# My Fault! Or Smart decision?



## Huly (Mar 5, 2012)

This was brought up in other threads but I wanted to post it here too where we can learn from other's mistakes and you right decisions. What do you trust and not trust from your Vet? What have you done that you feel guilty about health or food wise? I currently trust my Vet 100% (which is hard for me with the Huly drama) but I still research everything she says prior to giving it to my kids and I have called back with questions on a few things. 

*My biggest is Huly!* 

I do still believe in vaccines but I am much more cautious and use titers etc. 

My cat Huly was found at 3 weeks old. He had an upper respiratory infection among other minor things. I took him to my local Vet (after a nightmare at the emergency Vet but that is a different story). One of the vets saw him, ran blood test for feline diseases and all was negative. They put him on antibiotics for infection and on our way we went. I had a 0.5lb ball of black fur to raise and bottle feed. 

As Huly started to get older he had all of his vaccine boosters and by 6 months he was fixed and his eye removed. Between 3-5 years old he started getting sinus issues. They said he had allergies so we were treating him for that and antibiotics but he kept getting them. By age 7 I started to question what was going on here and they told me Huly was feline herepes positive (FVR) since around 4-5 years old.

How is that possible? He has received every vaccine, never been outdoors, and negative as a kitten to adult. Want to know why he know has a disease that has no cure? ME I trusted my vet and the vaccines they gave him. Come to find out he caught the virus from a vaccine! It is all my fault! 

We have learned how to maintain his disease and deal with it through holistic medicine. He was the reason I went holistic as I was trained as a traditional vet tech some of this is holistic stuff is crazy to me. Guilt aside I had to try to make him feel better but every time he sneezes or gets a sinus issue it is a reminder that I caused him to go through this. 

*The one decision I made the right one is Chelsea:*
I was a Vet Tech when Rymadil first came out. We were amazed at the results we saw in some of our arthritis patients etc. So excited about the discovery then a few of them passed away way too soon (liver issues and ulcer issues for no reason). I refused to give this drug to my Chelsea (shepherd Rotti I had with hip dysplasia) after almost putting her on it. 

Over the years I have kept my ears open. Vets still push this drug and tried multiple times to put chelsea on it during her 14 years. I refused every time. Last year you know I got Sonny. For two weeks his breeder and my friend sent me photos of him but I kept saying NO 3 dogs are enough until I walked in my office one day and a co-worker lost his 10 year old lab to ulcers of the liver the night before who had been on Rymadil for awhile. I started thinking ages of my crew and called Ben and Sonny has been at my house since.


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## Buildthemskywards (Jun 16, 2012)

You didn't cause him to go through this, vets did. The people who push vaccines did. All we can do is go with what we know at the time; we are taught to trust our vets and medical companies. Now that you know different you do different, it's all anyone can do. You can not blame yourself.


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## jesuschick (Dec 5, 2010)

I'll join in-
*My fault*-Thinking I was really doing our boy, Mick, a BIG favor by switching him to IAMS food. It caused him a shorter than it should have been life and a sad and awful last few months. I believed what Vet's and Marketers told me and that was wrong.

That leads to my:*Smart decision*-Deciding after Mick's death that I was not leaving the new girl's health care up to a Vet to decide for me. I manage their care WITH them. I research, go to visits studied up and often with documentation in hand. I have an ACTIVE role in their nutrition and health care. I do not take what someone says or what I read once and run with it.

I am persistent. I follow up and follow through. No matter what. I owe it to the girls and this is one of my biggest pet peeves with other owners. Going to a Vet and blindly doing what they ask is irresponsible and listening, getting test results and then taking no action nor follow up is called neglect.


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## Huly (Mar 5, 2012)

Buildthemskywards said:


> You didn't cause him to go through this, vets did. The people who push vaccines did. All we can do is go with what we know at the time; we are taught to trust our vets and medical companies. Now that you know different you do different, it's all anyone can do. You can not blame yourself.


I do though as I believed all Vaccines were good! I trusted too much and now he suffers for it



jesuschick said:


> I'll join in-
> *My fault*-Thinking I was really doing our boy, Mick, a BIG favor by switching him to IAMS food. It caused him a shorter than it should have been life and a sad and awful last few months. I believed what Vet's and Marketers told me and that was wrong.
> 
> That leads to my:*Smart decision*-Deciding after Mick's death that I was not leaving the new girl's health care up to a Vet to decide for me. I manage their care WITH them. I research, go to visits studied up and often with documentation in hand. I have an ACTIVE role in their nutrition and health care. I do not take what someone says or what I read once and run with it.
> ...


I did the same with Iams for awhile. I am thankful I go holistic now as I feel I really can't make too big of a mistake with herbs but I do still research everything.


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## intent2smile (Dec 4, 2011)

*My fault-* Shadow (my previous golden retriever) - It has been several years since I have had Shadow but I never knew at the times how horrible IAMS dog food was. I thought I was giving him great food because it was not Purina or Pedigree. It makes me sad to think he could have lived a little longer and been healthier if I had not fed him IAMS for so many years. Shadow was 18 years old when he passed so he had a long good life but I do regret not knowing better.
I also regret not knowing more and researching more about injections with Jaxx. I always just assumed that he needed all of the vaccinations that the vet said he needed. Now Jaxx has a bald spot on his shoulder where he had an allergic reaction to the vaccinations. Every time I see the bald spot I feel bad for him.

The *one decision I made right* honestly is joining this forum. I have learned so much from everyone and I know that Jaxx has a healthier life because of all of you. This is definitely the best decision that I made in order to improve Jaxx's health.


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## lulu'smom (Jan 4, 2012)

I'll go. *My fault:* Lacy. Unfortunately, the beginning of my journey to learning so many terrible things I was doing wrong. A precious Maltese that died WAY to soon at the age of not quite 5 years old. Eating a HORRIBLE diet of Science Diet while I thought ignorantly (I used the word ignorantly, not stupidly because of the meaning of the word) I was feeding her the BEST there was to offer because Vets tell us so! Also, vaccinating every year like a good girl. She had her last annual vaccinations a few months before she died, so no one would tie her vaccines to her death, but I do (along with poor diet). Her blood stopped coagulating. The emergency vet argued us down that she had gotten into rat poison, but we adamantly stuck to the fact that that could not be so--totally INSIDE dog with NO access to rat poison. The vet who had seen her that morning hours before she died consulted with the emergency vet and confirmed that it couldn't have been rat poisoning based on blood work he had done that morning. No one could tell us why she died, but I will believe to this day it was a result of unneccesary vaccinations given over her lifetime and poor diet. My fault!

The* BIGGEST decision I did right*: I would most definitely say joining this forum. I could never begin to repay everyone for the help given and the information learned. I started on my journey toward learning a new way after losing Lacy. Because of losing her and talking with so many, many, many helpful breeders that shared their knowledge concerning food, vaccinations, etc. I traded misinformation I had always believed for new knowledge that would hopefully prolong Lulu and Gidget's life. I completely agree with Karen, I don't blindly take the word of a vet or anyone anymore. I research! And I don't mean .coms--many times that is just the opinion of the person funding that website. Isn't it interesting how someone can say something so matter-of-factly as truth and there is not a shred of truth to it? When researching look for .edu or .org--look for the creditials of the person speaking and what is their vested interest. Are they selling something? Sorry, didn't mean to get sidetracked or on my soapbox. Again, for Lulu and Gidget's sake, I would rather be making right decisions than saying, "My fault!" They depend on that!

edit: Let me edit this to say that I absolutely do get some information from .com websites and there are some great .coms out there (didn't mean to generalize). I just like to verify information through .edus and educated sources and non-biased sources or sources with nothing to gain by reporting the information I am looking for or with no agendas.


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## Moonfall (Nov 16, 2012)

I research and research like crazy.

As for a my fault...my bird, Shadow, died a horrible death because my mother listened to a neighbor rather than people who knew birds. He was thrown outside into a massive cage, but with a non-functioning wing, he could not fly and he either fell or was attacked. His neck got caught in the bars and broke. He waited to be found before he died so I saw the whole thing, seizures, screaming- it was horrible. I will never forget it, he was my best friend. I feel like if I had stood up for him more it might have helped...even though logically I know nothing will stop my mother, who is truly the most evil person I have ever met, from doing what she wants, so I couldn't have done anything.


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## MMS (Aug 2, 2012)

*My Fault* Cody - My first dog, who was never really mine. My sister brought home a runt cocker spaniel when I was about 11. As soon as he was old enough my mother said he was to go outside -- she grew up a farm girl and dogs do not belong in the house (she's not really an animal person). When (even before, if I'm truly honest) my sister moved out I was left to take care of the dog. I was 12 and did the best I could to keep his mattes cut out and spend time with him so he felt loved. I was responsible for digging out his dog house every year when it blizzarded (back when PA actually got snow...) and for everything for him. He ate the cheapest food my mother could find -- something that kinda looked like multi-colored ground beef in little baggies. My family moved while I was away at camp for a week, and when I got back the idiots had put his dog house next to the tv antenna and he had wrapped himself around it and hung himself. I knew even at 12 that he deserved better, and I should have taken care of him the way that I knew was right, no matter what my mother said.

*Smart decision* was having the good sense to want to learn as much as possible before getting a pet, no matter what the species. I won't have a repeat of Cody, I owe it to him to do better!


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## Evelyn (Oct 14, 2012)

*My fault* I had a beautiful Jack Russell. He was allergic to grass, so I wa told. We lived up north at the time. Vet started giving him steriod shots every spring, once a month, till latre fall. I was so happy it helped clear up his red itchy feet and lower legs. I didn't know that the steroids would shorten his life, his kidneys started failing at 8 years old. We had to have him put down. I later found out what the steriods would do. Didn't have computer back then. He also ate crapy food.

*Smart decision* I know ask questions and look things up myself..Feed my dogs one of the best diets.


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