[MyFairLacy]

Originally Posted by cinnamonmon

Cinammon is sick alot as I have posted before, usually allergies as well as a finicky digestive system. I have been to my vet so many times as she has had fairly frequent attacks of vomiting and diarrhea (as she had again last night). I feed her and my other two small dogs the same diet and they never get sick. I switiched to home feeding a few months ago which I mentioned to him at the last visit and he seemed to be pretty negative about it...though he really didnt say alot. He switched me to a Science diet special prescription food which she wouldnt eat at all, so I went back to home cooking. Recently I have been adding some raw bones as Ive read on here that they are good for them. Yesterday I bought some beef ribs and cut the meat off and gave them the bones which they loved. As they are very fatty, I even cut off some of the extra fat left on the bone. I cooked the meat and mixed it with rice and some canned food which I am trying to wean them on to as I am tired of home cooking and not sure they are getting the nutrients they need. She started vomiting last night again and has been miserable, thus the vet visit today who gave us an antispasmodic, but no other advice.
I have always used this vet and found him so compassionate when I had to put my older dog to sleep. But with this dog, he just isnt very helpful. When I mentioned the raw bones he was very upset. I mentioned that there are people out there who actually feed their dogs a whole raw diet and he said, "well there are alot of nuts out there." However, he never talked to me about what to feed her and when I tried to ask questions, I felt rushed. Why does she have such a reaction to the same foods my other Yorkie and Maltese tolerate well? What should I feed her? He is a very nice man, in general, but he is not helping me with this particular dog. I am tired of spending so much money but not getting answers. The other nice thing about him is his office is 2 minutes from my house. Just wondering if I should switch vets though I hate to/
The poor thing is finally asleep after being up all night...please say a prayer or send good wishes that she feels better.

I hate that a lot of vets don't even research raw or homecooked at all and don't know anything about nutrition... I really wish we learned more about that during vet school (I just finished my third week of my first year). Lacy is on a raw diet and I think it's the best thing you can do for most dogs (some dogs can't be on a raw diet because of individual health problems). And I think homecooking is the second best thing. But with raw or homecooking the owner just needs to be sure and do their research and know what they're doing so they can make sure their dog is getting all the nutrients it needs. I think one reason vets are afraid of raw and homecooking (other than that they don't know about nutrition) is that they are afraid the owners aren't getting all the nutrients in the diet that they dog needs. But that's why it's good to know at least something about it or to be able to refer them to resources or a nutritionist that can help them.

I would look for a holistic vet for her. There's another post in this section about a consult with an animal nutritionist and it lists her website. You might want to contact her or try to find someone like her in your area. It sounds like your baby just can't tolerate the same foods that your other dogs can and needs a special diet. A holistic vet can help you come up with a recipe to suit your dog's individual needs.

Also, if you feel like your vet isn't giving you the time you deserve during appointments and isn't caring enough, I would look for a new one. You shouldn't feel rushed in an appointment...I mean obviously you can't take up his entire day, but you should be able to ask some questions and get answers - and if he doesn't know the answers, he can look into it and get back to you or refer you to someone else. To me it was VERY rude to say "well they're are a lot of nuts out there" in response to you saying a lot of people feed raw. How unprofessional...even if he felt that way, he shouldn't have said it like that. Basically he made you feel stupid for homecooking and feeding raw bones and that was wrong. It's not stupid at all for you to homecook or feed raw - the problem you're having is finding a diet that works for your dog. I would really try to find someone that can help you find the right diet for your dog