Why Don't Vets Inform Pet Owners on Preventative Medicine?

…is the phrase you'll generally hear as a response if you ask for advice on caring for a sick pet. As is the public perception, a vet is an all-knowing entity that, after having attended many years of schooling, is able to always correctly guess what is wrong with an animal and will be able to carry out the most effective yet least harmful treatments, whether they are synthetic or 'alternative'. Everyone who isn’t a doctor shouldn’t attempt to do anything…right?

Well, if you willingly want to put your animals in more danger and lose more money at the same time (a winning combination of happiness), you will remain ignorant to advanced animal care and you will be entirely dependent on the advice of a person who has met your animal for the first time and whatever capabilities (or lack thereof) they may posses. One can be a great vet, or one can be a typical vet, yet you will remain pretty much clueless on the quality of the care you are receiving. Just dose the harsh antibiotics that he or she prescribes and pat yourself on the back for a socially acceptable job well done, because running to the vet each time there is any problem will always yield the best results. However...

This is just based on my personal experiences with pet ownership of many species. Taking your animal to the vet does not excuse you from the role of being an active learner. In many cases, people hrow themselves at the mercy of everything their vet tells them and get a negative result, often unaware that they may have been able to save their pet, prevent unnecessary pain, or both because they didn't carry out alternative treatments and improved home care. Even a good vet can attempt to teach you how to effectively nurse a sick animal, but if you, the owner, are not proactive beyond their words, that attempt can be pointless in the long run.

Alternative Medicine

This is a controversial topic but undeservedly so. There are many healthful ‘remedies’ available that rarely induce negative symptoms or make an existing problem worse...sometimes something as simple as including raspberries in a diet, which are rich in antioxidants and vitamin C. Many herbs, fruits, vegetables, ciders, ect, are healthful to your pet even if they are not experiencing a problem. It is always a good idea to stay on top of providing preventative medicine for longevity.

Read and understand the risks of a potential medicine or proposed remedy. Most importantly, have a general knowledge of these potential remedies so you can act quickly even if you are not sure if your pet has a problem. Timing when it comes to most medical problems is EVERYTHING. Do not sit there and guess whether or not a problem is going to worsen.

A common issue with people who receive negative results from attempting alternative medicines is that they expect miracles after attempting to treat illness in advanced stages.

Treat first, with better husbandry, and include tinctures and dietary changes of healthful qualities depending on the species of animal. There is a large benefit to treating alongside conventional treatment as well. Many times, a boost of the immune system in the early stages may treat ailments such as bacterial, fungal and parasitic infections. Vets often don't focus on nutrition in their studies, which is arguably the most important aspect of an organisms’ functioning and physiology. Often, many problems with pets are caused by inadequate nutrition indirectly. Understand and make sense of nutrition, it saves lives and you, the caretaker will be rewarded knowing that your animal is being treated by the best and natural means.

Vets are also People

And people make mistakes just as even the brightest student doesn't score an 100 on every exam. The probability of a person making a mistake increases when they are assessing an animal they have not kept, if they have certain biases, or even if they are having a bad day.

Keep in mind what vets learn in vet school and what they are very useful for, such as having a better understanding of what drugs are effective, how to interpret blood tests, and reading into species-specific symptoms.

Understand that capitalism situates its presence everywhere. Companies will often make donations and promote their products in vet school. In many occurrences, commercial interests take priority in how people are persuaded to think. Many people are unknowingly prevented from finding healthier and less stressful (as well as cheaper) ways to help their pets. Promoting over reliance on vets indirectly restricts potential valuable information.

So what are vets important for? If my animal needs a prescription for a harsh medication, I wouldn't attempt to do that alone (nor is it legal). If my animal has an unexplained limp, it’s obvious that this needs to be assessed with an x-ray. Vets can administer and asses the complex physiological qualities of your pet via important blood and fecal tests.

If you treat a symptom early and it does not subside, or if alarming symptoms such as lethargy, blood in the stool, or a drastic change in behavior occur that cannot be explained, haul yourself to a recommended veterinarian (this is very important regarding exotic, non-domestic animals). Understand, sometimes a vet and conventional medicine is the way to go, yet better husbandry is always an essential companion treatment. When you visit a veterinarian, be an active learner. Understand what the vet tells you, and research other people’s experiences with the ailment using resources like online forums. Sometimes information on human illness is also valuable. Your vet sees hundreds of animals a year. You (along with a healthy dose of common sense) are the most important figure in your pet’s chances for the best recovery.