There was a request to continue a sub-thread in its own title:

 Quote: cheri grissom

I have followed Cody's story with interest. Now that you are talking about changing vets, I would like to add something based on my own experience.

Long story short, I took one of my dogs to a well-known and highly recommended holistic vet due to chronic diarrhea and skin conditions. My long-time regular vet was stumped. The holistic vet:

(1) Did the (very expensive) blood allergy testing, which I have since learned is not considered useful by most vets, holistic or not.

(2) Told me that supplemental calcium is absolutely not needed by any adult dog, except lactating bitches, even in boneless diets. When I mentioned sources that said otherwise, he told me they were flat-out wrong.

(3) "Prescribed" hundreds of dollars worth of an expensive human brand of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and herbal supplements. At one point, I was giving my dog 11 pills in the morning and 12 at night.

So my caveat is: "Holistic" doesn't necessarily translate into "knowledgeable." In searching for a new vet, interview them, ask detailed questions, and if something doesn't sit right with your common sense, keep looking. Good luck, Sharon.

 Quote: Joyce Salazar

Wow, now that advice was certainly some really bad advice, make that dangerously bad advice.

The bottom line is you have to educate yourself from the get go.
Just think if you were an owner of new dog and feeding raw, and you were told that you didn't need any added calcium in a boneless diet?

I still have the same traditional vet we've seen for years along the holistic vet we found when we needed some different help. The traditional vet has a saying I like. "Why do you think they call it practicing medicine"?

I have an exceptional vet who would qualify as a traditional vet. He's a 2nd generation vet who owns his practice and the big sell for me was he felt comfortable enough to say "I don't know but I know who we can ask." He's a bit of a drive for me (about an hour) but worth it.

I also lucked out with a traditional vet. He's conservative with treatments but openminded in the areas of nutrition and vaccines.

You have to love a vet who says : "We can do this testing for a ton of money, but I don't think she needs it. Give her some rest"

I was the one who asked Connie to start this new topic so as not to hijack Sharon and Cody's thread. Thanks, Connie! I've been a member of this board for around six months now and have wanted to share these particular experiences for some time, but the truth is I was a little embarrassed to admit being so naive.

Anyway, it's late where I am and I'm not thinking clearly, so I'll post more tomorrow. I guess what I'm hoping to discuss in this thread is how people select their vets, what do they look for in choosing a new vet if necessary, and how do you handle it when you get a ton of conflicting advice from seemingly authoritative sources?

I vet hop- depending on what my need is. Even if I'm working for a vet, and like the medicine they practice, I may still take my pet somewhere else. Holistic or traditional, ever Dr. has strengths and weaknesses. It's hard, but you CAN find a traditional vet who approves, and even encourages minimal vaccination, and raw feeding.

Melissa says: He felt comfortable enough to say "I don't know but I know who we can ask." " How PERFECT!!! Wow!!

Lauren: You have to love a vet who says : "We can do this testing for a ton of money, but I don't think she needs it. Give her some rest" Equally awesome.

I really appreciate a vet who is super upfront. My previous dogs last few vet visits are a great example. He had a history of sever allergies, terrible hips, and screwy knees. He was just 'off' for awhile, and I went to 4 different vets who had NO idea what was wrong, but wanted to go ahead with full body X-rays, Ultrasounds, and thousands of dollars worth or diagnostics on a 13yr old 100lb Shep/Rott. I got fed up, and took him to see a vet I had worked for in the past. She did a thorough physical exam, and after just a second of feeling his abdomen she told me she was 90% positive he had a large tumor on his liver. She then laid out diagnostic and treatment options. Ultimately, he was a old dog, so her suggestion was to keep him comfortable and happy in whatever ways possible, and help him along before he was no longer enjoying life. THAT is what I feel more vets need to lay out for owners.

HOW DO WE KNOW WHATS WRONG: I could do an ultrasound, and a biopsy to confirm it's in/on the liver, and confirm it's cancer."
HOW WILL KNOWING IF IT'S CANCER CHANGE TREATMENT: It wont. Benign, or Malignant, it will kill him eventually, or take away his quality of life.
TREATMENT OPTIONS: Surgery. Chemo. Radiation. (consider & discuss all the side effects of these treatment) May extend his life up to a year. Doing nothing but meds to keep him happy, may also keep him around another year. Different combos of treatment options and meds. Last, euth him today, to save any suffering at all.

She laid it out. Simple, upfront, compassionate. All why sitting on the floor, petting my dog. I didn't get special treatment as a prior employee. She knew her stuff, and gave options some vets may not have thought about. (nothing invasive. Minimalist treatment/management option)

The dog was old, had a happy and full life. I could not have asked for anything more out of a vet then the support and guidance I got that day. She would have done any of the diagnostics/treatment options she gave me, but she also gave her personal opinion.

(Kramer lived another 6 months before having a grand mal seizure. We helped him go later that day, at the ripe old age of 14)



I love a vet who will get down on the floor with my dog, and sit and talk for a minute while giving the pet time to get comfortable. For some animals, this can make all the difference in the vet being a happy/ok place, to the vet being a terrible, scary place.

I agree, my old vet had great staff and they would spend at least 5-10 minutes with my dogs before the doctor even came in. When Dr. V came in he talked with my dogs, tried to offer them treats, (Bindi refuses treats from him, but then wants them when we are in the car going home) and spent lots of time, moving slowly, talking gently. I miss that guy, I always felt we were a team trying to find what was going on, or doing our best for each dog.

My new vet (regular vet not specialists) spent lots of time with Cody and was very friendly with me, but Cody does not like him. The processed food thing seems to be a big issue with him and so that is a real draw back.

I am looking for a new holistic vet but so far no luck.
Sharon

I have two vets that I use. One we have gone to for years. They are local and I trust them to handle bigger emergencies or surgeries, as they have a state of the art clinic. The second is a vet that uses many holistic approaches, but is further away and has a very simple clinic.

Now, the holistic vet was great at helping me with Grace and her EPI and ongoing eye issues; however, she recommended all sorts of stuff for her vaginal fold issues (some of which included anesthetic, which I avoid at all costs). The more traditional vet took her in the back, cleaned her up, and gave some cream to use. Once that was gone, they recommended keep her on the thin side and use diaper rash cream...which works like a charm (unless no one remembers to do it).

Having more than one option is good.

My vet also has a very simple clinic. I would completely trust him for minor surgeries, checkups and other simple stuff. But its nice to know that I also have the option of Angell, which is one of the best animal hospitals in the country if we ever run into anything major. We also have Tufts here.

If ihad to find a new vet I would probably just ask around, and then take the dog in for a physical. If I sensed any sales games going on that would be the deal breaker for me.