Just yesterday, two clients asked me how to handle a situation at their “regular” vet. Both of them explained that when they told their vet that they were feeding a wholesome, fresh diet and questioned the possibility of over-vaccinating their pets, the vets either rolled their eyes and humiliated them or got defensive and started laying a guilt trip on them for potentially harming their pets.
For many years, there has been an ongoing argument about who knows best regarding your health or your pet’s health. From the doctor’s perspective is that he is a trained and intellectual doctor, he knows more about your body’s health (or your pet’s health) than you do, therefore, he should make the decisions about treating the illness. From the patient’s perspective, or the pet caretaker, the body is mine (or my pet’s) and it is my choice how to deal with an illness.
The problem with this situation is that no one is looking from the correct perspective. Both parties are attempting to use intellectual thought to decide which one is correct and this will never enable a solution to the problem.
The doctor, obviously intelligent, has been trained to use intelligence and reasoning to understand and resolve problems. Our individual ego does the same thing. So, both the doctor and the caretaker (or patient) makes a list as to why they should be the one to make decisions, and it ends in a stalemate.
The larger truth that is overlooked is that the doctor does not have the intuitive connection with the body, mind, spirit of the individual that the patient/caretaker has. And, this is enormous. However, when the patient’s ego gets involved, the silent whisper of the intuitive guidance is silenced and placed in the background of consciousness. The result is that there is no guidance, therefore no resolution, only conflict.
We have conditioned ourselves to go to the intellectual mind for guidance and that is like going to a geometry book to learn how to speak French. The intellectual mind cannot give you guidance. At best, it can use its distorted memory to try to give you a reference that might create an imaginary outcome in the future that it believes is best for you. When the mind is doing this, it keeps your awareness out of the present moment and it is only in the present moment where insight and guidance can appear.
When the vet is confronting you with ego-mind reactions, his awareness has moved from you and your pet to himself. His ego is sensitive and wants to protect him and his beliefs, and it will automatically react in a conditioned way to justify his beliefs. Therefore he will give you lots of information to justify his beliefs, although many of them might actually be myths. The point is, when he is focused on his best interest, he is not focused on your pet’s best interest. The two egos have allowed awareness to move away from the pet and in doing so, it will be impossible to know what is best for your pet.
When I have someone ask me what to do when their vet uses condescending remarks or guilt when it comes to their pet’s health, I tell them to find another vet. There are lots of vets out there that want to help your pet and recognize that being open to new ideas and perspectives might actually benefit your pet. This is a person who is focused on the pet and not their sensitive ego. This is a person I would want to help me care for my pet…….
And, if you don’t know it already I do phone consultations to patients who can’t physically get to me. If you don’t have a holistic vet who you trust to put their ego aside to help you care for your pet get in touch. Get more information and schedule an appointment here. I would love to hear from you.
Have you ever experienced this situation before? Leave a comment below, I would love to see how you handled it.
