What are dependable sites for accurate health info ?

[Gary_and_Karen]

I value the wisdom of the members on this forum based on their great love for dogs and years of experience.

 

That is why I want your opinion on what web sites can be depended upon for accurate health tips, ect.

 

One place I saw was called petmd.com for example, is that a trustworthy site ? Any other sites ?

 

 

Also, I saw an article that I was wondering if anyone disagreed with any of the things mentioned in the article below, and if so, why -

 

50 Things Your Veterinarian Won’t Tell You

 

We asked veterinarians and vet technicians to reveal pet vet tips and cautionary tales, which can save time, trouble, and trauma for everyone in the family.

 

By Michelle Crouch from Reader's Digest | May 2012

 

http://www.rd.com/slideshows/50-things-your-vet-wont-tell-you/?trkid=hp-quick-reads

[juliepoudrier]

Two sites I use regularly are Marvista Vet's Pet web library and Merck Veterinary Manual..

 

J.

[Gary_and_Karen]

Two sites I use regularly are Marvista Vet's Pet web library and Merck Veterinary Manual..

 

J.

 

Thanks for sharing that Julie, I'll see about saving those sites and others that people may post later as good sites to refer to.

[Liz P]

These two statements really stood out to me.

 

“Your vet may not have gotten into vet school! Vets who can’t get into traditional U.S. veterinary programs due to bad grades and poor test scores often go to for-profit schools in the Caribbean, where, basically, if you can pay the tuition, you get in.”

 

This is a load of bull. They still have to apply and qualify to get in. The programs are not easy. The students still have to come to the USA and complete their last 18 months at an accredited school. They are graded during these rotations (which are incredibly difficult) so can still flunk out. They must also pass the National boards.

 

“After their kitten vaccinations, indoor cats don’t really need to be vaccinated. They’re not going to get rabies sitting inside the house. Vaccines have the potential to create a lot of harm for cats, including possible tumors at the vaccine site.”

 

This quote scares me, a lot. I see a couple of cats a month that are "indoor only" that escaped and come home with a bite wound. One time I saw a cat that had fallen out a first floor window when the screen popped loose. Also, animals get in houses all the time (think bats, mice, shrews, etc). Just this month an entire family had to get rabies post exposure treatment because their 15 year old cat that had never been outside tested positive.

[simba]

Yeah, we've an indoor-outdoor cat who's been injured twice in over a decade. One of them was a scratch from an animal that got into the house.

 

We have had bats, mice, rats, shrews, some kind of vole-thing, and some unidentified animals get into the house. The bat flew straight in through an open window and crashed. Add to that the weird behaviour associated with rabies...

 

 

The secret of no kill shelters- I'm wondering how or why that shelter could be classed as 'no-kill'. Sounds like plain and simple lying to me.

 

Love the comments about 'food is not love' and 'your dog does not need vitamins.' I'd love to check some of those vitamin supplements and see how many of them actually have the amount they're supposed to, especially considering they're 'just for dogs.'

[Gideon's girl]

Yes, some no kill shelters are lying. They rationalize that they aren't actually doing the killing so...

[Liz P]

There is no such thing as a completely no kill shelter. The no kill shelters DO euthanize animals that are deemed too sick, aggressive or feral to adopt out. I don't know why that shelter had so many cats euthanized at once, but there could have been a valid reason. Sometimes cats from hoarding situations are very ill by the time they are rescued.