Converting my vet? Or find another?

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Alright alright, I know theres that nice sticky up there about converting a vet, but I've got this feeling that even if I bring a stack of papers to him to look at he won't even touch it. Though I'm not so much concerned about converting him to hometesting.

I'd rather find a way to convince him that I'm not an idiot who believes everything she hears on the internet. I'm a bit police minded when it comes to figuring truth from lies. If you have one person who tells you that one thing happened but then you have 5 or 6 other people telling you something else happened and all their stories match up and they don't appear to be corraborating their story who are you prone to believe? The group.

I know that he is the one who went to vet school, I know I didn't. For all he seems to care I know jack squat about the 'animal' that I've owned for 8 years. At least that's how it seems to me. Granted I'm feeling quite a bit angsty this morning, so perhaps my thoughts aren't being quite fair. He's never been outrightly rude, but he also makes me feel like my opinion of the treatment doesn't much matter.

Just a few things that have really thrown me off of this vet him telling me that he always uses the vial of Lantus not the pens. So I guess he doesn't care that the manufacturer states that it needs to be discarded 28 days after first use? I know most people on here use their pens for around about 6 months but you still probably wouldn't go through half a vial by then. They keep trying to push the RX dry food on me even though I've told them no. Was a bit condecending when he told me I should have spoken with him first before I got a human glucometer (I'd never even met him before! The initial diagnosis was done by a vet who was just covering for the weekend) and then said the glucometer I had always read higher than the Alphatrak (Why do I keep finding that human glucometers read lower then?) and using the one I had put my cat at risk for hypo. Yet he wants me to double his dose within the first 3 days and shoot blindly. Telling me I should only test his blood once or twice a week, no more.

I really really really would rather be able to see my vet as a partner rather than someone I feel like I'm struggling against. If nothing else I guess I can just take all the paperwork and if he blows me off and doesn't even look at it I'll just take my Danny and walk out. If that happens I'll be on here looking if anyone in the area has Vet recommendations. *sighs*
 
The partnership is really the keyword for me, and my vet was not interested in that. She was ok with me hometesting, but didn't use my numbers in any good way, only looked at the fructosamin numbers. If I had done what she told me, my cat would still be on insulin.

It sounds to me like you could save yourselves a lot of streesfull thougths if you changed to a new vet. I think your current vet has diskvalified himselves to have you and your cat as costumers and if anything wen't wrong you would blame yourselves that you didn't change in time.

I have just changed vet my selves and I can just feel the stress leave my body as the new vet understands me, my cats needs and see me as a partner. I would definetly change to a new vet, especially since you don't really like him.
 
I need a vet who wants to work with me and unfortunately my previous vet was not very open to discussion. I had to do what she said, she was the one that went to vet. school. She would get quite defensive when i asked questions.

My new vet is not only open minded, she is thrilled that i get involved and ask questions.

Do what you feel is best.
 
Oh my. At least my vet didn't get defensive when I asked questions or made suggestions, he just kinda disuaded me from it.

I've only met the guy once, I hate to judge him based on just one visit. I'm not currently taking his advice *cough* Going up to two units right now just seems way too soon. I believe I will make my decision based on my next visit, it's scheduled for the week after next. They want to do a curve. Little do they know that I'll already have one done. I believe I probably should call and inform them of that at least. He wanted to take a look at my glucometer anyways and compare it to theirs. I'll take the paperwork about the Tight Regulation protocol. If he at least looks at it and has it it might help the othe kitties at his practice that are on Lantus. He said he only had a few patients using it so it wouldn't surprise me if he is simply unaware of the protocol. If the next visit starts to turn sour for me, I'll simply advise them I am going elsewhere. Just have to find an elsewhere to go.

Thanks for your opinions. I really appreciate it! I'd still love more input if anyone else has something to say on the matter. I've just been really stressed with all this and this is just adding on to the matter.

Also any suggestions on how to approach him with the paperwork? Should I take it during my appointment or drop it off a few days before it so he can look it over? If he'll take it anyways.
 
This is hard. Will it help you to know a lot of people went through the same angst?

We are really kind of lucky. Oliver was diagnosed around Thanksgiving and our vet left for vacation for the month of December. The vet techs didn't want to give advice....So we came here. We changed the diet, lowered the dose and started testing at home. By the time she was back, we gave her the numbers we had gathered and she was amazed. She does now advocate the diet and hometesting to other patients. She was reasonable to work with, which was the deciding factor for us. She could see we had made gains and she was willing to listen.

It is hard to remember that we are the customer and the vet works for us. A human doctor would never say to a human diabetic - no, you can't do any research, you need to test every couple of weeks in my office and eat what I think you should - even if it is high carb.

If I were you, I would give this vet another chance. (Just because it is hard to change vets.) They don't have to buy into what you are doing; they just have to recognize that you have a right to treat your cat the way you want. As far as the curve, I would cancel that appointment, just say bluntly you won't need it and fax them your spreadsheet. Tell them you will be willing to compare your meter to theirs on the same sample of blood, but that you realize there can be a +/- 20% variance. I would take along the Queensland Protocol (done by vets!) and tell him you are using it.

If you want to post your city and state (in a new separate post) we may have a member who lives nearby and knows a good FD vet.
 
My suggestion is to try to see your vet as a personality rather than as a professional who has a degree. Does he seem like a personality you would get along with in another setting? If not, move on. If so, maybe be firm about what what you want and why. The vet works for you and there is nothing unreasonable in wanting to purchase Lantus in a different delivery form and there is nothing unreasonable in wanting to home test.

If his personality type won't allow him to see past his prejudices about these things, then he's probably not a personality you can work with further. There are many many types of personalities and we each get along with certain types better than others. The degree should make no difference - it did not change his personality.
 
IMO, finding a vet who will listen to you, answer your questions and concerns, and not make you feel like an idiot, is important. I had to change vet's after the first suggested insulin without having done a fructosamine test and laughed at hometesting. I called a few other vets in the area and asked about their view on hometesting before I took Sweety to one that was in favor of it.
I also got the roll of the eyes when I metioned "the internet." But I learned that when I had questions, and answers - I looked up info from accredited vetinary schools and societies, and quoted those too, which held a little more weight.
I found it handy to write down my questions and have them with me when I went in. If he had an answer I questioned, I could point to other vetinarian's views. I did a lot of research and that helped when we had differing opinions. He was willing to listen and explain. I think that's important.
Maybe you could just call around and see if there are any vet's in the area that are willing to work with you. I think there is a sticky for questions to ask. That way, if you decide to switch, you'll be a little ahead. Maybe you could start with calling around and asking if they are willing to use your information from the curve you've done yourself.
 
I agree with everything everyone has said on here. Before Julius was diagnosed with diabetes my other kitty Cheesecake got injured and my vet at the time left me hanging for almost 2 days with him his leg wrapped in gauze with no plan as to surgery/re-examine him/nothing. I panicked and called my dad and he got me in to see his vet the next morning. To make a long story short he had surgery and was diagnosed with cancer. My new vet supported me in not putting him through an amputation we felt he would not adjust to and chemotherapy that they felt was probably not going to help either. Instead we made him comfortable and spoiled him. I was able to be with him for every splint change and blood test the last 2 months, they didn't leave me in a room worrying and bring him back to me hissing and fighting to get back in his carrier. His whole demeanor changed at the new vet, I shudder to think what my old vet did to him to make him SO angry, I never in his 13 yrs saw him that angry as I did that afternoon when I picked him up from my old vet. (the day he was injured) That was a big clue to me. They wouldn't or should I say couldn't change his splint without sedating him at the old vet, at my new vet he laid there calm as could be, only when the palpitated his ankle that was broken did he cry a little, and I do mean a little, everyone said how GOOD he was!! It was not my cat it was my old vet!!!
I am a big believer in going with your gut. If your gut says you don't like this vet, and don't think he/she respects you and your thoughts about your cat, who you obviously know better than him, I would switch. It is your prerogative to be an advocate for your cats health, and to do what you feel is best and right for him. Some vets are only interested in $$ like my old vet, she didn't used to be that way but she got that way. I was put on prescription food for my cat with allergies, she never mentioned a raw diet, which works like a charm! I can make it myself and he loves it! That prescription dry crap is why my cat has diabetes now...... all thanks to my old vet.
Home testing is key for kitties with diabetes, Julius is all over the place and without home testing him to know where he is I probably could have killed him with blind dosing. I feel very confident in everyone on this board and I am glad I found it (before we started giving him insulin and after he was diagnosed) I was ready to start home testing him when I brought him home, my vet was surprised but I simply said that I felt that it was a necessity if he is going to be on insulin. I have gotten better dosing advice on here than from my vet, but you balance the good with the not so informed...... Good luck! I know you will make the right decision!
 
Working WITH your vet is important. You want a partner. You also want someone who will listen to you and address your ideas and suggestions logically.

I love my vet. She is open minded. She's a large and small animal vet and told me she is always willing to learn - "I can't know everything". Saying that, she also suggested some things that were downright wrong. Too high a starting dose, prescription food, all the other things we complain about. But when I disagree, she accepts it and works with me, or tells me why she thinks I'm wrong. And when Humulin U was discontinued and we needed a new insulin, she read all the things I printed out about Lantus and Levemir (which she had never heard of), checked with other vets and her vet school, and decided to give Levemir a try. And when I asked about testing, she gave me her MIL's old meter to try.

So I guess I'd go over all the points with the vet and see where you stand then. And be sure to get copies of all Maxx's records in case you want to consult with someone else. And remember most vets are like GPs - they know the basics about alot of things, but they aren't always experts in specific diseases.
 
Yep Sue, it really does help to know that others have gone through it too. I'm feeling so stranded in all of this cause no one thats physically around me seems to understand why I'm so concerned.

I'm pretty sure that if I look at him as just a personality that I'd be able to get along with him. I might just have to be a little pushy to be heard over the ego. Thank you for the suggestion Vicky! I think it would help if I see if I can handle the person rather than handle the 'professional'.

Yep, I definately got the eyeroll Jayne. But in my professional experience (I dispatch, I'm expected know all see all) the internet is an invaluble tool! So I tend to research research research, google everything, and if I don't find it the first try look elsewhere.

Oh poor Cheesecake. I'm glad you got him to a vet that worked for you Julius' Mom. I understand where you are coming from. What's compounding it for me is that I had just switched to this vet. I'm so grateful that the staff at this office actually agreed to do tests on my babies. My other vet actually told me Danny was loosing weight because his teeth needed to be clean. Well come to find out he's still loosing weight 3 months later and TADA kitty actually has diabetes. I would have never even known if I'd stuck with my first vet.

Ah I wish I could have a vet like yours Debby. And yes, I'll keep that in mind. Just because he's been to vet school doesn't mean he's had the chance to research deeply into feline diabetes or the differences when utilizing Lantus. Neither of us is the know all be all of veterinary medicine (I sure know I'm not) but I can only hope we can come to an agreement.
 
Where in Florida do you live? Maybe one of our members lives near you and can recommend someone. If you live in Jacksonville, PM me and I can recommend a great vet.
 
My vet and I originally did not see eye to eye with Oscar's treatment. It really took Yoda going OTJ in my care for them to realize that I am not going to kill my cat my hometesting :o

(very) Long story short, by sticking to my guns, my vet now realizes that I do my research before coming to them with questions and suggestions on treatment options and that I am not trying to "play vet" but trying to learn along side of them. After a year of working with them, I now have a really great relationship with them. It took about 8 months of work though - it is a long time to try to stick to your guns.
 
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