Should I change my vet? - YorkieTalk.com Forums

jkat · 01-08-2006, 07:20 PM

I have a dilemma. My baby yorkie girl, Aggie, arrived a couple weeks ago (12/26). Her breeder had been feeding her Pedigree and she arrived with a small bag of it. I was hesitant about buying her food. So, I waited until next day when she visited a vet.
The hospital has great reputation in the area. They have wide variety of vets and specialist, also very well equipped. I selected a doctor who was available that day and compared to another vet, the receptionist said this one was better.
I asked her about the food Aggie's been eating. She told me Pedigree was "excellent". So, I bought a big bag of it.
Today, I went to a pet supply store to buy some toys. There was a sales rep who told me "Pedigree is like fast-food for dogs! Unhealthy!" He then went on and told me a whole list of brands that were "much better". I didn't buy anything but was disturbed. I came back home and checked this site. What he said was true! I was shocked. Next thing, I went back to the store and bought Natural Balance.
Question is: should I change my vet? I'm shocked to know she had given me wrong information. Why would she tell me Pedigree was great when it wasn't? So far, there's no bond between Aggie and the vet. I guess I can always find another vet from the hospital (I've asked, it's quite all right to do that).

What should I do??

alpayton · 01-08-2006, 07:26 PM

My vet swore by Science Diet until he found out I wasn't worried about cost and that I was more concerned about the overall health and wellbeing of my dogs than whether I could get the feed for them at the vets office or the pet supply store. Once he found out I wasn't concerned with how much it was going to cost me to get them the best of the best, he recommended Eagle Pack Holistic. Eagle Pack is available to me in my town, just across town from a feed / specialty store and is way more expensive than Science Diet is.

My point is that I think you should make it clear to your vet what your intentions are with your pet. If cost is not a factor, then make that clear to them. Oftentimes, they get yelled at for costing too much or recommending something that does. Just because the vet said that the feed that your little one was already on was okay for him, doesn't mean he doesn't know what he's doing. It just means that there isn't a reason to change it unless you present him one.

Laura · 01-08-2006, 07:31 PM

I would look to your friends here at YT for this important information. What you really want to know about your vet is if they are good with small dogs. I would see if there is a breeder in your area that would recommend one. I don't think the vet's have an opinion on a lot of things like foods and such. Any will be fine for your pet. What you are looking for is better so she will have a beautiful coat, poop less, keep her teeth good and healthy. Many people cannot afford the higher brands of food for their pets, or simply don't care about such things. I wouldn't let it be a deciding factor. I am often disappointed with my vets and have changed a lot over the years, not finding the new one better. Now I am trying to settle on one recommended by a reputable area breeder and rescue. (still not that happy with them.)

txshopper73 · 01-08-2006, 07:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alpayton

My vet swore by Science Diet until he found out I wasn't worried about cost and that I was more concerned about the overall health and wellbeing of my dogs than whether I could get the feed for them at the vets office or the pet supply store. Once he found out I wasn't concerned with how much it was going to cost me to get them the best of the best, he recommended Eagle Pack Holistic. Eagle Pack is available to me in my town, just across town from a feed / specialty store and is way more expensive than Science Diet is.

My point is that I think you should make it clear to your vet what your intentions are with your pet. If cost is not a factor, then make that clear to them. Oftentimes, they get yelled at for costing too much or recommending something that does. Just because the vet said that the feed that your little one was already on was okay for him, doesn't mean he doesn't know what he's doing. It just means that there isn't a reason to change it unless you present him one.

GREAT post, Gerry!!!

chewysmom · 01-08-2006, 07:44 PM

Kimberley, LOL...that wasn't me! How many glasses of wine have you had tonight???

SoCalyorkiLvr · 01-08-2006, 07:45 PM

I have to agree with Laura. Most vets don't have a lot of people like us who treat our pets like family. A lot of people are more concerned with the cost or the bottom line and they go very "cheap" with their pets and have the attitude that they are after all, "just a dog".

I have been to so many different vets in my area that I have almost run out. I finally found a homeopathic vet that I love and I can email or call him with any concern but he doesn't do procedures of any kind so he refers me to "specialists" that he feels comfortable with in the area when there is a need, plus I still go to one of the vets when absolutely necessary, but I have yet to find the perfct vet or even one close.

txshopper73 · 01-08-2006, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chewysmom

Kimberley, LOL...that wasn't me! How many glasses of wine have you had tonight???

HOLY MOSES!!!! OMG!!!! Very embarassed!!!!

Amanda, my apologies...I took something to calm my nausia this evening and I guess it's made my eyes go kookie!!!!

Anyway, Ger, how ya doing?

livingdustmops · 01-08-2006, 07:47 PM

A couple of things here. First, vets have little to no training on nutrition for animals in vet school and second I think we are responsible for learning as much as we can for our little ones, just like human kids - we need to read the labels. Pedigree dog food will not kill your dog but it might not help your little one live the best life it can. You have taken some great steps coming here for all sorts of advise and believe me, you will get it. We have some very Yorkie experienced people here and you will learn a ton.

The most important thing with a vet is for you to trust them when your little one needs their shots, surgery or is very ill. Even then YT members will give you their opinions even on these subjects. We have all learned to question everything.

alpayton · 01-08-2006, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by txshopper73

HOLY MOSES!!!! OMG!!!! Very embarassed!!!!

Amanda, my apologies...I took something to calm my nausia this evening and I guess it's made my eyes go kookie!!!!

Anyway, Ger, how ya doing?

That's okay Janet...Errr...Kimberley!

I've been called worse things in my life. hehehehe

chewysmom · 01-08-2006, 08:14 PM

Kimberley, you are too funny! I'm well and about to pour a glass of wine for myself!

Another thing to remember is that a lot of vets get kickback from companies to sell their products. Your vet may just have a deal with Pedigree. I don't know if I would change vets if you trust her and she is good at what she does

BTW, Natural Balance is a great choice. I feed it to my Chewy and I personally think it's the best!

chattiesmom · 01-08-2006, 08:22 PM

I would do some independent research on dog food brands and the ingredients that each uses and then make an informed decision. Become a label reader and learn the difference between meal and byproducts, and what ingredients should and should not be found in your babies food.
Once you have a good base of background knowledge, you will be able to make a more informed decision.

Now to answer the question about changing vets because she recommended Pedigree. I would not base a decision on that, I would, however find a vet who was experienced with Yorkies and the problems that are common with this tiny breed. Unfortunately, most vets are not nutritionists. My vet told me the classes on canine nutrition in vet school were very limited. It's about the same as expecting your family doctor to be a nutritionist.

alpayton · 01-08-2006, 08:30 PM

I think that sometimes people tend to put too much faith into these vets because they have been to school for so long. We as pet owners assume that they know everything there is to know about our lovely little ones when in reality they don't. They know how to take care of most of the major problems but when it comes to those specialized problems, there are specialized vets that we need to go to in order to get the answers we need.

I say do the research. Present it to your vet if you're still not sure of yourself. But you really do need to trust the vet that you have chosen to take care of the majority of the problems that you will have over the lifetime of your little ones.

jkat · 01-08-2006, 08:50 PM

Thank you all very much for your input. I definitely appreciate it!

:0)

I guess I did rely on the vet too much. I'm glad I found YT.

hunniebunnie · 01-08-2006, 09:41 PM

sometimes vets get sponsored or get other sort of attention from pet food companies and their representatives so that the vet will recommend a particular brand of food more than others. kinda like doctors and pharmacutical goods companies. doctors get visits from various drug reps for presentations, dinners, and samples so that the rep can educate the doctor on certain medications and thereby recommend and prescribe drugs to their patients. i think the same goes with vets and pet foods.

my vet recommends royal canin, but i've problems with bunjee scratching a lot while on royal canin puppy food so i'm educating myself about puppy nutrition and trying various other foods to determine what is best for my puppy. i was going to go with chicken soup...but with the problems that the diamond company, the manufacturers of chicken soup, is experiencing, i'm having second thoughts. i'm now debating between innova and natural balance.

suz · 01-08-2006, 10:42 PM

Huneybunny and chewey'smom have hit the nail on the head as far as I can see. Most vets get a lot of "perks" from distributors when they recommend certain foods. I know my vet recommends Science Diet. My dogs don't agree with him. So.....I believe them!! I have always had good luck with Royal Canin and Nature's Blend. They like it. It makes them happy, so it makes me happy too. Pedigree might be ok for some dogs, but for one's that have sensative stomaches (like Yorkies), I don't think it's any good. Kind of like junk food in that respect. Not a lot of nutrition, but a whole lot of filler. Just like everything else, it's the quality that matters. IMO
Suz

01-08-2006, 07:20 PM	#1
jkat YT Addict Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: California Posts: 459	Should I change my vet? I have a dilemma. My baby yorkie girl, Aggie, arrived a couple weeks ago (12/26). Her breeder had been feeding her Pedigree and she arrived with a small bag of it. I was hesitant about buying her food. So, I waited until next day when she visited a vet. The hospital has great reputation in the area. They have wide variety of vets and specialist, also very well equipped. I selected a doctor who was available that day and compared to another vet, the receptionist said this one was better. I asked her about the food Aggie's been eating. She told me Pedigree was "excellent". So, I bought a big bag of it. Today, I went to a pet supply store to buy some toys. There was a sales rep who told me "Pedigree is like fast-food for dogs! Unhealthy!" He then went on and told me a whole list of brands that were "much better". I didn't buy anything but was disturbed. I came back home and checked this site. What he said was true! I was shocked. Next thing, I went back to the store and bought Natural Balance. Question is: should I change my vet? I'm shocked to know she had given me wrong information. Why would she tell me Pedigree was great when it wasn't? So far, there's no bond between Aggie and the vet. I guess I can always find another vet from the hospital (I've asked, it's quite all right to do that). What should I do??

01-08-2006, 07:26 PM	#2
alpayton Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Bowling Green KY Posts: 425	My vet swore by Science Diet until he found out I wasn't worried about cost and that I was more concerned about the overall health and wellbeing of my dogs than whether I could get the feed for them at the vets office or the pet supply store. Once he found out I wasn't concerned with how much it was going to cost me to get them the best of the best, he recommended Eagle Pack Holistic. Eagle Pack is available to me in my town, just across town from a feed / specialty store and is way more expensive than Science Diet is. My point is that I think you should make it clear to your vet what your intentions are with your pet. If cost is not a factor, then make that clear to them. Oftentimes, they get yelled at for costing too much or recommending something that does. Just because the vet said that the feed that your little one was already on was okay for him, doesn't mean he doesn't know what he's doing. It just means that there isn't a reason to change it unless you present him one. __________________ ~Amanda * Biewers: Armani & Titan

01-08-2006, 07:31 PM	#3
Laura Donating YT 1000 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Wylie TX Posts: 1,577	I would look to your friends here at YT for this important information. What you really want to know about your vet is if they are good with small dogs. I would see if there is a breeder in your area that would recommend one. I don't think the vet's have an opinion on a lot of things like foods and such. Any will be fine for your pet. What you are looking for is better so she will have a beautiful coat, poop less, keep her teeth good and healthy. Many people cannot afford the higher brands of food for their pets, or simply don't care about such things. I wouldn't let it be a deciding factor. I am often disappointed with my vets and have changed a lot over the years, not finding the new one better. Now I am trying to settle on one recommended by a reputable area breeder and rescue. (still not that happy with them.) __________________ Laura--loving mom of Robyn, Dexter, Sandy, Mattie, Sammy, Jake & Mollie http://www.yorkietalk.com/gallery/sh...00&ppuser=1851

01-08-2006, 07:47 PM	#8
livingdustmops Princess Poop A Lot Donating Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Colorado Posts: 6,728	A couple of things here. First, vets have little to no training on nutrition for animals in vet school and second I think we are responsible for learning as much as we can for our little ones, just like human kids - we need to read the labels. Pedigree dog food will not kill your dog but it might not help your little one live the best life it can. You have taken some great steps coming here for all sorts of advise and believe me, you will get it. We have some very Yorkie experienced people here and you will learn a ton. The most important thing with a vet is for you to trust them when your little one needs their shots, surgery or is very ill. Even then YT members will give you their opinions even on these subjects. We have all learned to question everything. __________________ Cindy & The Rescued Gang Puppies Are Not Products!

01-08-2006, 08:22 PM	#11
chattiesmom Donating YT 10K Club Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Alabama Posts: 17,674	I would do some independent research on dog food brands and the ingredients that each uses and then make an informed decision. Become a label reader and learn the difference between meal and byproducts, and what ingredients should and should not be found in your babies food. Once you have a good base of background knowledge, you will be able to make a more informed decision. Now to answer the question about changing vets because she recommended Pedigree. I would not base a decision on that, I would, however find a vet who was experienced with Yorkies and the problems that are common with this tiny breed. Unfortunately, most vets are not nutritionists. My vet told me the classes on canine nutrition in vet school were very limited. It's about the same as expecting your family doctor to be a nutritionist. __________________ Silk Step-In Harnesses www.foxypups.etsy.com

01-08-2006, 07:44 PM	#5
chewysmom My Precious Pup Donating Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: New York City Posts: 2,092	Kimberley, LOL...that wasn't me! How many glasses of wine have you had tonight???

01-08-2006, 07:45 PM	#6
SoCalyorkiLvr BANNED! Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 8,246	I have to agree with Laura. Most vets don't have a lot of people like us who treat our pets like family. A lot of people are more concerned with the cost or the bottom line and they go very "cheap" with their pets and have the attitude that they are after all, "just a dog". I have been to so many different vets in my area that I have almost run out. I finally found a homeopathic vet that I love and I can email or call him with any concern but he doesn't do procedures of any kind so he refers me to "specialists" that he feels comfortable with in the area when there is a need, plus I still go to one of the vets when absolutely necessary, but I have yet to find the perfct vet or even one close.

01-08-2006, 08:14 PM	#10
chewysmom My Precious Pup Donating Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: New York City Posts: 2,092	Kimberley, you are too funny! I'm well and about to pour a glass of wine for myself! Another thing to remember is that a lot of vets get kickback from companies to sell their products. Your vet may just have a deal with Pedigree. I don't know if I would change vets if you trust her and she is good at what she does BTW, Natural Balance is a great choice. I feed it to my Chewy and I personally think it's the best!

01-08-2006, 08:30 PM	#12
alpayton Donating Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Bowling Green KY Posts: 425	I think that sometimes people tend to put too much faith into these vets because they have been to school for so long. We as pet owners assume that they know everything there is to know about our lovely little ones when in reality they don't. They know how to take care of most of the major problems but when it comes to those specialized problems, there are specialized vets that we need to go to in order to get the answers we need. I say do the research. Present it to your vet if you're still not sure of yourself. But you really do need to trust the vet that you have chosen to take care of the majority of the problems that you will have over the lifetime of your little ones. __________________ ~Amanda * Biewers: Armani & Titan

01-08-2006, 08:50 PM	#13
jkat YT Addict Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: California Posts: 459	Thank you all very much for your input. I definitely appreciate it! :0) I guess I did rely on the vet too much. I'm glad I found YT.

01-08-2006, 09:41 PM	#14
hunniebunnie Follower of Yorkietology Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Cali-fo-nee-ya Posts: 1,325	sometimes vets get sponsored or get other sort of attention from pet food companies and their representatives so that the vet will recommend a particular brand of food more than others. kinda like doctors and pharmacutical goods companies. doctors get visits from various drug reps for presentations, dinners, and samples so that the rep can educate the doctor on certain medications and thereby recommend and prescribe drugs to their patients. i think the same goes with vets and pet foods. my vet recommends royal canin, but i've problems with bunjee scratching a lot while on royal canin puppy food so i'm educating myself about puppy nutrition and trying various other foods to determine what is best for my puppy. i was going to go with chicken soup...but with the problems that the diamond company, the manufacturers of chicken soup, is experiencing, i'm having second thoughts. i'm now debating between innova and natural balance.

01-08-2006, 10:42 PM	#15
suz Donating Yorkie Yakker Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Hesperia, CA Posts: 741	Junk food Huneybunny and chewey'smom have hit the nail on the head as far as I can see. Most vets get a lot of "perks" from distributors when they recommend certain foods. I know my vet recommends Science Diet. My dogs don't agree with him. So.....I believe them!! I have always had good luck with Royal Canin and Nature's Blend. They like it. It makes them happy, so it makes me happy too. Pedigree might be ok for some dogs, but for one's that have sensative stomaches (like Yorkies), I don't think it's any good. Kind of like junk food in that respect. Not a lot of nutrition, but a whole lot of filler. Just like everything else, it's the quality that matters. IMO Suz __________________ Suz The more people I meet... The more I love my dogs!!!