Dr. Kelly at Eastex was my vet for many years! I loved and trusted him and really hated to leave, for those reasons. However, his health has declined and I don't think he's working that much anymore. I had a difficult time even getting appts with him. Before Dr. Kelly, I had Dr. Keese who recently opened his own clinic after moving back to the area. I've ALWAYS vetted my dogs and will continue to do so but am not willing or able to pay exhorbitant prices for an impersonal doctor to tell me my pup 'looks great but could lose a few lbs'.. or 'appears healthy but should have a dental cleaning ($600+) in the near future'..or he 'looks great for his age but now that he's a 'senior' we recommend geriatric testing'. I appreciate their knowledge and experience but I think the industry, especially with the Vital Pet explosion, is breeding greed.I'll get off my soapbox, for now. Thanks for allowing me to vent.
@Love2Run
Personally, I love an honest vet who doesn't sugar coat, that shows that they truly care about the well being of their patient.
An overweight pet can bring on a myriad of health problems and some can get serious.
Annual bloodwork for senior dogs is a very wise and proactive thing to do, even in dogs of any age because so many issues can be caught early on and you can help your dog have a more prolonged and better quality of life if you catch a problem early on.
As a woman I get a yearly well woman exam..the one year I skipped it I had a tumor growing inside my ovary. Guess what. I didn't realize it UNTIL it had gotten to the size of a grapefruit and I could see and feel it when I lied on my back! I could have avoided a painful surgery if I had caught it early on.
I also get annual bloodwork to make sure all my levels are in a good range.
I'm sure you go to the dentist to maintain your oral health too. We do these things for ourselves and well-being, why should it be any different for our 4 legged companions who we want to be around for a long time ?
Sorry about the long rant, I am a vet tech student and pet health is important to me
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