Author Topic: Need Vet up to Speed on Feline Food  (Read 1857 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline KatieAndMe

  • Yapper
  • Join Date: Jul 2011
  • Posts: 85
  • Country: us
Need Vet up to Speed on Feline Food
« on: August 02, 2011, 09:27:08 PM »
I loved my vet and was very disappointed today when I took Katie in for a followup on her stomatitis. At first I was concerned because she gave her Metacam and denied it was a problem for her to get it again.

Then the kicker was when we discussed food. She said I should feed her an all dry diet because wet will cause her to have more plaque. I tried to talk with her but she was adamant and felt she was the expert. She said domestic cats are different from cats in the wild and from years of domestication have developed differently and need dry kibble. I should have known because they sell Science Diet.

I'm sad that I can't trust her to know what's best for Katie and will be searching for a new vet. I've decided to call around and ask questions of the staff first. The question I'll start with is what food does the doctor recommend for cats? That should give me a good indication of whether he/she is up on feline needs before I go further. Any other suggestions?

I wish I would have printed out some of the articles here to take to my vet. I could still do it but I doubt she would listen to someone outside of her profession. She's like that and it didn't bother me at first, but now....??

Offline Lola

  • Global Moderator
  • Motor Mouth
  • Join Date: Jun 2011
  • Posts: 11790
  • Country: us
  • Spay or Neuter
Re: Need Vet up to Speed on Feline Food
« Reply #1 on: August 02, 2011, 09:50:43 PM »
I am soooooooo sorry for your frustration.  It isn't uncommon for people to get a second opinion for something to do with a human.  You are a step ahead.  You already know your vet is clueless.
Hard to believe that a vet doesn't get it that felines don't have flat molars to CHEW food. 
The PFI is the one that educates vets in a fairly short nutrition course.  Keep that in mind. 
You should have better odds with a vet educated in nutrition, if you search for a "Holistic" vet. 
My vet pretty much whispered to me to feed an all wet diet.  (non rx)  From different articles and such that I have read...sounds like vets can get into deep doo-doo if they don't sing "Feed the carpy food sold here!" 
Everything you NEED to know about caring for your feline. www.catinfo.org

Offline CarnivorousCritter

  • Charter Member
  • Motor Mouth
  • Join Date: Jun 2011
  • Posts: 1151
  • Country: us
Re: Need Vet up to Speed on Feline Food
« Reply #2 on: August 03, 2011, 08:14:50 AM »
KatieAndMe   grouphug     GOOD (literally!) for you and Katie that you didn't fall into the trap.


I think my main concern would be just finding a veterinarian who would at least be able to consider  a food-related illness-allergy. Lola's recommendation is spot-on with Holistic or "Natural" care as you may be able to "narrow things down."

 #1 priority would be finding one selling nothing commercial so that they can be impartial and objective in their diagnosis.  Nothing worse than a pet suffering the effects of something commercial and the vet won't consider it as even a possible cause due to a conflict of interest.  (Been there, done that. Doh1)
You can search for a Holistic here http://www.holisticvetlist.com/index , or google for a "Natural" Practitioner in your area; hopefully one is not too far away.   Best wishes.


IF =a veterinarian is going to recommend any food (I am against sales as you never know what's going to be recalled next), the #1 prerequisite should be that they recognise the fact that our pets are carnivores.  Then either refer you to a nutritionist, or share what knowledge they have.  :)

PS Wanted to add, our wonderful veterinarian of many decades never pretended/s to know about foods. He told us, "We're Doctors". He's had too much business, too many clients, to have a second to consider selling anything. Too busy diagnosing and treating, like Doctors should.  :)
« Last Edit: August 03, 2011, 08:25:32 AM by CarnivorousCritter »

Offline FurMonster Mom

  • Charter Member
  • Gabster
  • Join Date: Jul 2011
  • Posts: 713
  • Country: us
Re: Need Vet up to Speed on Feline Food
« Reply #3 on: August 06, 2011, 05:58:12 PM »

PS Wanted to add, our wonderful veterinarian of many decades never pretended/s to know about foods. He told us, "We're Doctors". He's had too much business, too many clients, to have a second to consider selling anything. Too busy diagnosing and treating, like Doctors should.  :)

THIS!!!

OMG... I have a devil of a time trying to convince my friends that, just like human doctors, veterinarians are NOT nutritionists!

Human doctors diagnose and treat already existing problems.  Sure, their training most likely includes a short stint on nutrition, but it's understood that nutrition is a field in and of itself.  Most doctors will recommend a nutritionist for their patients who need dietary changes.

It drives me batty that Veterinarians consider themselves experts in nutrition based on a class or two taught by corporate pet food professionals (who are not nutritionists).  Veterinarians should consider themselves doctors, diagnosticians, and/or surgeons.  And animal nutrition should be considered a separate field in and of itself.

I just had a conversation with a friend today whose vet told them that their dog had to go on an essentially vegan diet, because it was allergic to proteins!  How the hell does a carnivore become allergic to proteins?!!     bangshead  Said vet apparently told my friend that protein and food allergies were very common. 

I disagreed as nicely as I could, saying that sometimes dogs might be allergic to certain specific proteins, but I doubted that they were allergic to all proteins.  I also said that "food allergies" were most likely grain and soy allergies. 

Then of course, my friend admitted that technically it was the hormones in the meats that his dog was allergic to, and that the dog was able to stomach salmon (kibble).   Doh1
Since he was obviously not seeing the contradiction, and held his vet's word to be gospel, all I could do was nod & say, "hmm".    pullingouthair
meow meow meow meow meow meow? -woof!
Translation: "I can has my raw food? -please!"

Offline CarnivorousCritter

  • Charter Member
  • Motor Mouth
  • Join Date: Jun 2011
  • Posts: 1151
  • Country: us
Re: Need Vet up to Speed on Feline Food
« Reply #4 on: August 07, 2011, 02:56:24 AM »

...I just had a conversation with a friend today whose vet told them that their dog had to go on an essentially vegan diet, because it was allergic to proteins!  How the hell does a carnivore become allergic to proteins?!!     bangshead  Said vet apparently told my friend that protein and food allergies were very common.   pullingouthair

 
And what they conveniently fail to mention every time -

Corn and wheat glutens, soy, dried egg .... those funky things we see on the labels are in the food because they are dirt-cheap protein sources.

Yet when an animal is allergic, or has kidney issues,  they are conditioned to automatically blame (costly) meat, NOT all the garbage allergens which are in the food because of being the cheapest possible protein sourcesDoh1 bangshead

Another problem --  Most people automatically associate protein with "meat", so it is also a case of taking (an extreme) advantage of pet parents just not knowing.   Of course the animal must be on all kinds of Meds because the name of the game is treating symptoms, after all, so more more people profit from our grief.

For the Canadian Documentary "A Dog's Breakfast", Professor Marion Smart made a concoction in a kitchen of old leather boots, wood shavings, and motor oil and labeled it "Old Boots".   She sent a sample to a laboratory for analysis as pet food and it passed all tests for proteins and "required" content for pet food.  All that Old Boots needed was a dose of artificial vitamins and minerals to be "complete and balanced" :o

(The documentary has since been bought by a US mainstream Mediot network and promptly pulled from the Internet and suppressed.)

BTW  :)  Prof. Smart co-authored "Not Fit For a Dog! The Truth About Manufactured Dog and Cat Food" with Drs. Michael W Fox & Elizabeth Hodgkins, DVM-ESQ.  http://www.amazon.com/Not-Fit-Dog-Truth-Manufactured/product-reviews/1884956831/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1



 







Tags: