I do agree with you. I don't think people should come to an online forum looking for a diagnosis, but rather just look for opinions and tips if their dog has also been through the same thing, etc. Too many people will take what they read on the internet as a fact when it's not *always* the case. A sick or injured dog should always be taken to a vet first.
With that said, I will highly disagree with vets on food. I often see so many pet owners get talked into buying Science Diet or Pedigree because it's what the vet said is the best. IMO, it's simply not the case and I will never suggest to feed the foods that most vets do and I do believe they are wrong on that issue. I've been lucky to never have a vet push their food on me, but it happens all the time. Vets get very little schooling on pet nutrition and honestly don't always know what's best, they are just selling what they've learned. SD also endorses and sponsors vet schools, I believe, so of course they are going to sell it.
Also, quite a few vets are not very knowledgeable when it comes to breeds specifics, which is where forums like this come in handy. Here I found out that a harness is best for small dogs and toy breeds for example. My vet never even informed me of such things as CT and other issues that could come along with it when I brought my 9 week old 5lb pup into the office for that first appt. My vet never informed me about reactions in the Lepto vaccine w/ small dogs (and Jackson did have a pretty bad reaction, and I later found out it's common in small dogs). So while I do think you should always get a vet's opinion before anything else, and should not come to a forum seeking medical advice without first going to vets, vets aren't God and they simply don't have all the knowledge every pet owner needs. |