So do it. Decide. Is this the life you want to live? Is this the person you want to love? Is this the best you can be? Can you be stronger? Kinder? More compassionate? Decide. Breathe in. Breathe out. And decide.
I know that you are a reptile tumblr but I was wondering if you knew if it were healthy for dogs to be vegans? I'm just curious because of some vegans that have animals and they make them vegans... is it harmful towards the animal or is it completely safe? thank you :)
It’s an absolutely horrible idea. Dogs cannot be vegans and thrive. They’re not vegetarians and they’re not even really omnivores in the same way we are- while dogs will eat everything we do (and more), feeding them a vegan diet is terrible for their health. A lot of vegans who make this decision will blather on about supplements in the vegan food or about how you can make artificial amino acids or how dogs can survive on it so therefore it’s safe, but dogs can also survive eating Ol’ Roy, the worst dog food in the world. Surviving isn’t the same thing as thriving! A dog’s biological structure means that eating plants and only plants isn’t going to work well in the long run- so let’s look at some of the reasons why dogs need to be fed a diet based in animal protein.
1. The canine digestive tract is not good at digesting plant matter.
Plant matter is really tough to break down! Meat, on the other hand, digests quickly. Carnivores and herbivores have differently structured digestive tracts that work with their diets. Let’s look at a rabbit’s digestive tract and a dog’s.
See how a rabbit has a functional cecum, while the dog’s is just a little snub of a thing? The cecum is an organ that plays a really important role in non-ruminant herbivore digestion. It’s a large pouch where cellulose and tough fibers in plant-based food get broken down. Dogs, like humans, don’t have one that’s functional for digestion.
In addition, herbivores like rabbits have very long, complicated digestive tracts. Their food sits in there and breaks down over a long period of time. An average adult rabbit (with a body of about 40 centimeters long, we’re not talking the giant breeds or the dwarf breeds here) has about three meters of small intestine. In American units, that’s a 15 inch animal with almost 10 feet of intestines. A dog, on the other hand, has a small intestine that’s about two and a half times the length of its body- so for instance, a dog that’s two feet long would have about five feet of small intestine. There’s neither enough time nor space in the canine alimentary canal for dogs to fully extract the nutrients they need to survive.
2. Dog drool doesn’t have amylase.
Amylase an enzyme that converts plant starch and glycogen into simple sugars. Herbivores and omnivores typically have amylase in the saliva, which starts to break down those starches immediately. This means by the time the starches hit the intestine, they’ve already started to convert into something that’s actually useful. Dogs, however, only produce it in the pancreas. There’s no salivary amylase in dogs or any other carnivore. This means that digesting plants and converting their energy into something that’s actually useful is really inefficient for dogs; they can only get something like half of the energy and nutrients they’d get from a comparable amount of meat. It also means that to digest plant material, dogs’ pancreases have to go into overtime to make enough amylase, which can lead to severe pancreatic strain.
3. Dogs can’t digest cellulose.
While the dog pancreas makes amylase, something it doesn’t make is cellulase. Granted, herbivores don’t make it either- in fact, very few animals do. Termites are one of the only animals that make their own cellulase. Herbivore digestive tracts have a reservoir of symbiotic bacteria that produce plenty of cellulase. We’ve actually talked about it- it’s what goes on in the cecum! The bacteria in carnivore ceca, however, is linked to the lymphatic system, not the digestive system.
There’s also the issue of their teeth not being adapted for a plant-based diet or even the way they eat being good at taking in plants- but the same is true for anything that’s not animal carcasses, including kibble and wet dog food. That’s just evidence that defines them as opportunistic carnivores; what makes a vegan diet so bad for dogs is their digestive biology.
There is one exception to this rule, and that is when a vet prescribes a vegan diet for an animal with significant food allergies or other dietary issues. This is not something vets do unless it’s the best course of treatment for the animal.
Veganism isn’t the same thing as being an herbivore. Herbivores don’t have a choice; their bodies aren’t built for eating meat. While they might take in animal protein on occasion (deer, for instance, will eat birds sometimes), their teeth, their digestive systems, and their metabolisms all work together to make eating plants the best way for them to survive. A rabbit’s not a vegan- it’s an herbivore. Only humans can be vegans. To be a vegan is to make a choice; it’s to evaluate your place in the world around you and to renegotiate your relationship with all sorts of things- your own body, the food industry, the people around you, and of course the animals you don’t eat. Responsible vegans understand that humans can thrive on an all-vegetable diet; they know that we evolved to be really, really flexible when it comes to the source of our nutrition. While humans are biologically omnivores, we can make that choice.
A dog can’t, and it’s not humanity’s place to force that on them. There are some pets that thrive on an all-vegetable diet. Rabbits, tortoises, finches, hamsters, snails- but not dogs.
friends, you don’t understand. This ad campaign was goddamn HUGE. They bought out the entirety of multiple train stations in Boston with these. There are so many more, and they’re all this same beautiful combination of questionable/amazing.
This is really quite a big deal. A tremendous amount of modern research ends up being sold to journals which require unreasonable payments to access it and only pay the original authors a pittance. It’s nice to see an agency like NASA deliberately widebanding its findings.
Not sure if people fully realize just how big of a deal this is. THIS is how science is advanced. Not through biased corporate research, business secrets, marketing, paywalls and patent wars. But through open, uncensored and unrestricted public access to knowledge.
When we in the veterinary industry defiantly cry “If you can’t afford the vet then you can’t afford the pet,” please try to understand what we’re talking about.
We’re not talking about people that have a pet for years, fall on hard times and can’t find the $3000 it needs for surgery or intensive care. Life happens. Goodness knows most of us don’t have that kind of money lying around either.
We’re talking about people who spend $1000’s on a new puppy… But can’t afford vaccines, desexing or heartworm preventative.
We’re talking about people who ‘rescue’ an animal but fail to provide it with basic care.
Or ‘rescues’ that aren’t treating the issues of animals they acquire, especially if they delay treatment to beg for donations online.
And the people that haven’t wanted to spend money on preventative care for their senior pet for the last three years because “she’s old and will die soon.”
Or the ones that spend hundreds of dollars on doggy fashion accessories but accuse you of price gouging on antibiotics.
Who can’t borrow $50 from all the people they know, but want a payment plan from you. And a discount because they ‘rescued’ it as a puppy.
For whom $20 of take home pain relief is ‘just too much’.
Who keep acquiring more and more animals with problems that need extensive treatment that they can’t pay for.
Look, we don’t want to see anything suffer and will help out when we can, and try to tailor things to your budget…
But if you can’t afford BASIC veterinary care, then you cannot afford the pet. Don’t get it.
sureheart
this doesnt make any sense cause you start off by saying that youre not talking about people who in general cant afford going to the vet normally and that youre talking about people who spend money on insignificant stuff for the animal instead of vet care but that doesnt go in line with “if you cant afford it dont get it” because they can afford it they just dont do it… saying that “if you cant afford it then dont get it” specifically targets people who cannot afford vet care and i know that there are a LOT of pet owners who cant and i am one so if youre not trying to say that then you should change that statement cause that is what it is 100% implying like are poor people just not supposed to have pets cause they cant afford expensive ass vets? so many more animals would not have homes and would have to be euthanized if that happens so
also theres a difference between spending money on vet care for life threatening problems than just having to spend money for not so necessary vet care
$3000 is not “going to the vet normally”. That’s orthopaedic surgery, an exploratory lapatoromy or major care. Not everyone has that lying around, and we get that. If a pet is that bad, euthanasia is still a means of providing care, especially if a cancer is involved of they are actively suffering.
Average cost of vet care in my practice is about $120 for a minor medical problem, $350-550 for a significant one before surgery or intensive care. It’s about $80 for a consult and pain relief. I consider that pretty basic.
If you don’t spend the money on ‘not so necessary vet care’, in your words, then you are likely to cause additional suffering and end up with a bigger vet bill in the near future. But if you do that, I will be blamed as ‘the expensive ass vet’ for needing to do more to fix a problem that could have been preventable.
I’m in a low heartworm area, so I don’t see it all that often, but you can prevent it for $4 per month instead of forking out big bucks to treat a parasite living in your dog’s heart and causing heart failure. And by the way, treating it can also be lethal.
We frequently see dogs present with massive (eg melon sized) tumours that owners finally want removed because it’s ulcerating through the skin, but it’s been there for years and they’ve watched it grow. It would have been a 20 minute surgery to remove two years ago, but now it’s going to be a 90 minute or more surgery, plus a skin graft.
Even cats that get into fights are an example. $30 of antibiotics on the day the fight happens almost always prevents the abscess formation that will need $300 of surgery a few days later.
What you describe as “not so necessary vet care” is what I describe as “going to the vet normally.” It’s intended to prevent suffering, to reduce the need for the catastrophes that require intensive treatment and big vet bills. Yet somehow it’s always the veterinarian’s fault for being ‘expensive’ when consulted at the last minute instead of seeking advice when the problem first started.
If you can’t afford the $100 or so for a vet visit and basic treatment, or borrow it in a hurry, if you can’t afford their basic care, then you need to have a good hard look at your situation. A pet is unfortunately not a right. They are a luxury and a responsibility.
And as veterinarians we’re getting pretty tired of being blamed for owners not taking responsibility earlier, or at all. It’s easier for owners to blame vets for being ‘expensive’ instead of themselves for having done the wrong thing.
Oh looks like, you deleted your reply while I was typing mine. That’s ok, I saved it though because it’s a common viewpoint I think the vet students reading this would benefit from encountering.
Is it not also ‘pretty fucked up’ to point fingers at the vets providing the care?
If you’re homeless or at risk with a pet, I’d do any urgent care and first aid, but recommend you get your basic care from Pets in the Park. If you don’t quite qualify but are still struggling, I will recommend the correct over the counter products that you may or may not find coupons or online deals for. This isn’t a hypothetical either, I have many clients that get their vaccines and preventatives at their cheapest options, but they come back to me when there’s a problem. They get their teeth sorted during the dental month discounts. I can contact the Pet Medical Crisis Fund if it qualifies. As long as that pet is getting what it needs somewhere I don’t have a problem with that. If you’re going to scream and hiss at me in my clinic saying I should give you things for free instead, or that it’s my fault if something bad happens, then you are a bad person.
If you can just afford one pet, do you really think it’s a good idea to get multiples? I don’t, and that’s why I only have one. I know pets aren’t a right.
I see lots of pets that “never had to go to the vet” and unfortunately they’re usually cats. They’re usually cats in their last days with one or more of the following: rotten teeth or dental disease, fleas, hyperthyrodism, renal failure, tumour (intra-abdominal is most common), FIV, arthritis. Dogs often have symptoms of Cushing’s instead of hyperT. They would have benefited from vet care, and in many cases I would have been able to extend their life. In many cases I can’t because of the owner’s decisions.
And I do have homeless clients. It might surprise you to know that it’s easier for many of them to find $20 for medication than it is to find a room to live in. I give them lists divided into things that need to happen now,and things that need to happen soon, and what can wait without impacting the welfare of their pet. It also might surprise you, but they can still achieve basic veterinary care. Please don’t talk about them as some distant, horrific hypothetical because they’re real people and they’re here. I don’t know how they keep pulling themselves together, but they consistently do.
I don’t make financial decisions for my clients, but I’m not in a position to give treatment away for free and I’m no longer putting up with people blaming me for their pet needing medical care. I’m no longer taking the mental toll from euthanizing animals I could have treated when it is the owner declining treatment.
We should all try to see other people’s point of view. Social media easily provided everyone with an echo chamber for their own opinions, it’s too easy to just block dissenting voices and accidentally believe everyone agrees with you. The first sentence of the OP asks readers to try to understand, and we’re not talking about thousands of dollars. We’re talking about less than a hundred dollars to afford the luxury of a pet.
CASTRATION OF LLAMAS AND ALPACAS
Reference: *Click here and print this PDF off for future reference!*
SA vets and LA vets occasionally get asked to do these surgeries and they are super easy to do in a clinic OR on a farm! They’re very easy and if you do dog neuters or horse castrations, you can totally do this.
My personal preferences…
Sometimes we have Alpacas and Llamas that need castration.
When the weather’s cold or if the owner prefers, we do them at the clinic. The owner drops them off in the morning and we put them in a dog run or horse stall for the day. I prefer to do it in a clean, warm environment for the normal reasons. Also, camelid owners in my area are very much like horse owners. These are their pets as well as fiber or show animals, and doing surgery in a clean warm clinic is very nice.
Instructions for night before:
No grain the day before, but free choice hay and water.
Goal is to minimize chance of regurge (not very common complication)
Day of admission:
Weigh (you can use the dog scale, most are between 100 and 150 lbs body weight and halter trained).
If you can’t weigh them, estimate their weight if you are experienced enough to do so. Ask the owners.
Put in stall with a blanket on the floor (no shavings)
Water bucket only - no hay/feed morning of surgery, unless you’ll be doing surgery in the afternoon - we just want to help minimize gut load to help minimize regurgitation during anesthesia.
Sedation:
IV Xylazine & Torbugesic (Reference for dosages - Click Here)
or IV TKX cocktail
most clinics have their favorite cocktails
I use the small animal bottles of xylazine (20 mg/mL) because there’s more volume to administer, so if you can be more accurate about how much you’re giving. They only need like 1-2 cc’s of 20 mg/mL Xylazine, which is the equivalent of like 0.1-0.2 cc’s of 100 mg/mL Xylazine (large animal bottle)… that tiny amount is tough to administer with accuracy when you have a cranky llama stud dancing around… so I just use the SA bottle…
You can sedate them IM, too… you’ll just probably end up needing a higher dose.
It is common for camelids to override their xylazine sedation and need more. Start on the low side of the dose, then dose to effect. You want them to be tired enough to kush or lay down on their own.Restraint:
Put animal in down/lateral and restrain top/up hind leg just like in down equine castrations.
I use the floor.
I tie their head to a fence (or if in clinic, the door of a dog run/cage) while their down and place a towel over their face/eyes to protect their eyes.
I then tie a separate rope or leash around the back top leg and tie it to a separate spot on the same fence or gate (or door of a dog run/cage).
I try to have a vet tech or owner holding the patient’s head/shoulder just in case the patient kicks or wiggles when we remove the testicles. Pressing the head/shoulder to the floor helps remind them they are restrained and safe.
I administer additional sedation as needed - it shouldn’t be a struggle, the restrainer shouldn’t have to be physical with the patient, the patient shouldn’t be kicking. Should be a lot like a horse castration.Video of someone doing an alpaca castration on a farm - click here
Clip area as needed
Scrub just like a dog surgery
Numb skin with lidocaine where you will cut
Surgery is very much like an equine castration or a dog castration (see the video)
I use a sterile dog surgery pack and drape the area
I use sterile gloves/instruments
Recovery:
Animal can sit up immediately after surgery
Administer anti-tetanus toxoid, tetanus vaccine, penicillin or other abx if you feel it is appropriate
Trim toes (like giant dog nails - they have a quick) with hedge trimmers
Remove fighting teeth if owner wants (you can use OB cutting wire - do this after sterile surgery is done)
Lots of owners ask me to trim back their alpaca or llama’s bangs/hair out of their eyes while their here. We are happy to do that. It’s good for them to see :-)
IF YOU HAVE A SPITTER: a hand towel tucked under their halter’s nose band and hanging loosely over the mouth/nose works nicely to protect you and staff from wayward camelid spit. Tie their head towards a corner or away from you - tie VERY closely to the post to minimize head movement. They can spit all over themselves in the corner and learn it’s not getting them any leverage. Some owners spit right back at the critter to tell them to knock it off!
Message me with questions! Thanks!
Vet Med In Real Life
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