medical questions? you should ask your vet. - Page 1

it seems like there have been a lot of questions regarding medical issues and people want URGENT HELP.   people , if it is an emergency,  SEEK PROFESSIONAL HELP NOW!    then come and ask what you should have done, or what you could have done, or how to prevent it from happening in the future. 

read, learn, gain knowledge, and be better prepaired the next time. 

i am amazed at the number of people who come to a message board seeking advice on what to do, when their dog could have a serious issue that needs medical attention NOW.   if your child had these issues would you go look it up on the internet and then under the advice of  others take your kid to the doctor?    im not sure i want the answer to that question, just trying to make a point. 

im not pointing fingers at anyone in particular, so please dont read this as such.  im just making some general suggestions that will make your life, and the life of your canine friend much easier, healthier, and better.

thank you for reading,

john

yes, you should contact a vet, but some of these people here have also been breeding dogs for a very long time, the longer you breed, the more chances of weird and unusual shit you see.

I have had things happen to my dogs that I knew more about than the vets in my area.  guess we need new vets.

We dont need new ones - its the oldies that have the most experience!

Mind you with such breed specific issues arising more and more these days, we do need to pool our knowledge as it is often not that available at the vet's.  I have been lucky in having a very knowledgeable vet practice and they have been extremely helpful over the years, one vet even said that my girl had the book of GSD ailments and was working her way through it!

I think that there should be a balance and that trips to the vets are done in parallel to asking on here for extra knowledge etc.  Like the comment about the fused intestines, my vet had never seen it before or since come to that so its not surprising that another person will find their vet also lacking in the expertise if it is unusual.

I personally have had expeience where I could find more relevant help from the messageboard and asking breed people around. Some of the vets you have to see they are worse than morons and the quality of knowledge they have is outdated and pathetic. Maybe in places where there are really genuine good qualified vets I'm not denying one should first consult the doctor rather than asking on internet.

cheers

I think sometimes people don't want to call the vet with questions at first . Many vets and tech's do want owners to call them and that means at any hour or day of the week.  No question to me is a stupid one,  how are you going to know if you do not ask.  I quess some of the questions on this site are a reasurrance to call the vet when something is not quite right.

We had a situation with a litter where 4 different vet offices were stumped, so what does it hurt to ask online and see if others have had that issue come up?

In fact - it was online research and message boards that saved 4 puppies out of a litter of 16. The vets were happy to do the research and help with the solution, but we had to point them in the right direction. 

my post was not meant to deter people from asking questions and learning.  It  is for the purpose to get people who have a REAL emergency to take the dog to a vet first and then ask for help.

if your are like me, you dont read every thread, you scim through them and read the ones that peak your interest.  seems as of late there have been several where people need help now, as if their dog were in dire need of assistance. 

john

John I agree 110%, if emergency always call your vet ASAP. Don't second guess is the best policy. Just don't be afraid to call. That is what they are there for 24 7.  The door is always open.

The scary thing is that I have been to parenting message boards, and there are people out there that post on the internet before taking their kid to the doctor!!

Opal