maybe my advice has been wrong is it a bad idea to question your vet
hello welcome back to my channel if you're new welcome click there to subscribe hit the bell
to sign up for notifications and you click the link directly in the box below i can send you
a copy my free book i've talked a lot about you being an advocate for your dog your cat
but there might be a problem with this why do i bring this up you may ask well this was relayed
to me through a pet parent so their dog's sick you know they're concerned they take fluffy into
the veterinarian the veterinarian discusses you know possible reasons why fluffy is sick then
goes on to list an array of different diagnostic tests that they want to do you've probably had
that same experience you bring your dog or cat in there's something going on and someone lists like
an extensive list of diagnostic tests this person being a very involved and well-read
pet owner like they're aware of some of these diagnostic tests they had kind of an idea as
a possible disease what was going on with their dog so what did they do they started to question
things and questioning some of the diagnostic test results i mean many of you are pretty informed
pet owners you're pretty clear you can look at a blood chemistry and see like oh there's a couple
there's a liver enzyme elevated alp many of you may also be aware that that enzyme is not just
liver specific coming from the bone it could be produced from the skin so you're like hmm
just because alp is elevated doesn't necessarily mean my dog has liver disease and you need to go
down the diagnostic conundrum and search for liver disease but many professionals they're not super
keen on being questioned especially by you you know the layperson so part of the issue right
now is there just isn't enough veterinarians to go around to meet the man so many people
now with pets but only so many veterinarians to go around fluffy veterinarian wasn't super cool
with the whole questioning thing there was some heated discussions it was suggested that maybe
fluffy's owner searched for another veterinarian or like holy cow um so yeah i mean
being an advocate doesn't always turn out the right way it's just had me kind of grapple with
it like am i like guiding you guys down the wrong path should you be questioning or not
then i kind of go back to being in practice and remembering how i had many many many
you know clients coming in and i would look at their dog or cat and these are from pretty smart
and foreign pet owners and they'd be like well what have you thought about this i'm like right
that's a good possibility or especially when it came to like suggested treatments you know
you're starting in practice you're only aware of some of the holistic alternative options
and they would be like hmm have you thought of this before like huh no i haven't so did i take
offense to that no i didn't right occasionally was there a pet owner that i thought that kind of went
over the top and like i didn't feel necessarily grateful for sure and anytime you're in practice
i mean that happens and i think especially now it's gotten even that much more difficult
you've got like so many more people with pets you know still more higher expectations on the level
of veterinary care and you know you're getting vets burning out but i still think it's important
that you as a pet parent like you're the one who ultimately knows your dog your cat the best
but you need to be advocating for them you can learn so much about so many of the different
diseases and be really clear on you know what's most current now and other current potential side
effects if you're going to do x treatment if there is x side effect how we can potentially remedy
that side effect being aware of many of those alternative options and you're hoping that the
professional the veterinarian that you're dealing with because then maybe more open to that i'm
reflecting back on my own experience and practice i think probably one of the biggest things
is that you as the owner is a pet parent like you're you know you're expressing your gratitude
number one like you've got the professional who's giving up their time and they're not
you know extremely well paid for doing it so one like you're grateful for what they're doing and
like you approach it in that way as opposed to not like that do you really know what you're doing so
i guess and part of it is just you know how you frame it how you frame it with them
secondarily you know how it gets brought up you know like you're being respectful
and you're saying like okay i understand you're thinking this have you thought of this
i understand you think okay this is an option and but some of the stuff i just read suggested this
and if it's done in that way i think it's going to be more open and more received and obviously
not by everybody i mean there's going to be some professionals out there
some veterinarians would be like they're not cool with it they don't like being questioned like
i'm the expert i'm right i went to that school i know what's best turns out not always so do i
think you should still be advocating in conclusion yes advocate for your dog advocate your cat
i hope you have a good relationship with your veterinarian i encourage you to do so if that's
the case i mean they're going to be open to hearing what you have to say they're not going to
react so much don't just sort of shop around based on price and you know try to get someone who's
a good fit for you like someone maybe who is a little more open to alternative options if that's
kind of your thing thanks so much for watching this edition of enery secrets of you know being an
advocate for your dog or cat click up there to subscribe hit the bell design for notifications
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