# Had to go to the vet. She STRONGLY recommended a premium kibble.



## Anitsisqua (Mar 25, 2012)

Had to take Gable to the vet yesterday for a skin problem. My normal vet isn't open on Saturdays, so I took him to the vet clinic where my mother used to take her dog.

Turns has a skin infection. I was just so incredibly relieved that it wasn't demodectic mange... She gave me a shampoo and some meds for the infection. 

Anyway, during our visit, the vet asks what Gabe eats. I was dreading this question because I knew where it was going. 

When I told the vet that Gabe is raw fed. She started lecturing me about raw feeding and how dangerous it is. I told her that I was aware of the opinions most vets have about raw feeding. 

...She proceeded to tell me that if I cared about his health, and if I wanted things like this (skin infection) to stop happening, I would immediately put him on a premium food like Science Diet, which I could buy at the front desk. She said she'd check his progress on the new food at a follow-up appointment in two weeks.

I am absolutely amazed that she expects me to show up for a follow-up after that. Do vets usually get away with being so rude?


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

Tell me you neither bought the food nor made a follow up appt.


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## Anitsisqua (Mar 25, 2012)

jocoyn said:


> Tell me you neither bought the food nor made a follow up appt.


I did neither. I'll make an appointment with my regular vet for a follow-up on the skin infection. She doesn't like raw feeding, but she agreed to not lecture on the condition that I supplement his diet with vitamins, which I do. 

...And IF I was ever going to put Gabe on a kibble, it would sure as heck not be Science Diet. I can't believe she thought she could bully me into buying it!

Oh, and I just looked at my receipt/summary again, and Science Diet isn't a premium kibble, it's a "Super Premium Complete Puppy Food".


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## Betty (Aug 11, 2002)

In fairness to vets I think you have to remember that a lot of their appointments every week are because dogs ate something they should not of. Cooked bone, mom cleaned out the frig and gave them bad food. A lot of people that attempt to feed raw, may not of done the research and to the vet a raw diet may conjure up visions of just scraps.


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## Anitsisqua (Mar 25, 2012)

My problem was not so much that she didn't like me feeding raw (My own vet isn't a proponent), but that she was so rude and pushy. She admitted herself that his skin infection isn't related to his diet, so she had no right to insinuate that it was or to try and bully me into buying a food that she sells.


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## Nigel (Jul 10, 2012)

Do you know what may have caused the infection?


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## Gharrissc (May 19, 2012)

Just have a thanks,but no thanks attitude.That's why I don't even mention a raw diet unless my vet asks what I feed. He's just happy that my animals are in good shape and simply says whatever you're doing,keep it up. When is your regular vet going to be back in?


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

I would find an establishment that supported raw feeding.


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## guatemama07 (Nov 28, 2011)

I think I would have been tempted to ask "What is it with you vets and Science Diet? What kind of kickbacks do you get?" (of course I am a natural smart-a$$) 

I had a vet recommend Science Diet to me when I still thought a vet was someone to ask about what to feed your dog. When I got home and researched what was in it, I was really annoyed. It was junk!


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## Elektra2167 (Jun 18, 2012)

I can't feed raw, but the people I know who do, know more about their dogs nutrition than their vet, simply because they care enough to spend the time and research a proper diet. And if their dogs are healthy and look good, then the vets shouldn't be condemning something they haven't put the time into to research.
And yes, many vets are that rude. I have left several.


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## GatorBytes (Jul 16, 2012)

I went to a conventional Vet last year for blood work (why my holistic vet wouldn't do, I don't know), however, I went in to interview him first and advised what I was looking for and also told him at the time that my dog is raw fed. When I brought my dog in next day, he remarked the shape he was in and said I was doing a good job. Although he doesn't advocate raw, He has other GSD clients that were possible or confirmed pancreatic problems and admitted the ones who were raw fed were doing quite well. He even said one man/client provided his contact info to advise (for free) for any clients interested that wanted to switch to RAW, they could call and he would guide them to the switch. At least he was open about it...well, new clinic too.


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## Anitsisqua (Mar 25, 2012)

I asked around about vets that are okay with raw feeding, but no one I've talked to knows of any. The closest I've come is the one I'm using right now. She doesn't like that I'm raw feeding, but doesn't bother me about it.


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

oh brother---- Science Diet ?? 
Maybe someone can provide the web site where ALL commercial kibbles are rated . Science Diet rates on the low side . I would not feed this to my dogs .


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

Maybe the vet should eat Science Diet...


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

thank god I have vets who are open minded about feeding, don't push their dog food on you, in fact they don't recommend science diet, they recommend california natural.

It would peeve me to no end if a vet said that to me, again, thank goodness I have vets who are open minded about everything..


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Here's my issue with vets giving nutritional advise when that is not their specialty....I have never, ever, ever gone to a doctor and gotten specific advice on what I should eat. When DD was in the hospital, they sent a nutritionist in. When I was pregnant and had gestational diabetes, I was sent to a nutritionist. Vets, unless they have made an effort to go above and beyond their basic education, do not know anymore about foods than regular physicians do...the difference is...the physicians know enough to send you to someone who has made that their knowledge base.


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## Dooney's Mom (May 10, 2011)

carmspack said:


> oh brother---- Science Diet ??
> Maybe someone can provide the web site where ALL commercial kibbles are rated . Science Diet rates on the low side . I would not feed this to my dogs .


 
www.dogfoodadvisor.com


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

guatemama07 said:


> I think I would have been tempted to ask "What is it with you vets and Science Diet? What kind of kickbacks do you get?" (of course I am a natural smart-a$$)


It's no joke--vets get a lot of perks from selling Science Diet. While the food itself doesn't generate a ton of profit for the vet, Science Diet does a lot of sponsorships, and helps bring clients in the door.

Vet schools do NOT teach very much about canine/feline nutrition, and what they do teach is sponsored by the pet food companies. Studies on pet nutrition are also paid for by pet food companies.

Vets are not nutritionists, and the information they do receive is hugely biased toward commercial pet food.

I'm not one to say that all pet food companies are evil conspiracies, but they care more about profit than nutrition. That's a simple fact of life, because they have a business to run, and providing the best nutrition available would be cost-prohibitive. They provide reasonable nutrition at a price consumers are willing to pay, and they do that by using fillers like grain. I'm not saying that grain is evil, either; some dogs do just fine on it, including mine. I feed a combination of raw and kibble, but found that my older girl can't keep good weight on raw, so she eats mostly kibble. Kirkland/Diamond kibble, at that. Gasp.


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

thanks Dooneymom , that's the one.
Okay so I am going to provide a site of a store in Pittsburgh that is very selective on what they carry. I am proud that I am included in their product line and that the reports are so glowing . See some foods that they recommend including kibble Carna4 What we carry

I do feed raw , have done so for close to 30 years . No danger . Not to the dogs who thrive and live to ancient ages 14 , years and then some , in untroubled health , with few , if any outside of rabies and xrays, visits to the vet - of course if necessary I would go without hesitation . 
There are some things vets still need to learn and which they will use to alarm the pet owner.

One example --- a raw fed dog will have a higher BUN , liver enzyme reading.
The problem is that the norm which they use as correct is from kibble fed dogs statistics -- but being a mean average does not make "normal".
Some vets will do a test post vaccination - once again the liver enzyme reading will be off . A dog that is dehydrated, over heated and dehydrated will have a read out that is different -- . Rule by making someone fearful .


.


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## GatorBytes (Jul 16, 2012)

Does anyone else see the irony of a "Voluntary Recall" by Diamond for a nominal (supposed) report of salmonila - did anyone ever even get sick? After all the fear/recall was human contamination from handling

Then on the cusp of this AVMA pulls their RAW recommendation? for what? Human illness from handling...

Hmmm


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Freestep said:


> Vet schools do NOT teach very much about canine/feline nutrition, and what they do teach is sponsored by the pet food companies. Studies on pet nutrition are also paid for by pet food companies.
> 
> Vets are not nutritionists, and the information they do receive is hugely biased toward commercial pet food.


The chiropractic vet that Jax goes to graduated from Cornell. Does some consults there still.

He told me "the downfall to being a vet in this age is we no very little about nutrition"

That from a guy that was top of his class.


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## JimX (Aug 9, 2012)

If the person you saw is telling you that science diet is premium grade kibble, you really need to stop bringing your dog in to be cured by that voodoo doctor


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## paulag1955 (Jun 29, 2010)

The second e-vet who saw Thor for the HOD recommended Science Diet, too, and he strongly advocated for it, but he did back off when I told him we were already feeding a LBP kibble. As I told my husband, if I was going to make a change to Thor's food, it sure as heck wouldn't be to Science Diet.


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## GSDolch (May 15, 2006)

JimX said:


> If the person you saw is telling you that science diet is premium grade kibble, you really need to stop bringing your dog in to be cured by that voodoo doctor



A Voodoo "doctor" wouldn't recommend science diet :rofl:


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