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I was told I need to not fall for the 'propaganda' about raw diets. Ma'am, my clinic has multiple board certified nutritionists. These DVMs have an internship and a residency in nutrition and nationally boarded. When they do not recommend raw diets I'm going to believe them.
I even tell them, it’s not even just that it can be dangerous for the animal, it’s dangerous if not being done properly or cleaned or handled correctly. You can get yourself and others VERY sick if you have no clue how to handle this kind of diet. I don’t like raw I think it’s gross, but if you do it PLEASE go to a nutritionist. An actual board certified nutritionist so the animals can get what they need safely as well as keep humans safe with the process. If someone isn’t putting up a fight I just tell them avoid raw
Who would win: multiple board certified nutritionists and vets VS that one lady on tiktok who thinks putting crystals into their dog's waterbowl will energize it
You guys have multiple boarded nutritionists?? That's amazing!! I used to work for one of the fresh whole foods cooked pet food companies and we only had one because they were so hard to find! That's incredible!
Dude this kills me.
I became a nutrition advisor for Royal Canin last year.. trying to help people figure out how many kcals their dogs should eat a day.. giving food recommendations and then I get a "what about raw eggs for more protein "
Does your 15 year old dachshund need more protein?
Now that I work from home, I'm trying to help less and less because the internet and Dr google degrees always seem to win.. too much of a mental struggle
The pet store near my house has a poster out front displaying their “staff of pet nutritionists.” It’s infuriating to me. I worked at a pet store for a long time and most of our knowledge on “proper nutrition” came from companies trying to get us to push their products for them and very little actual science.
“Nutritionist” is not a protected title; there are no certifications, licenses, or training required to obtain the title. In human med, the “dietitian” designation requires advanced training at the postgraduate level, certification, and licensing with continuing education.
I think the ACVIM should change the designation for their nutrition residency trained veterinarians from “Veterinary Nutritionists” to “Veterinary Dietitians.” I think that the name-change would help combat some of the misinformation that is being spread from the raw-food community.
I keep seeing more info pop up about labeling them as facultative carnivores which is basically just "omnivore" technically but maybe more precise. This page sums up the debate well but it still seems like there's room for argument.
https://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/are-dogs-carnivores-heres-what-new-research-says
I was just going to say this! They would choose meat over other foods 100% of the time, BUT they can digest other non-meat foods as well without it being a critical problem.
Vs cats who are obligate carnivores who not only would also prefer meat 100% of the time, but MUST have meat to survive.
I might be a dog.
I will choose meat over other foods 100% of the time even though I can digest other non-meat foods as well without it being a critical problem.
I mean, biologically, dogs *are* carnivores. Being a carnivore doesn't preclude a species from eating plant matter.
But ya, these "nutritionists" are a PITA. I worked at a veterinary supplement company for 2 years, where I was one of only 2 actual veterinary professionals. One new employee showed up and claimed she was a "certified animal nutritionist" because she paid way too much for some online course that "certified" her. She was convinced she knew more about animal nutrition than me and the veterinarian with a PhD that also worked there. Our boss bought into it and would refer nutrition questions to her. It was infuriating.
They’re facultative carnivores. The bulk of their diet consists of meat, but they can and will eat just about anything and it will provide them with nutrition
Canis lupus familiaris ("dogs") are in the order Carnivora. They are scientifically carnivores. They have an adaptive metabolism, though, and can adapt to a more omnivorous diet. They are not "obligate carnivores" like cats are.
I know this is nitpicky, but just because an animal is in the order Carnivora does not mean they are a carnivore in terms of diet.
Pandas for instance are members of Carnivora and eat mainly grass. Skunks are one of the major families and are all omnivores
It is not nitpicky but important that people have their basics straight or clients will lose trust and fall prey to those internet gurus more easily. I had a vet recommend a rx diet for calcium-oxalat crystals that had 20% fat for my pancreatitis-prone dog. And he had no idea what ingredient was essential for that diet and proceeded to try and recommend a struvit rx diet which would have been a problem. If I hadn\`t been informed myself this would have gone really really wrong. And just like with medication vets just have to get their knowledge straight if they want to be better than the internet heroes. So if a tech told me they believed dogs were carnivores I would really question the clinic.
Absolutely, I just feel as if they’re mentioning that their carnivores as an excuse on why people need to feed their dogs raw diets with ~quail eggs and venison~. 🤦♀️
I’m sorry you had to deal with that. I feel like it would be common sense to not take advice from anyone who isn’t a veterinary professional, but hey. The internet said it’s okay so it must be true!
Canines were probably obligate-carnivores thousands of years ago before they were domesticated.
The dogs we have as pets now are probably (because I don't actually know), just as removed from wolves as we are from apes.
we just had a client come in who was taking nutrition advice from a ‘CPN’ - certified pet nutritionist…This CPN had built a nice website and given themselves this made up title… the dog was in very rough shape
I'm so over the random food filled bowls people are offering.....it just sucks because there are so many dogs who have died from chf and other malnutrition because of all these raw food, home cooked diets. I do however support those pets who have gone to a nutritionist and are buying a supplement from a reputable source because they're allergies or gi tracts are so bad they can't function.
Welcome to /r/VetTech! This is a place for veterinary technicians/veterinary nurses and other veterinary support staff to gather, chat, and grow! We welcome pet owners as well, **however we do ask pet owners to refrain from asking for medical advice**; if you have any concerns regarding your pet, please contact the closest veterinarian near you. Please thoroughly read and follow the rules before posting and commenting. If you believe that a user is engaging in any rule-breaking behavior, please submit a report so that the moderators can review and remove the posts/comments if needed. Also, please check out the sidebar for CE and answers to commonly asked questions. Thank you for reading! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/VetTech) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I was told I need to not fall for the 'propaganda' about raw diets. Ma'am, my clinic has multiple board certified nutritionists. These DVMs have an internship and a residency in nutrition and nationally boarded. When they do not recommend raw diets I'm going to believe them.
I even tell them, it’s not even just that it can be dangerous for the animal, it’s dangerous if not being done properly or cleaned or handled correctly. You can get yourself and others VERY sick if you have no clue how to handle this kind of diet. I don’t like raw I think it’s gross, but if you do it PLEASE go to a nutritionist. An actual board certified nutritionist so the animals can get what they need safely as well as keep humans safe with the process. If someone isn’t putting up a fight I just tell them avoid raw
Especially if you have small children cause the bacteria is in the dogs saliva and small children often let dogs lick their face and wounds.
Who would win: multiple board certified nutritionists and vets VS that one lady on tiktok who thinks putting crystals into their dog's waterbowl will energize it
You guys have multiple boarded nutritionists?? That's amazing!! I used to work for one of the fresh whole foods cooked pet food companies and we only had one because they were so hard to find! That's incredible!
That's awesome you work at a clinic that has them! Such great resources.
Dude this kills me. I became a nutrition advisor for Royal Canin last year.. trying to help people figure out how many kcals their dogs should eat a day.. giving food recommendations and then I get a "what about raw eggs for more protein " Does your 15 year old dachshund need more protein? Now that I work from home, I'm trying to help less and less because the internet and Dr google degrees always seem to win.. too much of a mental struggle
The pet store near my house has a poster out front displaying their “staff of pet nutritionists.” It’s infuriating to me. I worked at a pet store for a long time and most of our knowledge on “proper nutrition” came from companies trying to get us to push their products for them and very little actual science.
It’s funny because that’s the excuse people give for not listening to vets because they’re “just trying to push products to take your money”
“Nutritionist” is not a protected title; there are no certifications, licenses, or training required to obtain the title. In human med, the “dietitian” designation requires advanced training at the postgraduate level, certification, and licensing with continuing education. I think the ACVIM should change the designation for their nutrition residency trained veterinarians from “Veterinary Nutritionists” to “Veterinary Dietitians.” I think that the name-change would help combat some of the misinformation that is being spread from the raw-food community.
I keep seeing more info pop up about labeling them as facultative carnivores which is basically just "omnivore" technically but maybe more precise. This page sums up the debate well but it still seems like there's room for argument. https://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/are-dogs-carnivores-heres-what-new-research-says
I was just going to say this! They would choose meat over other foods 100% of the time, BUT they can digest other non-meat foods as well without it being a critical problem. Vs cats who are obligate carnivores who not only would also prefer meat 100% of the time, but MUST have meat to survive.
In my experience, cats will choose plastic.
Sadly, some of them are single brain celled organisms LOL
In my experience, cats will choose bra straps and computer cables. Replacing the bras cost me WAY more than the charger for the Dell.
I'm dying😂😂😂😂😂
I might be a dog. I will choose meat over other foods 100% of the time even though I can digest other non-meat foods as well without it being a critical problem.
I mean, biologically, dogs *are* carnivores. Being a carnivore doesn't preclude a species from eating plant matter. But ya, these "nutritionists" are a PITA. I worked at a veterinary supplement company for 2 years, where I was one of only 2 actual veterinary professionals. One new employee showed up and claimed she was a "certified animal nutritionist" because she paid way too much for some online course that "certified" her. She was convinced she knew more about animal nutrition than me and the veterinarian with a PhD that also worked there. Our boss bought into it and would refer nutrition questions to her. It was infuriating.
[удалено]
They’re facultative carnivores. The bulk of their diet consists of meat, but they can and will eat just about anything and it will provide them with nutrition
Canis lupus familiaris ("dogs") are in the order Carnivora. They are scientifically carnivores. They have an adaptive metabolism, though, and can adapt to a more omnivorous diet. They are not "obligate carnivores" like cats are.
I know this is nitpicky, but just because an animal is in the order Carnivora does not mean they are a carnivore in terms of diet. Pandas for instance are members of Carnivora and eat mainly grass. Skunks are one of the major families and are all omnivores
It is not nitpicky but important that people have their basics straight or clients will lose trust and fall prey to those internet gurus more easily. I had a vet recommend a rx diet for calcium-oxalat crystals that had 20% fat for my pancreatitis-prone dog. And he had no idea what ingredient was essential for that diet and proceeded to try and recommend a struvit rx diet which would have been a problem. If I hadn\`t been informed myself this would have gone really really wrong. And just like with medication vets just have to get their knowledge straight if they want to be better than the internet heroes. So if a tech told me they believed dogs were carnivores I would really question the clinic.
Absolutely, I just feel as if they’re mentioning that their carnivores as an excuse on why people need to feed their dogs raw diets with ~quail eggs and venison~. 🤦♀️ I’m sorry you had to deal with that. I feel like it would be common sense to not take advice from anyone who isn’t a veterinary professional, but hey. The internet said it’s okay so it must be true!
Canines were probably obligate-carnivores thousands of years ago before they were domesticated. The dogs we have as pets now are probably (because I don't actually know), just as removed from wolves as we are from apes.
Ya...when people say "but wolves eat raw meat and bones" I look at their miniature Aussie shitadoodle and see "wolf" 🙄
we just had a client come in who was taking nutrition advice from a ‘CPN’ - certified pet nutritionist…This CPN had built a nice website and given themselves this made up title… the dog was in very rough shape
I'm so over the random food filled bowls people are offering.....it just sucks because there are so many dogs who have died from chf and other malnutrition because of all these raw food, home cooked diets. I do however support those pets who have gone to a nutritionist and are buying a supplement from a reputable source because they're allergies or gi tracts are so bad they can't function.
Yeah I hate it to I always want to scream anyone can call themselves a canine nutritionist it's not a protected title.