Comments on Annual Exams: Necessary?

I have never had the pleasure of seeking out homeopathic (professional) care for my best friend, but I am attempting to make better decisions for his health via my own understanding of his needs. I started him on a prey-model raw diet (SADogSushi) just over a year ago. I supplement him with probiotics when he starts to get itchy, and the problem resolved itself......a better first step than a vet visit and a steroid!
We left Austin, TX and moved back to Saint Louis, MO this past August. Still on the raw meats.....different company now.....still supplementing for his *yeastie issues*.....but alas, I KNOW I am not doing it all right because we are having issues again that sprung up as soon as we got back here!! Itching in the ears, pigmentation changes on his underbelly due to inflamation, he eats his feets and sets injury to them.....etc.
So I had to take him in for the *Yearly Visit*. My vet was pretty understanding of my decision to switch him to Raw .......but she will never be my go-to when I have questions about Duke and his meats. I also opted to do a blood panel. I chose the expensive one. I wanted to do this 1) to give myself peace of mind, and 2) to know that I had been doing his raw diet right and that there were no major issues that jumped out. I think the bloodwork is probably unecessary to do every year....??...However, if nothing else it gives me a starting point to refer back to if issues arise in the future. I want bloodwork when he is HEALTHY to compare to should he become ILL. The bloodwork did not help answer my issues with Duke's itching/scratching starting up again.......BUT it at least let me know that I had not epically failed at this whole Raw meat thing. :-) Of course, if I had the money and a homeopathic vet.....I would be MORE than happy to go in every year for a visit!!

I would like to give my two cents here! Dr. Falconer has been my vet for almost 5 years. I had a kitty (Rosebud) who was diagnosed with non-operable nasal cancer in Feb. 2008 and the hideous, although well meaning, options allopathic medicine offered were not for me and definitely not for Rosie. And so began my relationship with Dr. Falconer. He put us on the raw diet and homeopathic remedies as needed and Rosie had a wonderful four and three quarter years after diagnosis until she succomed to the cancer last October. She did quite well up to the very end and we never sought treatment elsewhere in those nearly five years.
That being said, I have two other cats, who at the time of Rosie's diagnosis, were having some health issues of their own (urinary crystals - which were life threatening a time or two, and colds), so I started them on the raw diet too. Since the diet change, not once, have either of them had a health issue, nor have they been to the local vet clinic for check ups. My kitties could not be any happier or healthier, so I don't see the need for it and I also don't want to be pressured into getting vaccines.
I have however, been thinking about getting their teeth cleaned (which would be a first for them and so I have no idea what that entails). Upon inspection, I noticed they have tartar buildup on the back molars, and not so sweet smelling breath. Dr. Falconer, what is your homeopathic view on this subject?

I've always loved your comment to me: "I treat animals not blood work".
That statement always makes me step back and think again. Since I work in an animal shelter utilizing allopathic medicine on a daily basis, I always have to step back, take a deep breath, and think again. I also have to stand my ground on the vaccine and heart-worm issue, which is hard at times in the face of parvo, distemper, and heart-worm disease, which I see almost on a daily basis.
The voice in my heart says I'm doing it right, but my daily world, which I love and am passionate about, fight daily. Then I look at the animals lounging in my living room, healthy and happy, and I know I'm doing my best and I'll get better all the time.