VETERINARY CARE
There is nothing worse that acquiring a beautiful puppy or dog and than having to end up with needless veterinary bills. I practice the “less is more” I call my “Do Nothing Policy”. In order for my dogs to live to the ripe old age of 11-13 years, they do not need “preventative” veterinary care. Period! My dogs are truly maintenance free, hard to believe, but it’s true. I require that you comply with my guidelines, in other words, the standard “preventative care” approach you’ll find with the majority of veterinarians who graduate in Veterinary Schools here in the United States, is not necessary.
While I don’t have any diseases as detected by standard DNA tests, some of my dogs have suffered from adverse reactions like seizures, due to toxicity in their liver from an accumulation of drugs or other poisons. Shepherds, like other dogs, have sensitive nervous systems and anything can be potentially toxic. Healthy immune systems are not fully developed until almost six months of age and the doping that occurs on our young pups is not well tolerated.
Regular parasitic control is the only preventative care I recommend. Fenbendazole and pyrantal on a bi-annual basis is fine for that. The FDA has come out with warning about some flea and tick medications like Simparica. You’ll find a list of common poisons at the end of this page. I also don’t recommend repeated vaccinations or the rabies vaccine, if you can avoid it.
The pharmaceutical industry is the largest and most influential lobby in the United States. I use to be in pharmaceutical sales. If you want clues as to whether or not you have a routine veterinarian that practices standard “preventative care”, ask yourself, when was the last time you received a post card reminder in the mail or at your last visit, did they give you a card reminder? Other clues are when veterinarians persuade pet owners to agree to lab work or other testing procedures by insinuating that the breed requires it. Medical intervention, just like in humans, sometimes backfires. I keep in regular communication with breeders I respect and we are all in agreement about this. I’m sorry if that means leaving your current veterinarian, but I simply want to avoid any chance of an adverse reaction which can prevent your dog from living to 11-13 years of age mark.
Which leads me to my recommendations for a veterinarian. You want to look for a veterinarian who doesn’t practice “preventative” veterinary medicine. In other words, a good old fashioned “farm vet” is great. A veterinarian that has their own practice and isn’t part of a corporate conglomerate. Holistic and/or homeopathic veterinarians are fine too as long as they are not “quacks” selling snake oil products for your dog. If you absolutely cannot find one of these kind of veterinarians, then I recommend that you just trust me and not worry about it. Honestly, my veterinarian has never met the majority of my dogs because they don’t need one! Here are a few points to look for;
A vet that has a focus on the whole animal:
Many Farm vets and most holistic vets consider a pet's diet, lifestyle, environment, and emotional state when diagnosing and treating health issues, not just the immediate symptoms.
A vet that will consider alternative therapies:
They may use complementary treatments like acupuncture, chiropractic care, massage, herbal remedies, and nutritional therapy alongside conventional medicine.
A vet that has a common sense approach:
Proper nutrition and lifestyle changes in order to help prevent future health problems like permitting dogs to free feed as opposed to limited their food which can lead to obesity.
A vet that addresses root causes:
Unlike traditional vets who might only treat symptoms, these vets aim to identify and address the underlying cause of a health issue.
