Question:
Well since i am all gung ho on this holistic and raw food thing now, I called MY vet, who suprise suprise didnt recommend it at all ( the raw aspect anyway)

So I emailed the only vet within 3 hours of me who is holistic. I was just wondering what kinds of q's I should ask him when I talk to him??

Answer:
Hi Erykah1310. I don't think that many 'traditional vets' are familiar with the holisitic foods, such as Solid Gold, TimberWolf, Canidae, Wellness, etc. because they often are paid to endorse and sell: Eukanuba, Iams, & Science Diet. Even though, they are fully aware of the cruel animal experimentation that *P&* subjects animals to (they manufacture Iams/Eukanuba). But again, there is often something of monetary value in it for them in relation to endorsing and selling those 3 products.

I was told that traditional vets do not like the idea of holistic dog foods because they know that dogs (and cats) will be healthier on those foods, and that will, in-turn, decrease the revenues from their businesses. I have a hard time stomaching that ideaology; however, it may be true in some instances. I am not surprised that your vet (the non-holisitic one) was opposed to a raw meat-based diet. I think that it is possible, but very difficult to find a raw meat-based diet that really is GOOD and COMPLETELY SAFE.

Because of all the potential diseases from raw diets, it is something that many people, some vets included, may never feel good about. I did some thorough research a few weeks ago about raw meat diets and read a great article that, honestly, scared me. But again, there are some great raw meat diets out there. I would feel a little more comfortable feeding my girls a raw meat diet that was dehydrated or freeze-dried rather than in the actual raw form. Reason being is that the dehydration and freeze-drying processes excrude most, if not all, of the moisture from the meat, which is where the bacterium harbor.

We switched our 3 girls to a vet who is not completely and entirely 'holistic,' but does implement naturopathic interventions whenever possible and does sell holistic products. Some pertinent questions to ask this vet that you are considering would be: A) what foods do you recommend and why B) what is your stand on vaccinations and what types of vaccinations do you offer (some holistic vets believe that not all vaccines are necessary or healthy) C) what amount of protein, fat, & fiber he/she recommends for your dog(s)

I hope this helps

Answer:
Goldens4ever...

until you have actually FED a raw diet to your dogs for years, and have met others who do the same, and have frequented raw-feeding forums where thousands of members and hundreds of vets not only endorse the diet but also feed their pets such a diet with brilliant results for decades... then I suggest you not comment on something you have no knowledge about except from "readings on the internet". we all have our differences of opinions but it makes no sense to give an opinion on something you haven't tried yourself - right?

I won't get into the debate about "What did all the dog owners do before the advent of multi-million dollar dog food companies dogs through the milleniums ate what is natural for carnivores, raw meat, bones and organs". You can believe and feed what you want to your dogs, just please do not discourage others from feeding a raw diet just because *YOU* are afraid to try it

Now if anyone wants PROPER info on this very safe, very correct way of feeding your cats & dogs, just ask us folks who know what they're doing and we'll be glad to give fact-based, experienced advice

Answer:
Holistic/ homeopathic/ naturopathic Vets will want to do a complete blood workup and full physical assessment so be prepared for an initial cost. You might want to ask what their background & training/ thinking is in/on nutrition, acupressure/puncture, chiropractics, traditional Chinese medicine, herbal medicine and supplements, vitamin supplementation, Bach Flower remedies. Where did they get their accreditation ? At what point/ in what circumstances do they use traditional Western medicine. If traditional Western medicine is used do they also use complementary therapies? What tests do they require on an annual basis? How do they monitor ongoing health and proper diet? That's all I can think of for now...more later.

Answer:
I was told that traditional vets do not like the idea of holistic dog foods because they know that dogs (and cats) will be healthier on those foods, and that will, in-turn, decrease the revenues from their businesses.
I think it's more that they won't get to profit off the food (the Hill's and Medi-cal foods). If my vet was really in the biz to make my dogs sick, I'd find a new one really quickly.

Answer:
i've only had one meeting with a holistic vet (a highly-recommended one), and he does not do bloodwork or x-rays unless he feels he cannot evaluate the animal on an "overall level" - whatever that is, LOL Mind you, our case was simple with a young healthy dog who had a minor problem... he might do things differently with other clients, I'm just going on my conversation with the assistant when we initially booked our appointment. i was surprised it was so easy and inexpensive. the whole consultation + 4 vials of homeopathic granules came to $110, with taxes, it's been 3 weeks and so far we have seen a HUGE improvement and we are VERY satisfied and so happy we did it.
Since we were already on par with the food knowledge and such, our chat didn't last as long as he didn't have to preach to the choir. He does keep empty bags of the "bad kibbles" in his office to show clients how to read labels and choose a better food, which i think is terrific!

Answer:
If you are going to establish an ongoing relationship with a holistic Vet a full physical examination followed by a complete blood count, a chemistry screen, fecal analysis and urinalysis are of course important for detection of disease but moreover, they determine what are the "norms" of your dog's physical chemistry. Some of these baseline values should be evaluated every year as intervention progresses and during a major shift in diet.

In addition to all the other paths of practice I mentioned in my "nooner" post, some holistic Vets also practice kinesiology (food testing), magnetic therapy and the five element theory of Traditional Chinese medicine. In addition to Goldens4ever suggestion around vaccinations (if they do vaccinate annually) you may want to know whether they would consider titer testing before administering vaccinations (other than rthe regulated rabies shots of course...). Of course there's lots of good reading out there if you are interested in learning more on your own. Good luck with this ~ I'm interested to know how you make out.

Answer:
i thought the whole point of holistic medecine was to avoid conventional "drugs", and this includes vaccines (apart from the initial sets) i don't know of any holistic vet who would recommend "annual boosters" and things like that. or am i completely mistaken?

Answer:
In his return email to me, he said that he has been doing this for 8 years and told me who he studies under and a whole lot for his credentials.
He is a 'regular' vet as well.
Couldnt this be a bit of a conflict of interest?????

Answer:
He is a 'regular' vet as well.
Couldnt this be a bit of a conflict of interest?????
i would think "yes"?? my holistic vet started as a conventional vet, then converged to holistic medecine and never looked back. i'm not sure how that would work, being of the two "faiths" at the same time?...

Answer:
Me neither, that kind of freaks me out a bit. I think that he could be unintentionaly pushing a bit towards conventional vet medicine.
Its like saying your catholic and jehova..... No????
I am going to arrange a meeting with him and see how my questions are answered and what my vibes are.

But keep up the great guidelines for my q's. Really helping alot!!!!

PS Techno.... you lingering in the shadows ( not online but still able to post!??!?!! ) Ooooie oooie ooooo

Answer:
but... i AM online!!

am i wearing a cloak that i don't know of?

(star trek fans, beware)!!

Answer:
Originally Posted by erykah1310
He is a 'regular' vet as well.
Couldnt this be a bit of a conflict of interest?????

No, a holistic practioner will see themselves as part of the healing team. S/he may refer you to someone who specializes in chiropractic or acupressure if they do not in the same way as they may refer you to a ortho if your dog needs surgical intervention which they can't treat. The fact that they can also administer Western medicine and perform some surgery is a good thing as Western medicine is sometimes necessary to treat a condition which is acute and/or life threatening or a disease which simply is not responding to natural therapies. It's an advantage to have a Vet who "plays for both teams"!

Answer:
Good point!

Im just a bit worried that in some way i get talked out of this ( raw feeding)

"Be strong Erika!!!" lol

Answer:
There are some holistic Vets who are concerned about contamination and prefer a cooked homemade diet. Doing the battery of tests I mentioned will help the Vet compare your dogs health (blood count, chem values) to what it should be for a dog of his breed and recomment nutritional path. Once you've begun your raw feeding the test results will help monitor what types of foods and supplements your dog may need for optimum health. So even if s/he is not pro-raw, the fact that you are actively testing/monitoring your dogs physical chemistry on an ongoing basis may help ease her mind. No worries ~ you'll be a fine raw feeder.

Answer:
also, you may love your vet for everything but the feeding issue (no matter the choices), it's perfectly OK to seek out a mentor elsewhere to support your raw-feeding efforts & decisions. Be it another holistic vet who is pro-raw , a nutritionist, a breeder, or simply someone who has gone through all that and is active in the field... find someone you trust and feel comfortable guiding you and you'll be fiiiine. really of course the IDEAL would be a vet you love, who is good, whom you trust and who is pro-raw! i hope you find what you need!

Answer:
Honestly, I think somebody who is knowledgeable of both "worlds" would be great. Just as you can have vets that are pill pushers, you can also have holistic vets that don't offer what is really best for your pet because they don't believe in pills at all. IMO, if your dog needs antibiotics or surgery, whatever the vet, he/she shouldn't stop you from getting them, just as a not-so-holistic vet should let you feed raw, give probiotics and so on without developing an attitude about it.

Maybe I just agree with playing both sides because that's what I do. Some drugs are necessary sometimes and some holistic treatments help too.

Answer: