Dog Community

Posted : 3/26/2007 4:45:55 PM

ORIGINAL: akjones

I agree that some veterinarians don't know a lot about nutrition. However, I happen to hold in high regard those few vets that have dedicated both their lives and careers to animal nutrition.

Well yes, I hold those vets opinions in high regard, but as you said, that's not most vets. And I don't think the ones who have a lot of nutrition expertise are the ones recommending Science Diet. [

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jode88

Posted : 3/26/2007 5:09:14 PM

Ed,
It's really tough to educate others on dog nutrition. Their vet says SD is the best and that's what they believe.
I don't talk about dog food with my friends. If they ask what I feed, I tell them, but they usually
have not heard of it and do not ask anything more. One friend asked what I fed cuz he dogsat my dog and his dog loved the food I had them feed Sampson. Then he started asking more questions ect. Now he calls me a dog food snob. lol. I will say, the other day he asked where he could buy the food i feed....so that's progress.
I guess I have no answer for you...it's a touchy subject.

Cita

Posted : 3/26/2007 6:06:48 PM

I had a former roommate who got a pug puppy, and in talking to her found out that her pup had been having chronic ear infections on - you guessed it - science diet. I said that my dog had been having problems with his food, and that I'd been doing a lot of research on nutrition and found that it's sometimes linked to ear infections. Then I shared with her the links included earlier, saying something along the lines of, "Hey, isn't this great? I just discovered it!" I don't know whether she switched foods or not, but she did say she read them and found them interesting. It's a start! I think the, "Hey, did you have any idea about ? Isn't that amazing?" method can work very well - it's more like you're sharing something really great that you found than that you're (indirectly) criticizing someone's pet ownership and food choices.

Xerxes

Posted : 3/26/2007 6:41:39 PM

Thanks everyone for such great responses. I'm glad that I have a resource like all of you. If I didn't I'd probably still think that other (that I won't name) foods are premium/good foods.

Liesje

Posted : 3/26/2007 7:03:15 PM

Xerxes, one point I've read several times on this forum that I did not think of until I came here is that most vets aren't really experts on dog nutrition. Several posters have mentioned that vets take maybe a few classes in this, just like college students take a few classes in math, but does that make you a mathematician? No! While vet recommended SD may not be BAD for the dog (and that's debatable), it's definitely not the best, and a vet is not the best person to make that recommendation. I'm quite convinced already that there are memebers here far more well versed in animal nutrition than my current veterinarian. Does it make them bad vets? No, because nutrition isn't the main function of their job.

As a "newbie" dog enthusiast, this point made the most impact to me.

Amanda Jones

Posted : 3/26/2007 9:20:11 PM

Does it make them bad vets? No, because nutrition isn't the main function of their job.

Which is too bad though, cause a pet's diet determines its health and life expectancy more than any other care . . .

But the same could be said for human doctors I suppose. You wouldn't expect them to know a lot about nutrition per se unless it pertains to a condition they are familiar with.

g33

Posted : 3/27/2007 9:55:46 AM

Can I help too?

A breeder friend of mine created this page on her website. It's a really great explanation of exactly what's in dog foods and how to read labels.

[linkhttp://www.woodhavenlabs.com/dogfoods.html]www.woodhavenlabs.com/dogfoods.html[/link]

Santino Rizzo

Posted : 3/27/2007 12:40:53 PM

While it's probably best to just agree to disagree, it's not the math I disagree with. I think carbohydrates are important for dogs. I think the whole "dogs are carnivores only" is not as black and white as you make it out to be. I think that if allergies are not an issue, good whole grains are a valid ingredient to a dogs diet. I'm not saying a grain-free high protien diet is bad (that's what I'm feeding right now), but I don't agree that there is no place for whole grains and quality carbohydrates in general as well.

janet_rose

Posted : 3/28/2007 7:53:22 AM

one point I've read several times on this forum that I did not think of until I came here is that most vets aren't really experts on dog nutrition.

This is off-topic, but most of them aren't experts on training or behavior either.

janet_rose

Posted : 3/28/2007 8:04:07 AM

I think carbohydrates are important for dogs.

Littlesaint, dogs do very well on a diet of only raw meat (whole prey). What is in carbohydrates that you think dogs benefit from?

Misskiwi67

Posted : 3/28/2007 8:54:57 AM

ORIGINAL: mudpuppy.

Bottom line unless your dog needs a LOT of calories per day you're not going to get enough protein into that dog unless you choose a food with a very high "% protein" from meat on the label.

If 30% protein isn't enough, then why do NUMEROUS scientific studies show dogs only need 16% crude protein to survive and 21% to thrive? Something is funky with your reasoning, and it is NOT supported by scientific evidence.

Punching numbers on a calculator and real life are NOT the same thing.

Misskiwi67

Posted : 3/28/2007 8:56:30 AM

ORIGINAL: janet_rose

one point I've read several times on this forum that I did not think of until I came here is that most vets aren't really experts on dog nutrition.

This is off-topic, but most of them aren't experts on training or behavior either.

And you think because you've read a book you know MORE than your vet? Just because a vet doesn't know a lot about nutrition specifically doesn't mean they don't understand what a healthy pet is. Lets be realistic here...

glenmar

Posted : 3/28/2007 9:09:49 AM

When humans have a condition, say diabetes, the doctor sends THEM to see a nutritionalist. Very few doctors will even attempt to devise a diet plan for a human patient. I think that we EXPECT vets to be able to do everything, even the stuff that we wouldn't expect from our own docs. And I think that these expectations tend to stretch vets a little thin.

Misskiwi67

Posted : 3/28/2007 9:15:47 AM

ORIGINAL: glenmar

When humans have a condition, say diabetes, the doctor sends THEM to see a nutritionalist. Very few doctors will even attempt to devise a diet plan for a human patient. I think that we EXPECT vets to be able to do everything, even the stuff that we wouldn't expect from our own docs. And I think that these expectations tend to stretch vets a little thin.

Absolutely 100% right. But if a person wants a specialists opinion, they should see a nutritionist instead of blaming their vet for being an internalist, surgeon, behaviorist, family counselor and everything else under the sun for 2-200 species.

thedogfoodjournal.com is NOT a nutritionist, and is jam-packed with misinformation and generalizations.

jenns

Posted : 3/28/2007 9:34:47 AM

But if a person wants a specialists opinion, they should see a nutritionist instead of blaming their vet for being an internalist, surgeon, behaviorist, family counselor and everything else under the sun for 2-200 species.

Then why do they insist that they DO know all of these things? The difference is that many vets do attempt to offer nutrional/behavioral guidance (and I said many, not all), and poor and misinformed guidance at that. They should simply recommend a client to seed help from a nutrionist instead of giving out bad advice (just like my vet to insists that if I feed anything other then dry kibble my dog's teeth are going to fall out, and if I'm not feeding one from one of the big giant companies I am killing my dog). Thank goodness I am knowledgeable enough to know to ignore it, but many people are not.

I need some help