Well, we are the only animal who has lost that sense of what is good for us. There is a cool Discovery Channel show about how animals use their instincts when are sick. They showed that even South American Jaguar eating certain type of grass when he was sick.
This was an awesome story. I think you ought to tell the vet who gave you the bad news. He needs to know about Iodine and if he can start a new wave in the pet industry.
Turtles are the coolest of all. They give us an example of if we breath less we live longer. They are very slow and deep breathers.