Why I Trust Our Vet

Early yesterday I noticed a response to a comment I made on a blog post about the differences between IBD and IBS. This response, while well-intentioned I’m sure, irked me a bit. So I was glad that my friend had already responded to it by the time I noticed it. And she did so in such a way that I didn’t have to add my own thoughts.

Still, that response from a stranger bothered me all afternoon. So I’ve decided to get it off my chest, per sé.

Why do some people feel the need to suggest to strangers that they should change a pet’s diet?  This person doesn’t know me, my hubby, or our dogs, from a hole in the wall.  She has no way of knowing what kind of relationship we have with our dogs’ veterinarian; nor his knowledge of pet nutrition. And this person is not even a veterinarian herself. So, whatever happened to the “I’m not a vet” disclaimer? 

First of all, our vet has been our vet for 16 years. He has treated all of our dogs – from Kissy, my poodle who was five years old when I first moved us down here from Long Island almost 23 years ago, to Ducky, who joined our family nearly four years ago.  Our vet has been there for us through Kissy’s final days and through our beloved Callie’s battle with cancer and everything before, during, and since those “events.”

Our vet is a good man. He’s honest, forthright, compassionate, and he truly cares about his patients. He sells the prescription diets at his hospital as a convenience for his clients whose pets need them, not as a way to make extra money. The profit he might make off the sale of a case – or bag – of these foods probably wouldn’t buy coffee and a pastry at Starbucks.

When Ducky was first suffering through her IBS issues, our vet gave me his personal mobile phone number in case something came up for which I needed advice. (I tried not to abuse the privilege since we do have an emergency animal clinic nearby staffed by wonderful, caring folks.)

And when Callie was so sick at the end from the lymphoma, our vet and his wife took time out of their busy Saturday to meet me at his hospital and hook her up to IV meds that got her feeling better for most of the rest of the weekend. 

I’m aware that not all vet schools have provided much pet nutrition education in the past. Aside from a very basic course in dog and cat nutrition, I don’t have any formal education in that area either. I mostly rely on my common sense and some research. And our vet. I have not always agreed with our vet’s suggestions about our dogs’ diets; however, I have always known that his suggestions are made in the dogs’ best interests. Over this past year, I have fully transitioned Shadow and Ducky to one of the diets our vet suggested. And both dogs have done well on them. Much better than on the premium foods that I’ve tried for them in the past. And raw diets are totally out of the question. I won’t even discuss them any more. The raw diets may be good for some dogs – and I don’t judge anyone who swears by them – but they aren’t for us or for our dogs. And our vet agrees with us. 

So, I’ll close by saying that even when our vet and I “agree to disagree” on certain things related to our dogs, in the long and short run I will follow his advice.

Okay, rant over.  #LettingItGo

#LoveOurVet

11 thoughts on “Why I Trust Our Vet”

  1. Peyton says:

    I am glad you have a vet that you can trust. I know that there are people (vets) who are more concerned about money, However, in my experience I have found most of them genuinely care about there patients.

    Liked by 1 person

  2. 2 Brown Dawgs says:

    Sometimes listening to advice with an open mind does offer an alternative to an issue. For example, Storm’s breeder shared with us that he adds digestive enzymes to his senior dog’s food when they reach the age of 10. He finds it helps with tummy issues. Now no vet will tell you that, but as a long time breeder he has a lot of older dogs in great condition so we listened and added some green tripe to Thunder’s diet and have seen an improvement. I usually listen to advice and then do what I think is right.

    Liked by 1 person

  3. Jen says:

    It’s one of my biggest pet peeves and a discussion I’ve had way too many times over the years. I remember one time responding to a person online with “Thanks for that recommendation without knowing my dog’s medical history. If I would of taken your advice it would of killed him.”

    Liked by 1 person

  4. Tails Around the Ranch says:

    I tend to agree that the majority of people say dumb things do so unwittingly and without malice. That said, I’m glad you bared your teeth and chest. Good for you! Ultimately we all (and by that, I mean in conjunction with our vets) have to decide what’s best for our fur-kids without benefit of rolling commentary from the uninitiated (and hopefully) and well-meant commentator. Kudos for the restraint. ღ

    Liked by 1 person

  5. Jodi Stone says:

    I think a lot of times people mean well, they just don’t have the social skills or finesse to state their case in such a way that it doesn’t offend someone.

    I think you should trust your vet, because if you can’t you need to find one you can. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  7. Jan K says:

    Everyone has an opinion and there are always going to be different ones. People need to learn to clarify with “this is my opinion” or “this is what worked for me, in case you’d like to try it”. You have to decide who to trust and listen to; and I’m glad you have a vet that you can trust!

    Liked by 1 person

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