I don't want to start an argument about vaccines and I am not saying pets are not important. Just wondering what everyone thinks about this. I just thought this was odd since I have never seen this before.
I ran into a friend last night at the store. She had a friend with her-I did not know this friend. My friend asked if my kids were going back to school soon. I told her they are excited and I would not be getting any phone calls about how bored they are. Her friend jumped in saying how she still has to get a waiver for her kids due to her thing about no vaccines and it is such a hassle and then she has to take her youngest for an exam and why can't she get a waiver for that. And WHY on Earth do they need her to see a dentist to go to school--she doesn't see what dental has to do with school. I guess this child is just starting school. I didn't want to have her go on and on though she did anyway. We even tried to change the subject.
The thing that blew me over is that she said she only takes her kids to the doc every couple of years unless they are really sick. They get dental cleanings "once a year or so". Then when my friend asked about our new puppy she jumped in that she takes her 2 dogs and cat to the vet every 6 months for check ups and she makes sure tehir teeth are cleaned and fur groomed and they get all of their shots "because you never know what animal you might run into outside".
Not knocking how many visits her pets get but shouldn;t her kids get high priority also. She gets her pets teeth cleaned every 6 months but her kids every year or so (her words). Pets go to the vet every 6 months but kids every couple of years unless they are sick?!
I take my pets in to the vet for shots and checkup, but I clean their teeth because it is expensive though if the vet sees a problem we get it taken care of. But my kids go to the doc every year for annual exams and dental every 6 months, give or take a month due to schedule and $$. They do get their vaccines though I use an alternate schedule rather than whatever the guideline says. Seriously 4 shots at once is a lot for a kid to take.
I thought I would add that I don't see a problem taking kids to the doc only every couple of years--maybe because my son has a medical issue I make sure mine go every year. But it sounded like her pets were more important. Especially since she was upset about taking the kid to the dentist for a checkup. I think she likes attn through complaining since my friend gave her that rolled eyes side look we have all seen at some time.
That's pretty weird.
I'd think that if she was concerned what he pets might get that she'd be concerned what her kids might get.
My kids get sick when they go to the doctor. Doctors don't have the same mind set as me when it comes to nutrition and prevention. They just want to medicate my kids and vaccinate them when my kids have had adverse reactions to vaccines (and I was almost hospitalized because of adverse reactions.) I know how to keep my kids healthy and will take them for well checks every couple years maybe. I have a natural path I take them to more often. My kids are rarely sick and if they do get sick, I can get them healthy really quickly. I don't have pets but my mom had to take a veterinary course to keep her pets healthy so they don't die or need emergency care from the vet. It's easier to keep kids healthy than pets from what I understand. I don't have pets but I have 5 very healthy kids and I've had plenty of doctors who manage to keep my kids sick.
I forgot to mention that I take my kids to the dentist every six months but I honestly feel once a year is good since that's what I grew up doing and still do. They just changed it to twice a year a few years ago.
While I don't disagree w/ her necessarily, she sounds like a very odd duck to spill so much personal information to a stranger...
No one in our house (including the vacuum-ahem, dog) goes to the Dr./dentist more than the other-we all equally avoid it. Lol. ;)
I always thought that if you have kids your have a pediatrician and if you have pets your have a vet. All are scheduled for "well health" visits annually. The children should see the doctor before the pet unless something is really wrong. I don't go along with mega shots for kids as their health systems are delicate. Besides if there is a reaction you won't know which part of the shot caused the problem. I'm from the old school one shot for one thing and space them out.
The friend of the friend seems to have priorities mixed up. But then again I am not her friend. Since she wants to take the alternative way she will have to deal with the waivers and stop complaining it is her choice.
The other S.
PS I never had to clean my pets' teeth because we feed them dry food and once in a while moist so there was no build up on the teeth. The dogs ate veggies just like everyone else in the family. I had one dog that would even eat salad (tomatoes and pickles included) and the vet said it was fine.
Weird. I don't get vaccinations for my son. For the record, it has zero to do with the supposed autism link. He is young (27 months), but we still go in for his wellness checks, and the dentist sees him every 4 months. (I really don't know why, that's what they suggest.) My pets do get the rabies vaccine, because it is required by law here.
I don't think it's weird, that a person would put so much care into their pets. What I think is REALLY weird (and sad), is that the emphasis is more on the pets. Sounds like she is just an odd one.
I think her focus is wrong. Most pets in good health only need to see the vet once a year or less. I think that she is doing her kids a disservice by not taking their health seriously. Tooth problems can be very painful and cause other issues. I feel sad for her kids that their health doesn't seem to be as important as the pets.
We have the family on our schedule (except for DD who sees a pediatric dentist still) and we ALL go on the same afternoon to the dentist. We also get the kids to the doctor annually for a physical, usually required for sports anyway. DD is on a modified vaccination schedule, per our discussion with a doctor we LOVE. Does she like her vet more than her pediatrician?
If she chooses not to vaccinate, then she needs to deal with the waiver. Everything has a price to pay.
ok, Wow that is wierd, yes the impression I get from this is animals are more important than her kids. I feel sorry for the kids.
Yes that is messed up in my opinion. My kids get all required shots and if we had pets they would too. Visting the dentist regularly is extremely important. There are so many illnesses that can be contracted from having poor oral hygiene.
I don't buy into the vaccine autism controversy at all. Can vaccine injury happen? I suppose so. We could all get hit by a MAC truck at some point too, but it doesn't keep me from crossing the street. The key is to stay vigilant, research anything we don't understand or are unfamiliar with and use common sense. Just my two cents. :-)
A.
I personally find that very odd and disconcerting, frankly. Kids should go in for a physical once a year if they are otherwise healthy throughout the year and every six months for dental check ups. This lady needs to have her priorities checked. And don't get me started on regular vaccines (for otherwise perfectly healthy kids)!
Odd ... my son goes to his Dr 4times a year at the moment, we are monitoring his ADHD and sensory issues, because of that my son has not yet been to a dentist and I am not sure how this will play out with the preschool thing. We are working on one thing at a time with him and dentist visit was not a priority since we do care for our teeth at home. My dogs see the groomers every other month where they get thier teeth cleaned there (our groomer is WONDERFUL with that) and I do brush their teeth in between as well but I am not as good. They get their shots, they get their check ups - not exactly every 6months though. I honestly do not understand what she is thinking with treating the dogs better than the kids other than animal hygiene is much different than human.
I tend to agree with you, though I'm wary of and careful with the current vax schedule (and I can't stand the pediatric profession anymore)
It's odd that so much emphasis and focus would be placed on the pets when she was so vague about the kids. Or maybe she just didn't want to go into too many details? Who knows . . .
