Why giving up my licence gave me more freedom to help dogs
Today, I would like to talk to you about double standards in medicine. If you prefer to watch a video instead of reading, it is below, otherwise, read on.
Not many people would argue that health is our most prized possession. However, while we lock our cars and homes and put our travel passports into safety boxes, we let others decide how to handle our and our dog’s health. We blindly entrust complete strangers to create laws and regulations that should protect our health but instead protect the interests of the conventional medical establishment.
Over the last 100 or so years, our healthcare has been dominated by certain medical philosophies and treatments that involve patented drugs.
Before I had renounced my veterinary licence in British Columbia I had a meeting with the Veterinary College registrar. In our conversation, I was told how to write my veterinary articles and recommendations for you and was instructed to do the following: I was to always offer conventional methods first and suggest natural alternatives as a second choice if the conventional methods didn’t work. Also, my alternative recommendations had to be followed by a disclaimer that stated that these methods were not scientifically proven. (This is not always true.)
My objection to this was that many commonly used conventional methods are not scientifically proven and that this disclaimer requirement was a double standard. The response that I received from this was, “Yes, it is a double standard.”
As you can imagine, I was surprised to hear such a reply. The registrar bluntly stated that there was a double standard in medicine!
For years, I have been quiet about what has been happening in veterinary medicine out of fear of being targeted. Now that I have surrendered my license, I am freer to speak and will continue to inform you of what is going on. This situation has led to fewer holistic practitioners in practice because many veterinarians are scared to speak up against the college.
The current bylaws and regulations have a detrimental effect on veterinarians’ ability to freely use safe, non-conventional drug-free methods that work. When there is a complaint or a disciplinary case against a vet, the standard is conventional medicine, and those who don’t use conventional methods are putting themselves and their license at risk. Many of these vets have huge student and clinic loans, and losing their license would lead to serious consequences.
Also, under the college regulations, veterinarians are not allowed to invent a product, connect their name with a product, or share reviews and feedback on a product's website. This effectively disqualifies any clinically experienced veterinarians from innovating and moving medicine forward.
As you may be aware, I have received an ultimatum to either take my name off my products and stop sharing customer reviews on my website or give up my licence.
When I questioned the College as to why I was not allowed to share reviews from customers about our products, they essentially told me that they couldn’t be sure that the testimonials were true.
The irony of this statement is that the walls of most veterinary clinics are covered with posters and advertisements touting the benefits of many pharmaceutical and pet food products. These ads were created by the companies that sell them, yet I was not allowed to publish uncensored reviews and feedback written by our customers. Would this be another double standard?
The most important issue here is that the democracy of medicine is threatened, and so is your freedom to choose the method that is the best for your dog. I am in no way saying that conventional medicine is wrong or useless, nor am I saying that vets or companies should not be responsible for the safety of their products.
I am just asking to eliminate this DOUBLE STANDARD and any intimidation aimed at myself. Regulatory bodies should be concerned about malpractice and poor practice standards instead of targeting practitioners and the products that are based on customer feedback.
Our current overall rating is 4.9 out of 5 stars and our products have been offered for over six years now. We clearly pose no threat to the health of dogs. Why should I not be allowed, as an educated professional, to share my knowledge and make a difference through the products that I formulated?
On a positive note, now that I have surrendered my license, I am free to speak to you about your dogs and let you know of any future developments.
Animal lovers and veterinarians alike should have the freedom to choose which treatment to use. You and your dog’s health are the most prized possessions, and they are worth the fight.
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Thank you for reading, sharing, and, most of all, caring for and loving your dog. And if you happen to be a member of the college "stumbling upon this newsletter," I would love to start an open, peaceful, and constructive conversation.
© Dr. Peter Dobias, DVM
