Vet Techs and Vets ?

Question

I feed my pup Solid Gold Wolf Cub, which she was origanily on Pro Plan which was suggest by my vet, Why would they have told me that Pro Plan was so good for my pup when really it gave her skin issues and less energy, every since I switched her she has even more energy than befor which I didnt think was possible, but again why would my vet suggest Pro Plan ?

Answer 1

They recommend it because both vets and vet techs often get tons of freebies and free seminars and luncheons from Purina, IAMS, and Science Diet from vet school on up. It's pretty much identical to what happens with the drug reps and human doctors. It's ridiculous. Just use common sense (something that some vets are lacking in). Which looks better to you?

Solid Gold Wolf Cub Bison:

Bison | Salmon Meal | Brown Rice | Millet | Cracked Pearled Barley | Rice Bran | Canola Oil | Tomato Pomace | Flaxseed | Natural Flavor | Salmon Oil (source of DHA) | Choline Chloride | Taurine | Dried Chicory Root | Parsley Flakes | Pumpkin Meal | Almond Oil | Sesame Oil | Yucca Schidigera Extract | Thyme | Blueberries | Cranberries | Carrots | Broccoli | Vitamin E Supplement | Iron Proteinate | Zinc Proteinate | Copper Proteinate | Ferrous Sulfate | Zinc Sulfate | Copper Sulfate | Potassium Iodide | Thiamine Mononitrate | Manganese Proteinate | Manganous Oxide | Ascorbic Acid | Vitamin A Supplement | Biotin | Calcium Panthothenate | Manganese Sulfate | Sodium Selenite | Pyridoxine Hydrochloride | Vitamin B12 Supplement | Riboflavin Supplement | Vitamin D Supplement | Folic Acid |

Purina Pro Plan Chicken and Rice Puppy:

Chicken, brewers rice, poultry by-product meal, corn gluten meal, whole grain wheat, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), whole grain corn, corn bran, dried egg product, animal digest, calcium phosphate, fish oil, salt, potassium chloride, choline chloride, L-Lysine monohydrochloride, zinc sulfate, Vitamin E supplement, ferrous sulfate, manganese sulfate, niacin, calcium carbonate, Vitamin A supplement, calcium pantothenate, thiamine mononitrate, copper sulfate, riboflavin supplement, Vitamin B-12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, garlic oil, folic acid, Vitamin D-3 supplement, calcium iodate, biotin, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of Vitamin K activity), sodium selenite.

I'd rather have a food with no by products, no corn, wheat, sorghum, or soy, and easy on the grains myself. Wolf Cub is fine.

Edit: Dale, yes they do. All the vet students get free Hill's stuff: free backpacks, free pens, free memo pads, free samples, free scrub tops, very cheap food, etc. They even step in to pay for our nutrition text books. They wouldn't do it if it didn't work. Purina decided to one up them and are now offering free whole bags of food, more free crap, more free samples, seminars, etc. Our clinical nutritionist's position is even funded directly by a very large endowment by Purina. I wish I was making this up. :-(

Answer 2

I think the only reason they recommend foods like Purina, Iams, and Science Diet are because they are taught in vet school that these are good foods. I work at a vet clinic, and we don't get endorsements from the company if we sell or recommend their food. The veterinarian I work for used to recommend these foods until she did her OWN research, and found that there are much higher quality foods out there. So I don't think your veterinarian was trying to do any harm, he was probably just recommending what he thought was a great food.

*edit* Maybe it is different at other vet clinics, but at the clinic where I work, Science Diet and Iams reps don't come in to talk about their food products. They may offer seminars, but in that case you have the choice to go, and we don't go. And they don't send free product or anything. We do get Purina and Hills reps who come in, ONLY to talk about their prescription diets, and that is it. And if an animal is ill and would benefit from one of the prescription diets, that is the only time we recommend Purina or Hills. Unless as another poster said, someone was specifically asking about an affordable food that is better than Old Roy.

Answer 3

Many of the above posters have hit the nail on the head, but here's another thing that many people don't think of: Did your mom dress you up to go to the doctor when you were a kid? It's been ingrained in many of us to respect or fear the doctor...not talk back, ask questions, etc. If the doctor tells you to feed your dog a $5/pound food, you may just go find another doctor for your dog, rather than ask for a recommendation for something more affordable, so as not to look cheap or unable to pay.

I truly feel for many vets for the position they are in...if they suggest something that a cheapskate feels they can't afford, they just stop bringing the dog in. The vet loses a client, and the dog loses it's medical care. I think sometimes vets are reluctant to suggest foods and sometimes even medical procedures because they don't feel that you'll take their advice, and just cut and run. Perhaps your vet suggested ProPlan because you were feeding something your vet considered worse (like Ol Roy) and just wanted to step you up in quality without shocking you with price. When I talk nutrition with my vet, I have to ask the questions, and ask for details...he never volunteers the info, seems as he doesn't want to offend (must be a midwestern thing). Why not just ask your vet why he suggested it?

Answer 4

hello i would like to dissagree with the above answer vet tec or vet nurse are the same thing but male's prefer vet tec as a vet tec you can tank a 2 yeat course witc is basicly half of the bachlors degree or you can tank the full 4 years cours with annables you to become a head nurse a vet cours is NOT 8 years its 5 but if you wish to spechlise in a specific subject eg orthopedic it becomes longer ! a vetenry nurse can prescribe some medcin sutch as wormers fle tablits vaccnations vetagesic and metacam and thy pre op aniamsl they are also trained enethisist they can digonose some ilness in animals but that is left mainly to vets you can also train to do dentals and some mass removals but you are not aloud to enter and bodly cavaty you also do stich ups and reles andimals and you can go on call where you are sent on emergancys as well as sent to euthnize ill animals basicy the more you train the more you can do and the more youm ern 10-25 thousond pounds

Answer 5

The nutrition course that vets get is general it takes in all species from cats to rats, dogs to hogs. They tend to recommend foods they are familiar with which of course those that are advertised most often.

And People...vets do NOT have classes sponsored by food companies...yes there are seminars sponsored by food companies but those are optional...also vets & techs don't get freebies, kick backs or any other so called incentives to sell or endorse foods by any company....I get so tired of this crap being spread around!!!!

Answer 6

It has been my experience that vets are the absolute WORST people to ask about food recommendations. They take one class in vet school on nutrition and that class is typically sponcered by Hill's or other crappy brands... so the class is a bit biased in my opinion.

Answer 7

For many vets, their nutritional education is the weakest part of their vet school education. Most vets receive only one course about nutrition, and this is usually funded by large petfood corporations such as Hill's, so the information that they receive is usually very wrong/biased. Just do your research about food, and if your vet makes you uncomfortable, find another one.

Answer 8

Because vets are NOT taught a lot about nutrition, and what they do learn comes from Hills (makers of Science Diet) and other big dog food companies.

Answer 9

There is no magic bullet food. As good as anyone may think a food is....there will be a dog out there they does BAD on it. Pro Plan may not be the best food according to some, but it is far from the worst.
Your vet did not think it would cause problems because it doesn't for most who try it.

I have a friend that shows and works a breed with coat issues, he has been feeding Dog Chow forever and will not change. The dogs are top winners in the breed and are healthy and long lived. Who can argue with his success. It may not work for my dogs, and what I feed may not work for him.
God Bless America and our hundreds of choices!!!

Answer 10

It depends on the dog. Innova and Canidae are great foods, but my pups didn't defecate solidly once on it. It's trial and error. If they don't do good on one food, try another.