[jonsgirl]

Okay I just got back from the vet with Kota. (She had symptoms of a urinary tract infection according to the lovely ppl here at catforum. :lol: )

I go to the exam room, the male tech asks me her symptoms, etc. He asks me what food I am feeding Kota. When I say Felidae, he says"Oh, that's probably why. You should put her on one of the better ones like Iams.." then he goes on about how the ph in her urine can become messed up if the food disagrees with her and stuff. So I say, "No, I did have her on Iams before Felidae and she had the pee problem way before that, and Iams makes her poop smell." I wasnt even going to get into the fact that Iams tests on animals. So he doesnt say anything much after that, gives me an antibiotic (Clovamox) to put her on for 10 days and I go to pay at the desk.

The female tech at the desk notices Kota and looks at her health card, then asks me what food she's on. As soon as I said "Felidae" she goes "WHY???!!" like I am feeding Kota poison. I told her the same thing I told the male tech and she tells me I need to get Iams or Nature's Best.

Okay, whatever! I was upset about the fact that for the past 2 visits they were pushing Iams on me and they seem oblivious to the fact that Felidae is better. Am I missing something? I am seriously thinking about switching vets! By the way, thanks for your advice guys, and hopefully I notice a change in Kota in the next 10 days. She does seem to love the Felidae so that's here to stay!

 

[queen of the nile]

I really doubt that the techs know better. Going from drjean's experience, where she only recieved 2 hours of formal instruction on nutrition in vet school, you have to wonder if the techs get any instruction at all! It is so sad how most of the vets/techs I have talked to take food companies' claims at face value. Too bad you don't have all day to explain to the rest of the world what SHOULD be in cat food :roll:. They would probably this you were crazy anyway :wink: , I mean isn't corn GOOD for cats :roll: ?!

I personally would switch vets if you feel like they are not treating you with respect. I recently switched to a vet that has much nicer secretaries. Who would have thought that would be so important? I feel much better about bringing my cats to a vet whose support staff is kind and easy to talk to.

Hopefully Kota will be feeling better soon. I know it's hard to see them ill!

 

[Padunk]

It's a shame... vets seem like they're hard to trust sometimes. That sense of mistrust hurts the pet more than anyone else.

I get annoyed with mine sometimes. When I have the slightest inclination of a problem I either ask here or call the vet. (Depending on severity of the issue.)

They've seen my cats quite often and have a decent history. Now, I'm not one of those crazy people that calls the vet on a daily, or even semi-weekly basis, but every time I call before I can really describe my problem they just say "bring her in". I get the sense that they're being greedy... obviously that makes me want to switch.

Sorry for going on a tangent, I'm glad to hear the Kota is going to be okay.

 

[ForJazz]

"One of the better ones like Iams"????? That statement made me laugh out loud. If that's all you need to know to be a vet tech then I'll go apply right now, and I'll be a much better one than you encountered. It's hard to find a vet that shares your concerns and is interested in keeping up with cat health and studies -- if drjean lived anywhere near me I'd go to her. The vets around here are sweet and kind, but some of their practices seem a bit outdated. I say the best thing to do is educate yourself as much as possible, so you don't have to trust someone else's advice all the time.

 

[opokki]

I really like my vet... she's never tried to push any particular food but she did ask what I was feeding one time and when I told her Innova she said "Innova is an excellent brand". Last week when I was there they had a sign hanging on the counter stating several of the brands of food that the new store that just moved next to them is carrying including Chicken Soup, Wellness, Nature's Variety and several others that I can't think of.

 

[kitkat]

It's too bad not more vets are educated on good cat foods. Maybe its time to look for a new vet! Hope your kitty gets better soon.