Divorce

Remember I said "changes," and "drop some things, pick up others"?  Yup.  Still on the path to change.

After 12 years and 11 months of a strained relationship (no one can call me a quitter), I've finally divorced my veterinarian. Well, not mine, but Vincent's.  And it feels so good.

I found a better vet, one who respects my choices in the care of my pet. It's a bit of a drive to get there, but in the long run it's worth it. I wish I'd found her 12 years ago, but my guess is that 12 years ago she was approximately in middle school.  Anyhoo, I'm happy now. 

When I went in the new office, they asked me to explain what brought me there, aside from the fact that Vincent was not doing so well in various ways.  I said I was looking for three qualities in a vet which were lacking in my old one:  intelligence, flexibility, a progressive attitude, continuing education and a familiarity with the new data out there, and a belief that I have a brain.  Okay, that's more than three, but I think you get my drift.   

I really had all the info I needed as soon as I arrived and was brought to the examining room.  The lady at the front desk immediately said, "Ohhhh, is this Vincent?", told me she has three Bichons, and offered to hold Vincent while I went to the bathroom to pee.  When I came out, she cooed, "He was such a good boy."  Heh. 

And then when I got in the exam room I saw that, among all the other stuff on the shelf, was a bottle of Bach Rescue Remedy. I knew I was in the right place.

My new vet explained my choices.  She gave me choices.  I hardly knew how to respond, I'm so unaccustomed to such a thing.  She didn't shove vaccination propaganda down my throat, she didn't refuse to treat my pet until I had shots updated (which my old one had done), she didn't tsk-tsk me for my home-cooked feeding regimen.  She explained everything she was doing as she was doing it and gave me a chance to give my input along the way.  She took a blood sample, and gave a full exam.  She ruled out some things and made an educated guess that the main thing that is bothering him is arthritis in the areas where his two cruciate ligaments were repaired those many years ago.  She said they could do x-rays to confirm it, but it is almost certain that he has degenerative changes after those operations, and that makes complete sense to me.  She let me choose to decline x-rays, rather than insisting on me paying for a test and exposing Vincent to needless radiation just to confirm something we already know.

We scheduled a dental cleaning for next week, and while she recommends that we give Vincent the Bordatella vaccine, she did not insist, as long as I was informed about the risks and willing to take them. 

Halle-frickin-lujah.

To explain a bit more,  when Vincent's liver collapsed a couple of years ago, I was convinced -- and am still convinced -- that it was due to the multiple vaccines that were all given to him at once, a practice which is not recommended according to my reading on the subject since that time, and several of which were forced upon me in a very sneaky way.  To wit:

....So bordatella. 

Yeah, I don't think I want that one. I really want to cut back on the number of medications and vaccines I give him.  He doesn't do well with medications and every time he gets the vaccines, he is sick for a good long time. 

Does he ever get boarded?

No.

Does he ever go to the groomer's?

No.

Well, he comes here, so he really should have it. 

(If the determining factor was that he GOES TO THE VET'S OFFICE, then why the other questions first???)

------------

Yes, so we highly recommend the Lyme disease vaccine.  We've seen THREE CASES of Lyme's!!!!!! (said with great excitement!)

Well, I really don't think that is necessary.  He's a frou-frou dog.  He does not go anywhere except our house and my sister's house and my mother's condo.  He goes NOWHERE there is long grass or woods or anyplace where there could be ticks. 

Yes, but we've seen THREE CASES!  We highly recommend it! 

I know, but he really .....

No, he should REALLY HAVE IT.  (loudly and pushily)

----------------------

I hate myself for giving in.  But I did.  Today what I read is that it's highly controversial whether the vaccine even works, and if it DOES work, it appears to only work if the dog has already been exposed, at some point in its life, to the tick from which Lyme comes.  AND there are other serious complications from it.  And one month from that date, he almost died from a problem with his liver. 

After that, I nursed him back to stellar health, kept him away from that vet, and he has been like a 2-year-old dog ever since, until about a month ago, when things started not looking so good again.  My old vet would not treat him until I first brought him in for more vaccinations, then wait 10 days to 2 weeks, despite my explanations and protestations.  I was told firmly, "That's our policy." 

So I firmly told them what my policy is, and exactly what they could do with theirs.  (Yes, you can just imagine.) 

Now, after this visit with the new vet and a glucosamine supplement she gave us, he seems to be making another miraculous recovery.  Two hours after the first dose of the supplement, he did something he hadn't done in over a month:  go looking for his tennis ball and bring it to me.  A few minutes after that, he did something else he hasn't done in a month due to fatigue, pain, depression or whatever:  He barked to announce the arrival of Abigail home from the gym. 

Fingers crossed.  He's starting to act like himself again. 

He's such a sweet little muppet.

Comments

[Paul]

Good. For. You.

And, more importantly, good for Vincent!

[Jenny]

Good for you! You are so right about having a vet that offers you choices. After years of searching, I finally found a great vet. She explains everything to me and helps me make the right decisions for my pets. She's the doctor but I'm the mom to my cats. Using her medical "smarts" and relationship with my cats, along with my understanding of my pets, we have been able to make good decisions along the way. It just makes all the difference in the world!

Oh, and by the way...Vincent is a cutie!

[Jennifer]

Good for you (and for Vincent). Here's to Vincent's continued health!

[Dave Daniels]

Glad to hear you made such an executive decision. Miss Lulu's Dr.Pat is of a similar progressive attitude. He's still as cute as ever.

[Sue J.]

You are absolutely correct about the over-vaccination of dogs. It took moving from the Midwest to the West for us to finally find a vet who doesn't believe in multiple vaccinations on a yearly basis. We lost our beloved Weimaraner last May to complications from dental surgery (bloat), and now have a rescue Weim from Montana. This gave us the opportunity to start fresh with a minimum of vaccinations only as needed and not every year. Thank goodness the thinking is finally changing on this. Good for you for telling your old vet to buzz off.

[Carole]

I'm so glad you made this decision. I tell you, if I'm ever sick, I want YOU to be my health advocate, NORma!

[Dianna]

I changed vets a couple of years ago when I was given a bad prognosis on my special dog. The second opinion vet didn't say anything different, but by then did have additional information which made a difference in the prognosis. What made me change to him was how very respectfully he treated my animals, even my big girl who recently passed away. I pay more, but to me it is worth it for the care and compassion my dogs receive.

[DebbieB]

Vincent, we love ya, buddy - so glad you're feeling better. *ear scritches* And yes, your mommy has a brain, but you already knew that.

[Sandy]

He is the CUTEST, I tell ya! I'm proud of you. You are an inspiration!
xo

[Carol]

You're such a good mom.

[Danielle]

Yay! He IS a sweet little muppet :)

[Denebir]

As a former Veterinary Technician I applaud your decision. I quit working for a vet that was all bottom line and cared nothing about the animal or the client. It is especially a problem in areas where there are so many 'corporation' clinics where they have rigid policies. I finally found one that will work with me and recognize that I'm not only an educated pet owner but have vet training and can do many things at home. Vincent is one lucky pup!

[Chris]

Oh, good for you to be so good for Vincent! I can imagine the delight you felt in seeing him go after the tennis ball again. I hate going to a vet and being treated like an idiot, or as if I am mistreating my animals if I chose to forgo a suggested shot or treatment. I also hate feeling like the bill has been padded. Give the handsome little cutie a scritch on the head from me.

[Julie]

I so happy you found a good vet for Vincent. Sounds like the last one was a real loser!

Great picture - he's such a cutie pie :)

[Shell]

Congrats on that divorce! I am so glad to see others moving in this direction - I had a dear friend loose her German Shepherd in Oct due to a reaction from a vaccine.
Vincent is a gorgeous!

[greta]

yep. me TOO!
PeeWee has some serious liver issues
and I too am convinced it was vaccine/former vet/GREED
related.
We LOVE our new vet(s).
Smart women who let me think
and treat my pooch like the companion animal he IS.
Right ON!
Now let's reform our HUMAN medical system, shall we?
Rescue Remedy, indeed!
All love to you and yours in the New Year!
xoxox

[Emily]

Hugs, kisses, and organic homemade doggie treats for Vincent. (And of course peace of mind and happiness for you)

[Liz]

way to go Norma :) I've been down that road with our latest doggie incident. I was poo pooed and tsk tsked for refusing to take the dog to Quebec to a canine ophthalmologist to have his eye treated. I finally told the vet that I'm blind in one eye to and that if someone was going to a specialist for eye surgery it sure as hell wasn't the dog LOL..

[Kiersten B]

Pushy vets, pushy docs...BLEH! I will never forgive myself for letting myself get bullied into giving my first born the Very New And We're Not Quite Sure It's Effective Chicken Pox vaccine at a pushy doc's office in Memphis. Grrrr. I'm glad Vincent and Vincent's pet have found a better place to be. ;)

[naomi]

Awww... Good for you, and your new vet.

[Paula]

Your new vet sounds wonderful. And Vincent is the cutest ever. I miss him and he isn't even mine! I'm really glad to hear that he is perking up and feeling better.

[marianne]

Oooooo, that brought tears to your eyes, didn't it? Vincent going for his tennis ball? (did mine)
diabolical crap on your old vet. and all pushy heads up their asses 'docs'.
I'm so glad you found this new one and she sounds like a serious keeper! We're big on the Bach Rescue Remedy and some of their other products.... mercy, how we love our dogfaced kids.

[lisa]

Yes, good for you, and for Vincent! Have you considered homeopathic support? We've used homeopathic remedies with good result on the dogs, mostly acute stuff, but it does well for chronic too. I forget the arthritis remedy, Rhus tox is coming to mind, but you should check.

[CindyCindy]

What a joy to have a another miracle with your Vincent.

[ellen]

It's worth a bit of effort to get a vet that suits. I've found, oddly, that a number of vets are a little afraid of dogs. Congrats on your find.

[Jackie]

Yay, I'm glad you found a vet with some sense. I'm very against over vaccinating and I'm lucky that my vet will go along with my wishes - instead of a new vaccination every year, we do a blood test for titers. As long as he's got them, we don't vaccinate again. He does, by law, have to get the rabies shot I think every 3 years and he did need bordatella because he does go to a groomer and they require it (how do you get away with no grooming? do you do it yourself?) But all in all, I give Ty as little medication as possible and keep him on a raw food diet (which my vet fully supports) and people all over think he's way younger than he actually is. It really makes a difference, and it's important to have a vet that supports your choices.

[Vicki]

Aw, look at that FACE!!! I think he's happy about the divorce!

[beebs]

I think I'm in love with Vincent.....

[Dorre]

Vincent is such a lucky pup to have a great mom standing up for him!!! He is too cute ;)

[claudia]

That is indeed an amazingly cute little face.

[Kate]

Good for you! What a sweet dog :)

[kmkat]

You had me worried with your first few sentences. Whew, it was *just* a divorce from the vet.

Our senior dog is on the glucosamine chondritin supplement -- it makes an noticeable difference in her mobility and, thus, quality of life. Your Vincent is lucky to have you.

[Annie]

Such a cutie pie! I use Rescue Remedy on the llamas and alpacas, works wonders. I lost my almost 15 year old girl one week after getting vaccinations. I am convinced that is what did it. Now I only do Rabies when required, because living here on the farm, the girls are exposed to raccoons, possums, etc.

[Cathy]

Yea!! I'm so with you and it appears quite a few commenters are too.

[Carrie]

What Kat said. You scared me for a minute.
Hooray for healthy, feeling-good muppets!

[Kat]

Glad you found a vet that suits you. A vet who will listen to your needs and concerns and tailor treatment to your preferences is worth his or her weight in gold!

[scoutj]

Oh YAY! I remember when he was sick and how scared you were. I'm glad he's feeling better!

[Kelly]

Wow, what a wonderful vet! Yay for finding a gem and yay for your darling feeling better!

[Annie]

I need to find a new vet. The last time I took Cotton (two weeks ago), they whisked him to a back room and gave him two vaccines without even asking! Even though I had told him that Cotton had a severe reaction last year- very depressed and lethargic for over a week.

I hate to admit it, but my 16 year old cat is very, very healthy and she hasn't seen a vet in over 12 years. No vaccines and she's indoor/outdoor. I'm convinced it's the lack of vaccines keeping her healthy.

[Cookie]

I love that little face!

Good for you, The Norma! We would never go to a medical doctor that we didn't have faith in or did not listen. There's no reason to settle for less in a vet. ♥

[regina]

That's terrific. You and your sweet Vincent both deserve the very best. Happy New Year, btw!

[kittenchasesyarn]

So happy to hear your darling Vincent is doing well...

I have a rescue Chihuahua, and while he's had his rabies/distemper, I won't have him vaccinated with anything else, partly because it's the same dose whether it's my seven pound Chi or a 90 pound Shepard! The same goes for our 12 pound cat.

[Shanti]

Wonderful news! My mom is a FEMA dog trainer whose animals do not get the Bordatella vaccine either - they travel the country and mom has stood firm. She doesn't like the potential side effects, and the vet has supported her. Lucy the Wonder dog was actively taking a glucosamine supplement when she worked the World Trade Center after 9/11 - it really made a tremendous difference in her quality of life.

I used Rescue Remedy on my cat for the first time last week while traveling and introducing her to Sweep (the current Search Dog) and it was great stuff. Wish I'd thought about it sooner.

I hope Vincent continues to feel better, he's such a cutie.

[Tressa in NC]

As with any doctor, confidence in your vet is critical. If you've lost faith in the medical professional, then definitely make a change. Most people don't embrace change because it's uncomfortable, unknown (better the devil you know than the devil you don't!), and it takes time and energy to make any change. It sounds like you've made a good decision for Vincent and I wish him many more years of good living. Healthy, happy living.

Thanks, Norma, for such a timely post. This subject has been on my mind for a while and you've brought it to the forefront once again. That Vincent is quite a handsome pooch!

[Anne]

Do NOT give me a heart attack like that!!! I was afraid you'd suddenly given hub his walking papers.

The completely holistic vet out here is really expensive and does treatments I don't believe in, but the regular vet I found out here was just eye-opening. The old vet only gave me one choice for Wilbur's diet, which wasn't working; the new vet showed me 4 commercially-available diets and said if those didn't work she'd write to a veterinary nutritionist out at UC-Davis and find the right one. Two years later he's doing great.

[Kae]

My dogs are rabies vaccinated and that's it. My cats are the same way, all of them on the 3 year vaccines and I'll have titers drawn over the next two years instead of doing what the last dumbass vet wanted me to do with my Raven (having her vaccinated every year, hell I don't vaccinate my CHILD every year, why should I do so with my dog?).

My parents have three geriatric cats (22, 17, and 15), none of them have been vaccinated since they were 10 because the vaccines are too rough on them and could kill them. The 22 year old cat has all but 1 tooth and is a very active cat... we think it's because of the lack of vaccinations that would have tore her up.

[Beverly]

Good for you and Vincent! He is adorable. I changed my cats' vet when my prior vet failed to let me know that my much beloved cat, Stripe, had died overnight...it had been a long, painful ending and he was well aware of my love and concern (he billed me nearly $1000 for "caring" for my cat didn't he)....Ooooh, I am angry all over again ;-(

[Steph B.]

I love the vet clinic we have now for our cats for exactly the reasons you outlined. Not pushy, give you the options, respect your intelligence and don't over prescribe anything. Plus, it's obvious that everyone in the office loves animals. When we had to have Carbon put down last year, kidney failure, the vet even lit some sage and said a few words. And they sent a condolences card a week or so later. It was a heartbreaking time, but they made us feel comforted. Warm hugs to you and Vincent. I hope his tail is wagging for a long time to come.

[michelle]

Such a good mommy! I keep telling my children having pets is like having another child - which is why we have none right now, too much work.

Vince is such a cute little powder puff :)

[Wanda]

Good for you for doing what was right for you and Vincent! Your old vet needed the divorce. "It's not you, it's me!" Hah, it was him. Moving upward and onward. Glad little V is feeling and doing better.