regular vets and holistic vets

Regular vets religiously sell and promote Hills Prescription Diets and Hills Science Diet and don't really care to hear about protests from clients about by-products and corn. Holistic vets strongly believe cat owners should feed raw meat diets. What kind of vet is right for a person who doesn't want to be sold Hill's or walk into a clinic where Hill's products line the shelves and dominate the veterinary clinc but doesn't want to have to switch their cats to a raw meat diet either. I think we need some more open minded, flexible vets. It seems they're either one way or the other and there is no in between.

Science Diet has corn? And I was letting Roko and Circe eat it? And the shelter kitties are fed nothing else?

Eek! It's Evolve for them from now on; and I'm having a talk with the shelter.

And yes, I agree that there should be vets who are more moderate. While I can usually afford premium cat food (and you can bet I'll be checking the label for corn from now on!) I can't afford to feed the gals fresh meat on a regular basis. (Home cooking for myself alone is problematic!)

P.S.: IIRC, raw meat—if it's not fresh enough—can make cats sick, too. It should be lightly seared.

-Qit

Originally Posted by moggiegirl

Regular vets religiously sell and promote Hills Prescription Diets and Hills Science Diet and don't really care to hear about protests from clients about by-products and corn. Holistic vets strongly believe cat owners should feed raw meat diets. What kind of vet is right for a person who doesn't want to be sold Hill's or walk into a clinic where Hill's products line the shelves and dominate the veterinary clinc but doesn't want to have to switch their cats to a raw meat diet either. I think we need some more open minded, flexible vets. It seems they're either one way or the other and there is no in between.

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I use a regular vet..but do not buy the Hill brand. Instead...I buy cat food that has "chicken" (and not chicken by product) as the first ingredient.

Katie

I will not go to a vet that pushes hard on one kind of food. whatever it be. because not everything will work for every cat.

the best reply i got out of one of my current vets on my first trip in when they mentioned feeding science diet, i looked them straight in the eye and said "Do you feed it to your animals?" I got a long silence. followed by a soft no.

The more knowledgeable the pet owner who wont be bowled over is also a good thing.

my vet has SD and purina ... he uses the purina for most stuff and the SD for allergies... there is a vet that sells SD and Solid gold ...

This is an excellent reason to interview your prospective vet. The vet I go to is part of a growing practice, and very open to the research I do, the suggestions I make. Nothing is pushed, everything is discussed. There are vets who straddle both the holistic and the standard veterinary medical approach, you just have to look for them.

I've had the best results with vets who integrate conventional veterinary medicine with holistic practices. Also I wouldn't use a vet who was really pushing hard on a certain product.

A moderate approach is best for many things including the way we feed our cats.

Originally Posted by moggiegirl

Regular vets religiously sell and promote Hills Prescription Diets and Hills Science Diet and don't really care to hear about protests from clients about by-products and corn. Holistic vets strongly believe cat owners should feed raw meat diets. What kind of vet is right for a person who doesn't want to be sold Hill's or walk into a clinic where Hill's products line the shelves and dominate the veterinary clinc but doesn't want to have to switch their cats to a raw meat diet either. I think we need some more open minded, flexible vets. It seems they're either one way or the other and there is no in between.

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i am a big believer in holistic medicine. But, my vet is a conventional vet, the office does not sell or even recomend science diet. My conventional vet supports the raw diet that i feed to my dogs and cats, too. There most certainly is an inbetween... she was happy when we were feeding NB, and happy with the raw, and never once told me to feed what i consider to be an inferior food. such a vet exists, i am sorry that you are having trouble finding one. i am having trouble myself finding a people doctor who supports a mixture of holistic and conventional medicine, but i found one for the cats, lol. i have had a few vets, and i have actually never been to one that sold food other than prescription diets... though i read about these SD selling vets all the time on pet forums... i think it stinks that this practice exists.

Well my vets also only sell the Hill's Prescription Diets but they have a top seller called the Hill's T/D dental diet and I know that diet makes a lot of money for them. So in a way, they are selling Science Diet. They're not bad vets but they are typical. Rigid in their training, and they seem to have never heard about foods like Natural Balance and Wellness, or California Natural and Innova. If they knew about Natural Balance they would know that Natural Balance makes an allergy diet. My vet doesn't know about that. Plus they don't even question things like by-products and chemical preservatives at all. I've heard, "I've seen cats on Science Diet and they're healthy." My boyfriend and I are on public transportation so we've been choosing vets that are in our area. But when we get a car we'll shop around. The closest holistic vet in my area definitely believes in feeding raw meat which I am not going to do. I also question the idea of accupuncture for cats. But I'm going to look for someone that combines holistic and conventional veterinary practices as soon as we get a car.

You sort of paint everyone with the same brush. It has been my experience that not all vets push Science Diet in their clinics and some conventional vets are very much open to holistic and other alternative medicines. Sounds to me like you need to find a new vet, one that will listen to you and address your needs. You may not find one though unless you keep an open mind. Most of them are intent on helping your animal, and their bedside manner leaves something to be desired.

Wish I could find a vet clinic like the one I used in Seattle.
They were exclusively a cat clinic and did not sell Hill's products at all, and the only feeds they did carry were prescription only Purina and Waltham.

I am surprised that vets actually push a certain product. But then again,my whole family takes their pets to the same vet, and we have been doing so for many many years, and never switched. She is a very good vet, is also a professor at the university, and has only a few clients, and doesn't take on new ones. She has no products in her office, and is very open and honest, does support the raw diet, but when asked about the other brands she takes the time to explain why or why not it is a good idea to feed that cat/dog that particular brand. But also always says that it depends on what the cat likes as well....
I would personally never believe a vet who pushes a certain brand of food, but I wouldn't believe blindly someone who deals with holistic medicine either.

Perhaps try to find another vet. I live in Toronto, but my vet is in Guelph, which is an hour drive, but I don't mind it, and will never get another vet, because I have heard too many bad stories, and a good vet is hard to find.

Originally Posted by BabyBee

I am surprised that vets actually push a certain product. But then again,my whole family takes their pets to the same vet, and we have been doing so for many many years, and never switched. She is a very good vet, is also a professor at the university, and has only a few clients, and doesn't take on new ones. She has no products in her office, and is very open and honest, does support the raw diet, but when asked about the other brands she takes the time to explain why or why not it is a good idea to feed that cat/dog that particular brand. But also always says that it depends on what the cat likes as well....
I would personally never believe a vet who pushes a certain brand of food, but I wouldn't believe blindly someone who deals with holistic medicine either.

Perhaps try to find another vet. I live in Toronto, but my vet is in Guelph, which is an hour drive, but I don't mind it, and will never get another vet, because I have heard too many bad stories, and a good vet is hard to find.

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Off topic a bit, but I would be interested in more info on your vet. I live in Rockwood (15 minutes from Guelph). PM me with the information would you please?

Hello! I just wanted to add that food sales are actually not very profitable (at least for most vets in Ontario; not sure about other places). The mark-up on the food is 25-30% (any more than that and the prescription diets would be just too expensive for most people!!). Pet stores get their foods at cost (before mark-up and selling) much cheaper than vet clinics do, I suppose because they purchase so much more. Ex. I could order in a bag of food for $10, but a pet food store could order that same bag of food for $8. That is why most clinics carry a fairly small stock, and only sell prescription diets; ex. low protein, hypoallergenic, urinary diets, etc. Storing food takes up lots of valuable space, and it just sits there on the shelf until an animal with a specific issue needs it.
Hope this helps! BTW, I do sell Science Diet, as well as Walthams/Medical/Royal Canin (the 3 are merging) but only when an animal needs a prescription diet they can't get at the pet store.