In yesterday’s post I mentioned an article I had read in Reader’s Digest, 50 Things Your Vet Won’t Tell You.
While some of the comments were basic, common sense advice, the following revelations actually made me seriously wonder, how would you know these things unless you asked?
1) “A lot of veterinarians have told me matter-of-factly that they still don’t use painkillers for procedures that we know are painful. They think that dogs and cats don’t need it or that feeling pain after surgery is good because it keeps them from moving around too much. But research has shown that pets who are in less pain heal faster, sleep better, and don’t move around as much.”
Well you know how I reacted to this one as I actually questioned my vet about the procedure used for cleaning a pet’s teeth.
My dogs love going to our vet’s office, they are super excited to be there and are happy to see everyone, if one of my dogs was afraid to go, I think I’d wonder if my vet was telling me everything I needed to know about how comfortable my pet was during certain procedures.
2) “I’ll let you in on the secret of no-kill shelters: We had a contract with our local Humane Society that stated we’d euthanize the animals in their care that needed to be put down. One Sunday, they sent us 72 cats to put down. By the end, we were all emotionally devastated.”
Are they saying that the shelter presents themselves as no kill, because they aren’t the ones actually euthanizing the animals?
The shelter can SAY we’re NO KILL because we aren’t the ones doing the killing? Instead we’ll send the animals off to a local vet.
That is downright wrong, as well as misrepresenting themselves, I imagine a Humane Society that is no kill gets more financial support from donors than another one that might have a higher kill rate. I’d like to find out which Humane Society is doing this, and spill their dirty little secret.
3) “Your vet may not have gotten into vet school! Vets who can’t get into traditional U.S. veterinary programs due to bad grades and poor test scores often go to for-profit schools in the Caribbean, where, basically, if you can pay the tuition, you get in.”
Seriously? So any Joe off the street with money can get a veterinarian degree? I wonder what my vet will say in two weeks when I ask her where she went to school?
Pardon the interruption, I had to go to Expedia and book my trip to the Caribbean. Yes, very soon you shall be referring to me as Dr. Stone. I wonder if they offer online classes?
4) “No regulation says vets have to check certain lists before they euthanize an animal, and lots of vets still do convenience euthanasia for owners who prefer the easy way out. We see a lot of euthanasia in November and December, for example, just because people are getting ready for the holidays. I refuse to do it.”
This makes me sad. First that people feel their pets are disposable and secondly that a veterinarian would euthanize a healthy animal. I’m glad this vet does not practice in this manner.
There’s something fundamentally wrong with a society that thinks animals are disposable.
5) “Unfortunately, I’ve had to work in low-cost clinics, and many of them are cutting corners to make a profit. Some places give half doses of vaccines instead of full doses, which is totally illegal and ineffective.”
OMD, so I already HATE the over-vaccinating that takes place in this country, but can you imagine thinking your pet is protected from Rabies or Distemper and finding out they weren’t properly vaccinated?
6) “Home cooking for your pet is harder than you think. I once saw a dog who was fed a home-cooked diet of chicken breast and vegetables for a year, and his bones became so weak that his jaw broke. If you would like to cook for your pet, find a veterinary nutritionist who can help guide you, or check out balanceit.com.”
I would hope that anyone cooking at home for their pet, would do some research before proceeding, I felt bad that I waited to take Sampson to the vet for his ‘bruise’ I can only imagine the guilt associated with feeding your dog something which made their bones so weak they broke!
7) “You can go to an online pharmacy and get the same exact drugs you would get from your vet for 10 to 20 percent off. But check first to make sure it’s certified as a Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Site (VIPPS certified). Some vets will also match online prices—you just have to know to ask.”
8) “A lot of pet medications are available at human pharmacies for lower prices than we charge. Walgreens even has a list of veterinary medicines for $4 per one-month dose. These are medicines that you would pay $20 or $30 for at your vet.”
The above two should be kept in mind. Hello, my dog’s on the human drug Meloxicam!
9) “If the plaque sprays and dental water additives actually worked, none of us would be telling you to brush your pet’s teeth.”
Personally I haven’t used either of these products, heck I’m so bad I don’t even brush their teeth (hey, I just got my dental kit from My Brown Newfies.) But I do know people who swear by them, so this really makes me wonder, do these work, or is someone standing a little deep in something?
Did any of the nine items mentioned above shock or dismay you? Are there any questions you will be asking your vet at the next visit?
And just because I can, here’s one of my favorite Sampson pictures.
This is Sampson in Emerald Isle, North Carolina in Sept of 2006. He had just turned two.
#4 breaks my heart – our boys are a huge part of our holiday celebrations, I couldn’t imagine not wanting them around.
Sam
It sickens me, I can’t believe someone would put their animal to sleep for convenience. 🙁
Hey Sampson, Hey Delilah, Jet here. Hi Miss Jodi.
Great info… please keep sharing. Scary about the inoculation dosages. Horrifying about the No-Kill policies…
There are so many things wrong with the animal welfare system in this country. It makes me very sad Jetty.
I haven’t asked our vet whether or not he euthanizes animals for the shelter or Humane Society. Why? Because when my poodle was first starting to feel the effects of old age, he worked with me to find ways to improve her quality
That is good news Sue, I think it’s so important that you have a good relationship with your vet. I hope my vet does the same.
Oops!…
of life until nothing we tried was working any longer. Then — and only then — was he willing to euthanize her. This man, IMHO, would never consider putting any healthy animal to sleep any more than you or I would. As for people who think their pets are disposable — I agree w/you 100%. I just cannot understand people like that.
Oops! I answered too quick! LOL No I would never put a healthy animal down. When Roxanne our little beagle was aging, I put it off and put it off until she finally made the decision for me. She stopped eating, which would be like Delilah not eating. I knew she was ready, but it didn’t make it any easier.
I think the pain medicine thing is going away–my vet, who graduated from a top-tier vet school in the last ten years, would never deny pain medication.
My vet’s office is routinely cheaper on medication than anything I can find online. So, my addendum to “check online pharmacies” would be “don’t assume your vet’s prices are too high.”
I think it depends on the practice to be truthful, I’ve heard of offices still using anesthesia which was used years ago (not expired, there is just better stuff now)
As for the medicines, I usually just buy mine at my vet, I think it is more for convenience, I’m there, they have it. 🙂
A friend of mine is big on donating to animal shelters, especially no kill shelters. I’m going to talk to her and make sure her no kill shelter does not send animals to kill shelters. She would be devastated if they did.
I mentioned before somewhere that Gracie is on her 2nd vet. The first one did not make me comfortable with the way she was treating Gracie for normal checkups. Choosing a vet is as important as choosing your own doctor; you should ask around and talk to people just like you would if you were looking for a doctor yourself.
Good for you for finding another Vet. We are on our 2nd vet too and I found them through word of mouth, I really love them.
It would be horrible if they were touting themselves as no kill and then shipping the animals somewhere else to have them destroyed. That is deceptive!
Sadly I am really not to surprised by any of this!
Funny though I always look for my vets diploma to see where they graduated from and quite frequently you can google that and find out.
That is a great picture of Sampson 🙂
Do you know it never crossed my mind to check their diploma? I’m clearly lacking in terms of where vets should go to school. Bad dog mama!
Truthfully though, I love my vet so much I’m not really sure it would make a difference. 🙂
I think the one of about the pain medication depends on the circumstances. There can be very valid reasons to deny pain medication, such as when the masking of pain would cause the dog to over exert. Thunder has no pain meds right now because he would over do. But when he had his bloat surgery he had heavy pain meds including a pain patch. Different circumstances.
I spoke to my vet about the prices of drugs. The price to vets has increased a lot over the last year. What used to cost cents per pill can now be as much as $2 a pill. He was quite irritated by the whole thing. Pharmacies are making less vet grade meds because they can make more of the people stuff. You can give people meds of most drugs to dogs, but the dosage for a dog like Thunder is 4 human quantity to 1 for Thunder. In the long run the price is the usually more to purchase it at a human pharmacy. I will not buy most meds online because the savings is not worth it to me if I should get bad drugs. We do buy dewormer online but that is about all.
I am a Michigan fan, but I want my vet to have gone to Michigan State vet school. Many fine vets come out of there. I have also run into some very good vets from U of Colorado vet school. 🙂
I agree about the pain meds, some times it is best to have them slightly uncomfortable. I hadn’t heard that about the prices, but it makes sense. Personally I don’t know if I’d buy any of my meds online, it is more about the convenience for me as I’m usually waiting til the last minute to purchase the heart guard. 🙂
As for the scripts, I just get them from my vet, I think you have a better recourse that way should something go wrong.
Good to know about the vet schools, I will def ask her where she went to school. 🙂
I always check the diploma of any doctor, dentist, optometrist, OR veterinarian I use. Sometimes I get strange looks, but I don’t want some Caribbean or South American school graduate touching us.
I’m just surprised that I never thought to do any of that Jan. Really, what the hell kind of dog mama am I?
You would be amazed how many people DO NOT DO THE RESEARCH before they feed their pet a home cooked diet. I see more completely inadequate recipes for pet food than I can even count. People seem to think that just because it’s healthy for us humans, that it’s healthy for dogs. You’re dogs are better off eating a balanced kibble diet, than an incomplete fresh diet. **rant over**
We’re very lucky that our local pharmacy is part pet pharmacy, part human pharmacy with a certified homeopathic compound pharmacist. It is a lot cheaper than the vet and often, he’s been able to steer us toward more natural products that we feel more comfortable with.
I know of a couple of people who feed their vet home cooked diets, I wonder if they’ve researched what their dog needs?
That is very cool about your local pharmacy, I really wish we had something like that here, but America is so behind in so many things.
Truthfully Canada is looking better and better to me. 🙂 Any houses near you? LOL
I feel kind of sick that people would euthanize their pets just because they are getting ready for the holidays. Check that… not just “kind of.” I feel actually sick.
Also, this post made me thankful that I’ve managed to find a practice I trust (all with degrees from the U.S., not the Caribbean… though I’m looking forward to addressing you as Dr. Stone).
LOL feel free to address me that way anytime. 😉
Yes it makes me sick too, I can’t believe how disposable pets are to some people. 🙁