| * What type of Veterinarian do you use and why? (Traditional, holistic), How often do you take your dog to the vet and why? (routine visits, emergency care)
We go to a traditional vet, mostly out of conveinence. I would like to find a vet that really knows the breed but still is looking for one. We only go for routine stuff, yearly vacs, and tests, and if an emergency arises. So its only a few times a year.
* Are your dogs on the prescribed vaccination regiment they recommend? Do they get other vaccinations due to your environment surroundings? (Lyme disease, others)
We are doing all the recommended vacs, due these are required for our training classes and for borading reasons. We include the one for Lyme disease since its really bad around her with the over population of deer. Plus the heartworm test.
* What tests do you get done on a regular basis and/or have you established baselines to monitor there health?
So far we are doing the full thyroid panel and and full blood panel.
* How do you treat wounds/injuries of your dog?(minor injuries like cuts and scraps) Does the vet do it all or do you do some your self? Do you have any type of training in emergency care of animals? Where did you get this training?
Most minor wounds I am treating myself. I used to volunteer for a local rescue squad around here and learned how to treat alot of these issues, plus I still have lots of the equipment myself. I converted my trauma bag specifically for doogy care. It came in handy at the dog park a bunch of times. A liquid type bandage and clensing solutions works wonders. I was also certified as CPR/First Responder trainer from the Red Cross many years ago, which gave me alot more training.
* How much faith do you have in vets? (believe everything they say, take recommendations under consideration)
I really do not take the vets advice as fact. In my opinnon, the more testing they do, the more money they make. But I do take what they say and comapare it to what I learned about it too. These forums are great since we all probably have gone through it already. I believe you need to learn as much as you can about the breed including their problem areas and make a rational decision. |