Bravo! Pet Foods recently announced a voluntary recall due to Listeria, which can make dogs sick, but is a real threat to children, pregnant moms, seniors and those with compromised immune systems.
Natural, Raw=Good? (Photo:dailymail.uk.com)
A couple days later, I saw the following comment from a veterinarian on Facebook.
“Yet another reason not to feed raw diets.”
When kibble brands announce a recall, I don’t read similar condemnations from veterinarians.
I share this, because many people who feed a raw food diet or choose other alternate ways of raising their dogs reach a point when they have to come out to their vet and that’s when they learn if their vet has an open mind and will help them make better decisions or if they’ll be forced to keep things from their vet or find a new vet.
Our first veterinarian…
Our first veterinarian was a dick. Truly.
I ask questions. Lots of them. If you want to add a new vaccination to our dogs’ series, then I want to know why, the possible side effects, and I may take a couple of days to do my own research. I’m not a jerk about it, I just want to know, because if our dog has a reaction, it’s ultimately my fault, because I approved he vaccination.
He did not like his choices being questioned.
He definitely wasn’t a fan of the raw food diet and I thought he’d blow his lid when I dared ask if raw was a possible solution to our dog’s recurring rashes.
Our second veterinarian…
When I finally got tired of the tension that would ratchet up in the exam room with every question asked, I switched to a different vet. It took me 6 months to bring up their diet and when I did our vet sighed and said….”You have to be careful with that type of diet.”
I steeled myself for the lecture I knew was coming, warning us of the dangers of raw feeding, salmonella, e-coli and so on. Color me surprised when our vet followed up her statement with “well, let’s do an exam and see how they’re doing.” And then proclaimed each of our dogs healthy and proceeded to give us tips.
I now feel very comfortable talking to our vet about all manner of dog health. I’ve declined non-core vaccinations and I’ve learned a lot (some of which have landed in a blog post) about our dogs.
We have a holistic vet too; yeah, a little obsessive on my part. Our holistic vet serves as someone who can recommend alternative care when health issues arise (laser treatment versus surgery for Sydney’s partial cruciate tear) and she has decades of experience in raw feeding. But we still plan to visit our traditional vet annually for an exam.
No matter what you feed your dog, build a relationship with your vet where you feel comfortable asking any question. And if that’s impossible, find a vet where the dialogue you want to happen is impossible.
Author’s Bio: Kimberly Gauthier is the Fur Mom to 4 dogs and founder of Keep the Tail Wagging, an online magazine for dog lovers. By sharing her experience as a dog mom to 4 pups, Kimberly hopes to help others make better choices for their dogs too. When she’s not laughing with her boyfriend or playing with her dogs, she can be found writing, taking pictures, reading, or watching movies.