In the 14 years since I opened The Ranch, I have found that my mission in life is to improve each dogs life that I come in contact with. The main way that I attempt to achieve this mission, is to educate their parents about training, nutrition, medications, vaccinations, exercise, etc. A LOT of time is spent talking to people, clients and non clients about their dogs and things that may improve their quality of life. There is almost never a monetary reward, I dont sell the vaccinations or the testing or the medications or the food (other than what is sold at cost) and am not compensated for my time. I do occasionally sell a leash or muzzle or collar or treat that aids the owner in accomplishing the goal for the dog, but even that is rare. And I admit, it is extremely frustrating to spend so much time talking to people and answering questions and then have them turn around and completely dismiss everything that is said. Only to later pay a vet hundreds of dollars to finally come to the same conclusion, often too late to help. Yes, honestly, it would be nice to be the one receiving the compensation since I was the one that figured out the issue or spent the time that the vet should have taken with them bring them to the point of asking the right questions to get to the root of the issue rather than just treating the symptoms. But truly, the real frustration comes because the dog is still not benefiting. Those that have met me or spent any real time around me, know that I am guilty of caring TOO much and that is why I continue to try to help. I am just a straight forward person and I believe that if I know something that can help and I dont share it, I am not doing my job to the best of my ability. This is not to say that anyone that I talk to is intentionally ignoring me or intentionally not helping their dog, that is not the case. Sometimes it is merely because my degree from college did not include the DVM after my name (which, by the way, was because when I was in college, I was deathly allergic to cats and dogs) and sometimes it is just because people are very busy and life and kids and jobs just get in the way of all of us doing things in other areas of our lives. I came across this video tonight in researching to help a client and I would like to share it to help some of you understand some of the things that I have talked about when it comes to food and treats. The person in the video is a veterinarian that uses traditional medicine and alternative to treat her clients. And of course, I do not believe everything that she does about every subject (as many of you have heard me say over and over again that we need to advocate for our loved ones and our pets and question and research and think for ourselves) but I do agree with a lot of the things she talks about in several of her videos. And of course, when someone is trying to sell you the things that they recommend, it is always important to question motive and make sure that you understand if your pet needs what they are pushing. But in this case, please watch this video about foods and treats and reading the labels. I know that when people drop their dogs off at other kennels, the staff does not explain why the food that they are feeding isnt the best that they could be giving and some people may not take it the right way when I do explain that the food has no nutritional value and suggest options. But if I didnt say something, I am (in my opinion) being lazy and careless and not showing your dog the attention that it deserves by not doing my job. Many people do understand that my intent is to help, not offend when I offer training, nutritional or medical suggestions but some dont and I would like for them to understand that is only help that is intended. I did then what I knew how to do. Now that I know better, I do better.” - Maya Angelou https://youtube/watch?v=zdDPi-1Yjy0
Posted on: Sat, 13 Dec 2014 06:40:25 +0000