Author Topic: Rawfeeders: Do You Lie To Your Vet?  (Read 3070 times)

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Offline Amber

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Rawfeeders: Do You Lie To Your Vet?
« on: February 02, 2012, 04:02:46 AM »
Hissyfluff is past due for a check up, and I will be taking her in as soon as income taxes come back and I have a little money to spare. Her vet knows she is on a grain free wet diet. He may or may not know that I prepare it myself, I don't remember, but he certainly doesn't know that her food is not fully cooked. I had brought up raw feeding at one point without specifically telling him that she ate raw, but then the issues with her immune system came up and I started thoroughly cooking her food for a while. Her energy level went down; her normally soft coat started to become coarse and dry. This frightened me so I started using Dr. Pierson's method of cooking the outside of the food to kill bacteria while leaving 50-75% still raw. No problems so far.

I am going to have him run CBC and Wellness panels to make sure everything is copacetic, but I wonder if, because of her condition, I should tell him exactly what it is that Amber eats. I do not think he will yell or be unreasonable, as a certain vet in our past was, but I don't know if he will like it; I don't want to go in there looking for a fight (I am already stressing about how he may to react to my "no vaccines" stance), and I like this guy so much that I don't want to have something that blemishes my opinion of him (stupid, I know).

Besides, I have heard horror stories of vets refusing to treat raw-fed patients, quarantining them, and worse, blaming the food for everything without finding the real cause of her patients issues (Nevermind the baseball sized hairball, she eats bones, thats the problem; Don't bother checking for parvo, that puppy eats raw chicken, so its Salmonella poisoning). In fact, her first vet blamed Amber's staph infections on the food (which is ridiculous), and it wasn't until I swapped to my current vet that we found out her immune system may not be working properly. 

What do you guys do? Does your vet know about what you feed? How involved does he/she get with the diet? Do you think I should leave it at "grain free wet diet" (which is technically not a lie)?

Offline Pookie

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Re: Rawfeeders: Do You Lie To Your Vet?
« Reply #1 on: February 02, 2012, 08:17:23 AM »
I think my vet is aware that Pookie gets occasional raw, and he's fine with it, but then I mostly feed canned.  I doubt he would get worked up, though, as a friend of mine raw feeds her dog and goes to the same vet, and he apparently was very impressed with the dog's condition.  She did tell him what she feeds and his attitude was "hey, he looks great, he's healthy, if it ain't broke, don't fix it."

You could try to feel your vet out about it by just asking how he feels about raw feeding or home cooked for pets.  Based on his reaction, you'll know whether you can tell him or not.  If he's against it, you can say something like "I was just thinking about it and wanted to know your thoughts" or something like that.  Or start off with "I was thinking about putting Hissyfluff on an raw diet -- what do you think?" and go from there.  If he's for it, then you know it's okay to tell him.   :)

On a personal note, I'd love to know how it goes with the "no vaccine" rule.   ;D  Please keep us posted, and I hope this helps!

P.S.  "Hissyfluff" -- LOVE it!
« Last Edit: February 02, 2012, 08:21:19 AM by Pookie »
2-4-6-8  Please don't over-vaccinate!
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Offline BK

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Re: Rawfeeders: Do You Lie To Your Vet?
« Reply #2 on: February 02, 2012, 10:03:11 AM »
When I was first thinking of putting BK on a raw diet, his dermatologist was hesitant about going along with it.  I showed her Dr. Pierson's recipe and she was so impressed that she asked for a copy of it to give to other allergy patients.  I'm very fortunate that his regular vet also has no problem with it.  Besides, they can hardly argue with the results - they can see he's all muscle, has the most beautiful, shiny coat and his allergies are under control.  I think that if a vet wasn't at least OPEN to the idea I would consider another vet, but I know that's not always feasible.  I would hesitate to lie about it though - sometimes BK's blood results show minor "abnormalities" like a high protein level or something (can't remember) that she knows is a result of his diet so she doesn't worry.  In a non-raw fed cat it might be cause for more testing.  Not mentioning it is one thing, but lying is another, in my opinion.  But if you're sure you're doing the right thing for your cat and you know the vet is going to give you grief, it puts you in a very difficult situation!

Offline CarnivorousCritter

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Re: Rawfeeders: Do You Lie To Your Vet?
« Reply #3 on: February 02, 2012, 02:01:17 PM »
Hissyfluff

What do you guys do? Does your vet know about what you feed? How involved does he/she get with the diet? Do you think I should leave it at "grain free wet diet" (which is technically not a lie)?

 :)  Hissyfluff
 thumbsup1 bolded.

JMHO be as vague as you feel comfortable being & request they just use their Diagnostic skills and limit it to that because they sure as heck wouldn't blame the commercial foods for anything but would be quick to point the finger at something species-appropriate.

  It's akin to asking an accountant about Cardiology issues, or a mechanic about different grass seeds for lawn care for another region of the country.  They know nothing about it, period (only what the PFI tells them-conditioned to pass on scare tactics), so whetever they say could be harmful, JMHO.
« Last Edit: February 02, 2012, 02:04:57 PM by CarnivorousCritter »

Offline Amber

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Re: Rawfeeders: Do You Lie To Your Vet?
« Reply #4 on: February 02, 2012, 07:22:32 PM »
Thanks guys, I will definately keep you all updated after the vet visit.

Amber is a big fuzzball with attitude, so "Hissyfluff" just fits her.

Offline Mo

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Re: Rawfeeders: Do You Lie To Your Vet?
« Reply #5 on: February 02, 2012, 10:19:41 PM »
I don't lie, I just don't tell the whole truth ;)  "Grain free wet food" could mean canned, but it could also mean raw.

Or as http://feline-nutrition.org/features/talking-to-the-veterinarian-why-i-lie puts it: "Well, I avoid lying, but I often evade the truth."

Offline FurMonster Mom

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Re: Rawfeeders: Do You Lie To Your Vet?
« Reply #6 on: February 03, 2012, 02:26:06 AM »
My vet knows I feed raw.
And she knows why.
In fact, the only question she had for me when I told her I was switching was, "Are you including bones and organs?".
That told me that she at least has a clue.
We don't talk about it much beyond that, except in regards to how it might affect blood panels and such.
Reason being, she would run into "liability issues" with her insurance if she were to actively "promote" a raw diet, and somebody screwed it up (feeding cooked bones, etc.,).  It's a crazy, upside down world.
meow meow meow meow meow meow? -woof!
Translation: "I can has my raw food? -please!"

Offline Lola

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Re: Rawfeeders: Do You Lie To Your Vet?
« Reply #7 on: February 04, 2012, 08:24:47 AM »
Sticky situation for you!  :(
I would find out if the vet is at least open-minded to feeding raw.  Only way to know how educated, or not, the vet is concerning feline nutrition. 
I wouldn't want a medical issue to be unfairly blamed on raw feeding.
Most vets can NOT "promote" raw feeding, due to the pet food industry ties, but I would still want to know his/her personal views.

Everything you NEED to know about caring for your feline. www.catinfo.org

Offline Lola

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Re: Rawfeeders: Do You Lie To Your Vet?
« Reply #8 on: February 04, 2012, 08:40:26 AM »
Interesting...

Quote
So, when a veterinarian at an emergency or specialty clinic asks me what I feed my cats, my general response is "a grain-free wet diet." I leave it at that. I see no impact on the treatment I want them to give my cats. I don't trust they'll be open-minded enough that anything I would say would impact their thoughts or beliefs on feline nutrition. I've heard too many stories of caregivers unable to get proper treatment for their cats because the moment the vet hears the cats are raw-fed, they are unable to remove the blinders that convince them the raw food is the culprit for anything that might ail the cat. In one case, the vet was adamant that the problem must be pathogens in the raw food. When the cat finally got treatment elsewhere, it was hyperthyroidism, easily treated once diagnosed properly. But the vet had denied the caregiver the test, a scintigraphic scan, to diagnose it because of the raw food. I know at least one vet school that requires all raw-fed pets be isolated from other patients — what influence might that have on the vets of our future?
http://feline-nutrition.org/features/talking-to-the-veterinarian-why-i-lie
Everything you NEED to know about caring for your feline. www.catinfo.org

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