As usual my post about RAW caused a stir yesterday. Truth always does.
Within minutes I received the usual flurry of thank you notes, within hours many people were investigating the issue and switching their pets to raw. But I want to share two very interesting letters I received. Both of them come from “professionals”
The first letter comes from a vet, clearly a good one. It was sent to me as a private email so I will respect her privacy. I love vets like her. They are the ones that make their profession move forward.
The second letter comes from someone working for an animal rescue. She left the note on a public forum, her name is public, no privacy concerns there. Now, please read both.
This letter gives me hope:
Dear Viktor,
I agree that most of the dry foods that sells in the markets and vet clinics result in kidney failure, periodontal disease, allergies and others. When I was at school our animal feeding courses taught us that feeding animals with “pet food” was the healthiest way, but when I started working I realized that it’s not like that, as I had many patients, specially male cats coming to my clinic with kidney failure, all those animals were being fed with “quality commercial food”. I also realize that these kind of commercial diets cause certain kinds of tumors. The main question is, what can we do against the “pet food companies”, this is a huge business.
I tried to inform many people about this danger. Some were colleagues, others were patients, others were pet food sellers!. It was a very difficult choice. On one hand I had to sell the food because it was not my own clinic, on the other hand I really didn’t want to see it because I knew the damaging effect on the animals.
I am very suspicious about my vet colleagues, they know all of this but they continue selling.
This letter does not give me hope at all. It is signed by someone that answers to the name of Johnine LaCapra Cimbaro.
Johnine LaCapra Cimbaro
Viktor do not put me down for what i do professionally!!! HAVE TREATED DOGS THAT GOT SICK!!!!! I DO NOT TELL ANYONE WHAT TO DO OR HOW TO FEED THEIR DOGS,CATS WHATEVER!! I DO NOT BELIEVE IN KILLING ANY ANIMALS!! I AM A TRUE ALL ANIMAL LOVER! I DO NOT EAT OR WEAR ANYTHING ANIMAL!!! I WILL GUESS I SHOULD NOT BE YOUR FRIEND!!! YOU ARE NOT ALLOWING … ANYONE TO HAVE FREE SPEACH THROUGH WHAT THEY HAVE DEGREES & CERTIFICATION FOR! I KNOW WHAT I SEE & HAVE TREATED!! LET ALL DECIDE FOR THEMSELVES!!! GOOD LUCK VICTOR & TAKE CARE !! I DO NOT NEED U AS A FRIEND!!!KEEP LETTING ANIMALS DIE SO U CAN FILL UR TUMMY!!!!!
There is nothing wrong with challenging professionals, on the contrary, it is YOUR obligation to challenge them if they are clearly on the wrong. Luckily someone challenged the professional doctors that recommended smoking to their clients, or the “professionals” that for centuries treated injuries and infection with Whisky and Rhum.
Challenge is good. It makes the human race progress. Don’t be afraid of respectful challenge.
Viktor Larkhill
P.S. As for feeding my own tummy, my friends know I survive on a special diet of organic chocolate that doesn’t harm the environment. Which brings me to another point.. Boycott Nestle!!!
Viktor;
I have stood toe to toe with Wayne Pacelle of HSUS and he lied, and then tried to cover it up. I asked him about the missing animals from Katrina that HSUS euthanized, before trying to find their owners. He then shredded or got rid of the files. Then HSUS stole money that people had specifically for the animals of Katrina.
I get nauseaed when I see him on TV asking for donations, knowing that HSUS, kills more animals than they help.
Viktor, thank you for this post. It includes very important messages both to animal lovers/owners, all environment protectors and to the all humanity. Since it mentions about challenging to the status quo.
It can be observed that form the get-go, doctors dont tend to accept a change easily. They are waiting for a common acceptance among collegues. If we look back to the history, there are a few example indicating some scientists had to act alone in the fight of challenging staus quo.
So, here, on behalf of Let’s Adopt! and all people who care animals, I’d like to invite the all veterinerians to challange the status quo.
You are doctors.
You too are scientists, you should be. You should examine. You should catch the moment. You should be updated. You should open the unopened.
You MUST act with regarding TRUTHS.
You must look at NATURE, you can not ignore this universal truth. Cats and dogs are carnivors and need to be fed by fresh raw. As Viktor always say, we are responsible to feed them in accordance with their nature.
So, you, as being doctors of animals, must do the right thing by banishing all the status quos.
If you will not, pls stay at your homes and dont dogmatize the issues.
Sadly, those who work with animals (vets, shelter workers, even activists) are in it as a business, and something happens to their earlier resolve to improve the lives of the voiceless.
I spoke to a vet a few years ago about my cat who needed an operation for a for a urinary tract blockage, and she admitted that commercial pet food was the culprit. I mentioned that I had tried Oscar on raw food, and she said “Raw food is very controversial.”
To which I replied “And urinary tract crystals aren’t?”
To the average veterinarian and sick animal is money in the bank. Why would they lobby for healthy food?
Hi there victor
I again request further independent research in to feeding raw as my 4 cats and dog are all fed on good quality low sodium dry food and so far do not show any of the side affects you have sighted.
they all live in the house with us and as the cats are totally house cats and when we take the dog out we pick up the poo we are very familiar with what comes out as well as what goes in i would like further information on feeding raw before changing what works at the moment.
It is everyone’s best interest, including your pets’, to question what you do not understand or what you think sounds fishy. Starting with my pediatrician when my babies were small, I asked questions. If a doctor did not like my questions, I found another doctor. I feel the same way about my pets’ doctor. If ever my vet gets uppity because he or she takes my question as a challenge, then this person is not the vet for me. Raw diets have impressed me as a professional at times, because I can see how well the pets do on it for the most part. However, there are some popular misconceptions. While cats are, indeed, obligate carnivores and require meat in their diet for a specific protein, dogs are opportunistic omnivores. Wild dogs, wolves, foxes and dingos do eat meat, but they get a fair amount of vegetable matter from the intestinal contents of their prey, who are usually herbivores and who are often ruminants. Also, they have been known to eat fruits, shoots, berries, leaves and other vegetable matter in times of poor hunting, and have survived. Unlike cats, they can synthesize the proteins that they need from the diet. Most people who feed raw are dedicated and committed. That is important. Sloppy preparations and less than cleanly equipment can cause raw food to grow serious bacterial contamination which can cause severe intestinal disease.
I make my cats’ food – better for them, cheaper for me, and I know just what is in their diet. It’s not really challenging the industry, I know, and thank you for being so clear on the issue.
As with any medical school evryone gets a diploma but not everyone is a doctor. Too many start working as ”professionals” with the only thought as to how much money they can make. Before you see a doctor or a vet you should have an idea of your symptoms and research before hand. Especially in Turkey the system of points needed to get into a Veterinary university is somewhere at the bottom of the totem pole unless you specifically want to be a vet someone who scores low on points may end up in a vet school as an only option and you wind up with an idiot butcher. Not to say there are no good vets I have met many dedicated vet doctors but there are also too many who never even do a bit of research and God forbid you should question them. A good vet may not have all the answers but they will certainly try to find one by researching.
…it is common logic that raw foods are the best choice regarding “complete and healthy” – for all animals (including humans). it is ultimate natural and nothing needed for proper digestion (ezimes, vital energy) is destroyed thus bennefits the consumer. of course, it must be fresh and parasite free_and,yes…true animal lowers should be vegan – othervise it is hipocracy in it’s core 🙂
stay ok ppl (: