Veterinary Care: Science, Guesswork, or Quackery?

What does veterinary school teach vets, besides the anatomy of many different animals, office procedures, and taking the word of some drug reps and pharmaceutical companies as gospel? The Pet Guardian really has to wonder, as apparently some vets and their staff can't be taught common sense, instinct, compassion, and how to deal with their paying, concerned -- sometimes frantic -- wanting-to-be-educated clients. How much of veterinary care is science, guesswork, or quackery?

I write this not because of a bad experience I've had with a vet lately, but because of the flood of e-mails that find their way to me from people whose dogs or cats received horrendous "care" from veterinarians all across the United States, Canada, and Europe. It makes me so sad that our companion animals can be hurt by the very "experts" we are told we should trust.

Seven years ago, when I was becoming familiar with the holistic way of life for my dogs, I was referred to a vet who is well known in Colorado. People drive to see this man from many surrounding states to have their pets looked after. I felt comfortable with this "mountain vet" at first, especially because we both hate a certain drug manufacturer, who shall go unnamed here.

My dog Casey is a big, gentle soul of a black German shepherd/lab mix. He's not fond of a lot of attention bestowed on him and being in public places. He's one of the sweetest, most wonderful dogs you'll ever meet. Casey doesn't want baths, and he certainly does not want his toenails cut. He wants to be by my side at all times, and otherwise, please leave him alone, he'd say, if he could speak.

This mountain vet's office literally took five of their vet techs to hold Casey down to the floor to draw blood. This was an especially painful thing for me to watch, an image that stays with me to this day. But the blood had to be taken as we needed to find out the effects ProHeart 6 was having on Casey's immune system. I felt so bad for my poor baby struggling to get free from the clutches of these people.

By the time Casey and I had made it home this day from the mountain vet's office, the vet had called to report a sky-high level of white blood cells and said to bring him back for a recheck. Since this office could not assure me I could bring him in on another day and be seen right away for that recheck, I elected to try two other local vet offices for the same simple procedure. Which, by the way, turned out to be just fine. Casey had been so frightened by the mountain people that it caused his white blood cell count to hit that sky-high mark.

Sometimes Casey likes to lick his paws. It's very infrequent, but he does it. This same vet suggested I had mold in my house (a brand-new house), that Casey was allergic to "mold" in the carpet. This vet suggested that I -- get ready for this -- bathe Casey in BLEACH. Besides the fact that I did not have an itchy dog, this just did not sit right with me. At the time, even with my ignorance and trusting nature, I didn't know why it didn't sit well with me. But if anyone wants to try an experiment with pouring bleach on their own skin, have at it. See how you feel, especially if you have an open wound.

What happened with Casey makes me wonder how much science, guesswork, or quackery exists when it comes to vets treating our pets.

You know how I mentioned Casey is an old, gentle soul. Because of this, he also has highly developed keen instincts. I think some pets possess this gift more than others. I trust Casey's instincts implicitly and have learned so much about not only him, but my other dogs. He's the true teacher here.

Casey is seen now by a wonderful holistic vet who has a very calm demeanor about him, who is sort of a "pet whisperer," if you will. Anyone from this vet's office can draw blood or cut Casey's toenails without the assistance of even a second person. It's a miracle, I sometimes think, but no, it's really Casey letting me know these people are "okay," that I can trust in them for his care, as much as I can allow myself to trust vets, anyway.

Now, more than ever, it is crucial for pet guardians to become educated and be true advocates for their pets. Accepting things at face value, whether it be from a veterinarian or watching a cute TV commercial, without research conducted on one's own behalf, is NOT ACCEPTABLE and can lead to disasterous consequences. Pet guardians must learn to trust their own instincts and to trust their very animals who are trying to tell them something, if only we'd just listen.