Why don't you call your vet FIRST???

OK. I will ask questions about my dogs health if they have minor symptoms, but when a dog can't walk, is puking a lot, having a ton of diarrhea, running a fever, etc, then...

TAKE YOUR PET TO THE VET!!!!

If the vet is no help, then fine....ask your questions. Better yet, go to a different vet.

It bothers me so bad to see post about dogs that can't walk, eat, puking, having seizures, etc and they're spending time on a COMPUTER when they should be at the veterinarians office. :mad:

Please learn the difference between minor and MAJOR symptoms. Sometimes minor symptoms can be life threatening, so it's always best to consult with your vet.

Be a responsible pet owner!!!

LOL. Good rant. We all feel the same way. :) :thumbs up

LOL. Good rant. We all feel the same way. :) :thumbs up

I've only been here for a short time and I just can't believe some of the things I've read. I ask myself "Are they for real"? But I've known people like that personally, so I have to remind myself that they probably are "for real" and it just burns me up! My heart breaks for the animals. :sad:
Some people shouldn't have the luxury of owning one if they can't be responsible and loving. There have been many times I've wanted to reply to someone, but haven't because I figured I'd say something that I shouldn't.

I don't know WHY I posted this because if they're not smart enough to know when an animal needs immediate medical attention from a VETERINARIAN, then I very well doubt my rant will make them any smarter.

This has been discussed multiple times.

Some people try us first to save money. :rolleyes:

This has been discussed multiple times.

I figured it had to of been brought up before, but I haven't had chance to go through all the threads. I didn't want to open a can of worms, but I just couldn't believe some of the things I've read.

If people would realize that we need to care for our pets the way we care for our children, maybe a lightbulb would go off. Then again, I know people that treat their kids like crap, so I guess telling them that wouldn't do any good.

I understand your venting, completely. Its just, this board has been bad lately, very heated and so, this thread might just fuel the fire, ppl get worked up and post badly in other threads. Thats all

LOL I don't think this thread will cause any issues because we all agree. :) ;) (for once)

I get very frustrated by these cases as well. :(

I try to use the rule of thumb I'd use for myself...

If I woke up puking, with horrific bloody diarrhea and had dropped 20 lbs, I would want to be taken to the hosptial. Therefore, if my dog is, I do. :)

If I woke up puking, with horrific bloody diarrhea and had dropped 20 lbs, I would want to be taken to the hosptial. Therefore, if my dog is, I do. :) That's a funny rule. I think if you were wrecked like that, you wouldn't be functional enough to know what you wanted. :D What a bad morning that would be. Echh.

You know...after reading the posts in the vet forum , I was debating posting my own rant on the exact same topic. Thanks for doing it Nic!

I feel the same way ..... if somebody's skinbaby was that sick I don't think they would waste time posting questions on a forum but would rush their child to a doctor/hospital .... why can't they use that same train of thought when it comes to a furbaby??? :mad:

I totally agree - and bad enough if someone is already a member, but to sit down and complete the application to open an account and wait for your password while your dog is deathly ill and can't walk (very sensitive on this one) is reprehensible. In extreme cases I think the best advice I could give would be of course to take the poor pet to the vet - but also tell them what to expect in terms of cost - and how the costs will double, triple, etc. the longer the person waits - unless of course it would be too late anyway. And if the poster is confident that costs will be minimal due to Pet Insurance - I suggest reading the fine print - regular deductibles, breed specific deductibles, maximum payouts for certain conditions.

Actually - as much as there are bad parents of furbabies, it may come as no surprise to you that I have has some pretty weird calls from parents of human babies too!! Even though we have a national (OK, ten provincially administered but mostly federal funded) health care in Canada, parents still call doctors' offices with questions not unlike those posted by some here. "My baby is bleeding and I don't know how to stop it. I can't come in to the hospital (or office - depends where they have called) bc I have no veheicle, can't afford a cab, can't leave my other children, can't afford an ambulance, I have a pohobia about hospitals or I get anxious around crowds, spent all my money at bingo (OK, no one ever said that but it lurks in the back of my mind).

I have also heard many excuses as to why a child did not get the prescription they were supposed to have taken and are not back in the ER.

I guess some people just like an easy weay out or for someone to do everything for them.

It;s hard to understand and take but it's life I guess. We can only keep urging them to take their furbaby to a vet!!

I feel the same way, and I think that the allmighty dollar is part of the problem. I also feel that sometimes you are just not sure and want someone elses opinion on what to do. I know when my last dog had bloat, I kept second guessing myself and thank god I took him to the emergency clinic or he would have been gone if I had waited for his regular vets to open the next day.

Mind boggling isn't it?....

It's amazing some people actually survived adolescence.

Yeah you know I was going to say something quite similar to what CyberKitten posted... I know plenty of people who are just as irresponsible with their skin kids. Just imagine how difficult it is to convince someone like this that it is important that their pet gets proper medical treatment.

Well, the latest thread by FallenAngelsMom, "My dog is sick", is a perfect example of this. I don't want to refer the poster to this thread, as I would prefer this person get her ill dog to a vet NOW instead of dickering around here reading emails about how she should get her pet there and not waste time hoping that we can cure her dog online. Just a perfect example that illustrates this thread magnificently. :(

I jave said it before and still believe quite a few of the posts i see here are not for real and are just to get everyone upset....Just my opinion...To many of them sound the same just worded differentley..

From now on when someone posts about their deathly ill dog, I'm just going to reply "Take it to the vet" and leave it at that.

I think that everyone should do that.

I think that alot of the ones who come here with the "my pet is bleeding from every orifice, what do I do?" are trolls. I have noticed that the mods or Marko have shut down a couple in just the last two days. I think that some people think it's funny to get us all riled up. I know that I get mad when I see a thread like that, but I also feel so bad for the furbaby that it reduces me to tears most of the time. My vet probably thinks I am a fanatic of some kind since I insisted on blood tests before I'd let her neuter Parker - and I'll do the same when it's time for Hazel to be spayed. The vet told me that she didn't quite know how to interpret all of the blood test results since she's never done a full screen on a 6 month old pup. After losing my 18 month old newf to renal failure due to a birth defect, I just want to be sure that Parker and Hazel are both healthy. I will continue to have their blood tested probably once a year just for my own peace of mind. I fully agree with the ads that feature a puppy with the heading "you said that you'd take care of me - I don't understand the I can't afford it part". :pawprint: :( :pawprint:

Arg-- so many people say, "My dog is practically dying but I can't afford...bla bla bla." Like we have a remedy for all that ails. FREE! :rolleyes:

Yes, you should just answer "take the dog to the vet" but try not to be rude because with all the cracking down on rudeness.... :eek: