A British vet has revealed five opinions he has on pet ownership and says they can be unpopular.
Content creator @ben.el.veterinario He shared the list in a video on TikTok, where he has more than 208,000 followers.
Digging directly into his opinions, he mentioned the first as not liking people feeding their animals raw meat, describing it as “not a risk worth taking.”
Ben explained: ‘When preparing raw meat to eat yourself, if you eat meat, you probably take great care to wash your hands and avoid cross-contamination.
‘If your dog eats raw meat, he will get raw meat juice in and around his mouth, which contains bacteria, which could spread it throughout your house and on his face when he licks it.
Ben the vet (pictured) has shared what he described as five “unpopular” opinions he has on pet ownership.
“If you have young children or someone who is immunocompromised in your home, don’t risk making them sick.”
The second opinion would surely upset some people. According to Ben: ‘Number two [is] people who call themselves pet parents.
‘[It] It makes me want to vomit a little. I think we should consider our dogs as part of the family. But you are not their father and they are not your son. I’m sorry, but it makes me a little sick; I’m sure I’m not the only one.
Your third point relates specifically to people who have cats as pets. The vet said: ‘AndOur cat is a loner and doesn’t need friends. Not only am I being mean, but it can be a disaster to introduce a new cat into our home.
He explained that it can be “quite difficult for us to appreciate as a social species,” but that cats are ““Naturally solitary”, and they like to be alone.
“They may be finicky and choose to form a social group with some cats in the home but not others,” Ben said.
‘Some cats basically hate other cats. The resulting stress, in addition to being unpleasant for the cat, can cause some health problems such as cystitis and urinary obstructions.’
Regarding his fourth unpopular opinion, he said: “Number four [is] Adopt a stray dog from abroad. [This] can do more harm than good.
While he emphasized that it’s just his opinion, Ben (pictured) said people who call themselves pet parents “disgust him.”
‘The first consideration here is temperament. I have met many charming people. But many of these dogs have not had any social interaction with humans at a young age. And so they may find living in a home very stressful, and this can lead to problematic behavior and even aggression.
‘The second consideration is the risk of introducing exotic infections. There are several to consider, but the one that is perhaps most worrying us at the moment in the UK is an infection called Brucella.
“It is increasingly found in imported dogs. And if humans contract it, it can cause serious health problems.
“If you want to help these dogs, it may be best to simply donate to a charity that helps these dogs in their home country.”
And finally, moving on to his fifth and final opinion, Ben said: ‘IIf you really want to keep your dog’s teeth clean, stop giving him dentistry and start brushing his teeth.
‘The sticks are supposed to be clinically tested, so presumably they do something, but I think a lot of dogs practically inhale them. And they gain a lot of weight.
‘I think they make people feel like they’re doing something proactive, but I don’t think they’re that good. Again, just my opinion.’