Post by willow on Jul 16, 2008 8:42:18 GMT -5
Most of you know how I hate putting chemicals in/on my dogs (and myself) and try to use them sparingly.
Well, the ticks are bad this year, so last Friday afternoon after finding a tick on Buddy, I decided to put Frontline on both dogs.
Most of you also know that I feed my dogs Raw Meaty Bones.
Saturday morning I fed the dogs as usual, and Buddy wouldn't eat, and I knew immediately there was something wrong with him, because being a rescue dog and having gone hungry, he takes his food very seriously. He is also a very healthy dog and Vets always tell me how healthy both my dogs are and how they do not look 12. Neither of them are grey around the muzzle or have the old dog looking eyes etc. They are both very alert.
Buddy still wasn't eating the next morning and was very lethargic and had very sick looking eyes, so I called my Vet and he met us at the clinic. There was also a father and son there with the father's Schitzu, who had the exact same symptoms as Buddy. Unfortunately, I didn't think to ask if they had recently put Frontline on her, but I doubt they feed her RMB's!
I told Dr. Kim about putting Frontline on Buddy Friday, but he hardly addressed that issue.
To spare you all the details, his diagnosis for both dogs was a rampant bacterial infection and he gave them injections of Prednisone, and Amoxicillin capsuls etc. and said if they were not better by the next day to bring them back in for more blood work.
I also got a long lecture on how dangerous feeding raw is and that dogs are NOT carnivores, they are omnivores, and need grains, fruits and vegs. in their diets. He went so far as to say that if given a choice between meat, or grains, vegs etc., they will choose the latter over the former.
**I heard him tell the other people (he left the examining room door open) that "she probably ate some thing she wasn't supposed to." **
He also said he LOVES raw feeders, because they bring their dogs in with bacterial infections, bowel obstructions etc. and it is good for business.
Give me a break. A friends dog just had surgery for a bowel obstruction from swallowing a rock, and how many dogs have bowel obstructions from eating socks, rawhides, parts of toys etc. Of course he skirts around this issue.
I do think my Vet is the best Vet in the area and I respect him, but of course we disagree about this. If the truth be known, far more dogs have obstructions from these things than raw bones!
So, anyway...Monday morning Buddy was much better, began to eat and is fine now.
In the 8 or so years I have been feeding RMB's none of my dogs ever had a bacterial infection, or a bowel obstruction, so I am still feeding RMB's, but from now on I will pick off ticks and I will NEVER put Frontline on either of them again.
Well, the ticks are bad this year, so last Friday afternoon after finding a tick on Buddy, I decided to put Frontline on both dogs.
Most of you also know that I feed my dogs Raw Meaty Bones.
Saturday morning I fed the dogs as usual, and Buddy wouldn't eat, and I knew immediately there was something wrong with him, because being a rescue dog and having gone hungry, he takes his food very seriously. He is also a very healthy dog and Vets always tell me how healthy both my dogs are and how they do not look 12. Neither of them are grey around the muzzle or have the old dog looking eyes etc. They are both very alert.
Buddy still wasn't eating the next morning and was very lethargic and had very sick looking eyes, so I called my Vet and he met us at the clinic. There was also a father and son there with the father's Schitzu, who had the exact same symptoms as Buddy. Unfortunately, I didn't think to ask if they had recently put Frontline on her, but I doubt they feed her RMB's!
I told Dr. Kim about putting Frontline on Buddy Friday, but he hardly addressed that issue.
To spare you all the details, his diagnosis for both dogs was a rampant bacterial infection and he gave them injections of Prednisone, and Amoxicillin capsuls etc. and said if they were not better by the next day to bring them back in for more blood work.
I also got a long lecture on how dangerous feeding raw is and that dogs are NOT carnivores, they are omnivores, and need grains, fruits and vegs. in their diets. He went so far as to say that if given a choice between meat, or grains, vegs etc., they will choose the latter over the former.
**I heard him tell the other people (he left the examining room door open) that "she probably ate some thing she wasn't supposed to." **
He also said he LOVES raw feeders, because they bring their dogs in with bacterial infections, bowel obstructions etc. and it is good for business.
Give me a break. A friends dog just had surgery for a bowel obstruction from swallowing a rock, and how many dogs have bowel obstructions from eating socks, rawhides, parts of toys etc. Of course he skirts around this issue.
I do think my Vet is the best Vet in the area and I respect him, but of course we disagree about this. If the truth be known, far more dogs have obstructions from these things than raw bones!
So, anyway...Monday morning Buddy was much better, began to eat and is fine now.
In the 8 or so years I have been feeding RMB's none of my dogs ever had a bacterial infection, or a bowel obstruction, so I am still feeding RMB's, but from now on I will pick off ticks and I will NEVER put Frontline on either of them again.