10 Things Veterinarians Won't Tell You

After reading the Kelly Barron story, I was quite frankly appalled and personally offended. The subtitle indicates the article will help tell you how to make sure you find appropriate care for your pet. Because of the format (and it is a Smart Money article), the reader gets the sense that there may be some cost savings or financial benefits as well. The article delivers neither. In fact it appears to be poorly researched and poorly understood and the conclusions drawn and recommendations given range from not very helpful to potentially very dangerous to the health of the pets. Almost all the so-called '10 points' made by this author are very biased and seem designed to pointedly blacken the eyes of the veterinary profession as a whole.
For instance, this article would lead you to think that reactions to routine pet vaccinations far outweigh the potential benefits to pet and owner. Let me be perfectly clear here, reaction rates to all commercial vaccines are extremely low. ...(Read more of this comment) Most of those are acute and easily treated, with no long term side effects. In fact, several times the number of pets seen in a veterinary practice will die each year due to diseases that could have been prevented by vaccination of the animal than will suffer ill effects and many more end up severely impacted either short or long-term by these preventable diseases. When the disease occurs, the cost of even an unsuccessful intervention far outweighs the cost of annual vaccination and a potential minor side effect. Added to that, the owner's guilt over not having the animal vaccinated makes the situation very emotionally traumatic and they are devastated. The author fails to even mention the public health role of the vaccines? If you had ever seen the sheer terror in the eyes of a parent when their unvaccinated animal exposes the whole family to rabies and they all have to undergo not only the shots, but the uncertainty of whether the disease was contracted and if so how far it has progressed. Yes, each year the pet comes in, the veterinarian routinely assess the need for the vaccines, but that recommendation should be heeded.
I was a farm boy who in the fourth grade lost a pet pony due to the lack of a veterinarian in my rural area and decided to become one myself so someone would be there to help. I have worked in all aspects of the profession since I was in high school. I started out working in a private rural practice that served a huge territory for both household pets and large animals. I cleaned cages and restrained animals. I progresses to a combination, animal health technician and receptionist by the time I finished my college degree and when I graduated from veterinary school, I went back to my home town where I practiced. I worked on pets from house cats to mountain lions. Literally, if I would not work on it, there was no one else. I was the humane society until the community could organize and build one and then served on the Board of Directors the whole time I was in practice. I provided all the veterinary services needed by the local law enforcement, department of natural resources, and public health departments at no charge.
Later, I worked for a veterinary biological and pharmaceutical company. Now, I am a public health professional and spend all my time trying to help people. I have worked for state and federal government agencies. I have instituted public health programs that have maintained high standards for the public health while saving taxpayers millions of dollars. I mentor Boy Scouts, and high school, university and veterinary students with an interest in veterinary medicine. I have lectured at universities, medical schools and veterinary schools. I recently served as a health expert for an Presidential Interagency Task Force.
I believe I am better qualified to discuss these issues than the author. I am sure you will hear from the AVMA and other professional association representing veterinarians. I am sure you will also lose a number of subscribers or readers. I personally would ask you to consider printing an apology to the veterinary profession as a whole for the apparent misrepresentation of this article.

Thank you.