Dog Health Questions on Yahoo?

I totally agree. If my dog was vomitting, had bloody stool, or was screaming in pain (which we`ve all heard on here before), the LAST thing I would be thinking of is to get on my computer and log into Yahoo. Then again, I have an emergency fund of $1500 for my dog, that stays topped-up at all times, so I would never ever find myself in a position where I `can not afford` to take him to the vet.

I don`t think anything we, or Yahoo, does will stop people from trying to find a quick, cheap (or free) fix for their dogs health problems. People shouldn`t even own pets, if they aren`t prepared for the medical expenses that can be associated with illness, disease, and other emergencies.

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At the very least they get the advice to CALL a vet. Normally a phone call to a vet is free, and they can describe the symptoms to the vet's office and find out if they need to come in or not. Some people just turn to the internet instead of a human being.

But if yahoo were to split it, then people would have to post inthe right place, and there's no guarantee of that.

A dog often eats its own feces because the food its getting is too rich for it, the dog is not getting enough, the food has too much corn ingredients in it, or the food is passing through and still has a lot of the needed ingredients for the animal still in it. The FIRST ingredient in dog food should be MEAT. Not corn meal or even chicken meal, and definitely not wheat products either. About the 'lowest quality' food I will give my dog when she runs out is Beneful. Pedigree Lamb and Rice is very good, as are most of the IAMS and Hill's Science Diet foods, but all of them have one thing in common. The main ingredient of the food is MEAT! And never underestimate the value of lots of fresh water. Even if the bowl is full from the day before, change it. You never know what might get into the water or how its freshness affects your pet. And don't get too generous on treats and table scraps. Each one is ok in very moderate amounts but your little pup's digestive system wasn't made to handle our food and some of the 'treats' out there are akin to shoe leather. Such as Store Brand dog foods.

I think they should just post that if you have any serious health concerns see a vet immediately. Some of the people posting are inexperienced owners and even with a separate section I think people are just trying to see if it is normal or if they should take it more serious. Still, they should call the vet. That's what they are there for.

I agree with the above answer from W. There should be a disclaimer. Many times I have read questions with the poster saying they don't have the money for a vet, what should they do, etc. The answer usually is to take the animal to the vet. It's one thing to ask about potty training, chewing, pet stains, etc. and quite another to ask about vomit, bleeding, lethargy, injuries, etc.

YA should post a disclaimer stating any health advice posted here does not take the place of proper veterinary care.

Serious, potentially life-threatening dog health questions all have the same answer: VET. NOW. I don't see the point of encouraging these idiots to ask these questions here instead of getting off their asses, getting out their pocketbooks, and heading to the vet.

I agree that many problems are quite clearly serious enough to warrent a trip to the vets...

BUT

A lot of people that post aren't looking for alternatives to going to the vet - they have either booked the vet and investigating further in the meantime OR are looking into whether or not they are over-reacting.

Sometimes i think people are too quick to say "take it too the vets!!!" simply because they don't have the knowledge required to provide a helpful answer.

If there was someone online with actual vetenary knowledge - they might read the same question and think it is obvious that the animal doesn't neeed a vet at all...

I do agree that there needs to be a disclaimer of some sort that says, "The individuals offering you advice are not vets, and may or may not even be old enough to drive!"