[rannmiller]

Have any of you ever gotten negative reactions from people about feeding raw? I swear, people try to make you feel so terrible about it sometimes.

At work today, I mentioned to some of the receptionists and vet techs on break that I was donating my cat's leftover kibble to a rescue because I switched my pets to raw.

Bam!

I immediately get a talkin'-to from one of the vet techs that I'd better not ever mention my raw feeding in the clinic again, especially not to the patients! "Because no veterinarian in this office and most vets do not recommend raw because of all the problems it can cause!"

Had I felt like getting myself fired, I could have retorted that it's strange they advocate a corn-based diet with terrible quality animal protein sources when it knowingly causes hot spots, dull skin and coat, excessive shedding, balding, GI problems, cancer, etc. Ah well, I was so upset I had to go to a local dog boutique store and get a hug from a raw advocate who works there (sure I'd never met her before, but it was still comforting). I also got some information on two vet clinics in the area who advocate raw feeding. Not sure what I'm going to do with it yet, but by golly I feel better.

Anyone else get responses like this from ignorant folk?

 

[LoveNewfies]

Some people look at me like I have three heads but I rarely get a negative reaction about feeding raw. For those that don't understand, I explain the benefits and what it's done for my dogs as well as the numerous fosters that have come through.

Even our vets don't give me a hard time about it.

 

[rannmiller]

That's nice! I'd like to sit down with my vets and talk to them about it, but I doubt they'd care. I think my best bet would be to bring in my shiny, soft, well-muscled, lean, beautiful, healthy dogs and compare them to one of the tech's fat, dull-coated, shedding, dandruffy, loose-stool, Pedigree-fed dogs and see what they have to say about it then.

 

[LoveNewfies]

Honestly, with our traditional vets, I'm a bit of a jerk. I screened them all in my area after having a few bad experiences with the vet we were going to, called them all and discussed what we were looking for in a vet. Finally found one I'm happy with. Now, I should say that on a regular basis we do see a holistic vet, but we also have a traditional vet right in town that we see. While the techs try to push vaccinations on me now and then, I gently (most of the time) remind them not to even try to stick any of my animals. I do let them know how I care for my animals, including diet, and expect not to be harassed about it when we need to go in for something.

Based upon the condition of my Newf, particularly considering the issues she has, the vet doesn't argue about or try to push food or vaccination issues with me.

Even the orthopedic down at Tufts took the time to discuss my Newf's diet and was very interested in it rather than condescending or anything thereof. Some vets do want to learn more and hear what some of us are doing with our dogs - the difference diet makes can be tremendous and not all vets are closed minded about it, thankfully.

 

[rannmiller]

Some vets do want to learn more and hear what some of us are doing with our dogs - the difference diet makes can be tremendous and not all vets are closed minded about it, thankfully.

Unfortunately for the vets I work for, I think they're more worried about the difference diet makes if it makes a good difference to their wallets (SD, Purina, Iams).

 

[LoveNewfies]

That really is too bad and, unfortunately, very common. Most vets around here act very much the same as your vets. At the same time, many other vets are becoming a bit more open minded. One big concern of some of the vets is people feeding a very unbalanced diet. Most of the "average" dog owners would not go as far as we do with feeding and make sure all of our bases are covered. For those of us that feed raw, even those that feed the best natural kibble on the market, we are still in the minority of dog owners. We do have to consider that more dogs on Kibbles & Bits go through the vets' offices than dogs like ours so the vets tend to concern themselves more with people making sure they're feeding a "balanced" food. Not to mention the fact that many just don't know enough about nutrition.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not defending the, I just like to be fair.

 

[muskan]

Ya sometimes this can be seen the negative reactions from people about feeding raw. No I have no any experience of it, you shared with us, thanks for this.:smile:

 

[EnglishBullTerriers]

I know that I have mentioned to some of my friends that I wanted to get started with the raw diet and I have also gotten the 'three heads' looks. I have also been scolded that the raw diets will just cause the dogs to want to eat people and its just not natural. Or "There is a reason that we feed them kibble and it is because raw food will just make them wild and vicious. Then they will attack the owner and kill anyone that they see."
Yes, I have actually been told that!! Kinda crazy, huh? Some people just don't understand that un-natural ingredients are not only bad for us, but bad for our pets as well. On the other hand, I did get a good little chuckle out of it that day. Un-informed people are kind of fun to giggle at sometimes. They just don't understand! I do know where both of you are coming from. I am in the process of finding a vet that will not scold me for the raw diet thing. Do you have any tips as to some questions that I might ask them? Thanks

~Rebecca Pierson

 

[rannmiller]

You can just call around and ask the different offices how their vet(s) feel about the raw diet. If you get a snotty receptionist, ask to leave a message for the vet to call you back about it.

And yeah, I definitely had a friend tell me that she doesnt want her cat on raw because then she will "go feral." And other people tell me that their dogs don't get "people food" or they'll beg for it all the time. I told them my dogs know when I'm getting out their food because I'm a vegetarian so if I'm pulling meat out of the freezer, it's probably going to be for them. So according to my dogs, "people food" is dog food.

 

[Rexandbaby]

:biggrin: I love the people food thing. I haven't started yet, waiting to go to the butcher, and also to use up what kibble I have. I am not going to talk to my vet ahead of time. I just want to see his expression when I bring them in and have him ask me what I am doing different. If then, he doesn't like it, I will ask him to check out this site and others. If that doesn't work I will go another 15 miles out of my way to another vet.

 

[LuvsDogs]

I gave my answer in this thread http://dogfoodchat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=478 post #4.
I am always cautious in recommending feeding raw bones on other forums when I've seen on American programms, like once on Oprah, so called dog experts telling the audience never to give a dog bones.

 

[rannmiller]

A woman was looking for poop bags and didn't want to spend the money on the large pack of them so I suggested she get the smaller pack but she said "No, they poop way too much for that!" So I asked what she was feeding and she said, "Raw, dehydrated raw from The Honest Kitchen." I told her I do prey model raw and she said, "Like the Primal nuggets?" I said, "No, like I get a bag of chicken leg quarters and hand them one and they eat it whole." She looked a little baffled like I was some freak who feeds her dog real food. "So do you mix in the barley and veggies and give that to them separately?" "No I give them muscle meat with bones and organs. I figure since they're getting real food and all the enzymes are still present and since they're carnivores, they don't really need veggies and grains. Every time I tried to add that into their diet, it made them poop more and loosened up their stools."
And she was like "Ohhhhh" *scoots away from the crazy person*
Wtf? Her dogs get grains and veggies in their "raw" food and poop like crazy and I'm the weirdo? How is that even fair?

Then my friend was like "Wait, you give them bones too? Aren't those really dangerous for them?" "No because they're raw so theyre still soft and digestible." "Yeah well I still think their digestive systems have changed so they do kinda need the veggies and grains." "That's only been part of their diet in the last 50 years and when they get it, they poop more and have looser stools so I figure that's a sign they aren't digesting it very well if at all."

Seriously people, do some research and look at your own animals before you try to lecture me.

 

[Rexandbaby]

Some people just need to push their own thinking to loudly on others.

I found out that it wasn't the rib bone from the deer that gave Rex the runs, it was eating out of my sons trash can in his room! My son is 24 yrs old going on 4!!

 

[rannmiller]

Wow! Well at least you know it wasn't the rib bone! My dog ate half a plate of chocolate chip cookies the other day and yesterday she was all fat and farty, it was awful. However, after being put outside to take care of her digestive upset, she came back in about 2 hours later and looked less fat and was definitely less farty. This morning she seems almost back to normal with just a little more pudge in her belly than normal (I would too if I ate that many calories in one sitting!).
She's eaten huge sized bars of dark chocolate before with no digestive upset so I think it was just the obscene amount of sugar she had that threw her off the most.
Anyway, that was completely off topic.

 

[Rexandbaby]

:biggrin: It was off topic, but I have to say, that I am glad that we are not the only ones who let our dogs eat bad things!! We all of course, try our best, but there is always someone or something that can cause a problem!!

 

[blackdoberboy]

I had a person tell me that if I feed my dog raw he would become vicious.
How ignorant is that?

 

[RawFedDogs]

I had a person tell me that if I feed my dog raw he would become vicious.
How ignorant is that?

Pretty ignorant. I've heard that same statement many times. :smile:

 

[rannmiller]

Oh yeah, I've definitely heard that one only the word "feral" was used instead. Wow! Yes, I'm sure a perfectly domesticated pet would turn feral if the diet changed for the better...not!