I think I need a new vet...am so frustrated, re: diet especially

[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.

[kalina82]

i'm sorry you are having so much trouble with your little girl and your vet. alot of people here stand by homecooking. i know yorkiedaze is a huge advocate of it and maybe she can help you with a good recipe that includes everything so you won't feel you are missing something. most people that homecook don't actually cook every day. they only do it once every couple weeks and make a huge batch.

personally i feed raw, mostly pre-made right now. i've read great stories from people who've had problems like you're having with your girl and once they put them on raw all problems went away.

[Yorkiekids]

I'd find another vet that is willing to work with you. Praying for a speedy recovery.

[LIL MIS' MAGIC]

I am sorry Cinammon is nor feeling well! I will keep her in my thoughts/prayers that she recovers quickly!

I have changed vets due to this very issue. My Magic has a very sensative tummy and many, many visits with no suggestion of a longer term solution - I found a different vet that is great. The new vet immediately changed her food to a diet for Colitis (spelling?) and while I was not fond of the high fiber food.....it definately worked wonders!! It is now a year later and life is very different for all of us! What the vet explained to us was that some of these little dogs have very sensative tummies that easily get out of balance....and the trick is finding something that will stabalize them and then allow nature to bring back that balance to the stomach. Once Magic got stable on Purina One DCO (for Colitis) we began adding a small amount of plain yogurt.....after about 9 months we have been able to switch Magic's food - she is currently eating Natural Balance Sweet Potatoe and Fish....which is good for sensative tummies - and a little yogurt. Magic has gained some weight back and has not been sick since last Christmas.....which we never thought would happen.

My suggestion is to look into other vets....find one that is good with little dogs and if possible good with little dogs with stomach issues....these vets are around and I hope you can find one!

Good luck and I hope Cinnamon gets feeling better very soon!!

[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