Why is it that when people have health issues with their pets a lot of people say to see a vet?

Do you go see your doctor for every little thing? So why should our pets see the vet for minor stuff? People ask questions about pet stuff to see if anyone has had that problem or knows how to treat it simply. 9 times out of 10 pets do not need to see a vet.Why is it that when people have health issues with their pets a lot of people say to see a vet?I agree, I ask some medical stuff too, and people always say "see a doctor", but what I really want is someone to tell me if they've had this problem and what they did to fix it.Why is it that when people have health issues with their pets a lot of people say to see a vet?
They say to see a "vet" because they either can't spell or say veterinarian.



My ex is a Vet but he knows nothing about caring for animals. Just because someone has served in a war does not make him an animal doctor.



I'd personally send my pet to a veterinarian.Why is it that when people have health issues with their pets a lot of people say to see a vet?becasue its the thing to doWhy is it that when people have health issues with their pets a lot of people say to see a vet?
This is a good question.



My answer is based on two things that are

important to consider. As a child, when you

got sick and mommy said "Where does it hurt?"

You could either point or say "It hurts here

mommy."



1. Pet's can't talk or point.



Also most parents over time learn that a

slight fever can be treated with medicine

purchased over the counter at the drugstore,

however a new mom will either call her mom

or bug the family doctor for every little

thing.



Since neither myself or anyone else in my

family is a vet, I can't call up mom and

say "Fluffy is sick, he's acting like this."



2. Go to the experts. That means a vet.Why is it that when people have health issues with their pets a lot of people say to see a vet?i think you are right in one way. but a lot of people do not know what a symptom could really be and without the proper training or testing will not be able to guess the disease properly. two diseases with two very different treatments could have the same symptoms. i volunteer for a cat rescue org and can therefore tell in many cases, from the sheer volume of cats we see with problems, if a cat may need, for instance, antibiotics (and therefore a vet) or if the cat will just need to get over the condition on its own. but even with that experience, we are only a little less likely to take the cat to the vet.Why is it that when people have health issues with their pets a lot of people say to see a vet?
MANY of the things people ask here CAN be something serious!!!!!!! When your kittens are dying one by one, or your dog hasn't eaten in 4 days, maybe seeing a vet is a good idea!!!! It is one thing to ask other people if they have had someting similar, but you still have to use common sense and think that maybe this is not the proper venue for medical advice. The truth is there are too many cheap people that don't and won't see a vet because it will cost them MONEY!!! You wouldn't post in health and beauty and ask what could be wrong with your baby, it hasn't eaten in 4 days!!!!!!! But people will try and save a buck and see if there is a "home remedy" for a dying cat!!!!!!!Why is it that when people have health issues with their pets a lot of people say to see a vet?
No, you do not go to see the doctor for every little thing, but that is because you have the ability to think analytically, to research your symptoms, to judge the level of danger the illness or injury is putting you in.



With pets, they are dependent on their humans to seek medical attention when needed. They cannot ask for help, they cannot explain their symptoms, and with such differing anatomy you cannot diagnose the issue yourself or you would not be posting to a board.



For instance, diarrhea in a human may or may not be life threatening...you would handle it in different way depending on whether the human was 6 days, 6 mths 6 years or 60 years old...because at different stages of life and health it has different implication. In our pets, this is commonly a sign of serious illness, fatal illnesses...can it be because Fido ate out of the bin? Of course, but at the end of the day, we collectively are not trained medical doctors who know exactly what is going on with your animal. We are operating under the very basic of information, meaning we must err on the side of caution.



Example: Dog with diarrhea - turns out this is an unvaccinated puppy of six months, this could be parvo virus, a highly fatal condition, or a change in kibble. If one asssumed it was the change in kibble and Fido died, how would you live with yourself???



In closing, why do I and many others suggest contacting a vet? Because it is the right thing to do, better safe then sorry, oh and we are NOT vets and to suggest that such untrained individuals as ourselves could diagnose and TREAT your animal over the net would be unethical and illegal - it's called practising veterinarian medicine without a license.