Seen on Animal Planet -- Sad

charlesmdodson · 09-17-2007, 11:26 AM

We were watching one of those "good dog" shows on Animal Planet and this lady was concerned that her dog was licking his paws all the time and causing injuries/infections (anyone got an idea what he may have?). Anyway, she takes him to the vet. The vet says:

"Its probably an allergy problem".

At this point I'm thinking "right on, he caught it."
Then he says:

"Here.. I'm giving you an allergy medicine and some toys to keep him occupied."

Now I'm thinking "this sucks."

He identified the allergy problem and only gave her medicine? He never once asked what the dog was subsisting on. This is because vets make money by keeping customers coming back for more, not from curing problems. Ok, ok, I know not every vet is like this, but a whole bunch seem to be.

**velmadobe** · 09-17-2007, 11:44 AM

yep - not unusual from what I have seen. My sisters Lab has had terrible allergies her whole life (she is 11). I could never talk them into trying a better kibble to see if it helped - they feed Iams. She is convinced that it was always allergies during the growing season.... and maybe it is, but to not bother trying a different kibble is just bull headed. Of course admitting that her baby sister (we are respectively in our mid 40's and mid 50's) MIGHT know more about something than she does is probably part of the issue :-(

charlesmdodson · 09-17-2007, 11:54 AM

Bummer. It upset me a lot that the vet did not even mention food consumption. Well, people see these foods on tv and think they must be good. After all, the dogs look so happy to be eating them and science diet says "science", after all.

**Lexus** · 09-17-2007, 12:03 PM

Vets seem pretty disinterested for the most part on food issues unfortunately.

alwayshadpets · 09-17-2007, 12:26 PM

I think vets do not get many courses on nutrition, plus the vet schools get $ from the dog food manufactuers.
Vets even get kick-backs from the science diet they sell from their practices.
No studies will ever be done on raw or home-cooked versus kibble. Who would fund it?
I guess as a pet owner you just have to trial and error on your own.

Riagogogo · 09-17-2007, 12:44 PM

When I first got Rudi from rescue.....He had dry skin and was malnourished. He wasn't a scratcher, didn't have fleas and there were no hot spots on him. He never over licked himself, no granulomas. He would develope this funky smell about him, so I'd bathe him and no sooner he'd need another bath in 2 weeks. Thyroid checks were ok. The vet gave me an emollient spray for him. (I had been using the Keri lotion mixed with water in a spray bottle.) After doing research over the net, "I" decided Rudi more than likely had an allergy to corn gluten, grains etc...
I switched him to Innova EVO and haven't looked back since. I still give him a bath with oatmeal based shampoo about every 2-3 months because he starts looking a little dingy to me. I do wipe him down daily with a nubby gardening glove and a little spray of the solution.

JavasMom · 09-17-2007, 12:52 PM

Oprah had her vet on a few months back and he brought a feeding chart with him showing best food for dogs. Top of the list was RAW, next home-made, high-grade kibble, all the way down to store-brand kibble. You would think some vets would be more sensitive to what pets are consuming and work on what is going into the animal at mealtime instead of bringing out the meds...

charlesmdodson · 09-17-2007, 02:34 PM

I heard about her vet on the show and wish i had seen it. It's cool because he reaches millions of people on her show.

**Burns** · 09-17-2007, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lexus

Vets seem pretty disinterested for the most part on food issues unfortunately.

I'm not sure about other clinics, but the hospital I work at is very in-tune with food-related allergies. We are constantly doing food trials and counseling people on what food allergies are, how they manifest, and how to cure the problem. We see WAY more food allergies than environmental allergies.

**Lexus** · 09-17-2007, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Burns

I'm not sure about other clinics, but the hospital I work at is very in-tune with food-related allergies. We are constantly doing food trials and counseling people on what food allergies are, how they manifest, and how to cure the problem. We see WAY more food allergies than environmental allergies.

That's great your hospital does. The vet I worked for along with the five staff vet clinic I use here does not unfortunately.

Issues that have turned out to be clearly food related for my pets, I never would have known if not for my own research. I've never once been asked about what I do nutritionally for my animals.

I wish that more clinics would follow your clinic's example and keep such issues in mind a little more, and not just pretty much say that Science Diet is a cure all.