vet opinion ugh!

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catz359

catz359

Member Since 2015
HI, called in results to vet for sugar and they dropped alot and I was thrilled ( from 22 to 12) but she started lecturing me about my having changed brands from the one she sells/suggested. basically insinuating kittys health wont get better without her food.. and future results will prove it. She really ticked me off but now has also put a doubt in my mind.... I loked at all sheets for food and the pro plan she insists I buy is comparable to the merricks I have switched him to... anyone else switch vet suggested food
 
You don't need an expensive prescription vet food to manage diabetes. Sounds like your vet is doing a hard sell. Perhaps it is time to find a new vet. The over the counter low carb canned foods under 10% carbs have had proven success in managing feline diabetes.
 
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Yes, I have. I've always had my cats on Rx food purchased from my vet. I've told her I've switched over to a completely wet diet (done gradually)comprised of Friskies and FF low carb pates, and she didn't argue. My cats (Lulu and 2 civies) are all doing just fine, Lulu's diabetes is being managed well, they're all as energetic, curious and getting into trouble as always. I wonder how much vets make on the food they sell? saith my inner voice.
 
catz359 said:
HI, called in results to vet for sugar and they dropped alot and I was thrilled ( from 22 to 12) but she started lecturing me about my having changed brands from the one she sells/suggested. basically insinuating kittys health wont get better without her food.. and future results will prove it. She really ticked me off but now has also put a doubt in my mind.... I loked at all sheets for food and the pro plan she insists I buy is comparable to the merricks I have switched him to... anyone else switch vet suggested food
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I do NOT use the vet recommended food and, because of this, have had conflicts with her.
But, surprise, I was able to support my case and now she wants to work with me (after giving me an ultimatum).

Arm yourself with as much info as possible (and THIS is the place !!) and challenge your vet on this issue. Vets do NOT know everything and being an informed consumer is your strength.

FWIW, I feed mixed brands all with < 7% cho content (using Dr. Pierson’s chart which is a godsend).
You are your cat’s voice. Speak loudly ……..
 
I've never much trusted vets as I've only ever had a few good ones (I move a lot), and if this arose with me I'd find a new one. Simple as that.
 
Thankfully my vet didn't argue with me when I didn't go with the Purina DM he recommended - a good sign.

It's possible your vet just doesn't know any better. You could send her the link to Dr. Pierson's site and see how she reacts -- maybe she just needs better information or she's a money grubbing opportunist who is more interested in her bottom line than your cat.

(@Lori & Lulu - I laughed so hard at your post I had to copy it -- imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!)
 
It's funny how vets are with the food. My cat Vivian's BG #s have also decreased since she was diagnosed with steroid induced diabetes. She is tapering pred and diet change is underway, I was going to change to another vet prescription food Hills M/D - lower in carbs than their regular food. An informed reader here pointed how high in carbs it still actually is. So I started her on EVO and so far the transition is going well and both my cats' systems are tolerating it. The point is that the vet never even suggested a diet change even to her own lower carb food, though she said it would be fine when I suggested it. It was almost like she was thinking of drugs only and not food to address the problem. A vet tech I know who works at another clinic said the vet there is the same way and she doesn't understand why. They get rescues from a place that rescues diabetic cats and others with special health needs, and the vet pushes insulin, not lower carb food, even though they sell it there. One thing: the EVO I'm giving Vivian is dry and I'm also trying to change her wet food and get her to eat more wet and less dry. Fancy Feast gave her diarrhea, she won't eat the lower carb Hills (that's ok b/c it isn't very low carb). Some have suggested it was the fish in the FF that upset her system, so haven't tried other varieties. What's the deal on low carb foods like Friskies and Fancy Feast; I though they were junk food but a lot of people seem to use them. Anyone out there with and IBD/SCL sensitive system cat who has found a low carb canned food the cat will eat and can tolerate? I'm past the point of asking my vet's advice, or even taking my vet's advice, on everything.
 
Long story, but my Tasha went on a hunger strike while being boarded at the vet's for 11 days. They tried appetite stimulants, assisted feedings, other canned foods, treats, and she just refused to eat. The vet called to discuss trying her on Purina Pro Plan DM formula but she said "I"ll be frank - it's prescription and it says low carb, but it's not great stuff and it's going to put her BG through the roof. But she needs to eat SOMETHING and we're running out of options."

Tasha, of course, loved it. Crunchies?!?! Yes please! And my kitty who had been getting 0.5 units twice a day and staying around a BG of 250 came home getting 2.o units in the morning, 3.0 units at night, and was giving us BG readings closer to 500. We went back to her Friskies immediately and all is back to her "normal."

So while I have other issues with that boarding visit, I do like that my vet doesn't push prescription food on us. She has it available but it's more of a last resort.
 
Sound like your vet is more interested in the almighty dollar than the welfare of your cat.:(:mad:

If you don't want to change vets and are worried about offending her, buy the Rx food and open either the bag and remove a bit or one can and then return the rest for a refund claiming kitty won't eat it. The refund comes from the manufacturer. Kitty has to eat so if you appear to have tried the vet's food recommendation, she will have to relent and stop lecturing you. Sometimes you just have play the game with them to get over that hump in the relationship.;)
 
I know how you feel, my vet told me not to bother to change her food!!!!! when she was not on low carbs at the time, I changed food and within 5 weeks my Molly was in remission, something that would not have happened if I had taken my vets advice and not bothered
 
I love my vet, but when (overweight) Lulu was dx with diabetes, she recommended a lower carb diet Rx dry food. I joined this site and ended up giving most of that bag away, the carbs were still WAY too high after reading Dr. Lisa's comments. Lulu is also on Vit B12 25u injected once per week. Yesterday at Costco, I took the vial and asked if I could get it without an Rx (I buy her Lantus and supplies there too, so they have a file open on her). They said no problem, cost about $7 including dispensing fee. The vial I bought from my vet was $25 and change. I do not blame anyone for making a living, but I believe that it certainly pays to shop around (especially when one is currently not working :)). (P.S. I'm in Canada so regulations may differ in other parts of the world.)
 
I have only known 1 cat to willingly eat the prescription canned foods for more than a couple of weeks. (DM is the only one really low enough in carbs) My Smokey started out knocking the other cats over to get to it. After a couple of weeks, wouldn't touch the stuff. It is liver (and maybe pork?) based and cats just get sick of it. You can try it, there is nothing wrong with it other than it isn't the greatest quality of foods, its overpriced, and cats don't like it. If you don't want to have it be an ongoing fight, take a couple cans home and tell the vet kitty won't eat it. End of argument.
 
I had a vet tech early on tell me the ONLY food for sugarcats was the Rx stuff. I never got it, he was on Friskies, then 9 Lives, then back to Friskies and went OTJ in hardly any time at all. In fact, I gave him 9 Lives for the first time, the same day he got his first shot and he almost went hypo on me.
 
Laura Nels said:
What's the deal on low carb foods like Friskies and Fancy Feast; I though they were junk food but a lot of people seem to use them.
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Laura, I was on the "holistic" "human food grade" bandwagon for a long time. I was convinced my pricey dry food with all the antioxidants and no 4-D mystery meat was better than something like Fancy Feast for my cat. I read Dr. Pierson's site on feline nutrition and it really started to make sense to me. I have dropped bread, corn, rice, blueberries, peas, and cranberries on the floor and, having had cats for nearly 40 years, have never seen one race over to eat whatever was dropped (although I did have one cat, Merlin, who had a thing for Kraft Dinner but that's another story …). As obligate carnivores, cats' bodies require meat. They might chew on some grass (don't know, my cats are indoor cats) but I'm pretty sure they just hork it up later. :eek:

Pet food manufacturer's are preying on what is considered "healthy" for a human and putting it (more cheaply, mind you) into cat food. They make BIG BUCKS by doing this. Yes it's human grade, which is excellent. But if you read labels (as I now do) there is a lot of stuff that goes into commercial diets, wet and dry, that cats just don't need. That feline stew with the chunks of carrots? Marketing ploy for humans, just like the old dog food years ago that used to have red dye put in it to look more like "meat".

I just bought six cases of Fancy Feast and yes, I felt I had to explain to the salesgirl that my cat was diabetic. But, despite the one mystery meat ingredient on the label, I know by the ingredient list that it's just better for my cats, diabetic and non-diabetic.

Sorry, that turned out to be a bit of a rant! :rolleyes:
 
MrWorfMen's Mom said:
Sound like your vet is more interested in the almighty dollar than the welfare of your cat.:(:mad:

If you don't want to change vets and are worried about offending her, buy the Rx food and open either the bag and remove a bit or one can and then return the rest for a refund claiming kitty won't eat it. The refund comes from the manufacturer. Kitty has to eat so if you appear to have tried the vet's food recommendation, she will have to relent and stop lecturing you. Sometimes you just have play the game with them to get over that hump in the relationship.;)
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No one should ever need to worry about offending a vet. Especially when one pays for the vet's services. I wouldn't recommend buying a prescription food, opening and then returning it on the false pretense that a cat didn't like it, to appease a vet.

If a vet has an issue with the diet, it's time to fire that vet and seek a new one.
 
I've been pondering these posts and I just don't know… I've had the same vet for almost 18 years and perhaps it's because I'm fortunate that I trust him and he's open-minded that I can find it easy to say if he and I disagreed on anything I might do exactly what @MrWorfMen's Mom suggested if it would help preserve the relationship, all other things being equal.

Thing is, I think it's worth discussing to determine whether or not the vet is genuinely interested in the welfare of my cat and is, perhaps, genuinely ignorant of the fact that there are other diets that can help (a possibility not outside the realm of possibility in catz356's situation - at this point, we just don't know).

Medical professionals, be they doctors or vets, like to stick with what they know works. Ultimately, they typically want treatment to be successful. Sure, there are bad doctors and bad vets who are more interested in making a buck than caring for their patient. And even some of the good ones DO have egos and don't want to be challenged or questioned on their treatment plans (and in fairness to them, there is also the rampant curse of Dr. Google they have to contend with these days).

If I were in those shoes - vet pushing Rx food at me, I mean - and showed my vet Dr. Pierson's website, showed her this website and she was still insistent that I buy the Rx food from her, that would give pause (and paws) for thought. I certainly don't like to deal with people who are utterly black and white or closed-minded, not for myself and not for my pets.

In short, I'd want find out what category catz356's vet is in for sure before she's summarily "fired".
 
Good point but I still don't think it's good practice to buy something, open it, pretend the cat didn't like it, and then return it to keep the vet happy. Food is wasted and the cost ultimately is passed down to the consumer. A good vet, in my opinion, will listen and be open-minded and work with the patient. I have had my vet make recommendations and I simply say I will think about it. That ends the discussion.
 
Cat Ma said:
If a vet has an issue with the diet, it's time to fire that vet and seek a new one.
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This could be a case of throwing the baby out with the bathwater. If the only thing you disagree with your vet about is food, but they are great for your pet on other things getting rid of them over food seems like an over-reaction. I am like Brashworks, we have been seeing our vet for almost 18yrs. Sometimes we disagree about prescription food. Sometimes they go above and beyond for my pets. Telling them the cats won't eat the prescription food ends the question-I'll think about it back-n-forth. I don't open food and return it though, I just donate anything I don't use because the shelters do use prescription food.
 
Donating the food is a much better solution than returning it so a very good suggestion. I've never had to argue with my vet over food or other issues but I can see your point that some vets are simply set in their ways and want you to try their approach first.

I had issue with what the vet told catz359 in catz359's first post. Catz359 got her cat's numbers down, she's doing a great job and the vet is misleading her by saying if she doesn't go with the vet-prescribed food, the cat is going to get worse. To me, that isn't very professional.
 
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I truly adore my vet, she's been our vet for a long, long time, and did not argue when I told her I had switched to Friskies and FF. I do not blame her for needing to make a living, she has lots of overhead, but I also have to live frugally right now. Her treatment fees are reasonable, and she truly loves kitties. I thought it was best to be honest with my vet over diet, but I was prepared to stand my ground if she gave me a hard time.
As in any profession, some are good, some not so good, some motivated by different things, some set in their ways, and so on. Our Humane Society would not accept any opened bags, so I gave all my dry Rx food to a friend, she has 6 cats, none of them diabetic.
 
I think we have to realize that vets don't know everything. Their job is, in my opinion, harder than that of a human physician because not only do they deal with patients of different species who can't tell them their symptoms or where it hurts, but they also have to try to puzzle out the information given to them by the pet parents and their examination of an often less than co-operative patient. It takes a lot of talent and patience to do their jobs.

So if I've had a long term good relationship with my vet and hit one bump in the road, I am not going to fire my vet if it's something as trivial as the brand of food I choose to feed my cat.

Sometimes it's better the devil you know. You may not find the next vet you pick nearly as talented when it really counts.
At least give the vet the benefit of the doubt.

I for one think continuity of care is better than vet hopping everytime there is a minor bone of contention because you will never find a decent vet who will agree with you all the time and I'd be wary of any vet that does agree me with 100% because I will never know for sure if she/he is really considering the facts or propitiating me.

Vets do NOT get more than a few hours of training in nutrition. They have far too much more important stuff to spend their class time on. They are swayed by the marketing of the Rx food makers to believe those foods are optimal. Feed the cat whatever you think is appropriate, and when the cat improves, your point will be made.

I love the idea of donating the food. Unfortunately shelters in my area will not take food for fear it has been tampered with. I actually didn't return mine either... gave my Rx food to folks feeding a feral colony. But with the cost of the Rx foods, if money is tight, no one should feel bad returning it for a refund.
 
I have not been with my vet for very long, but so far am finding it a very pleasant experience.

He perhaps started off the dose of Caninsulin quite high, but I had no issues in the month that Melty was on it. Now that I am home testing and I have more information. I feel better about my appointments.

I live in a fairly rural area and I don't imagine diabetes in cats is something that he deals with often, as he was very surprised and pleased when I agreed that I would give insulin. His instincts have not always lined up with this forum, but in the event that I have questioned him, he's been thorough and patient with me. He did not suggest changing the diet, but when I brought it up, he said that he thought it was a good idea.

Still feeling him out, but I think Melty and I will stick with him for a good while.
 
I've had those issues with vets as well, pushing the prescription foods and we've butted heads and gone to battle. I've never quit a vet who simply pushes their prescription foods if I am confident in whatever else he/she has been doing for my pets. I have done as Mr.Wormen'sMom has said, taken some out, returned the bag/kept one can and said, "won't eat it".

However, I will say one thing about all of this. There have been instances where (ok, choke as I did), the prescription foods were the ONLY thing that did help/work with OTHER ailments other pets had and I kept them on it only as long as I needed to then, SLOWLY switched over to commercial foods again that I saw as better quality. Hills i/d was one of those when my dog ended up with colitis and every other food put him into a bad a state again. I hated that he was on it but, frankly...it got him through it and I keep a bag and a couple of cans at home still to this day. The second case was a CRF cat who went onto MediCal renal failure food as it was ALL that he'd eat and I didn't have the resources for him that I do now. He did quite well on it and I was thankful that it was there. (He passed away from what we believe was cancer at the age of 18).

Unfortunately, my Morrigan will NOT eat FF or Friskies or 9 Lives and I struggle to keep her eating. I have found Purina ProPlan Kitten as one of the only canned foods she'll eat (a total kibble addict) and...drum roll...Hills m/d kibble...which I hate but, she needs to eat when she won't eat anything else as I've run into trouble in removing it with her not eating at all. I worked her almost off of the kibble (took a couple of months) and digestive issues got her right back to square one with it where I am working back yet again. DARN! (But, frankly....the 18% DMA carb content is better than the 25% to 40% the majority of commercial kibbles have).

Has anyone ever tried to call Hills? If you haven't, try giving them a call and hear the sales pitch that comes from them about the quality checks, no ingredients manufactured in China, how corn gluten and meal are excellent sources of protein that doesn't over-tax the kidneys etc.. Now, that one had me wondering since I'd had a CRF cat who the vets swore, needed lower protein and phosphorous. No one really knows for sure which it is right now and there's a big divide in the vet community over this but, to me...after listening and asking questions of a vet nutritionist at Hills, I began to question things as the idea that sugar kitties can have kidneys taxed by the disease, let alone by too high a protein level on top of it.

For now, I just know that unfortunately, Morrigan needs kibble and being Canadian, we cannot get those ultra low carb kibbles that the U.S. can get. We can't get EVO or Young Again Zero up here so, I have to feed her something/whatever she will eat. Thankfully, my vet is pretty open minded and while I hear sighs every once in awhile over the food issue, he relents to my research as long as our pets are doing well.

But, yes...it does put one into a quandary as to what to believe. Dr. Pierson's work is lauded and applauded by SOME vets...but, even SHE is really pushing a homemade diet vs commercial foods. It's us who are pushing for the Fancy Feast and 9 Lives and whatever else because let's face it...not many of us want to stand in our kitchens and make extra meals that may or may not get eaten by our kitties. So, even Dr. Pierson has her own preferences.

That said, the bottom line is that I also would not fire a vet because he/she pushed the prescription foods he/she sells. Sometimes, it's simply because it's what they've been sold on and yes, they make money on it but, more key here...they believe it's best because of the sales pitch. The only time I'd get rid of a vet that I liked who pushed the prescription foods, would be IF they were to tell me that they won't treat the pet if I don't switch them over. Just ignore it and do your own thing. :)
 
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