Everyone knows what a BYB (backyard breeder) is, someone who thinks they know more than they do about breeding etc. Now it seems we have something worse, or at least more certainly more dangerous, the BYV (backyard vet). The Back Yard Vet can diagnose over the Internet, and prescribe medications and dosing without even seeing the animal! Who needs a real vet with an education and an advanced degree when you can just get out your handy Revival catalog and order fish-mox and gosh knows what else.... eye of newt?

If that is aimed at me...DRY IT UP!!! You know what they say about opinions don't you? I'll have you know smart ass I DO have a degree in applied science and it doesn't take a Rocket Scientist to take care of worms, Genious. Now go away! And you need to look up what a BYB really is, if that's too hard for you, ASK YOUR VET!

Same as the MD's prescribing Class IV drugs and narcotics to humans over the internet for a $200 fee. With the internet anything can happen. Get used to it unfortunately

Whoa.... I don't know what you're talking about and didn't reply to anything that has to do with you, only the question. Please don't point a finger at me too. Thank you

What a coincedence..

Yes, thank goodness we have the means today to better help our pets, educate ourselves and not HAVE to rely on a vet for EVERYTHING. There have been many times had I relyed on a vet I would have lost a horse or dog or cat...I had an autopsy done on a puppy a couple a couple of years ago...they couldn't determine what was wrong...my whole litter of babies were sick...I researched and determined by the symtoms it was a GI bacterial infection and began treatment MYSELF...I didn't get the autosy results back for 2 weeks, they would have all died had I waited. Evedently the mother had eaten a frog and had regergitaded it to her pups! It was Salmanella. By the way, the amoxi he sent me home with would not have killed that particular bacteria. It's a good thing I didn't take what he said as gospel. I had to convince him to do the autopsy.

Dear S.Allets..P.S
There was no coincidence, I replied to a post I saw up. I am not going to defend myself and will not reply to any post with your name on it ever again (it wasn't on here when I initially did.) I still have no idea what you're talking about and there is no need to be nasty to people replying to a post that had nothing to do with you. I have no idea who you are, what you've posted in the past (I will not bother looking back) and will just avoid your bold and nasty replies that are unwarranted. You are being paranoid apparently

Where in the world do you get that I am paranoid?? And I never ASKED you to defend yourself over anything. As for being bold and nasty, you do remember your remark, do you not? and furthermore anyone reading the post has only to look at the time and the posts to see what a coincidence it was. Look, I'm not going to argue with you or anyone over choices they make as to when or why they would choose to consult a vet, that is everyone's perogative, but you in turn should not try and back pedal when someone points out an obvious remark and calls you on it. I don't know who you are either, nor do I care and as for answering any more of my posts, if that's all you have to say on a subject then it is probably best you don't because ANYONE that has read ANY of these posts knows we all diagnose and treat what we can. I do hope that in the future we can share information and methods but is your choice if we do not. I'm no dummy and am sure you aren't either and over the 40 plus years I have had dogs I have learned a few things.

No, I think we have breeder friends who help out breeders when they have already had the experience and it works. Why pay 4 to 10 times as much for things at the Vet. Please ! We all have to become educated to take good care of our dogs and cats. And I agree, some have been saved when the Vets don't get back with you for hours. Please ! Maybe you have money to throw away. I'd rather buy extra dog cookies. BYV, don't think so !

Classic example:

Last year I propigated a litter of Labs between 2 friends. The owner of the bitch kept a pup. She took the pup for a 2nd shot at about 12 weeks. At 7:30 that evening, my phone rang and it was the puppy owner, frantic and crying. Her pup was having a reaction to the shot. She called 4 (FOUR) vets and left messages. The owner of the sire told her to call me. She is a nurse and knew the pup was in trouble because her face was swollen and her breathing was labored. I told her to give the pup 2 Benedryl and 2 more in 2 hours. One of the vets called her at 10:30 and said she did the right thing.

What was I supposed to do? Tell her to wait for a vet to call or use my knowledge and help her? The pup would have probably died. And yes, it was a shot with Lepto.

My vets love it when I know what is wrong and don't have to bother them. If I don't know, I go to the vet. I don't take chances.

Re: "Classic example:"
Here we go again with the vet-bashing!
I would have counselled anyone in that situation to GO TO AN EMERGENCY HOSPITAL IMMEDIATELY, not call a vet and wait for a call back, or call a stud dog owner or breeder for phone advice. That's just stupid if you have a true emergency.
I have seen puppies die from anaphalactic shock, from vaccines, from insect envenomation, or drug reactions, as they did not get the appropriate treatment (steroids, fluids, major respiratory/supportive care, etc.) in a timely manner because the breeders were too busy calling each other for advice.
Lucky is the lay person who can solve a major medical problem with Benadryl!
It is illegal to prescribe, diagnose, prognose (or do surgery) on someone else's animal! You can be sued for this if the outcome is not what you or the dog owner expected, and it quite often is not. These laws are not just to help the veterinarians get rich, people, they are to protect animals and the people that own them!

Amen!

Well said Robin....my thoughts exactly!

Sorry, but I'll call a friend or two first. Emergency Hospital. Yes, if you want slow motion going on and high prices. The one I just went to is more interested that you sign all the papers to release them of responibility. And pay the bill right then. The dog is in pain. Not so much an emergency to them. I realized right away that I was on the path of the problem while they were making out an estimate. Gloves (rubber)included for $10.00 Duh. Run blood test, not needed. 4 Different ones ? Emergency help was needed. Know they have helped someone but hate to think how much they had to pay for it.

Boy! How you guys can misinterpet statements. I WAS NOT VET BASHING! We live in an isolated area with no emergancy services. It's probably 75 miles for her nearest service. I only did what I thought was right, to save the pups life, and it worked. My vet ( who is 95 miles from her) said it was the right thing to do. Sorry you look at it that way.

Firstly, not everyone lives within HOURS of an emergency vet. I do, but I know people that don't have an emergency vet within 3 hours, and there are some who live in backwoods "out west" who don't have an emergency vet within 10 hours. Most emergency vets that *I* know will not give advice over the phone, either.

Secondly, "It is illegal to prescribe, diagnose, prognose (or do surgery) on someone else's animal!"

No one except those with a pharmacy liscense can prescribe medicine. *period.* Advising that someone give their dog benadryl, aspirin, wormer, is not "prescribing" anything. It's an over-the-counter drug and does not require prescription. Also, it is NOT illegal in most states to offer advice on an issue a dog, cat, etc. is having in most states if you do not charge for it. Also, you cannot do surgery without a pharmacy liscense as any anasthetic is a prescription drug.

I wonder, some of you who are saying "vet vet vet" take your children, selves, and husbands/wives to the doctor if you wake up with a runny nose, instead of running to the grocery store and buying cold medicine. Do you run to the doctor every time you have a headache? Stub your toe, just in case it's broken, even if it only hurts a little? If it's Saturday, do you run to the emergency room "just in case?"

"Advising that someone give their dog benadryl, aspirin, wormer, is not "prescribing" anything. It's an over-the-counter drug and does not require prescription"

Just because something is available over the counter does not make it safe. Ivomec is a perfect example. A person asked what the adverse effects of an overdose would be on another thread and not one person responed.

I noticed the lack of response too. I knew some of the side effects because I have used the drug under the direct supervision of my Vet. I was waiting to see if those that freely advise on how to use it would also have the knowledge to freely advise people of it's possible dangers.
I worked in a pharmacy for many years and was constantly amazed at how many people couldn't understand dosage and use information that we counseled for every prescription along with easy to read labels and printounts. It scares me to think of how many dogs could potentially be at risk by well intended people offering dosages on the internet. If you have followed these ivomec threads, surely you have noticed the gross differences in recommended doses.

Shock, diahrrea, listnessness, staggering can affect the liver and can cause death. There are side affects to ALL wormers/meds/vaccines...but you don't not give because of the risks, they have to have it as the treatment for heatworms itself is much worse, you KNOW that's going to make them sick, you just need to be aware of the side effects and be very careful of the dosage. I personally have NEVER had a problem with Ivomec...I did have puppies that had a reaction to strongid though. It really threw them for a loop and it was the dog granuals from the vet. The dose that I quoted was from Revival and Revival has Vets on staff and years of animal care. It is the dose that I go by on all of my dogs and puppies.

P.S. Sorry I didn't see the post until now or I would have replied earlier.

The signs of ivemectin toxicity include; vomiting, drooling, mydriasis, depression,ataxia,tremors, disorientation, weakness, recumbency, nonresponsivness, blindness, bradycardia, hypoventilation, coma and death.

Isn't there a distinction between a backyard vet and an experienced animal owner who knows how to administer first aid in the event of an emergency, as in the above example? Surely you wouldn't drive a human to an ER so that they could receive CPR...

Ivermectin is a good example. I once saw a dog in the hospital I worked at seizuring, blind (thank goodness temporarily) and ataxic. I asked the vet what happened and she said the owner dosed the dog for what she thought was the right dose of ivermectin, but it was ten times the dose. The veterinarian just quietly treated the dog for 48 hours for ivermectin toxicity, and released him back to the owner. The owner was happy to pay that bill, and felt lucky to have her dog back alive. Happens every day, you better believe it.
And why do those mean emergency vets run multiple blood tests when presented with a critically ill animal? Because if they didn't run a test and the dog died due to a misdiagnosis, they would be sued. THAT happens every day too.