I'm a bit miffed

[Lewie'sMom]

*rant on*

 

Last evening my phone rang. The caller ID listed a name I did not recognize. I answered, and a woman on the other end asked, “Is this Patty?” I confirmed that I was and she told me Dr. Myvet told her to call me about feeding raw. (WTF?!) She launched into a lecture about how to feed raw, never bothering to ask me if I had time to talk (listen). Evidently, she’s been feeding raw for 5 years and Dr Myvet thought I should talk to her.

 

She was a nice enough gal but my beef is what gives anybody the right to ask so and so person to call me about anything? Wouldn’t it have been more appropriate for him to give me HER number?

 

I’m just annoyed that he thinks I’m an idiot and can’t do my own research and come to my own conclusions.

 

*rant off*

[Chesney's Girl]

I don't think vets are supposed to be giving personal information out to anyone? Isn't that a breech of confidentiality or something?

 

And just on a curious note... I know you're upset, but was any of her information helpful?

[MaryP]

I don't think vets are supposed to be giving personal information out to anyone? Isn't that a breech of confidentiality or something?

 

I would say so. My vet has had me contact people before or vise-versa, but they always get both party's permission, first. I don't blame you for being a bit perturbed.

[Lewie'sMom]

I'm going to talk to Dr Myvet about giving out my phone #. It's not unlisted but it does disturb me just a bit that he felt it was his place to give it out.

 

And, she didn't really tell me anything I haven't already touched on in my research. One thing she did say (that at this point I don't particularly agree with) is that dogs NEED veggies but they can't always process them so we have to make them more digestible by breaking them down first.

 

Huh?

 

I'm trying to put it into perspective as to what Lewie would be eating if he wasn't domesticated. I'm thinking he (dogs) would be more likely to search out game rather than a garden. Most everything I've found in the internet so far says that dogs are carnivores, so why would they need veggies?

 

Maybe I'm just being bull-headed but, gee whiz, I'm not trying to kill my dog! I'm trying to keep him healthy so I can keep him around for more than 13 or 14 years.

[donna frankland (uk)]

if its any help, studies done on large ungulate kills by wolf packs (ie what our dogs would do in the wild) show that the items left at the end of feasting are;

stomach content

large weight bearing bones

 

wolves risk serious injury each and every time the pack pulls down, or attempts to pull down prey. it seems logical to me that after risking life and limb, nothing of value would be wasted, so weight bearing bones and stomach content are not a valualble commodity as far as wolves are concerned.

they will eat the stomach, after shaking it around to empty out the contents. the contents if they get any attention at all will be rolled in. mmmmmmmmmm!

 

there is in my eyes however one species appropriate form of veggies that most here will attest to their dogs agreeing with.

herbivore poo.

sheep, goat, rabbit, cow, horse etc etc. veggies that have had all the processing they need. ick!

 

even the makers of pedigree scum state that dogs have no dietary need for carbohydrates!

feed veggies if you want, mine have some cooked if i have done too many. but thats a treat rather than an inclusion to the diet.

smaller carnivores, and the odd wolf or 2 who catch a rabbit will eat the thing whole thereby eating the stomach, do ingest vegetable matter that way. but that is not what wolves prey on most of the time.

give meat bones and offal, give a variety and follow you gut, i reckon you will do just fine.

oh and if my vet gave my number out to someone without my permission, i would be savage!

[Ms.DaisyDuke]

That is nuts! I would also be a bit miffed. You should have been asked first or given that lady's number. WOW!

[kajarrel]

it seems logical to me that after risking life and limb, nothing of value would be wasted, so weight bearing bones and stomach content are not a valualble commodity as far as wolves are concerned.

they will eat the stomach, after shaking it around to empty out the contents.

 

Off topic, I know (apologies, mia culpa), but the one of the first things my DOGS pull out from the offal left over from on-farm slaughter is the stomach contents (lovely breath afterwards - yum!). They also seek out and eat grass, wild berries, peas and beans straight from the plant . . . and even eat duck food and horse food occasionally. This notion that domesticated dogs don't eat plants/grain (in the stomach contents) never makes sense to me . . .

 

Kim

[donna frankland (uk)]

Off topic, I know (apologies, mia culpa), but the one of the first things my DOGS pull out from the offal left over from on-farm slaughter is the stomach contents (lovely breath afterwards - yum!). They also seek out and eat grass, wild berries, peas and beans straight from the plant . . . and even eat duck food and horse food occasionally. This notion that domesticated dogs don't eat plants/grain (in the stomach contents) never makes sense to me . . .

 

Kim

 

really? i stand corrected lol!

just out of curiosity, are your raw fed? mine wont go near the stomach contents. they do enjoy eating young spring grasses, though they come out the same way they went in.

still it would be boring if they were all the same eh?

[Dixie_Girl]

I would be more than miffed! I don't even give out family members phone numbers! My motto is, if the person wants another person to have their number, they will give it to them. I will call said person and either ask or give them the number of the person wanting to call. That's as far as I go.

[kajarrel]

Both. I regularly feed them cull ewes (sometimes exclusively) along with kibble. We compost the offal (~150 lambs/year) so they also pull out and eat the leftovers (And often start before I get them to the pile (after fighting with the chickens for the spoils). "Nice" customers will also throw them feet to chew on.) -- blood, feet, brains, sometimes liver and lung and, as I mentioned before, stomach/intestines (they often vomit the intestines, and placentas for that matter). I've NEVER seen them shake the contents out of the stomach and they're, apparently, well digested (the stomach contents, that is ) although I must say I don't stare at their poop afterwards.

 

Kim

[GeorgiaBC]

Just playing devil's advocate but...

 

Don't you think your vet might just have been trying to be helpful, knowing you were interested in raw and already having a client who seemingly knows a great deal about it?

 

If it wasn't convenient for you to take the call, or you found that woman's style a bit abrasive, you could have cut the call a bit short, politely saying either "it is not convenient for me to take this call right now, let's talk later" or something like "thanks so much for the help but I think I've got this covered now."

 

Either might provide an alternative to "I can't believe he gave my number out" and "I can't believe they both think I'm not smart enough to figure this out on my own."

 

Just a thought.

[SoloRiver]

I don't know about whether or not dogs should be eating stomachs or intestines, but I do know that the hands-down favorite at my house is green tripe. I have never seen dogs go so crazy for anything else.

[MaryP]

but I do know that the hands-down favorite at my house is green tripe.

 

 

Mine, too. It's the most disgusting smelling stuff, and they think it's the best thing in the world!

[Shadows Mom]

From a bilogical aspect dogs' teeth and GI tracts are actually herbivore suggestive (aka they can physiologically eat and digest plant matter). Shadow's favorite food is snap peas, followed closely by beef cubes. =)

 

As for the vet.. I think its wrong of him to be giving out your number without your permission, whether the intent was good or not. I imagine he was just trying to help you, but I'd be a little upset too.

[notailabigail]

Mine, too. It's the most disgusting smelling stuff, and they think it's the best thing in the world!

 

One time I opened the package wrong and a tiny bit of tripe touched my hand. I scrubbed and scrubbed and the smell of tripe wouldn't come off! Ew disgusting. Also a favourite here though.

[juliepoudrier]

I kind of agree with GeorgiaBC. While it might have been a bit annoying to have received a cold call, it's not as if he gave your name and number to some sort of salesperson. I don't see the point in being angry over it. Instead thank him for trying to help and then tell him that you'd prefer he not give your number out in the future without asking you first. Yes, it would have made more sense for him to give you her number, but I think you're jumping to conclusions when you state that he thinks you're an idiot who can't do your own research. It's just as likely (if not more so) that he thought he was simply being helpful. If I were researching a topic and had a friend or acquaintance who knew someone who knew a lot about that topic, I wouldn't be offended if my friend suggested I talk to the other (expert) friend--I'd certainly be happy to pick their brain.

 

J.

[Sue R]

I'm in general agreement with GeorgiaBC and Julie. If my vet had done this for me (and I emphasize "for" me), he would have done it in an effort to help because he thought that someone would be a good resource for me.

 

While I don't think it's good for anyone to give out someone's email or number without permission, I think I'd err on the side of giving my vet the benefit of the doubt (as I'd expect he would do if the tables were turned) and, if I had an objection, I'd let him know politely that I'd rather he didn't do that.

 

Either way, best wishes with your feeding choices.

 

By the way, Coppingers' book (Dogs) makes my dogs' natural feeding choices (including grass, some raw and cooked veggies, scraps, what grains they can find, all sorts of animal poop, etc.) appear very understandable, in their proposals of how the domestic dog came into being.

[WyoBC]

I for one wouldn't be very happy about it. I'm not sure I would get mad, but the vet would know for sure I didn't want my number given out. I live in a small town of 5,400 so I'm not hard to find. But I still got a little mad when someone at the shelter gave out my home number to a volunteer and she called me early in the morning, late at night and anytime in between. I did tell her to stop calling me at home, but I wouldn't have had to if it haddn't been given out in the first place. I think if someone needs to get ahold of you they can leave their number with someone so you can call them back. But that's just me.