommended lots of alternative therapies and had science to back it up. I really respected her.

Suggest raw or home cooked diets? - Yes and Yes, that is initially why I chose her. She fed her dog and cat raw food. She encouraged us to feed raw and she helped clients tailor their pet's diet for disease treatments.

Do they offer any HIGH QUALITY dog foods at their office (not SD!)? - She stocked grain-free kibbles, she distributed samples of Innova EVO to her kibble clients. She did have a couple prescription diets, allergy ones I believe.

Ever suggest titers? - Yes, she understood titers and the proper use of them and recommended titers over routine vaccination. I recommend it too, I come from a vet research background and see no reason to over-vaccinate, if you choose to vaccinate. I also believe in selective vaccination and she did too.

ETA- About your link, great info! I find the last paragraph very interesting. The titer tests we use today were mostly (some have been improved over the years) developed by vaccine companies and researchers to "test" the efficacy of the vaccine itself. If vets are reluctant to use titer data, it tells me 2 things...1 they know nearly nothing about vaccines and how they work AND 2 they are lazy. The literature is there, it's the original data from the vaccine trials.

[britishbandit]

Overall I am very pleased with my vet. And that's the reason I continue to go to him a half hour away, over choosing one of the 10 or so vets that are within short driving distance.
I've only ever used another vet once, and that was with Tysa because it was an emergency and it was on a Sunday. I had to go to an E-vet, this guy was TERRIBLE, and was terrified of Tysa right off of the bat. He also admitted he was very nervous around large breed dogs. That didn't help the situation any, Tysa could sense it. I was seriously stunned, and wondered why the heck a guy that was afraid of large breeds would ever become a vet. He tried to push me to have her put under anesthetic just to get a few stitches because he was worried she might bite him while it was getting done. I don't like to have my dogs put under anesthetic unless they really need to be, and I didn't feel that a few stitches was reason enough for it, so instead I pointed over to the muzzle hanging on the wall. Makes me wonder how many dogs do get put under for minor things with him though, cause he sure tries real hard to make his case on it being "necessary".

[g5us]

My Vet WAS very polite to Axe, but our last visit makes me wonder how knowledgeable she is.

Now obviously she probably knows a hell of alot more then me because she is a vet. I told her my dog wouldn't eat his food, her response was "oh". I said "but he likes wet food, can is there a brand of wet food that would provide the proper nutrients for him?" She says "Yeah, IAMS or Science Diet". I knew Axe had Kennel Cough, and I asked her to check him out. She really didn't make a good effort, like I caught it fairly early so he was hacking bad or anything, and she couldn't see that he had been sick. GRRRR I was almost disapointed, and I looked at my reciept 60$ for that, and 20$ for the meds, I should have just bought the meds.!!!!!!

I'm deffinately going vet searching.