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in Veterinary Science Of the University of Sydney
I remember the effect on me then was comforting, encouraging and supportive. I lived and worked as a practitioner in a developing country. It was a country where man-made pet food was only sporadically available and expensive when it could be found at all. It was important to have someone out there reminding me not to feel completely helpless and, more importantly, useless. In terms of the advice veterinarians are asked to give, advice on nutrition must be amongst the commonest of topics. As one knows, your advice comes from several sources. It can come as a result of “keeping up to date” with the latest findings on a subject, it can come from attending lectures and courses. Advice can come as a result of wide reading and access to the complete range of opinions on a subject and it can come subliminally through reading the latest journal and flipping past the advertisements. Over the years many humans have been made to feel inadequate for failing to provide their families or pets with “the best” as decreed by myriad marketing campaigns. In this frenetic age it is so easy to fall into the trap of believing there is only ONE WAY of looking after those you love most. For one reason or another it may not always be possible for people to commit to a total reliance on commercially prepared food. If nothing else, Tom’s philosophy has explained some very practical alternatives to this. I liked to think that many of my clients walked out of my surgery feeling better about their capacity to care for their pets after being told that dogs and cats never cooked their food until humans came along. When Tom Lonsdale came along he made me feel better too! Tom Lonsdale has now published his book “Raw Meaty Bones” and consequently kept the fires of his passion for this subject burning as brightly as ever. This Don Quixote of Dog Food has kept his quest alive and now stands to enjoy the credit for having had the courage of his convictions. If you provide nutritional advice to your clients and keep a supply of brochures and client information sheets for them then be consistent and add this book to your shelves. Making this and Dr Ian Billinghurst’s books available for clients to read alongside other nutritional fact sheets emphasises your commitment to encouraging choice and the dissemination of information. It is a wonderful opportunity to retain the reputation for scientific thought and deed in our profession. Keep searching, keep probing, keep questioning, keep thinking, keep vigilant. If, for no other reason, consider reading or purchasing Tom’s book because for sure your clients will. Keep up with your clients! The book is a scientific thriller, set out to encompass the evolution of Dr Lonsdale’s theories on animal nutrition and also to describe the reaction of the general public and the Veterinary profession to his early writings. For other reviews you may visit the following URL: http://www.rawmeatybones.com/ Michele Cotton |
