Author Topic: How have your experiences in caring for pets changed your lifestyle?  (Read 1172 times)

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Offline Pookie

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I suspect at least several of us have had to learn the hard way about proper pet nutrition, and I was wondering, did what you learn change how you live in other ways, and if so, how?  For example, do you read ingredient labels on the foods you buy for your family when maybe you didn't before?  Do you try to eat healthier than in the past?

I can tell you that after everything I went through, I try not to eat as many grain-type carbs (instead, more fruits/veggies for my carbs), I REALLY have an issue with vaccinations (for people as well as animals) and my trust in doctors as well as vets went way down.  I question a lot more than I used to, and I try to find natural alternatives wherever possible.

So, how have your experiences in caring for your pets changed your lifestyle, if at all?
2-4-6-8  Please don't over-vaccinate!
"Pass on what you have learned."  -- Yoda, Star Wars:  Return of the Jedi

Offline CarnivorousCritter

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Re: How have your experiences in caring for pets changed your lifestyle?
« Reply #1 on: July 10, 2011, 08:32:47 PM »
GOOD (and heavy) question, Pookie, so I will TRY to make this as short as possible.  ;)

Learning the hard way changed EVERYthing for me. Everything.

I have learned sooo much I don't even know where to start Doh1

Words like "Premium" (unless it's a certain specifically named snack food which had already had the name for decades before this word became a marketing gimmick) and the other word I see so much on products now it eludes me, make me RUN from it and find an alternative.

(I hope people will add others they see often; another "P" word eludes me right now.)

Other cliches aimed for humans, such as "High Quality" also need to go and be replaced with "Species-appropriate" when it comes to our carnivores because all those "high quality" carbohydrates are bad for a carnivore, especially the strict carnivores.

Never believe advertising. Google, google, google for unbiased, consistent experiences from unbiased people. Dig, dig, dig until I've seen enough unbiased people sharing the same experience. Forums first in most cases.

Never ever take the word of, or trust, anyone selling a commercial product, especially somebody with a conflict of interest. Learned this the hardest ways imaginable dealing with McVets after having been spoiled with an Angel of a veterinarian for decades.

And if I see information on a website and somebody's pushing a product - disqualified!   I don't care HOW good some of the information might be, because it's a tease for the hook, line & sinker  -- almost every time. IF the product is what they claim it to be, I will confirm it by digging for unbiased accounts.
I will go to a product's website and check it out for consideration after having seen unbiased people recommending it.
 
Here's a biggie: Many drugs only mask symptoms!  Relative diagnosed with Gout. Kept going home with more Meds but no mention of avoiding gravies fried foods ... alcohol, etc. ALSO no mention of the benefits of Cherry concentrate juice or Bing cherries....  Meds ONLY!   Gotta be some pretty strong Meds when the person is eating KFC, gravies... looking for relief!

I've realised that you can't believe everything you read on the Internet, either, but the reality is, if you really want the truth, that's where you'll find it if you're diligent and dig deep enough. On sites NOT selling or affiliated with anything.

People have stopped thinking for themselves. They need a TV or publication to tell them anything. Until they wise up, products and services will continue to deteriorate. Cutting corners is reigning supreme because we believe the advertising and whatever the "gag ordered"  mediots are saying because of their network$' adverti$er$.

I learned ALL of this the hard way with our dogs. I could go on...
« Last Edit: July 10, 2011, 08:35:54 PM by CarnivorousCritter »

Offline Pookie

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Re: How have your experiences in caring for pets changed your lifestyle?
« Reply #2 on: July 11, 2011, 10:00:27 AM »
Feel free to go on.  :)  There have been times when I wondered if I'm the only one who took this experience and applied it to other things, so this is fascinating to me.

"Here's a biggie: Many drugs only mask symptoms!  Relative diagnosed with Gout. Kept going home with more Meds but no mention of avoiding gravies fried foods ... alcohol, etc. ALSO no mention of the benefits of Cherry concentrate juice or Bing cherries....  Meds ONLY!   Gotta be some pretty strong Meds when the person is eating KFC, gravies... looking for relief!"

P.S.  I think I've heard cranberries/cranberry juice also helps with gout.

I agree.   agreegif  That was something that bothered me, too, that it was about treating the symptoms and I wanted the disease to go away which would, duh, also remove the symptoms.  But no one seemed to know what caused the disease in the first place, nor did they seem interested in finding out.   bangsheadgif  I've started learning about alternative forms of medicine that are more focused on diagnosing and treating the actual illness instead of just the symptoms.  Things like Chinese Herbal Medicine, homeopathy, accupuncture/accupressure . . . these forms of medicine look at disease as something that comes from the energy of the animal, not just the physical, and that by treating whatever energy imbalance may exist, you then allow the body to heal itself.  I'd never heard of this kind of thinking and it never occurred to me.  But there are some stories that I've read that are pretty amazing.

 agreegif  I also agree that a lot of people want information fed to them.  I was one of them  :-[ but I'm not so much anymore.

"McVets" and "mediots"  MOL!   funny2

Thought of another way these experiences may have impacted someone's lifestyle -- maybe someone now filters their water, or uses a better water filter, when they didn't before.
2-4-6-8  Please don't over-vaccinate!
"Pass on what you have learned."  -- Yoda, Star Wars:  Return of the Jedi

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