Vestibular syndrome (IVS) is a neurological disorder that affects dogs over nine years old, elderly cats, and cats with certain age-related conditions. It can result from abnormalities in the middle and/or inner ear (peripheral vestibular disease) or the central nervous system (central nervous system). Vestibular disease is typically unilateral and severe at onset, with dogs usually affected at an older age (geriatric vestibular disease), while cats can be affected at any age.
The most apparent symptom of any form of vestibular disease is a loss of balance, specifically vestibular ataxia. This manifests as the dog walking like a tiger. Many patients struggle with cognitive impacts of their vestibular disorder, including memory loss, disorientation, and confusion.
Vestibular dysfunction causes varying degrees of loss of equilibrium, causing imbalance and ataxia. The condition can cause sudden loss of balance, disorientation, or head tilt. The symptoms of a vestibular balance disorder include dizziness and vertigo. Balance disorders can strike at any age, but are most common as you get older.
Vestibular disease is often caused by moisture collecting around or behind the ear drum, leading to an inner or middle ear otitis. Ear otitis is a common cause of vestibular disorder, which can lead to a variety of symptoms, including motion sickness, reduced appetite, confusion, and anxiety. Treatment options for vestibular disorder include VCA, which can help alleviate symptoms and improve daily activities.
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Can vestibular disease cause dementia in dogs?
Geriatric vestibular disorder is an abnormality in the brain and inner ear that controls balance in dogs. It can resemble dementia in behavior but does not involve cognitive decline. The disorder often has an unknown cause, but can sometimes result from an ear infection. A definitive diagnosis from a vet is essential to determine the best course of action for your dog. It is important not to assume cognitive dysfunction from a few symptoms.
How does the vestibular system affect learning?
The vestibular system is a crucial sensory system that helps maintain visual tracking and fine motor skills in children, preparing them for school. It is the most connected sensory system in the body, working alongside other sensory systems like the proprioceptive sense. The vestibular sense helps us keep track of our head position and motion, and it significantly impacts our physical, emotional, and learning skills. It is the first sensory system to develop in the womb, providing the growing foetal brain with sensory information during the mother’s movements.
After birth, the vestibular system is often compared to the brain’s traffic controller, sorting and relaying incoming sensory information from other organs and passing it onto the various sensory regions of the brain.
What is red flag with vestibular loss?
Vertigo is a condition that can be diagnosed with a clear description of the symptoms and their onset, frequency, and duration. Central neurological vertigo is rare and less likely to be horizontal or rotatory. It is often caused by a brainstem cerebrovascular accident, intracranial lesion, or migraine. “Red flag” symptoms include persistent, worsening vertigo or dysequilibrium, atypical “non-peripheral” vertigo, severe headache, diplopia, cranial nerve palsies, dysarthria, ataxia, or other cerebellar signs.
Anxiety can impede central adaptation, making a single diagnosis difficult. Drugs that sedate the vestibular-brainstem axis, such as prochlorperazine, can relieve symptoms, while sublingual preparations can help with severe vomiting. However, prolonged use should be avoided to prevent central compensation.
How does vestibular system affect behavior?
The vestibular system is responsible for regulating physical functions such as posture, balance, movement, coordination, attention, arousal level, impulsivity, and behavior. It works with tactile, auditory, and visual information to provide our perception of space and our position within it. Children with poor vestibular processing may be perceived as inattentive, lazy, overly anxious, or seeking attention. They may also struggle with reading or arithmetic.
Poor vestibular processing can occur for various reasons, including premature birth, exposure to excessive movement or invasive sounds, neglect, repeated ear infections, maternal drug or alcohol abuse, or general developmental delay. Symptoms and functional difficulties of poor vestibular processing include difficulty in reading, simple arithmetic, and difficulty in daily tasks.
What triggers dementia in dogs?
Dog dementia, also known as cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CCD), is a condition characterized by changes in awareness, learning and memory deficits, and decreased responsiveness to stimuli. It is closely related to Alzheimer’s disease in humans. Initially mild, the symptoms gradually worsen over time, leading to a slow decline in the brain’s ability to perform normal tasks. Clinical signs of CCD are found in nearly one in three dogs over the age of 11, and by the age of 16, nearly all dogs display at least one sign. Scientists are studying CCD and its similarities to Alzheimer’s in humans to better understand its causes, life expectancy, treatment, and prevention.
Can vestibular issues cause confusion?
During the acute stages of vestibular disorders, individuals may experience disorientation and confusion, which can lead to a loss of sense of time and place. However, these symptoms are short-lived and return with the physical symptomsfading. The vestibular system and visual system are interconnected, leading to problems with visual-spatial tasks. Studies suggest a strong link between vestibular dysfunction and difficulties with spatial memory, navigation, and mental rotation.
The hippocampus, involved in vestibular functioning and spatial memory, may also be involved in these issues. Despite the unclear mechanisms of overlap, people with vestibular conditions may experience impaired eye-hand coordination and depth perception. Cognitive fatigue occurs when cognitive energy is used to maintain equilibrium, leading to increased effort required for activities that were once easy and minimal effort. This can lead to drainedness of energy and the need for rest or naps, affecting spontaneity.
Does vestibular disease affect the brain?
Vestibular disorders (PVD) and central vestibular disorders (CVD) are conditions that affect the inner ear or the nerve that transmits balance signals to the brain. Common symptoms include dizziness and vertigo, which can be disoriented or spinning, and other symptoms depending on the specific condition or balance issues. These conditions can affect the brain’s ability to process balance signals from the peripheral vestibular system.
What are the psychological effects of vestibular disorders?
Vestibular disorders are a condition characterized by the inability to move or balance, causing individuals to experience a range of physical and mental symptoms. These symptoms can include anxiety, low mood, panic, cognitive problems with spatial cognition, attention, and executive function, and cognitive deficits that can hinder driving and employment, leading to functional impairments. These psychological factors are intrinsically linked to quality of life, with implications for clinical care and daily activities.
The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the impact of psychological distress in vestibular disorders, with evidence suggesting that psychological distress following acute infection and during social distancing restrictions can exacerbate vestibular symptoms, particularly lightheadedness and nonspecific dizziness. Currently, most research has focused on the lived experiences and daily life challenges faced by individuals with vestibular disorders and how psychological factors contribute to these issues.
The vestibular system is different from our other senses, as it has a constant resting, baseline firing rate and does not provide a conscious sensation. Vestibular symptoms are difficult for patients to verbalise, making it difficult for clinicians to reach a diagnosis and contributing to poor societal awareness of vestibular disorders. A deeper understanding of vestibular and psychological factors is needed to better understand how daily activities are impacted and develop person-centered care.
Is vestibular damage brain damage?
A brain injury can damage the vestibular system, causing the brain to receive inaccurate information about the body’s position in space, resulting in vertigo when someone moves. Additionally, a brain injury may cause dysfunction of the nerve connecting the sensory apparatus to the brain, which works like a seesaw. If one nerve is not functioning, the other side becomes overactive, causing imbalance, unsteadiness, or dizziness.
Damage to the areas of the brain that directly process information from other components of the system can manifest as continuous dizziness, vertigo, blurred vision, difficulty reading, and poor balance.
A physical therapist with specialized training in vestibular impairments can evaluate balance problems and dizziness to develop a treatment plan and help the body move better. The therapist will use tests to evaluate symptoms and eye movements, examine the quality of eye movements and focus on a target, and assess balance during tasks relying heavily on the vestibular system. Based on the results of these tests, the therapist will design a treatment plan or complete more in-depth testing to determine the part of the vestibular system that is impaired. Rehabilitation strategies and treatment are selected based on the location of the dysfunction within the vestibular system.
What are vestibular side effects?
Vestibular dysfunction can be caused by peripheral and central causes, which can manifest acutely or chronically. Peripheral causes involve the vestibular system’s membranous labyrinth and superior and inferior vestibular nerves, while central causes involve the central nervous system’s proper pathology. Acute vestibular syndrome is characterized by symptoms such as vertigo, nausea, vomiting, head motion intolerance, unsteady gait, and postural instability.
Paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is a mechanical disorder of the inner ear causing short intervals of transient vertigo, often accompanied by autonomic symptoms. BPPV affects at least 20 individuals with moderate to severe dizziness/vertigo and is the most common cause of brief, episodic, peripheral vestibular dysfunction. Symptoms typically last two weeks, with individual episodes lasting less than one minute and occurring several times daily.
BPPV is most often caused by “canalithiasis”, free-floating otoconia that move to the most dependent position within the canal when the head changes position, causing displacement of the cupula and spinning sensation. Less commonly, particles may adhere to the cupula in the ampulla of the semicircular canal, causing similar but longer-lasting symptoms with head movements. BPPV symptoms are most noticeable with changes in position and are usually worse in the morning.
What calms the vestibular system?
Swinging from a single hung point can calm the vestibular system, providing the longest benefits for children with sensory processing disorders. A recommended daily routine is 15 minutes in the morning and again in the afternoon, with additional 15 minutes at night if sleeping is challenging. A swing hung from a single suspended point is ideal for providing effective and long-lasting vestibular input. Other sensory options for vestibular input include:
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Number 5 is how I ended up adopting a 12 year old Bichon Frise. I’m a vet nurse and answered the phone call from his owner wanting to book him in for euthanasia as they were moving house and didn’t want to take him with them. I was familiar with her dog as she had brought him in a few times just prior to this wanting medication for his “anxiety”. Yeah, she requested Valium by name (was that number 6 or 7?) The vet prescribed Endep (tricyclic antidepressant) instead, and the owner wasn’t happy with that, so kept bringing him in to try and get Valium. I have a soft spot for bichons, they’re one of my favourite breeds (I know, they’re notoriously awful patients, but super sweet, intelligent, ridiculously cute pets)and I had owned 2 before him, so he was also memorable to me for that reason. It was probably very unprofessional of me, but I asked if she would consider letting me adopt him, and fortunately she agreed. The cold hearted b### had her 18 year old son drop him off to my house, he said a very tearful goodbye and told me that the dog had been his 6th birthday present. It was horrible and so sad, but he wasn’t ready or able to move out of his parents’ house and take his dog. I felt so awful for the kid, and I told him that he was welcome to check in on the dog any time, and he did, just once at Christmas time when he brought me a card thanking me for saving his dog from being put down. Little Ralphie had another happy 3 years with me, adopting a senior dog and letting him live his best life during his twilight years was a really rewarding experience, I highly recommend it!
You helped me through a crisis with my cat, who had an open abscess on his jaw. They are beautiful caring people at the Veterinary Office, but when they were going to keep my cat in office and treat him, the starting cost to the treatment equaled my monthly housing cost. I declined hospitalizing my cat and took the antibiotics for him. I begged them for instructions on how to care for him at home and was only told to keep the wound open and clean. They were so mad at me, and expected my cat to die! Afterwards I went on an information hunt, talking to rancher friends, a previous vet tech, and searching online for instructions (I found you)… also, our local farm & ranch supply had a number of products for stock that were useful… a sterile medicated wound cleaning solution was a cat saver! That, and one of those baby nose syringes… I set up a home hospital, and took care of my cat’s wound on a 3x a day schedule irrigating the wound, keeping it clean, clipping the dead edge of skin. He was such a patient little cat, and was totally back to normal within a couple of weeks… and I was still able to pay my housing cost! I really value our veterinarians, but sometimes we need in-home care instructions to put good care of our pets within our reach!
Thank you Dr Jones. I agree 200%. My dog is 12.5 years old. She gets the 3-year Rabies (obligatory in Ontario, Canada); no annual “boosters” as she is no longer running after the wild critters off leash in the woods; and no heart worm meds after she turned 2. She has all kinds of healthy “human” grade toppings that are non-toxic for dogs. In fact, I believe she eats better than me 😂 I also love the home meds that you have shared in your other articles – we use Benadryl for allergies, Aspirin for pain, glucosamine chondroitin MSM… I wished there’re more GENUINE vets like you! ❤🙏🏻
Took my Maine coon cat to the vet for a flea allergy. I told him my cat was pregnant but he argued with me that she wasn’t. I saw her mate several times and her nipples were developing so I’m pretty sure she was. Well, he gave her medication. Later she had kittens. Every single one of them was either born with severe cleft lips and palates or were born dead. It was heartbreaking because the live ones soon died because they were suffocating on their mother’s milk. Two days later she delivered a dead kitten. It was the last one I had to bury. She was traumatized. I found an abandoned kitten. Gave it a bath to remover any foreign odor from him and gave it to her. She love that kitten and treated it like gold. He became a fat little butterball. I never went back to that vet. She got over her allergy and never got it again. I don’t know why she got over it . She still picked up fleas occasionally. I had her for over 20 years and she never had any other kittens born deformed or dead.
My friend had an argument with the vet about yearly vaccine. Vet said your dog needs it every year, she said no he doesn’t. Anyway my friend had a private blood test taken when the results came back she showed her vet boy he was not happy. Blood test showed her dog had at least 5yrs cover and didn’t need it. So basically vets are pumping vaccines in every year when they don’t need it. This is why a High percentage of dogs are back and forwards to the vets. This was also concluded in a trial many years ago.
This past year I went to a closer vet that I used to use years ago, for my dogs yeast ear infection. I tried your remedies and they didn’t work for me. He mentioned that I hadn’t been in in quite a while and I said they had misdiagnosed so many things I went to another vet, but he had now retired so I was trying them again. That set him back but he was polite and said they would try better. I told him the problem, said it was a YEAST infection due to feeding something I shouldn’t have and he prescribed the meds. I asked again if it was for YEAST and he said it was for “everything”. I did 10 days of the drops and it did NOTHING! I called them to see what they suggested and was told to come back in (30 minute drive each way plus another $60 for meds) and get some different drops. These ones SAID it was for yeast and the ear was improved in 2 days (although I did finish the prescription). I also want to mention that another vet previously, who I knew quite well, told me that he retired when he saw that they were TEACHING the new vets to charge huge fees because the ones that could pay would come and pay and the ones that couldn’t….well, they didn’t care about “us”. He said that was his cue to get out of the industry.
I ❤️ my vet and so do my 2 boxers. Both have terminal illnesses. Chinese herbs, mushrooms, cimetidine, benadryl and CBD oil keeping them at good levels. I decided no vaccines from now on but do heartworm prevention as I live in Arkansas, USA. The CBD oil you recommended in the past has helped so much with my 11 year old dementia baby. Our visit with my vet was last week and he agreed with my plan not to add anything else to their med regime. We are staying on what is helping currently and they will live their best life until it isn’t. Lots of love and pets, scratches and cuddles. Vets as a profession have a super high suicide rate. Please make sure your Vet knows they are appreciated and valued. If you can, let them know if they need to talk you’re willing to listen. You Dr Jones are an awesome human being and an even more awesome Vet. Thank you!
I am new to learning about treating my dogs with natural home remedies or meds that are readily available and safe for dogs. I’ve been perusal your articles for a couple of years now, and you’ve helped me and my dogs MUCH more than any vet. Our 13 year old St. Bernard/New Foundland hasn’t really been able to walk without assistance in about 6 months. X-rays show she has terrible arthritis. They were ready to try laser therapy and a shot, but after that they recommended thinking about euthanasia for her. She’s an otherwise healthy dog! I watched your articles on treating arthritis in dogs…she’s now on 3 supplements and while she’s not running any laps…she’s certainly improving beyond expectations! Thank you for all you do!! We are so thankful for your wealth of knowledge and information and your willingness to share it with us!! ❤️
One thing vets should never say to their sobbing client who has come in with their aging sick dog for that final appointment. “Are you sure?” That question still haunts me. One of the worst days of my life, and instead of remembering how I held her and loved her and was there with her, all I hear is that vet’s voice, “Are you sure?” echoing in my mind. Deep deep painful guilt piled on top of the deep deep pain of loss.
There are good vets and terrible vets. Money driven vets and vets who are reasonable and discussing options. Most vets I’ve found are nice… but when you get a bad one it is brutal. I was so blessed to find several vets perfect for my dog .. he lived to 17 and was a happy guy at the doctor’s visits. I found one that I left half way thru the visit and cried in my car! My pet’s safety and happiness is my goal. So happy I found a few who feel the same.
I did number 7 and told him about this guy on the internet that had a remedy for kennel cough last year, told him what I was doing and he was actually on board with it. Lol. SOOOOO much respect for your opinion on the shots too. Sir, your website is a GIFT and you are doing incredible work. Cant thank you enough for simply being honest.
I am eternally grateful to you Dr Jones. I have found a new vet on the island I live that she seems to be on the same page as you. Practices Chinese and western med. No ❤or flea tic preventive. Ok with just testing twice a year. And I would’ve never even sought her out if not for you! May God bless you good sir!
Ugh. I’ve taken my 13 yr old to Petsmart and I’ve told them I don’t want her vaccinated. They respond with “well, it’s required by the state of TX that they need to be vaccinated with the rabies shot.” I’m like, she’s got acute pancreatitis, and a heart murmur, so I’m not going to allow anyone to mess with her immunity.”
My biggest problem with vets is that they virtually demand that you give your pet the “gold level” treatment, even though they won’t understand why they’re wearing the “Cone of shame” or why you’re forcing pills into their mouth. The vets need to be more understanding that people have different levels of expectations about their pet’s care – anywhere from “do everything, at any cost!” To “what’s the cheapest method of treating this”
My 19 year old chihuahua has only gotten vaccinated when she was a puppy and that was it. She is still going strong and have always declined her getting any additional vaccines/heartworm meds when I go in for her yearly checkups. Also might add she was considered the “runt” of the litter. I really feel it’s about the combination of what you feed them and the water they drink. I have never given her tap water. Also give her CBD oil and of course plenty of love. Edit:Forgot to mention oral hygiene. She still has all her teeth. I brush them every other day.
I had a Lhasa Apso in 2011 that I took for regular visit to the Vet. He said she had maybe a week to live due to cancer in her chest cavity, though he couldn’t find a tumor. Fluid build up and bloodwork convinced him of this. He prescribed Lasix and Prednisone. I asked if there was any alternative-type medicine I could try, he said I’d be wasting my money, he was doing all there was to do. I looked online and found your site as well as others to see what I could do. I bought several supplements and started her on them. I did not tell him. She was still alive on her next visit 6 months later. He was shocked that she was still alive. Said there was no sign of cancer. He said what he gave her must have cured her, even though he told me initially it wasn’t a cure, just something to alleviate the symptoms. 3 Years later on her regular visit, he said the cancer had come back, that she had days to live, and that I really needed to put her down. I said “thanks” and I left. I checked for another Vet the same day, they agreed to take a look. They said she did not have cancer, but rather Chylothorax, and that meds could help her. Long story short, she lived another 2 years until I finally had to put her down. Many Vets do not want to be told any other options other than their own.
My dog had Leukaemia and had trouble breathing. I phoned Elderdog and asked for help. They said that they would be happy to pay for as much oxygen, the mask and the regulator. Our vet declined saying SHE wasn’t comfortable with that and gave us a prescription for OxyContin which made my dog seize. My dog passed January 3 this year. She could probably have made it a few more months without the horrible drugs but the gift of oxygen. I miss my girl
I get mine the legal minimum for shots. I do think the rabies works, is effective longer then is thought and there are cases of it in my area. My oldest gsd dog is the healthiest 15yr old in the neighborhood. He’s healthier then some 10yr old ones. We do the best dog food I can find, lots of carrots, peas and leftovers on Sundays/major holidays
I had a friend have her four year old cavoodle euthanised because it kept fighting with her other dogs. She wanted to punish her husband so she had her dog put down. When I told her she could simply surrender the dog so it could go to a loving home, she said no, it was her dog and she didn’t want to see it with anyone else. The dog simply wanted to be a one dog family. I’m no longer in contact with her. It’s a very narcissistic attitude to say ‘if i can’t have it, nobody can’.
I have great vet specialists for my dog. I told them holistic treatments I am using and raw feeding and they were very supportive. His internists even recommended natural treatments to build up his muscles after his stroke and Cushings. I told her my regular vet wanted him to come in for his shots (rabies shot is required by law) and she said absolutely not especially with his health conditions and sent me a waiver. I consider my Adam and myself lucky to have found these vets in my area. Thank you for all of your informative articles!
We live in the southeastern United States. Heartworms are extremely prevalent here. I work in rescue and approximately 30% of our rescues come into rescue heartworm positive. Treatment is painful and expensive (much more expensive than preventative), not to mention frustrating for the dog as you must keep them “quiet” for months–no running around and playing and just being a happy dog. Heartworm positive dogs must stay in rescue longer (until the heartworms are treated)–so other dogs don’t get that space and die because we can’t take the dog in, and any necessary surgery must be delayed until the heartworms are treated. If the surgery cannot be delayed, that puts the dog at greater risk for poor surgical outcomes. We feel that we would be remiss NOT to provide our own dogs with heartworm preventative (year round) and we require all adoptors to give it to the dog(s) they adopt (year round). If you live in an area where heartworms are rare, fine. But if you live in an area where heartworms are common, the risks of giving preventative are far less than the risks of the disease. Just my experience and I do trust my vet (who went to school for 8 years and has a DVM degree—which I do not) when she says “keep your dogs on heartworm preventative”.
I don’t like the fact that our Vet will NOT examine my dog in front of us! The dog had a lump removed from his butt, they prescribed 2 pain meds, one being Gabapentin? Refused the G. After I passed on some of the additional stuff, like E Collar etc, (cant reach his butt….long body) they padded the bill with misc crap. I find it peculiar and underhanded. I will stand my ground with a Vet as I’m not dumb. As far as them going Corp, subsidiary of Mars started that……. all about the $$$$$, therefore we stay away from those.
It goes both ways regarding having a respectful discussion with listening skills. My observations have been negated at some visits which have sent me running to another practice to have the proper tests run for an accurate diagnosis. Listening to the client who lives with the animal & knows their health history is very important.
Well, I went ahead and told my veterinarian that my last three dogs have died from cancer and it’s either the air they’re breathing, the food they were getting or vaccinations and I’m taking care of all three. She totally understood because if she didn’t understand I was going to find another veterinarian. I told her about the man in Congress who was a veterinarian and said vaccines are killing our dogs and Congress said Yep continue doing what you have to do. These guidelines suck and I think a lot of veterinarians know it. Cancer is now huge for dogs. I feed my dogs a cooked diet that I prepare every day. Walk them every day. Give them lots of love and filtered water. I will take them to the veterinarian if they really need help but they are doing very well. Praise God.
I watched your article on making home made cat food few weeks ago and my picky eater cat loved it. I’ve been making her home made food for a month now and saw that her fur had significantly improve and she doesn’t vomit hairball anymore as she can pass it through her stool! So glad that I found your article!
My old vet almost killed my dog…multiple times! She was diabetic, and the vet would not listen to me when I told her about the reactions she had to the insulin and drugs she was on! They actually wanted to put her to sleep, when I told her she had a bladder infection! She was so lethargic, and we had her scheduled to be put to sleep on Monday. Over the weekend I took her off all of her drugs except her insulin and antibiotics, and two days later, she was up and playing! Changed vets after that! How that woman passed veterinary school is beyond me! My baby lived for two 1/2 more years. Finally passed away from old age & cancer.
I’ve been coming here and doing my own research and, multiple personal dog experiences, this website has helped me and has covered all of the important issues I’ve run across. Except one. Maybe I overlooked it, but it seems to me and I’ve personally observed the transformation of vetranary clinics over last 8 or so yrs becoming an Association and the all follow Big Pharma type unneccassary tests and medications. It’s become so much ALL about the money. My heart and condolences go out to every pet owner who’s carried their half lifeless dog or cat into the emergency vet only to confront the heartless greedy money wanting bloodsuckers and won’t even help your best friend until the money is worked out. I no longer patronized my local vet. Went Hollistic, even doing acupuncture and chiro on mine currently with measurable successs. This website is doing Gods work. Thank you for making these vids. Have helped my furry friend countless times with info I’ve gotten by perusal your articles.
A conscientious veterinarian told me that she was seeing sick dogs from all over the USA when she introduced herself to me. She was seeing so many people because she was the only vet within hundreds of miles that was only charging a few hundred dollars to take care of complete heart test and dental extraction and cleaning for those dogs with bad teeth. I now share the info that she shared with me to as many people as I can about the Paleo diet for dogs. Dogs are supposed to have enzymes from moist food and that is what helps keep their teeth healthy. Dry food has too many carbs and causes gingivitis. I feed raw, organ meat, goat milk, dried duck chews, bully chews, vegetables, fruits, quinoa, etc. For dogs that might have yeast or other skin issues there is an indoor bath at some stores where they have peroxide shower to disinfect the pups coat and gear. I make my own Colloidal silver to spray as needed for any issues.
My dog is 17, haven’t had him to a vet in years, maybe since he was 12, it was such a traumatic experience for him, so I decided at 12 years of age, I’m not putting him thru this anymore. For 17, he’s pretty healthy, his back legs are weak of course he struggles at times to get up, I make most of his food, boiled free range chicken, and organic ground beef, the occasional steak for a special treat, when it’s time, I will help him cross the rainbow bridge with the help of a vet. If love could keep him alive, he would live forever 💗
Be polite, but for goodness sake, be your honest self. No individual should have to subjugate or relinquish their presumed equal standing for fear of personally slighting any supposed ‘professional service provider’; this is oxymoron(ic) stipulative reasoning, that might actually compound or enable the problems progressively seen in such industries.
I’ve been very upfront with both my vets. I have an holistic vet and a regular vet. The holistic vet does not do teeth cleaning or any possible surgeries. They are aware that I use them both depending on the issue, and occasionally, I’ve consulted both about a specific problem before deciding on the best course of action. Both vets are realistically priced, and I do not feel pushed into treatments as both respect my wishes and they are more than happy to discuss options. Best of both worlds!!!
Dr. Jones, I’ve had a question for your regarding the rabbies vaccination. I stopped vaccinating my dog but they say it is against the law. So I cannot take my dog to the vet anymore. The thing is that government is tampering all vaccines including for animals with graphene that contains complex high tech ingredients to …. What do you think to have dogs seen by vets when really needed without the rabbies vaccination❓
Here’s a non-traditional approach. Praying against the spirits of disease. I put my hand on my dog’s chest and prayed against the spirit of pulmonary hypertension, not one episode since. Since nobody could seem to agree whether he had it or not and he’s now no longer symptomatic. Have the drugs ready to be on board if need be, but always pray against the spirit of whatever the disease is, I’ve seen miracles.
I always start my seminars with students going into the vet field talking about debt. Suicide rates are way to high in our field. A lot of this has to do with the debt load, stress load and financial burden. There was a wonderful Ted talk I attended awhile back in Coeurdalene Idaho that talks about it. The fact that most of us know someone whose taken their own life over this job is terrifying.
It’s hard to avoid the vaccine talk, because vets push it on animals so much. I find myself repeating that my cat will pass on any vaccine except a rabies shot, which is mandated by law for surgical procedures/anesthesia involved procedures, and they are SO pushy. HUGE turn off. They must get kick backs or something, seriously.
That’s easier said than done. We live in Kelowna and heartworm is not an issue here but my vets would not take no for an answer on vaxes or heartworm meds. They also described me as “noncompliant” bc I home cook for my dogs. not raw but meat veg and rice. I never knew they expected compliance! I would try not to bring it up and not to have discussions but they can be quite persistent. All my dogs live into their late teens with very little health issues. we currently have a 17 yr old Lhassa who’s very spunky.
Thanks and I agree totally with you. With so many Vets going Corp things have changed so very much for my ability to do well by my kids- both cats and dogs. I the last 3 years thing have gone from me working hand in hand with my Vets to them coming in with a diagnosis and meds without talking with me- other then the initial discussion of the problem. Then they give a bill with bogus charges and escalated prices. Example is office visit has tripled. I have no problem paying for good services but not it is only get them in and out- just like people. I know the price increase is from the Company the Vets are working for but I hate hearing it as an excuse. Needless to say I am looking for another Vet.
I completely agree with everything you tell us, when I was a kid our dogs were in their late teens 14- 15- 16 before we would loose one, now if we get ten years out of a dog it’s normal.. the only thing that has changed is we don’t feed them table scraps and they get their shots every year. It speaks volumes.
Took my 18 year old cat in Oct 2023 as he was sick. His kidneys were shutting down. The vet suggested euthanisia. I dont believe in that. So I asked the vet to do what she could, and I brought him home. I started giving him canned tuna water, then the tuna. Then I got food with gravey, and I made chicken soup giving him broth and chicken. Its Jan 15, 2024 and the cat is still following me around the house and my best buddy! Im not saying this will last forever, but at least he is given a chance!
LOL! Well these are helpful, but in my experience many vets simply do not want clients to weigh in on their pet’s care. I had a vet get very angry with me when I declined flea preventative and worm medication for my young dog without any reason to believe she was suffering with these parasites. (btw, the puppy had been given a round of Panacur just two weeks prior before I picked her up in Poland. In addition, I was happy to pay for a fecal test to make sure she didn’t have a problem.) She countered with, “where did you go to vet school?” At which time I countered with, “I don’t believe you need to go to vet school to use common sense.” And then she called me a terrible, terrible person. LOL! One week later at a different vet office, I did bring in a fecal which showed that my dog was clear of all parasites. Vets, just like many medical professionals, can have glass egos when it comes to being treated like mere mortals in my experience. If you don’t believe they’re gods, they can get very testy.
I’ve only had one vet talk down to me during a disagreement. Most I’ve dealt with are super professional. But this one was so wrong and condescending (and I was proven right) I made her eat her words with a side of crow. And I changed clinics immediately. Any professional who tries to shame (vet or not) isn’t worth your time. And they’re definitely not worth risking your pet’s well-being.
One of my dogs was limping I was concerned about Lyme disease. I was drinking green juice at the time lemon kiwi and apple everything with the skins and seeds and everything. I read in a book that we could feed that to animals and I fed to my dog, in two hours she was not limping anymore. I continue to feed her twice a day the juice for seven days and she was great. I set up an appointment with the vet because I wanna make sure she have an exam and she doesn’t have Lyme disease I told him what I gave it to her and he told me that it’s an anti-inflammatory. Now I know my juice name is an anti-inflammatory lol otherwise I would just call green juice.😅 IT HEALED/HEALS MY AND DOGS ARTHRITIS, MY DOGS FLIES RUNNING WHEN TAKING IT. It ACTS AMAZING ON OUR JOINTS. ITS FOR SURE DIVINE!!!🙏🙏
I enjoyed this article, even if maybe for slightly different reasons than it was intended for. These were a handful of pet peeves for vets. They tell me what a vast variety of different people and different belief systems a vet encounters in their clients owners. But in the broader sense this article is about owner-vet communication. I own cats and find the communication with vets extremely difficult, it just goes wrong very easily and very often. There just is a communication abyss that I can’t seem to overcome. 1) as a layman telling my pets symptoms and why I decided to bring the pet to be seen by a vet without the skill to preselect relevant from irrelevant. I am not trained to give them the clinic as another vet would be able to. And because I know that I am not a vet and because I know that I don’t know relevant from irrelevant I try to be at least comprehensive just in case some observations I made could help. I expect the vet to have the time to listen and to do the work of sorting relevant from irrelevant. Unfortunately they rarely if ever have that time and seem to zoom out after 1 sentence. I have now made the habit to train what I say before the vet visit because I know that I have 2 sentences maximum. A lot of information isn’t conveyed. Sometimes crucial things that I only learned were crucial in retrospect. When it was too late. 2) owners are probably very different. I need to know details even if I don’t understand them there and then. I do google and I do try to read up on things to the best of my layman ability.
1.) If you have a budget for the day, don’t tell your vet about it AFTER you have finished with the visit and arrived at check out. Rather, tell them BEFORE work has begun. This way, your vet can prioritize what they need do to your pet that day, based on what your budget is, and discuss whatever else may be needed during a future visit. Please don’t leave surprises such as this one till the end. 2. Focus on the pet you are presenting to the veterinarian that day. Yes, many of you have multiple pets at home. But it’s hard enough trying to keep track of what’s going on with a single non-verbal animal, much less several of them simultaneously (including those who are not present for an exam). 3. Do not tell us that your dog with a 9/9 body condition score (ie. morbidly obese) receives zero extra food at home aside from his/her properly measured out dog food. As pets do not gain weight on breathing oxygen alone, we know better, and it makes you look silly and in utter denial. 4. Do not tell us that the 6-8″ tumor protruding from your dog’s body was just noticed a few days ago. This is not only blatantly untrue and in defiance of all common sense, but it is also completely unhelpful/counterproductive because accurate information on the tumor’s true growth rate can be helpful in making a diagnosis. 5. We don’t want to hear about your plans to breed your “purebred” mixed breed dog. No, people, a labradoodle is not a breed. In most cases, breeding is done to select for perfection in any given breed, thus helping to improve the breed according to breed standards (ie.
I had a vet (briefly) who went into overdrive with medication when my dog had a scratch rash. He pumped him up with a couple of powerful antibiotics and steroids and my healthy dog died within 6 months from a cardiac arrest. Thankfully now I have a wonderful vet who is open to all 6 things you’ve mentioned and yet is proactive without overmedicating my youngest dog.
I took 5 dogs to a new vet, 3 belonged to my boss and were fed Purina, my 2 raw. My working Border Collie was last to be checked. Vet remarked how clean and good her teeth were, she guessed har age at 7 or 8 when she was 14. She asked what I fed her and when I said raw she told me I needed to change it to kibble or something they sold. I just laughed and pointed out how she had praised how good and fit she was whereas bosses dogs needed teeth cleaned. Dogs fed raw need chunks of meat and also bones they can eat, not just marrow bones.
Good to know! But, I admit that I have brought up the vaccine issue. They didn’t like hearing it, but my vet wants all vaccines annually except rabies. My little fur baby developed mast cell tumors where two vaccines were given. I cried every day. I feed him raw, post surgery with almost no vaccines. It’s been over two years and he’s doing well with no MCT’s. My other fur baby receives all vaccines because she loves going to day care. She developed kennel cough even though she’s vaccinated for it. I’m just a concerned mom.
I brush my dogs teeth every day, and when I took him in to a new vet for the first time she commented how great his teeth looked. I told her how I brush them every day. She told me even she doesn’t do that to her dogs, and she then encouraged me that I should still purchase a special dental food diet as well ( I really don’t know why). I did not say anything, but afterwards I read the ingredients of the food and the first ingredients were corn and did not look good at all!
Actually my vet is right out of school,bought our retiring vets practice and loathes holistic vets. She hasn’t made much money off of us because we research everything. And our old vet would give us numerous suggestions on how to save money with over the counter meds which the new vet doesn’t. And the hard sell on the crap food she pushes is actually driving people away,it’s a small town and word travels fast here. It’s a farming community here and if you work with the people instead of fighting them,you might get further ahead in life.
Every dog that had vaccines died earlier than the dogs who were not fully vaccinated. They get rabies because I have to by law. The normal lifespan for my large K9’s without junk vaccines is 15-18 years. With junk vaccines they tend to live to be 8-9 years old. I prefer to keep my K9’s alive. My little terriers all lived to be in their 20’s.
I’ll never not say these things sometimes. It’s a good way to screen a new vet. 😉 I had a raw food discussion with my vet & a student. The vet talked about the dangers of raw. I explained the dog’s gut bio is different than ours and pointed out that lots of dogs eat all kinds of (fresh) poop & are fine. I asked if they didn’t think it’s weird that dog poop takes forever to decompose. Gosh they hadn’t noticed. I told them when I was a kid 50 yrs ago that dog poop turned white in just a few days and crumbled away; that commercial foods have changed & whatever they did to it almost, if not completely, stops the decomposition. They were dumbfounded and had no explanation. There’s a rarity!
I learned this lesson when I was fostering a dog and we visited the conventional vet. He didn’t want to hear that the dog might have food allergies. He didn’t want to hear that we could use natural remedies to clear out ear infections…Thinking back, you are right, there are some things you don’t mention to a vet unless you want to be read the riot act.
I want to thank you for helping us folks I am 70 years old and on a pension recently my 13 year old chihuahua had a bad eye infection so I used chamomile tea bags like you suggested and within 5 days his eye was healed ! You saved me over 200+ dollars right there! Thank you Dr Jones! also my dog and cat live strictly indoors and my vet was always pressuring me with letters and phone calls to take them for vaccines, kennel cough. heart worm meds etc all very expensive which I struggle to pay for! I have now stopped all that. I look after both of them and they are in good health. One day l hope we will be able to get CDB oil for animals here in Australia Thank You and MERRY CHRISTMAS
When I was younger I remember bringing a pup to the vet for his vaccinations and that was usually it until that dog had issues related to an injury or old age. These days most vets want to see you every 3 months for regular flea tick and lice treatments whether your dog actually requires them or not. I’ll do all I can to keep my dogs healthy but everyone has a financial limit regarding the welfare of their animals and vets routinely fail to recognize this simple fact.
I for one, appreciate your candor. It should be obvious that pharma rules the world and have a monopoly on medical protocols for all of us, our pets included. There’s a lot of money at stake both in training and potential sales and investment in meds. However, natural remedies are known to work without dangerous side effects and have been around and effective for centuries and since ancient times. All we surely know about pharmaceuticals is that there are usually always side effects; often dangerous ones, that create a domino effect by needing more meds to treat more side effects and so on. There is certainly a call for meds in acute situations, but they are not always necessary and people should be given the right to choose. Trained doctors and vets are human too and make their share of mistakes. Ergo, they should not be the ones to decide. Especially as it’s not their pet or money that is at stake.
I recently adopted a neglected 2-year-old rescue dog. She hadn’t been spayed and had puppies, was heartworm positive (from AR, now in NY), and born blind. She is now heartworm negative on retesting after treatment. I don’t understand why they tell me she has to be on heartworm pills year-round FOREVER because she HAD heartworm. I’d like her to have a break from them and just use them seasonally. I’d prefer not to use them at all because I’ve read they don’t really prevent heartworm. Friends of ours who have always given heartworm pills now have a heartworm positive dog at 13 years of age and has to go through treatment. How does that happen if heartworm pills actually work?
When it comes to #1 about what to feed your pet, I think Vets should not push the foods they display in their facilities to their pet owners. Even more so, take down the food display because it’s generally only one or two manufacturers that you display and suggest to your client on what to feed because it’s the BEST, RIGHT???!!! Like the Science Diet for instance and so many others. What a turn-off. Can you say KICKBACK?! Like, what’s in it for you Doc?
oh my goodness! We just experienced this!!! We took our dog this past week to the vet for the first time in 6 years ( we were desperate) It was the third time they asked me about up to date on vaccines and I finally said our dog got the initial vaccines but since we personally chose NOT to vaccinate he is NOT up to date and the vet turned red and said that dogs like ours put other dogs at risk!!!! This was good information and I will keep this in mind if we can find a vet who will now see our dog without being “up to date” We watch your articles and try to care naturally but the natural stuff was not working for his ears so we had to go!
Hi Doc, great advice as always. The asking politely if you disagree. I agree on the being polite, but having argued with three surgeons chomping at the bit for $100k plus another $100k follow-ups wanting to crack open my Mom’s chest, and she is fine fifteen years later without it. Sometimes you have to read them, and put your foot down if needed. That’s my mom, and I would have sold everything I had, it wasn’t money, she had excellent insurance, but it was money for them. And it was it was the only millisecond reaction on two of three faces when asked “do you honestly believe this is best?” The one honestly did think it was best option or was a better liar. I honestly don’t know. It’s not easily taught, but ask questions that require a little thought, ask the yes answers first to get your baseline, mix a couple “no’s” in, to read them when they switch legitimately. Then ask a few more given “no’s” then ask the important question, keeping eye contact.
How can a veterinarian be too lazy to address the issues And concerns that owners have. We pay you guys a lot of money the least. We could get beside a prescription is information. My question to you, doctor is who is doing the Extensive studies on vaccines😅. And how many of them are independent. The same people that sell the vaccines Work together with the same people that approves them. Every time they put a new medication on the market, the f. D a gets paid. So where do you get your extensive research from. I love a lot of your articles, but this is ridiculous. If somebody pays a lot of money to come, see you. The least thing you can do is give them enough time to discuss all their concerns.Whether you like hearing them or not. It’s unethical.
I guess I’m lucky. My vets are very open to alternative treatments. When my Maltese was having back issues, two of my vets recommended that I take him to an animal certified chiropractor – after conventional methods failed. Best advice ever! And he – the chiropractor – gave me the name of a vet who practiced acupuncture – which was a game-changer for my dog. After just one treatment, my little dog who had not been able to use his back legs prior to the treatment, was up walking across the room just 24 hours later. The vet who performed the treatment warned me prior to giving it, not to get my hopes up, but he surprised us both. Trying something “outside the box” can be just what your pet needs. But then, I’m in human healthcare, and have always been receptive to other forms of care.
I’m paying for your services, I will say whatever I want that is in the best interest of my pet. If you aren’t willing to listen to a paying customer the best thing they can do is go elsewhere!! Your “bedside” manner would be extremely offsetting to me. I take very good care of my pet, vax, food and all. Egos and vanity! I worked with surgeons for 30 years whose egos were bigger than their skills!
That was well said, I am not a vet I’m not in the medical profession at all. Just the person that has a couple dogs.. Thank you ✅. I can’t believe somebody would ask veterinarian to euthanize a healthy animal .. that’s just ridiculous. Good for you putting this up for people to be able to hear and see
I adopted a husky recently and brought him in to my previous vet who was so wonderful. I wanted to vaccinate for lepto which she happily did. She recommended heart worm check since he was a stray and we weren’t aware of his previous travel, if any, which we did and came back negative. She said we have a near 0 incident rate in our area but still sent him home with a dewormer as it can take months after exposure. After discussing risk and benefits we decided that giving him a dose and recheck in 6 and 12 months was best course. You are taking your pet to see a doctor and like with any qualified medical professional it should be an open discussion about the risks and benefits of any treatment or preventative therapy. You likely know your dog or cat better than the veterinarian but the veterinarian is an expert in health care so listen to their advice with an open mind. They want the best quality of life for your animals just like you do.
I don’t lie to my vet when asked certain questions, but I don’t volunteer information that insults their ego. Some vets are condescending and arrogant, and after Covid, they’ve become worse. I’ve been gaslit and my pet has suffered because of it. Medications and treatments have been used on my pet without informing me of the pros/cons beforehand. My dog developed a tumor that his vet thought would outlive him, but it didn’t. He didn’t do anything about it and now it’s the size of a small grapefruit. It recently opened and now I have to spend thousands on a surgeon when it could’ve been removed at a vet’s office when it was more manageable. Aside from this my dog still runs around, eats well, and loves his life. I cook my dog’s meals and stopped vaccinating at 8, he’s now 17 and thriving. I’ve used a holistic animal desk reference for ailments that I’m familiar with, but I don’t rely on internet influencers to treat my pet. I’ve lost complete respect for the veterinary profession but fortunately, I’ve found a new vet who is kind, professional and addresses all my concerns. She genuinely cares for the wellness of my pet, and aside from her, I will never blindly trust a veterinarian or medical doctor. The relationship isn’t transactional. We’re dealing with lives.
Thanks so much for this content. I have a puppy who is just this week due to get her 2nd set of vaccinations. I’ll probably let her get them, but I’ll only give them every 2 years after that. We’re an over vaccinated society in general. So great that you have this website. So informative and more comforting coming from a person in the field. Keep them coming. Oh, do you have any suggestions for chicken treatments. I have ducks, turkeys and chickens and would love to hear your views regarding alternative treatments. (ie. eye infections, mareks, coccidiosis, parasite control).
I have realised no matter where you go you need to educate yourself before going to any professional so when they tell you what to do you can make an informed decision from different points of views. Sometimes when you go to a vet, a lawyer or whatever they think you are ignorant and will just take their advice because they know better. I watch all your articles and that of other people who are not pushing the various meds and offer alternatives and it has empowered me when I go to see these professionals so I know what is them trying to make money and what is truly best for my pet.
I used a conventional vet and also a traditional Chinese medicine vet. My conventional vet thought I was crazy about raw feeding and no vaccines, no flea meds, no tick meds etc but they said it was their job to inform me and I said, ” I understand”. My TCM vet when I first went to her and she found out what I did for my dogs she said, “your doing a great job”. You have to be an advocate for your dog or cat or animal!!!
These are awesome tips! After having only one vet for almost all my life, he retired. The new vet was lovely and kind as well. My family was lucky enough to own three labs, the last we adopted because he was being abused. He was a behavioral nightmare, but mostly because he was high energy, and we were getting older. He was loving and sweet, just didn’t have an “off” button. We certainly never considered euthanasia, and we worried that another adoptive family might not understand his “special needs.” When a personal situation forced me into seeking an adoptive family, I turned to my vet, who was well aware of his personality. Our vet found a couple who had miles of land for our dog to run—-hiking trails, and a dad who was so excited to get a big dog that he held a doggie shower! We owe everything to our vet, and this wonderful man. I rest easy at night knowing I didn’t abandon my doggie to a family that couldn’t handle him. I have the utmost respect for you and all the veterinarians who work diligently to take care of our precious animals!
Bless you for all you do, Doc!!! 🙏 I lost my 11 yo fur baby several months ago to heart disease. He had a multitude of other challenging health situations that he was born with & had a wonderful veterinarian who also practiced animal chiropractic & acupuncture and was open minded and recommended alternative medicines/supplements. The last days of my dog’s life happened over a holiday weekend where my vet’s office was closed. My vet was already out of the office & his staff and another vet in the same practice handled my very valid concerns so extremely poorly. They basically shooed me off telling me to stop a med we had recently started until my vet was back & could do more. By the actual holiday day, my dog collapsed & ended up in the veterinary ER for hours because they were so busy. That is a long story in itself but, bottom line, is I had to make the heart wrenching choice of euthanasia. My grief was so overwhelming & I’m crying as I write this. My boy was everything to me! My feelings towards my vet’s office led me to choose a different vet when I recently adopted a rescue puppy & this new vet is really closed minded. I miss my old vet & want to go back but I have such horrible feelings towards them. To be clear, I do not believe my dog could have been saved… it was his time. My anger & grief stems from the fact that my baby was in an atmosphere of pure chaos & stress for many hours at the E-vet before I demanded to just bring him home. That’s when the E-vet showed me his test results.
In other words, your vet has an ego. Be sure to tiptoe around delicately so as not to offend this highly trained, super sensitive, and easily offended “professional ” sounds much the same as many of our human physicians. It’s lovely to see many people looking for more holistic ways of healing for themselves, as well as their furry family members. That’s one positive thing that came out of the pandemic!
I fostered a mom that gave birth to 6 gorgeous pups and the league handling the adoptions was extremely diligent on their adoption rules as they were a pit bull mix bread. One family adopted my favorite sweet boy, the mother was a vet tech at a local Vets office. I received a text 6 weeks after the adoptions that she had put Moosey down because he bit her elderly mother when she gave her a treat. Sickening that we can dispose of animals this way.
I have fought vets so many time because of most of these. Thank goodness I found my current vet. He listens to me, understands that i know a lot of info and we work together on treatments for my dogs. I trust him way more than any other vet I have gone to. You are an awesome vet for being so open to other ways of treating dogs and sharing what you know. Thank you for your articles.
My problem is, I’m not the one bringing things up. They always question me and I never know what to say. The first time they asked what I feed my dog, I got scolded so badly by the vet for disclosing that I make homemade dog food w/added nutrients. I was actually following a recipe that I got out of a recipe book written by a pet nutritionist which I purchased from the waiting room in her clinic lol. That book is no longer there. Oh and they always ask if the pet is updated with their shots. I hate lying. I love your articles and I’ve learned so much from them throughout the years.
It is a total conflict of interest & just plain unethical for a vet to both prescribe & sell medicine. Way too many meds are being doled out simply because they are very profitable for vets. I have gotten most of our pet prescription meds from my local walmart pharmacy. I doubt most people even know that you can.
MONEY Vets want money. All the money all the time. It’s all about money. If you have some money and you take your pet to the vet you can bet they will expect more money. The list of health management items/costs grows exponentially at each regular office visit. It’s all about generating revenue. Taking more money………..
Dr. Jones. I am not a vet. You know so much more than I do. I am only telling you this because it worked. I have a 15 year old pit. She is nearly deaf. Cataracts are after her. She had become totally incontinent. Otherwise, she is happy et though old she jumps around 15 minutes or so when I come home from work. I was changing out sleeping bags every day for a month or so she could have a dry bed. The urine was just running out of her. This was before I knew you as well as I am getting to know you now. I thought the chance was slim but bought some stuff online on a lark hoping it would help. It was a wild yam concoction with a lot of other ingredients. Guess what? It worked. Every week the incontinence got less et now she is continent again. So holistic medicine does work, just as you suggest. I now have more of your products et will be getting more for the rest of the kids. I have a cat that your cat formula is doing wonders for. Thank you again.
Thank you Doc! I agree with you 100%!! I don’t give my dogs any vaccines…..specially after the covid quackccine, btw, I didn’t got it as well. I gave up my veterinarian, because what he only can see is $$$. My husband gave him a nickname: “doctor god”. 🙄🙄🙄 Thank you Doc, I love you and I wish you a Wonderful Christmas and an amazing New Year. WWG1WGA! 💖🙏🏻🕊🎄🐶🇧🇷
Since I started perusal your articles, I’m skeptical of my long-time vet clinic. I was not happy last time I visited for my 12 year old silky terrier’s annual rabies shot and asked them about something to calm my dog’s fireworks anxiety without harming him. His anxiety is awful…his whole body vibrates and he pants incessantly. It’s like he has PTSD. I am very sensitive to his emotions. Is there anything natural I can use to help? Fireworks go on for days and late into the night where I live. We all become unnerved, I must say.
Immediately after my healthy 14 yo Brussels Griffon had a dental cleaning, he became completely deaf. After researching, I found out that it’s not common, but does happen. I brought my boy back to the vet to have him checked, and she confirmed the deafness. While I don’t blame the vet for the incident, anesthesia can always be risky, but I was disappointed in her claim to have never heard of this happening. He’s 16 now, has a heart murmur that we are treating, takes Flexiden which has helped his movements greatly, keeps up with his new puppy brother, is not hindered by his deafness because I trained him from the beginning with hand signals, but his sight is diminishing. He’s generally a very happy boy. He just developed a bulging eye and is on antibiotics for a suspected tooth abscess, which would require anesthesia, which scares me.
You need to. Yourself we have the right to ask any questions about our dog. I asked my vet I had a little girl dog she was on medicine for quite some time and I was taking her to last week of her life to the vet to the cardiologist that she had to have a pacemaker but she couldn’t get one for about a year and he would have to go downtown to do do it and just very fast and that’s what we’re going to do and she was panting and panting and panting and she was dying took her to a doctor two days later everything she said she just has high blood pressure and that’s why she’s panting and then the day she passed and then they told me she had cancer lymphoma cancer was never brought up in all her checkups she went to every one of them took great care of her took her to the doctor all the time and then that last couple weeks no one said to me she has lymphoma I was holding her and comforting her when I made her down I was holding her she had her neck was so big with all these nuts on it just like they came up all of a sudden and all down her back took her to the vet that was not there I was told by another vet at this is what she had.so don’t tell people not to ask questions this is their like their babies they are their babies their furry babies and we love them and that’s why we bring them and we care about them and we bring them over and over again to help them that’s your job like it or not you hear these questions over and over again we as parents to our furry babies there are life and you should respect that
My cat that died of cancer at age 10 had every vaccine on schedule. My current cats have rabies and initial distemper combo vaccines and that is it. All three are still going strong. I have followed zero vet advise for my cat with chronic kidney disease. That cat is still at the same level and doing well for the past 7 years. And when I was fostering I did ask for specific meds and tests. And guess who kept the pet alive with those protocols – yup me.
I just lost my most prize possession Dec 9th my beagle dog 🐕 Arnold he would have been twelve years old Xmas day I’m lost without him he is on the right side of my profile picture and Bigfoot is on the left I lost him nineteen months ago my Arnold hot sick almost 2 weeks before he passed I took him to my vet and she did blood work and it came back kidneys were shutting down and he had cancer and further examination found that he had anal gland cancer. My vet did everything she could do to help him and save him she put him on iv fluids and I continued them at home and everyday I would take him back to the vet for more treatments but he had a heart attack the morning we were leaving I was packing him to the truck and he wanted down I thought to potty but he went number one and walked a few feet away and stopped and looked at me and he started to fall I held him in my arms as he passed away I’m crushed by his passing. Thank God for good vets I’m blessed by one of the best
Yuo ate right! When I got my dog 12 years ago, vet bills were reasonable. Fees are so high now I can’t afford to take my dog to the vet. I just had some things done for my dog, and it was almost 3000. This really set me back financially. I can only imagine how many dogs are suffering due to the high vet bills and their owners can’t afford to help their poor dogs. This is heartbreaking to an owner who loves their dog. For these reasons I’ll not be getting another dog. Just couldn’t afford the vet bills.
I agree with you. I just keep my mouth shut and do whatever I am going to do. They don’t want to hear it because it isn’t in their training license manual. Have a 20 yo dog with pyometra and found a formula on the internet which actually works 80+% of the time ( tumeric, vit. C + Manuka honey. So far so good with open pyometra. Most people can’t afford all the tests and surgery these days.
Hello.. I’m Kaitte Rocky Ford Colorado.. I had my male malty age 14 blood work done and he has Huigh ALP and ALT levels liver .. thyroid didn’t even read.. so he’s on T meds for the next month and then a retest.. I’m hoping the liver is not cushings.. I lowered mine with Diet changes.. I read for my dog no red meat.. to lower.. I like making his food.. what changes do I need to make in his food.. usually I do beef or chicken about 50% carrots green beans and some rice.. will Vitamin E help too.. wish you had an email
In my opinion, both doctors and vets really don’t like any input from patients/customers. I think any suggestion or even genuine questions, unless posed in a really diplomatic, self effacing manner, can cause ire in any medics. They like to think they are the possessors of a huge secret that the general public is unaware of and seem, again, in my opinion, to have extremely fragile egos. Not you Dr. Jones you’re what everyone wishes their vets and doctors were like❤ I’m very into health without over use of chemicals like yourself and many vaccines cover animals for their whole lives, give or take. Obviously, Big Pharma and veterinary or medical practitioners, especially outside the UK where theres no national health service and money enters the picture, you are going to be faced with heavy sales pitches. You should do your own research, read literature on both human and animal vaccines to see how long your covered for, if its similar to the human equivalent, and are expected to give lifelong cover, you can be fairly sure its the same with your pets. If you don’t understand what you are reading, ask an impartial expert, like Dr. Jones here, and I’m sure he will keep you right.
the I know what my dog have…that is me…and the young vet was not happy…she though i was an idiot, but she did not have any idea of what make my dog tick…at the end the test showed that i was right…u are saying all the things that I do…LOLOLOLOL It is my dog, it is my money so yeah I have a saying on any treatment. LOve the info u gave to us.