Do you trust veterinarians?

[Britster]

I do and I don't. We need vets to give us certain things and information that couldn't get otherwise. So they definitely are a necessity obviously. But I really don't trust a whole lot of them to be honest, just as I don't really trust doctors fully.

[QuickSilver]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

.... Just look at the subject of overvaccination and one can see that the best interest of our pets' health - and what a vet actually does in practice can be 2 very polar things....and that's sad.

Actually, this is something else I'm curious about. I've seen this come up many times, and I am not particularly familiar with this topic in pets. Why haven't vets changed their protocols if this has been clearly established? I have a difficult time believing that vets would do something they think actively harms pets simply to make more money.

Originally Posted by MeAndMyOlivia

I do know that my little 10-month old girl seems to have a baby tooth still there, right in front of a permanent tooth - and seeing that, knowing that it might have to be removed by a vet, literally made me sick to my stomach.

I don't know much about this either, but I've seen that sometimes you can wiggle them out yourself. It turns out I probably could have done that with Thor - he had four baby teeth removed and it was cheaper than I expected because they said none of them had roots.

Originally Posted by Britster

I do and I don't. We need vets to give us certain things and information that couldn't get otherwise. So they definitely are a necessity obviously. But I really don't trust a whole lot of them to be honest, just as I don't really trust doctors fully.

I'm interested in what people think vets' motives are. Clearly, if you've had bad experiences with vets, you won't trust them, so I understand that. What is the Why behind the What, if you know what I mean?


Thanks to everyone for their responses.

[Breeze]

Originally Posted by Wylie's Mom

I think this is a great subject, and an important one!

I have had many very bad experiences with vets, and have only met 2 or so whom I respect and feel comfortable with, in terms of their knowledge (see my recent thread on Wylie, for one ). I think there ARE good vets out there, but I think you really have to look or just be lucky to find them. I think there are a lot of vets out there who aren't very good at all - and I don't know what recourse there is for that. Because the industry isn't all that well regulated, it truly puts a lot responsibility on pet owners to be advocates (and do their own research) for their pets. While that's fine, in one way, in another it's not - bc we "should" be able to pay them for their expertise and trust that they have it. Just look at the subject of overvaccination and one can see that the best interest of our pets' health - and what a vet actually does in practice can be 2 very polar things....and that's sad.

I think it's tough being a vet - you have to know multiple species, and all systems - very few people's brains can be *really* skilled at dealing with that amount of information. A good vet, imo, should be skilled at the basics - a good generalist - and be secure enough to refer on to a specialist when they hit a road block (and many don't do that ).

As far as nutrition, no way. And it really disappoints me when vets who know hardly anything about nutrition (given the 1.5 hrs of animal nutrition in vet school) feel qualified to give advice about it.

Great post and I agree.

[dogbert]

The office I used to work in had 4 Dr's one was a specialist in small critters, birds, lizards etc. The other three were for cats, dogs, etc. The owner/Dr could also see large animals like horses and cows. He has since retired and the clinic is owned by a chain so to speak and only two of the Dr's I worked with are still there, all the techs and office staff are new to me. So they no longer have a specialist or large animal Dr. I can't say I trust one of the new Dr's at all. It's hard when they keep stopping mid sentence to say "ok what was I saying".........

[Breeze]

Originally Posted by QuickSilver

Actually, this is something else I'm curious about. I've seen this come up many times, and I am not particularly familiar with this topic in pets. Why haven't vets changed their protocols if this has been clearly established? I have a difficult time believing that vets would do something they think actively harms pets simply to make more money.





I don't know much about this either, but I've seen that sometimes you can wiggle them out yourself. It turns out I probably could have done that with Thor - he had four baby teeth removed and it was cheaper than I expected because they said none of them had roots.





I'm interested in what people think vets' motives are. Clearly, if you've had bad experiences with vets, you won't trust them, so I understand that. What is the Why behind the What, if you know what I mean?


Thanks to everyone for their responses.

I think one part is the "old school" vaccine schedule. Why bother to research or change it if it was regular procedure before if no-one is complaining, dying....

It also brings in a lot of money with more frequent immunizations, they charge for the vet visit, the shots..... People go to work for money for the most part. Vets included. The more money they bring in the more they make. Sad world but most professions and businesses work to make large profits no matter the costs to others.

Just like the crappy cheap pet food companies that sell really bad food for our pets, people trust them thinking that they would not make the food if it was bad. But it does not make the crappy food "good or healthy" in the end.

[QuickSilver]

Originally Posted by Breeze

I think one part is the "old school" vaccine schedule. Why bother to research or change it if it was regular procedure before if no-one is complaining, dying....

It also brings in a lot of money with more frequent immunizations, they charge for the vet visit, the shots..... People go to work for money for the most part. Vets included. The more money they bring in the more they make. Sad world but most professions and businesses work to make large profits no matter the costs to others.

Just like the crappy cheap pet food companies that sell really bad food for our pets, people trust them thinking that they would not make the food if it was bad. But it does not make the crappy food "good or healthy" in the end.

That's the thing. I don't think people necessarily end up making / marketing pet food for the love of animals. Also, with mass produced food, there are so many people involved, it's unlikely that you are lovingly cooking up the food yourself and then hand-delivering it to pets. It's much easier to be detached when you are one cog in a large corporation.

Veternarians, on the other hand - you don't "end up" a vet. You have to really want it. The people I know who became vets wanted nothing else form the time they were small children. And I think it's very different to inject an animal with a vaccine directly and think "that probably took a year off their life, oh well, at least I made another hundy."

[Breeze]

Originally Posted by QuickSilver

That's the thing. I don't think people necessarily end up making / marketing pet food for the love of animals. Also, with mass produced food, there are so many people involved, it's unlikely that you are lovingly cooking up the food yourself and then hand-delivering it to pets. It's much easier to be detached when you are one cog in a large corporation.

Veternarians, on the other hand - you don't "end up" a vet. You have to really want it. The people I know who became vets wanted nothing else form the time they were small children. And I think it's very different to inject an animal with a vaccine directly and think"that probably took a year off their life, oh well, at least I made another hundy."

I don't truely think most do it totally on purpose or even know (due to lack of current research....) or agree with the risks of giving each shot.

[capt_noonie]

In my experience, the vet at the humane society was much more knowledgeable than the one at Banfield (Petsmart). The humane society vet remembered Uni's previous condition, asked how she was doing from the last time she was there. At Banfield, I only saw the vet STUDENTS mostly, and saw the vet for about 2 mins, after the students did all the preliminary tests, interviews, etc. then proceeded to try to sell me flea meds, etc stuff that I was not there for. (Sounds like my experience from Kaiser)

[AbbysMom08]

I have had the same vet for just about 30 years.
He is wonderful. Has always done right by all of my furbabies.
He has always treated mine like one one his own.

[Olivier]

I trust my vet more than peoples giving advices on this forum .

[sillyjacki]

I guess I see vets like I see doctors... Some are very qualified, others are just pushing their newest drug.

And like the doctor/prescription drug tie-ins, I think there ARE industry connections between pet meds, vaccines, nutrition and veterinarians. Some of the companies fund research in the schools, from what I've heard.

But that, to me, doesn't mean that ALL vets are driven by those things, or that, even though they carry certain products, they wouldn't support me buying or using others.

Just my $0.02

[London01]

Haven't read all the prior posts, but here's my perspective.

I do not rely 100% on any vet's opinion for several reasons.

- Many were trained long ago and do not keep up very well with recent research

- If they weren't trained long ago, then they were trained recently, and don't have that many years of real experience

(That's right, the vets just can't win with me, haha!)

- Even if a vet has the perfect balance of semi-recent training and semi-good years of experience, most of their patients are not yorkies

- I get the best advice from Yorkie Talk, because the folks on here have seen thousands of Yorkies over the years, and are so familiar with breed-specific issues.

London goes to the vet all the time, but before I follow the doctor's advice, I always check with YT.

[chestermama]

I trust my vet, but some of these vets work for the coporations and they tell them what to charge for stuff and other rules Im sure. I work at a hospital and there are some doctors I dont trust as well.

[Sharon Jaros]

As with our human children unexpected expenses come up. You can't always be prepared for it.

After finding my Yorkie Baby, I did extensive searching for her Doctor. Actually requested a visit with him first, checked his practice and his credentials and then went to him with Stormy Bear. One of his statements was I am not here for the money, I love animals. I asked if he felt he received enough for his services. His reply was yeah!, I don't cheat you.

Yeah, I trust my vet. And he is honest, said if he is not sure, he will find me the right person for any problems.

[QuickSilver]

A lot of my college friends went on to be doctors, and to be honest, it's still a little horrifying to think of them holding other people's lives in their hands.

I have less faith in the intentions of doctors because I know many of them go into it to win the approval of their parents, or the money (though not so much this now), or the prestige.

I'll admit I don't know how long you have to study to become a fully licensed veterinarian.