The Dangers of Ask-a-Vet Websites

Veterinarian (Photo credit: Army Medicine)

As always, I am on the alert for issues concerning pet health, and I've come across one that I haven't seen before.  DogChannel.com has an interesting and thorough article about the pitfalls of ask-a-vet websites (which are becoming numerous, with many charging for their services).  Nikki Moustaki, a well-known writer on dogs, examined a bunch of these sites, interviewed a few REAL veterinarians (some of the sites in question don't actually have vets on hand, just "experts") about them, and found some fairly troubling issues.  The one that I think is a dead giveaway is that some of them carry the disclaimer that the website and its advice are "for entertainment purposes only."  Yeah, I'm sure sick dogs are entertaining . . . to some sick people.

The bottom line is that if you are worried enough to be willing to pay for veterinary advice over the web, you are certainly worried enough that you should take the dog to his or her regular vet, the one who has seen the dog year after year and has records of previous exams.  Don't take chances.

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Vet Visit Advice

Image via WikipediaNo, I don't really have advice on this, but WebMD does.  I was surprised to learn that it covers animals as well as humans, so I signed up for their email newsletter, and the one I just received has a good article about what you should ask when you take your friend to the vet.  This hit home for me, because on my first visit I forgot to ask about emergency care and after hours problems.  Of course, I needed to know that a couple of weeks after the visit.  Check it out.

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