Trust Me, I’m Not A Veterinarian

Eleven ago, Buddy was the first acupuncture patient of a veterinarian. Today, acupuncture is a substantial part of this veterinarian’s practice. Buddy’s acupuncture, then, however, was done on a ‘healthcare’ team basis – with this vet consulting with my then very experienced vet in acupuncture who was geographically too distant for the course of treatment necessary.

(And yes, the treatment was successful in stemming the tide of Buddy’s difficulty – though Buddy was never the same. I have concluded, years later, that Buddy’s difficulty came within two weeks of being over vaccinated at the age of 14 when he already had a myriad of health challenges. But, what did I know then.)

The veterinarians are now pushing twice a year physicals especially for older dogs. While I believe this a good idea – that should have become a standard of preferred recommended practice years ago - I can only wonder if this ‘new preferred protocol’ is at least in part due to the lost revenue or anticipated lost revenue due to reducing over vaccination generated fees, office visits, upsells etc.

In any event, fast forward now 11 years.

In light of my research resulting in Trust Me: I’m Not A Veterinarian, experience with hundreds of emails and call ins to the Next To Kin Foundation (www.next2kin.org) and this new preferred protocol being recommended, I have decided to have a healthcare team (rather than just one veterinarian doing twice a year physicals) in order to have my dogs exposed to different modalities (homeopathy, Chinese medicine, and conventional Western).

(Furthermore, and I recommend to this any companion animal guardian, I suggest the purchase of Dr. Andrew Jones’ Veterinary Secrets Revealed CD and DVD course – which will not only save you time and money – but put you, as the Guardian, in better control and understanding of your dog or cat’s health management. Of course, it is any wonder the Canadian Vet Association not unlike the American Vet Associations are giving Jones grief!)

In any even, at the first 6^th month interval, I had the semi annual physicals done by the same Chinese herb, Acupuncturist Integrative Veterinarian. At the second 6^th month interval I went to the Homeopathic Integrative Veterinarian.

It turns out, my 12 year old standard poodle Max’s blood work taken by the Homeopathic vet showed a very high liver count. Immediately we did an ultrasound (which was negative) but in any event he is now on Milk Thistle and a dose of SAMe daily. In a month we will redo blood work – to see if this was just a transient reading, still a problem or improved and go from there.

Subsequently, while the Homeopathic’s office on the Saturday before Labor Day, Max exhibited neck and or a bit of back pain. (I know when this is happening as he becomes attached to me like Velcro wherever I go and when even laying down his head is up. It’s his signal.)

So off to the Acupuncturist Vet who was open and available.

(Max, yes, is better since his treatment).

I told the Acupuncturist Vet of Max’s new condition.(which I thought, per my instructions to the Homeopathic Vet all information – blood work, findings, etc. was to be shared between the two veterinarians.)

She had not received the information and blood work from the Homeopath.

However, the Acupuncturist Vet seemed to be offended by the utilization of another veterinarian outside her own practice in a subsequent followup inquiring about Max’s neck – and her newly received bloodwork.

Implied was ‘who is number 1’ within the remark ‘who is the main person?’

My response to ‘who is the main person?’: “I am.”

And quite frankly, in light of my findings in Trust Me: I’m Not A Veterinarian – you are whether you like it or not – for your companion animal.

Not unlike our experiences with human medicine today (where the gatekeeper primary care doctor, in most situations, turns over in managed care every other year or so – and is a gatekeeper in theory not practice) – by default you are the main person for your own health care. The days of the family doctor and house calls in human medicine – where you could just ‘trust’ given ‘substitute reliance’– are over, with few exceptions, over. The same applies to veterinary medicine. You must manage your healthcare team for your companion animal.

Anyway, instead of being put on the defensive and accepting the premise of this veterinarian question, I replied with a question, ‘do you have a problem with being a part a healthcare team?’ She backed off and believe me I was ready to remind her of her being part of a health care team when she had no problem with it – 11 years ago with Buddy. I reiterated the veterinarian’s own preferred protocol of semi-annual physicals adding that in that light I wanted, therefore, to have different vantage points (modalities) in viewing my standard poodles’ (Max, Elle, & Moses) health condition.

In human medicine, docs today actually encourage second opinions – if nothing more to protect themselves from malpractice. But remember, unlike the pediatrician (which veterinarians effectively hold themselves out as akin to but for companion animals) who pay $5000-$11,000+ per year in malpractice premiums, the small animal veterinarian practice owner pays approximately $241/year on average practice revenues of $394,000 or about 9cents a dog or cat!

In effect, the small animal veterinarian, because our companion animals are merely personal property like a HDTV, effectively have no malpractice deterrent in law, in professional review etc. (which is outlined in Trust Me: I’m Not A Veterinarian). (Quite frankly, the vets pitch the animal human bond and pets as part of the family for practice development but for liability they have fought tooth and nail to have the liability of a garage mechanic.)

Thus, there is no perceive malpractice minimization benefit of the concept of second opinion let alone healthcare team (unless within their own practice). Instead, second opinion – and healthcare team concept seems to evoke professional jealousy rather than collegiality for the welfare of the companion animal.

Look Joe DiMaggio is dead, Sammy Sosa had a corked bat, Mark McGuire still hasn’t answered whether he was on steroids, Marcus Welby and Rex Allen (Country Veterinarian on TV – which shows my age) were fiction.

So who is the main person on your companion animal’s healthcare team: you!

Empower yourselves (here is the crass commercial – get Trust Me: I’m Not A Veterinarian, get Dr Jones’s Veterinary Secrets Revealed – you dog(s) and cat(s) will thank you.

Next Week’s blog: Professional Collegiality & Over Vaccination Continues

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