# Could use some advice on vet selection



## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

After a vet I liked at the local AAHA practice left, I started looking because I kept getting pressure to neuter, pressure to give lepto shots, yadyadayada

I have been taking Grim to a holistic about 45 minutes away but she is really not what I want and seems a little disconnected. Yesterday she told me she would neither send samples to Dr Dodds or collect a sample for me to send because she uses a local lab.......but her lab charged me twice as much to do a lot fewer tests than Hemopet.

I just don't know what to do to find a vet I am happy with without driving several hours...........this is a wasteland (Greenville SC) for holistic veterinary medicine (there is one about 1 hour away though in NC)


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## Kyleigh (Oct 16, 2012)

Does your current holistic vet have an assistant? I ask because my holistic vet is almost impossible to reach, but his assistant is AWESOME! She has a directory of all kinds of information that she can provide us without having to talk to him. 

Perhaps there are "holistic contacts" that you could connect with who could provide you a name of another vet?

Good luck!


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## DJEtzel (Feb 11, 2010)

It's hard. I've been through 3 or 4 vets in this area and finally "settled" on one. Not what I wanted (this is a multi-vet practice with a high turnover and not a lot in the way of knowledge), but they let me handle my own dog, listen to me when I tell them no or I'm doing it this way (and don't judge), and I don't have to drive 2 hours for them. "My" vet that we raised Frag at is about a 1.5 hour drive, and if something serious came up with one of the dogs, they'd go there for diagnosing and any surgery or treatment, for sure. 

Sometimes, it's easier to settle for one nearest to you for things like rabies and HW tests because it's common sense stuff, and go somewhere further and better for real issues.


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

It is very frustrating. Right now I just emailed hemopet to see if there are ANY vets in my area (or even people) who send in samples.......in the meanwhile I am going to see what constraints AAHA puts on its vets for accrediting a facility.........as there is a new vet at the current office who is younger.


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## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

AAHA doesn't mean quality, in my mind. I am going to see if I can find a tinfoil hat article I read about their certification. My vet office is affiliated with a state org, but is not AAHA, another office nearby is, and I wouldn't take an animal there unless I had to. Just checked - that office is also no longer certified. Oops accredited.


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## DJEtzel (Feb 11, 2010)

jocoyn said:


> It is very frustrating. Right now I just emailed hemopet to see if there are ANY vets in my area (or even people) who send in samples.......in the meanwhile I am going to see what constraints AAHA puts on its vets for accrediting a facility.........as there is a new vet at the current office who is younger.


You could call different vet's offices to see if they'll just draw the blood for you. 

I have my vet draw Frag's blood and send it to hemopet myself. 

Something to think about, it's cheaper too.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

I think our vet would...we have a number of vets we use for the rescue but the only one I really trust works not far from here, and they do procedures right in the room with you, unless they're going to be a while and they take the dog into the other part of the offices, and often at that point it's a number of things to do such as blood draws, x-rays and other lab work.

That vet trusts us with our treating fosters and our own dogs at home - in fact before my Copper dog passed away, he was let go home on an IV and pain patch (pancreatitis) because they trusted us with him to monitor that stuff; same with our Dachshund who ingested ibuprofen and almost died, we had him home with us as they felt it was safer for him on an IV pump at our home rather than the clinic where nobody is at night.

Anyway - that kind of working relationship is very important to me, so we can save the $$ for big procedures, not small issues we can manage at home rather than hospitalize. 

These vets at that clinic both will get right down on the flood with larger dogs who are too big to get on the exam table. You just know they have the dog's best interest at heart...


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## GatorBytes (Jul 16, 2012)

Is it possible to contact Hemopet for a suggestion? Even a conventional one who is willing to use a lab of your choice and what you are comfortable with. I would think a holistic vet would want to accomodate you considering the motto of holistic is about balance in all - mind, body, spirit and that would include a happy satisfied dog owner who feels good about a trip to the vet and not one causing anxiety, considering the effect our emotions can have on our dog. 

My exp. with G's first holistic vet ended because I questioned too much and felt other things that were imparative were overlooked...She told me that if I wasn't happy w/her line of treatment...I wasn't, considering she ignored a significant issue w/his digestive tract (possible Giardia, SIBO, Broccoli), torn knee (opted to call his sudden lameness HD), and continued to state that lyme was the culprit, even though he tested negative (which she wouldn't do the test)...he was in horrible pain, I had to insist on tramadol...she wouldn't even entertain L-Glutamine for his GI tract and didn't offer a solution...I even had her reveiw his food and all she said was "fine"...it wasn't, he was waisting, couldn't walk, was cramped up and was having yellow and black poop.

30 + yrs. A "pioneer" in the holistic vet world...I feel she treated my dog for lyme as it is her "theory" that lyme is the root cause of a lot of illness. She didn't treat my dog as a whole. She didn't help me understand what was wrong and she didn't provide the necessary diagnostics he needed...but most of all she didn't listen to my concerns...she just kept piling one herb on top of another...he started having nose bleeds...instead of looking at all the blood thining suppliments he was on and have stopped them...she added another herb...that was the last straw...

So I understand about disconnect...at least in my case, questions were addressed with a stare....or a "no dear", but not elaborated on...we would be interupted and never get back...I always felt as uninformed leaving as I did going in except w/more fear then before.


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## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

> Only 15 percent of all small animal veterinary practices in the U.S. have
> 
> 
> 
> ...


15% is not a lot.


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

I am really going to chat with my teammate today on the one she uses the hour away from me. She had a friend who went to my current (closer) holistic vet but did not answer me when I asked what she thought about her............maybe my friend can ask her friend...........

That clinic does support a raw diet (current holistic vet wants cooked homemade) either way right now I am feeding kibble (and probably will for some time to come) but it is a good sign they do.


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