Elaine
06-12-2008, 03:21 PM
I think that we make many assumptions about the state of veterinary medical science that are inaccurate. For one thing, we assume that Veterinary science is on par with human medical science in terms of having solid peer-reviewed research to back up the claims we throw around. There is no nice way to say this, but we all know there is a wide range of quality in veterinary medicine. Some practioners stay current, some do not. Some practioners allow office staff to give medical advice (and even do medical procedures). Quality control and/or standards of professional conduct in veterinary medicine are vague and fuzzy concepts. Some of the claims we throw around come from the vet’s office staff, and techs. To be blunt, some of the worst advice you will ever receive will come from some vet. tech. who confuses Voc-Tech training with a Medical School education. Some, on the peripheries of veterinary medical science, know just enough to be dangerous. Bottom line, the advice we hear is not always grounded in credible peer-reviewed medical science.
Again and again we see well meaning (but misguided) people acting out of fear of the unknown. People want easy answers; we want the ability to be safe. We want to be able to assert that we have a line of Dobermans (or whatever our breed is) that is free of health defects. Categorically, we don’t have such a thing, it is not possible to have such a thing.
All living organisms are going to die, of some defect in their physical make-up. It is a law of nature, we age, we die… we die of something. All living organisms are susceptible to environmental influences. Many of the health problems we see are caused by more than just genetics.
For example, what's in your dog’s diet? Whether you feed a raw diet or kibble (or a combination of the two), the food you use comes from genetically altered sources and/or is exposed to toxins in our air, water and soil. Our crops are sprayed with pesticides which may be considered safe today and are banned tomorrow. Farmers use genetically altered seed, animals raised for meat in this country are exposed to toxins, all of which may wind their way into your dog's diet, having an impact on the dog’s health that we may not recognize for years to come. But we expose our dogs to more than just the toxins in their diet.
How many of us x-ray a bitch to determine the number of puppies she is carrying? How many of us x-ray a puppy to determine if they have a full mouth? Do you know that x-rays can cause cancers and/or other health problems especially in young growing living beings?
How many of us give combined vaccines and follow the vaccination protocol advocated for over 20 years by the AVMA…. which they now admit is flawed. How many of us give the combined shots, see the attendant autoimmune disorders, including skin problems and then put your dog on steroids and antibiotics… for weeks, months and/or years… and then blame the breeder and the bloodline for the problems you and your vet created? When is the last time a vet said, “Hey sorry, that vaccination protocol I pushed on you is completely wrong and can be the source of the autoimmune problems your dog has had.”
There are all sorts of other toxins in and around our homes, that our dogs have direct contact with. Think about it. How many of us use herbicides, insecticides and fertilizers on our garden plants in our lawns. Sure the company may say these chemicals are safe, but remember this, at one time we were told that Chlordane and Agent Orange were safe. Some of the toxins we consider safe today - may - in the future, prove to be potent carcinogens and/or the catalysts for a wide array of health defects.
We are in the infancy of understanding canine health disorders, and yet some breeders are desperate to assert that we have a credible body of scientific evidence upon which to exclude certain dogs and certain bloodlines.
We do not.
We need to understand the problems we face. We need credible published peer-reviewed science to support the decisions we make. Even if well intentioned, running off in the wrong direction is NOT better than standing still. We are stewards of the breed. The decisions we make will impact the breed for generations to come. We have a duty to stay calm and act wisely.
Again and again we see well meaning (but misguided) people acting out of fear of the unknown. People want easy answers; we want the ability to be safe. We want to be able to assert that we have a line of Dobermans (or whatever our breed is) that is free of health defects. Categorically, we don’t have such a thing, it is not possible to have such a thing.
All living organisms are going to die, of some defect in their physical make-up. It is a law of nature, we age, we die… we die of something. All living organisms are susceptible to environmental influences. Many of the health problems we see are caused by more than just genetics.
For example, what's in your dog’s diet? Whether you feed a raw diet or kibble (or a combination of the two), the food you use comes from genetically altered sources and/or is exposed to toxins in our air, water and soil. Our crops are sprayed with pesticides which may be considered safe today and are banned tomorrow. Farmers use genetically altered seed, animals raised for meat in this country are exposed to toxins, all of which may wind their way into your dog's diet, having an impact on the dog’s health that we may not recognize for years to come. But we expose our dogs to more than just the toxins in their diet.
How many of us x-ray a bitch to determine the number of puppies she is carrying? How many of us x-ray a puppy to determine if they have a full mouth? Do you know that x-rays can cause cancers and/or other health problems especially in young growing living beings?
How many of us give combined vaccines and follow the vaccination protocol advocated for over 20 years by the AVMA…. which they now admit is flawed. How many of us give the combined shots, see the attendant autoimmune disorders, including skin problems and then put your dog on steroids and antibiotics… for weeks, months and/or years… and then blame the breeder and the bloodline for the problems you and your vet created? When is the last time a vet said, “Hey sorry, that vaccination protocol I pushed on you is completely wrong and can be the source of the autoimmune problems your dog has had.”
There are all sorts of other toxins in and around our homes, that our dogs have direct contact with. Think about it. How many of us use herbicides, insecticides and fertilizers on our garden plants in our lawns. Sure the company may say these chemicals are safe, but remember this, at one time we were told that Chlordane and Agent Orange were safe. Some of the toxins we consider safe today - may - in the future, prove to be potent carcinogens and/or the catalysts for a wide array of health defects.
We are in the infancy of understanding canine health disorders, and yet some breeders are desperate to assert that we have a credible body of scientific evidence upon which to exclude certain dogs and certain bloodlines.
We do not.
We need to understand the problems we face. We need credible published peer-reviewed science to support the decisions we make. Even if well intentioned, running off in the wrong direction is NOT better than standing still. We are stewards of the breed. The decisions we make will impact the breed for generations to come. We have a duty to stay calm and act wisely.