Google vs. vet visit

And worrying about decreased revenue, as more often than not a vet will not dispense any advice for free over the phone in my experience.

Rather than sharing his thoughts online for example, he's pimping his book; only $26, please buy it here. Its understandable, as you go into business to make money first and foremost, and the self-help is bad for business as in a few minutes clients may find that they don't need to pay the exorbitant prices for small bags/cans of food or probiotics and the like that they can just get online or better quality alternatives for less.

In my opinion, a little bit of common sense combined with just about every online community urging veterinary care when called for makes the "google phenomenon" far more positive than negative as caretakers can become far more informed healthcare consumers.

In one instance, on a Sunday, my daughter had a very sick goose. She researched on line and found out what it was. She was very certain she was correct.

She called her vet, he met her at the office, without seeing the goose and gave her the meds.

In two days, the goose was fine. I think the internet is a tool that should be used with common sense. I don't think vets like a little knowledge in their clients sometimes.

I don't see how it's any different than the Health section on here.

Some things are perfectly fine to look up. IE: You see a little rice like thing wiggling on your pet's butt, look it up discover it's tapeworms then call your vet to make an appointment for deworming and to pick up more flea topicals.

Some skin issues it doesn't hurt to look up and have some info going into the vet with.

I read, and read a lot, and often prefer to go straight to medical text for information (for myself and my pets). As a result everyone asks if I have a medical background because I can communicate on their level without them needing to leave out details and dumb down what they're saying. My vet likes it because it makes things easier for him.

But ultimately you still need the vet and you still need to rule things out/find the right treatment. Knowledge of what tests (take fecals, for example) and knowledge of the medication (and their potential side effects) can be very useful but it's just a tool not a replacement for the vet.

I might add that while I do ask some questions in the health sections it's only after I've come home from the vet visit. A few people on here are smart and have great advice, but I don't ask on here first simply because I know the sum collection of people have no medical background and/or are vet assistants. I don't need generalized advice for what I already know (example "cat may have ___ go to vet") or a "go to the vet" since I take care of that right away.
But the thing with this, and some people don't realize it yet, is that waiting costs money. Something easily treated doubles or triples in price if you put it off.

In my experience,if your cat is a patient with the vet and you come in every single year for a physical like you are supposed to, they will answer your questions on the phone. The only reason I would use the internet is to educate myself, so I can be knowledgeable and I can ask the vet the right questions. And sometimes the information on the internet is so biased somehow. I remember reading something about fatty liver disease and dieting, and freaking out, and then when I asked the vet about it, he said it only happens to cats who are starving or haven't eaten for many days on end....


Here I was worrying over nothing, because I thought reducing the amount I feed Jake might give him that disease, all because of the internet! It's really because all we read are little snippets of info that can so easily be taken out of context, and vets can put this kind of info in context immediately because they have so much experience and they've seen so many cats. Some things you just can't diagnose even if you have all the information in the world, unless there is an experienced medical professional who has seen others with the disease and can rule other diseases out...being a vet, as well as a medical profession of any kind, is not just being knowledgeable it's also about having hands on skills.

Besides, the vet I have is not super rich, he even complained to me about several costs because he also owns cats and he rescues too. So I know for a fact he doesn't have this job in order to become a millionaire or for maximum profits- he seems to genuinely care. He doesn't set the prices anyway, the company he works for does.

True, true, I definitely agree with that. But one fantastic tool that they surely don't like is the fact that consumers are price shopping too.

I bet in the mid 90s if you asked the average pet owner about how much "insert medication/surgery/etc" costs, very few would have a clue and just pay up whatever the vet asks for or not know to ask about alternatives that the vet didn't volunteer (or perhaps that vet just wasn't familiar with; seems a lot of vets are really more specialized in dogs than cats). Now someone can simply spend a couple minutes asking the community, "Hey, what is reasonable for a spay/neuter for my two cats and when did you get yours done?" and quickly realize that the $300 the vet was asking is ludicrous and perhaps even be pointed to a reputable low cost spay/neuter clinic in the area others have used with great success.

As was said, the skillset that vets have are absolutely necessary, but its really great that the community can so easily share information and educate themselves so they can ask the right questions, pay attention to the right things to even realize when a vet call is definitely urgent, and have some sort of reasonable expectations when visiting.

I think of all the people that come to this site with health related questions and expect people to diagnose their pet's vague symptoms over the internet. It annoys me when they get mad when someone doesn't diagnose the problem or doesn't want to hear that they should go to a vet. But it scares me when people here make the diagnose based on limited information.

I'm glad you posted this link Tricia. It's a reminder to all of us that we can't possibly have the answers to health issues. The best we can do is to share our backgrounds that may seem similar, but stated in a way that tells the person we are only offering food for thought.

I know the er's are so jacked up and often wonder how much of it is fear that they will have to euthanize the pet rather then treatment and sorta hope it goes away on its own. Or attempt to treat something with fish biotics figuring if this don't work I know its major and I cant afford surgery/xrays/whatever. That is a debate in itself of should ppl own pets if they cant afford the er bills, personally I think if in end they don't suffer and have a good life(pricey toys are nice but one on one loe/combing, the little things that show love!) thats short its better then no life/life of being a stray who breeds till day they die.

When I first had cats and didn't know anything they went to the vet. So far I have never had an URI or anything that needed more then one cat to go(on a whole very healthy cats-few had urinary issues, one had a very strange reaction after being spayed and a heart murmur kitten) dumb luck for the most part.

When Benji was diagnosed with diabetes I knew it the night before for sure(that breath!!!) the vet was a bit hesitant even after his bg level came in off the blood test-she had never smelled that.

Yourdiabeticcat.com SAVED him from being on 2 shots a day I know 100% between the switch to low carb canned and the insulin given as needed(vet had no experience with that and I went to this site without consulting but did tell her after he was off insulin).

My cats are sorta hard to not remember since I am at the vets so frequently(2 practices-one has inhouse labs/xrays... the other is more basic but has alot of knowledge). But for the average person not going I feel fear plays alot-how many ppl have heard someone say I don't want to go to the Dr as I don't want to know:S

Sorta like cell phones and all that at some point many of the I WILL NEVER EVER use/have that turn to it-for just the hmm whats this factor.

I know I don't go for yearly exams nor do my cats, they will go when I see they are sick but I will wait for bronchitis to hit to a point I can not move without pain.

My vet would actually "price shop" for me. If she was prescribing something she would often look it up and tell me where to get it online for the best price, or suggest getting it from the (human) pharmacy if it cost less there...
One thing I love about my vet is she also will give me options, not just say "here we're doing this" but if there is more than one choice for treatments she will give me the options, the pros/cons of each and the costs. She also does holistic as well as traditional meds so she will tell me the holistic options as well if they are viable.

If I have a question I can always email my vet and she gets back to me right away. If it is something urgent of course I bring them in right away, but if not I will email her. She knows me well so she knows I have experience with medical care and knows what I can do myself (such as sub-q fluids).
This has been very useful especially the time when I was in the middle of a long road trip, and my dog had loose stools. I was able to log on to the motel's guest computer in the lobby and get a reply from my vet very quickly (on a weekend when she wasn't in the clinic.) This has also been useful to help keep my vet informed of how my pets are doing if they're under treatment.

Sounds like a great vet.

You're right, there are some just plain altruistic vets out there for whom personal income is completely irrelevant. There are the same with people doctors, out on missions in Africa and what not giving up the golf courses and black AMG Mercedes for old bush planes and harsh shacks and tents going completely pro bono.

Its not something I consider universal or that I would count on though, and staying informed if anything would allow me to recognize and appreciate the gems like that all the better.

I know I spent a lot of time on the internet when my kitty was having repeated episodes of stomach problems. The different vets that I was taking him to was just getting him through each episode including two stays at the vets on an IV that were quite expensive with no answers as to what was causing it. I never found anything that really fit but I did find an add for the cats only vet clinic that I took him too this last time on this site. She did far more in the way of diagnostics and put him on tube feedings because his liver was involved. It turns out he has IBD without the usual loose stools that goes with that chronic problem. He is now on prednisolone and a supplement to support his liver. The internet can certainly help but you still need a good vet. The internet can be an invaluable tool in assessing a vets level of knowledge when it comes to diagnosing a sick cat.

I consider this site's health forum to be my primary source of on-line medical info. So I suppose I am biased, since I have always found input from people with real knowledge about various illnesses. I think it definitely helps me to have an idea of what I might be facing when I go to the vet, and to be able to look up more info after the vet.

That said, I have one of those vets who does try to keep an eye on costs. (And volunteers to spay/neuter ferals.)