Do Vets Have Pets?
Thursday, February 3, 2011 at 5:52AM | Lynne M. Flood, DVM 
I have many!! I can fully relate to pet owners who find vet care to be expensive – it is. As a veteran veterinarian (translation = old), I have adopted many needy patients over the years, so I own pets with complicated, chronic medical conditions.
I know how frustrating it can be to have an itchy dog who continues to have outbreaks, no matter how many visits, how many medications and how many products you try. I have lost beloved cats and dogs to kidney failure, cancer, stroke in the middle of the night, and mega-esophagus of unknown origin. Even with all the money and knowledge in the world, we still lose them to “mystery diagnoses” because we just don’t know everything yet. There is more research to do!
As one of my friends frequently says, “it is what it is.” He also points out to young people on a regular basis that life is unfair, and the sooner they realize it, the happier they will be. Sometimes, in spite of all our best recommendations and attempts at preventive care, bad things happen. But the preventive care DOES help keep them happier and healthier for longer, so that money is definitely NOT wasted on our wonderful furry friends.
I often get questions about diet and preventive care in my own household and I am happy to share this information with you. At DIAH, we study literature constantly to keep abreast of the best evidence and most current recommendations, and we do follow them in our own homes.
Revolution: my cats all live strictly indoors and get monthly Revolution – a topical medication that prevents internal and external parasites. Even indoor cats get fleas – I guarantee it! They just hide it well.
Diet: my dogs and cats eat Royal Canin, Science Diet or Purina foods. I am aware that there is a lot of public opinion about pet food ingredients, most of it quite passionate - but these are the companies I trust to purchase quality ingredients and to formulate diets using the scientific information we actually KNOW about nutrition. This is one area that needs a lot of research and these are the companies spending millions of dollars doing it. The more “natural” pet foods are based on theory, not science.
Supplements: my dogs and cats each take an Omega 3 fatty acid supplement (AllerG-3) and a joint supplement (Dasuquin) daily. These supplements are at levels far higher than food companies can put into their diets (they go rancid.) We have great evidence to show they reduce the effects of arthritis, heart disease and some cancers. These brands have been tested in pets, so we know they actually get into their systems and do have positive effects. The Costco or other generic versions are not regulated and we just don’t know even if the ingredients are listed accurately, let alone whether they are bioavailable to our pet species.
Canine heartworm and flea control: my dogs take Sentinel and Comfortis monthly because they do not have a tick risk. When I take them to my parents’ farm, I put Preventic collars on them. If my dogs were exposed to ticks regularly, I would use Sentinel and Frontline Plus.
Dental Care: the absolute best care is daily brushing, but I cannot commit to that because of the number of pets I own (don’t ask!) Dr. Rainwater is a model pet owner – she brushes regularly. Instead, I use Aquadent water additive so that when my cats and dogs get a drink of water, they are also getting an antibacterial rinse. I give them Science Diet Prescription T/D Diet as treats daily – the kibble is large and requires chewing and is formulated to clean the teeth as they eat. We now know that canned and dry diets accumulate tartar equally on the teeth, so only dental treats or diets formulated specifically to clean as pets chew actually make a difference.
My rabbit and guinea pig are fed Oxbow brand food and I even purchase my Timothy hay from Nebraska because the quality is so much better than anything I’ve seen locally. Rabbits and ferrets also need monthly Revolution; Guinea pigs do not need parasite control.
I hope this has been interesting and informative for you. I want you to know that when we make recommendations, these are things we believe and understand to be accurate based on our years of education and literature review. We also are passionate about dog and cat health, and are not in the business of selling. Daniel Island Animal Hospital is just that – an animal hospital providing medical, dental and surgical care to pets. We carry most products we recommend for your convenience, not as an income-provider for us.
We’d love to have your thoughts and feedback and are happy to answer questions!
Reader Comments (16)
Sencha can tell all the vets (and staff) love pets! I certainly recommend DIAH to other greyhound owners every chance I get and mention that you have a greyhound of your own. (Snowman looks so cute peeking over your shoulder there! :)) It's one thing to know about greyhounds, but it's another thing to live with and care for them.
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Loved reading this, Lynn. Just shared it on Facebook! We're thinking about a new puppy so we might see you again soon. We miss Boomer but it may be time for another Puppy Johnson :)
I have been hearing a lot lately about this stuff called Plaque Attack... Have you heard of it/tried it? Is it any good???
Dr. Flood, I was wondering about that AquaDent water additive you mentioned... I was reading about it online and I found a bunch of reviews from pet-parents who say stay away from that stuff because it contains Xylitol, which can be toxic to animals. What are your thoughts?
I would go to no other place! Alway's sound ,reasonable care for all my Corgi's, Cat, and Guinea's! Thanks to all at DI animal clinic :)
Brady urges all doggie parents to use heartworm prevention faithfully. He is thrilled to take his Sentinel in a Pill Pocket. We've heard about the heartbreak heartworm can cause and want to have peace of mind that he is protected here on the "mosquito coast." We don't rely on so called "organic products" to do this job for us. The risk is not worth your pet's life.
Kellyn, I asked Dr. Flood about that before, and she said the Xylitol is there in such small amounts that it isn't toxic. I still prefer to use the CET Oral Hygiene Rinse that you squirt on the gums, but that's mostly because I want to give my dog a highr concentration of the antibacterial rinse right on the gums and teeth. The kind you squirt doesn't have Xylitol, so it may be a good alternative if you're not comfortable with the water additive.
Grace, thanks for getting to that question before I did! My clients are so well educated, they don't need me anymore. :) Grace is the poster child for pet dental care, and the CET Oral Rinse she uses has chlorhexidine in it - an even more potent antibacterial, but a bit drying in the mouth and some pets object to it. Its squirting action and ingredient are very effective though. Plaque Attack gets a lot of marketing - I think anything owners do to try to clean the teeth at home is great, but we don't have any good scientific studies to evaluate its effect. Thanks for all the interest and good questions.
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Of course they do have, why would they choose that profession if they wouldn't practice them themselves.
It is all about the caring of animals, in which we could find.