# Me vs. Old Vet-RAW story



## aubie (Dec 22, 2008)

I went home this weekend and was talking to my mom about what Rebel, her 7mo sheltie pup likes and doesn't like. I notice all these little pork hide twist things all over the house. I asked her if she was still feeding Rebel the pork necks I had told her about. 

She was like "No, I told Dr. X that I was giving him those and he said he wouldn't suggest it. He asked if I would want to eat raw pork, and I said no, and he said neither would he, so why would you feed that to your dog."

This infuriated me. I used to work with Dr. X. We've butted heads on a few matters before (Duncan's heartworm treatment for one) and I told her this was wrong...dogs are MEANT to eat raw meat. When I told her Anna got raw chicken, turkey necks, organs and eggs as part of her diet she was like "Eww. Well, he didn't think it was a good idea".

I dropped it. Lord forbid I bring up the tripe they've been eating. And how the heck those processed pork twist things are supposed to be better I have no dang clue.

I discussed the conversation with DH and he was like "well, vets don't know much about nutrition anyway, they only learn what food reps tell them. I can vouch for how much better Dunc's been since we've added raw to his diet, and Anna looks great. Dr. X is wrong."

I think DH has been reading the boards behind my back!


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## LuvWorkingGSDs (Aug 24, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: aubie"...He asked if I would want to eat raw pork, and I said no, and he said neither would he, so why would you feed that to your dog."


Good grief. How is it that this man made it through vet school with reasoning like that?







So I assume he gnaws on processed pork twists in his spare time?











> Originally Posted By: aubieI discussed the conversation with DH and he was like "well, vets don't know much about nutrition anyway, they only learn what food reps tell them. I can vouch for how much better Dunc's been since we've added raw to his diet, and Anna looks great. Dr. X is wrong."


It sounds like your dogs are doing fabulous and it's good to hear that your DH agrees. Guess that's all that really matters in the end.


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## emsoskar (Oct 17, 2008)

That's ridiculous! So, if the Vet is using that standard to measure what should be fed to a dog...then I assume he is totally AGAINST feeding kibble, as I'm sure HE isn't eating that!!









Although, when I was little I used to sneak behind the sofa and eat our dog's food!


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## aubie (Dec 22, 2008)

I know...it just pisses me off. My mom's last dog, a cocker, was fed nothing but snausages and processed nastiness--it was HUGE. I tried to get her to try something different with Rebel and she did the pork neck bones and said he loved them...then here comes Dr. X being a butthole. 

But he did tell ther the (processed) chicken jerky was fine to give, so she's doing that...and the dehydrated yam treats







. They're crap, but it's better than the oily snausages, and she's not feeding as much crap as she did to her cocker.

I think it made him madder when she told him that "I" suggested the raw...if they weren't closed I would have drove up there and asked him what the **** was his reasoning? He's not even that old of a vet, he graduated vet school in the late 80s early 90s, but he has a lot of old school thinking, one of the reasons he and I had our spiffs. He's a great, caring, animal loving vet,but set in his thinking.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I bet he has a huge bowl of Science Diet BM for breakfast every day.


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## aubie (Dec 22, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: selzerI bet he has a huge bowl of Science Diet BM for breakfast every day.


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## DrDoom (Nov 7, 2007)

Man, I can't even begin to tell you how much I enjoy my daily bowel of Hill's Science Diet. It IS tasty.

Frakkin' vets and their frakkin' support of the dog food industry.
I LOATHE the thought of even telling my vet. We went to high school together, and she's one of those people who thinks because she's seen you at your worst, you aren't nearly as capable of making a decision regarding your dog as she is. And no, I never made a "mistake" with her, lol.


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## Brightelf (Sep 5, 2001)

For each vet horror story of the freak-out about raw.....

I had 2 female vets in my last town that I lived in-- both were ECSTATIC when I said I was switching Grimm to raw. "You mean it?? Really?? When? When are you going to switch him? We can't EVER get clients to try raw feeing, no matter how bad the allergies are!" (they finally did get a Westie owner to switch)

My vet in USA was such a fan of raw, that she kept raw food in her clinic's freezer in case any boarding dogs were raw fed.

The vet I just took Grimm to was happy to hear that Grimm was on raw, because it is food that is better for many dogs, he said.

All these vets sold Hill's or Eukanuba or something. They all, however, LOVED hearing Grimm was on raw!

Keep looking if your vet is uneasy with raw. If you need to explain raw, bring in hand-outs. Bring in veterinarian Dr. Vet. Med. Ian Billinghursts's book, "Give You Dog a Bone." Explain that you dogs is eating an all-natural, species-appropriate diet.

Sure, prepare for freak-out, but maybe, just maybe, your own vet will be open to this. Who knows? If not, if you can, shop around for a raw-friendly vet. If not, keep doing what is keeping your dog healthy.


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## Minnieski (Jan 27, 2009)

I think that the reason vets don't like raw feeding is because a lot of people don't understand the nutritional needs of their pets and do not give their pets the balance they need. High quality kibble is formulated with the right balance of vitamins and minerals that dogs need, while raw feeding takes more research to get right. I'm not against raw feeding, I just think that not everyone understands how to provide balanced meals for their pet.


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## Castlemaid (Jun 29, 2006)

> Originally Posted By: MinnieskiI think that the reason vets don't like raw feeding is because a lot of people don't understand the nutritional needs of their pets and do not give their pets the balance they need. High quality kibble is formulated with the right balance of vitamins and minerals that dogs need, while raw feeding takes more research to get right. I'm not against raw feeding, I just think that not everyone understands how to provide balanced meals for their pet.


I think you are right, but I don't think it takes much more to get it right, just a little bit more: it is pretty simple overall. I think one reason that vets are against raw, is that from what I understand after reading "Give Your Dog a Bone", was that people were feeding ONE thing and only ONE thing for like, a very long time. For example, dog has horrendous allergies. Owner starts feeding raw chicken (meat only, no bones) to their dog. Allergies clear up, dog is doing fantastic. Dog gets NOTHING but chicken for like a year or so (hey, its working, dog is doing great!), but over that period of time, other deficiencies start to crop up, as that is not a balanced diet.

So before there was a lot of good information available about feeding raw the right way, vets probably saw or heard of many dogs on raw that had nutrional deficiencies. 

But raw isn't that complicated, some meat, some bone, some fish, some organ meats, some variety, and you're set!


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## Barb E (Jun 6, 2004)

That's the nice thing about my vet(s), though not a pusher of raw they simply said they couldn't argue with Dante's health and reminded me to keep it balanced.









Of course Dante is only partial raw, but I have no doubt their reaction would be the same no matter what.


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## aubie (Dec 22, 2008)

My vet (who graduated in 2001) asked us what we were feeding, I said BBuff and different things like eggs, yogurt, tripe, chicken quarters, pork, turkey necks, etc.

He said they look great and to keep it up. Maybe I should get him on tape and annoymously drop it off at my mom's vet...


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## CookieTN (Sep 14, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: LuvWorkingGSDs
> 
> 
> > Originally Posted By: aubie"...He asked if I would want to eat raw pork, and I said no, and he said neither would he, so why would you feed that to your dog."
> ...


















I agree. Who could think that vets are nutrition experts with logic like that?


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