A comment about our vets...

This is not to any one person, but rather to the entire community here, especially those who give advice, and to newbies.

In my time here, I've seen horrific vets (not many, thankfully), not great vets, decent vets and amazing vets....in otherwords, EVID. It dismays me to read posts that tar all of them with the same brush, whether about nutrition, dosing, testing, choice of insulin or whatever.

I would bet that 99% of vets (or more) do what they do because they love animals. I know that the vast majority do not get rich by doing what they do, nor do they expect to. I know that the majority we run across are the equivalent of GPs and are expected to know a lot about many different species. I know that some do a great job at continuing ed, while others do not.

I also know that there are vets who visit FDMB; some of them refer their clients to us; some of them run across nasty posts about the veterinary profession and leave.

Please remember, when you are giving advice to someone, particularly a newbie, that what you say may have huge ramifications. They may leave the FDMB if they take offense, they may disregard their vet's advice and cause damage, they may alienate their vet, etc. etc. etc.

Before making assumptions on why a particular vet has made a particular recommendation, find out more information, and unless it is obviously dangerous advice, give them the benefit of the doubt. My vet, for example, was taught by an 'expert' to rely on fructosamine tests to determine dose. She is now fully supportive of me hometesting (not that I need to anymore but still). And yet, most of her clients do not test at home because they are unwilling. She can't push it on people who are unwilling because she then runs the risk of them euthanizing their pet.

Just my thoughts that I've been wanting to share for a bit. Please do not turn this into something nasty.

 

That was nice. I do try to tell people that my vet now recommends hometesting and also starts cats off with Lantus instead of anything else. Much of what we've learned together we learned from this board although I do not think she comes here.

Tucker had started back in '05 on N, based by weight. I believe all three vets at the clinic now use Lantus and advocate hometesting.

My vet is also going to donate a few Sundays next year and do spay/neuters at our FeralCare clinics. I was afraid to ask her, but she was very nice about it and I know lots of cats will benefit from her donating her time.

 

we all speak based on our own experiences, knowledge, and opinions. rarely are we in the same room nor do most of us know exactly what is going on with the kitties discussed in posts here. the person posting asking for advice has to filter what we say to fit his/her own situation just as we have to try to figure out what's going on with them.

don't know how much room your post left any of us to respond without worrying about being called nasty or vet bashing. we are all different people, as are the new people showing up here, and each of us has something to say that someone new may or may not take to heart. some of us have learned from extremely bad experiences at the vet wherein our cats died or almost died or were seriously ill because of problems there. that doesn't mean we don't love or trust most vets -- it just means that we may be more passionate about one situation or another because of our prior experience. yes, i agree, try not to make assumptions but ask questions and try to clarify the situation and what the original poster needs from us. but on the other hand, it is quite possible that something that happened to us could help someone else avoid the same mistakes. so i'd hate to see people avoid posting because they're afraid of being accused of vet bashing. sometimes it's a very fine line.

guess the point i'd like to make based on my vet experiences, in which cleo almost died because the vet declined to treat "just now", is do your research. don't just trust one authority, even if you love that person and think he's brilliant. think about what is going on and what needs to be done, and try to learn your options so you can make the best choice for you and your pet. you are your pet's best advocate, and you are responsible for him or her. try to take this opportunity to learn how to make the most educated, well-thought-out decisions possible for your pet. and listen to your inner voice. not everyone is right all the time. do not just blindly trust anyone ... learn to trust yourself and do your homework.

[edited to add: get a 2nd opinion if necessary. sometimes one vet will catch what another missed.]

 

I am simply asking people to be considerate and respectful in the absence of reason to be otherwise. To remember to think of our vets as our partners, not adversaries. There have been some hard lessons learned by this community after bad experiences with vets and I would never ever negate those, nor would I negate any other individual's experience. All I ask is that those individual experiences do not overly colour your advice to someone if you really don't know the situation. I'm pretty certain all of us who've been here a bit have seen black and white statements made that are simply untrue. Then general tone lately hasn't been very positive towards vets, and I'm addressing that tone.

My statement about not turning this nasty comes from recent past discussions that did go nasty. I really would like this to be positive.

 

I always suggest that the newbie reads all the information here and learn as much as possible. Then work WITH their vet (if they like the vet) on treating their cat.

To always remember that most vets are like GP's, and have to know about many illnesses and many species. That treating FD should be a partnership.

(I also think this discussion may be better suited to Think Tank.)

 

i do get that, jen, and i totally agree. a little kindness/thoughtfulness goes a long way, and we're in this together. it's so demoralizing when threads turn nasty. this site is way too important to jeopardize it in that way.

 

I have been here off and on with several diabetic cats. As advice givers in a general forum we need to keep in mind the person posting here is really, really overwhelmed. They most likely do not have all the information they need and showing up here is a real wake-up call.

Most folks don't see their own vet but once a year and have no idea if the vet will approve of home-testing, support it, or even realize FDMB exists.

My first experience with my old elderly vet was fantastic. But, many here started to bash him right off the bat. A vet they never met and knew nothing about. He was so well respected in the field of veterinary medicine he taught at Ohio State University. His drawback...he had never had a client like me. Committed, persistent, and willing to be compliant to the diabetes routine. If he had read some of the things posted here...I would have been embarrassed.

Even some of the posts when I returned with Atlas caused me to simply take a vacation from the site. For me, someone with experience, I felt I could do much of the work of healing Atlas in conjunction with the shelter vet. We had situations that were extenuating and either I could not express them properly (like most newbies) or they were simply categorically ignored, over looked, or called wrong. When in my consultation with the vet, I knew the vet was right and the treatment plan was right. My experience helped and the vet was counting on that experience too.

But for a newbie they don't have that experience. We should arm them with knowledge and which questions to ask their vet first, instead of telling them the vet is wrong or find a new vet.

Caution should be the word when referring to a vet's advice. We're not there, we're not vets and the last thing I would want, is tell someone on this message board to do or not do something and have it go badly.

 

Well said.

 

Very well said Jen and I agree -

I am blessed with a wonderful, kind and caring vet who is very knowledgeable about everything except FD. He admitted that the training on FD in vet school was minimal. At first he thought I was nuts with the hometesting stuff but over the past 5 years I’ve made a believer out of him. I recently gave him and his staff a “demonstration” of how to hometest…… also he has refered several newbies to me stating “she knows more about FD than I do”. This is of course not true but I appreciate the sentiment…… He was stunned to see an FD kitty unable to walk from neuropathy, and days away from euthanasia, walking normally within a month because of Methyl B12 and better regulation.

I guess that what I’m trying to say here is the “partnership” is what works. I’ve had really bad vets over the years and one that was so inexperienced with FD that it cost me 2 FD kitties just because I followed her instructions blindly and didn’t do my own research.

We have all seen really uncooperative vets, ones that have a God Complex and just plain bad ones that shouldn't even be practicing but overall IMO I think (I hope) these are the exception.

 

Very well said Jen.

 

Hi guys

I'd like to share a little excerpt from our profile:

Feline Diabetes is not a death sentence! Never let your vet tell you otherwise. You CAN manage and treat at home
With guidance from the many experienced and caring members on the Feline Diabetes Members Board, insulin, home testing and a diet of low carb
wet/canned food - YOU hold the possibilities of a healthy, happy life for your cat.

Your vet CAN be your supportive partner in the treatment of diabetes.
Armed with knowledge and determination - you and your vet CAN work together!
Always consult with your vet, you may not always agree, but do know - you NEED your vet on your side.

One of the most valuable things I learned when I was a newbie here is: you need a vet that will work with you.
After going thru 3 vets, the 3rd being the best one, after the 2nd told me "you do not have my blessing" to switch to low carb wet food as opposed to that vets prescription foods, I went off and consulted and paid for an actual consult just to make sure this new vet would be willing to work with me.
We may not always agree, and if it becomes a fight over it between our vets and me as the paying client made to feel like I need a vets blessing, IMO it is time to find a vet that will work with you and understands and accepts that you have found a reliable source and wealth of information from the internet.

Help your vet learn more about FD, some won't take that help and look at you funny, and some will. EVID, but we can help them along too.
Offer to show them your spreadsheet if you have one, you may be surprised at how interesting that will be to them.
And yes, some will probably tell you - you test too much (here, here) :lol: But it is my kitty and I still need you, Mr Vet to work with me and be there should I need you.

have a good day everyone1

PS: I too think this is a good topic for Think Tank