Annual Checkup

I have two vets and a "board of trustees" I council for Riley's health issues. Really! This is absolutely true.

I have an allopathic vet (conventional) and a homeopathic vet. And then many many people whom I have networked with along the way that have taught me about animal health, immunity, nutrition, and behavior. I have found that nothing is more empowering than knowledge and learning to be an educated consumer. I am constantly learning and using the knowledge to make decisions that are best for our lives and for our Riley. What I used to get caught up in was that I needed to show my vet that I was a good dog owner and so essentially, I worked hard to please my vet. I am now much smarter than that! My vet works for me and they need to let me know that they will support me and not fail me when I need them most.

The average person looks at Riley and sees a beautifully handsome and healthy dog. His coat is amazingly shiny and soft, he never smells like a dog, his teeth are always white, and he has great energy. And I would agree with all of that. However, many of Riley's health related issues are more chronic than acutely obvious. His weaknesses are a result of both biological and environmental factors. This, I have come to accept and I continue to learn how to manage. My philosophy is to build up Riley's health (as much as I can) naturally, from the inside-out. Thus is why I am often hesitant to administer any of Western medicine's quick fixes including antibiotics, pain killers, and topical treatments. I stay away from any toxic chemicals and of couse I feed a natural, holistic diet.

On a yearly basis, I take Riley to the local allopathic vet for an annual checkup. Last Saturday, I took Riley in. We checked his weight, took a complete blood count (CBC), ran a Lyme/Ehrlichia.Heartworm test, and did an overall look over. I was a nervous wreak. Riley came through with flying colors. He is 82.7 pounds (we will now have to start calling him the mini-Berner) and healthy through and through. The reason why I was so nervous is because I know Riley's file must have in big bold wording, "FEEDS RAW!!!" "REFUSES TO VACCINATE!!!" and who knows what else. I knew I would be nervous as I was expecting my viewpoints to be challenged and I knew I was going to be lectured. And I badly wanted to be able to make a strong argument for my decisions and get her to be more open-minded. I made a list of concerns and made a cheat sheet of notes so that I could ariticulate exactly why I have decided to make the decisions I have regarding Riley's health. At one point, I found myself clenching my two hands together in a tight fist. I must have been a sight to see.

After leaving, I spent a lot of time reviewing how it all went. It didn't go as well as I wanted it to, but in actuality, it really didn't go that bad. My vet basically stood behind what she had to say for legal reasons. She never told me I was being a bad dog owner. She never told me I was making bad decisions. She understood the reasoning behind my decisions and offered her knowledge to clarify possible consequences of our actions. Being a conventional vet, she obviously does not advocate raw feeding, but she never made any notion regarding his diet. In fact, she commented on his great level of health.

My problem, I think, is that I really want to have a warm-fuzzy kind of visit with my vet. My homeopathic vet is like that. But of course she advocates raw-feeding and heals using the fundamentals of homeopathy. This makes for a fun and easy vet visit. However, I desparately need the support of an allopathic vet. I need a vet that has the tools of x-rays, ultrasounds, and surgical skills. Who knows when I may ever need that, but my homeopathic vet cannot provide that for me. So in the case of some kind of emergency, I need to feel like my vet knows me, knows Riley, and will support us. In my mind, I think this is being smart. I don't believe that one vet is better than the other. I need them both. But I can't have my cake and eat it too. Too bad.