gypsiegal567
Member
as above
does noel fitzpatrick do surgeries on horses? i have only ever seen small animal surgeries on his show, does anyone know just out curiosity?
- Thread starter gypsiegal567
- Start date
[153312]
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No he doesn't. Smalls only
blitznbobs
Well-Known Member
I wouldn’t let him near any animal of mine his ethics are seriously suspect
BMA2
Well-Known Member
Totally agree
gypsiegal567
Member
oh i wouldn't either i was just wondering as i heard someone talk about him and horses but i didn't think he did
Tiddlypom
Carries on creakily
Me neither, but I do believe that he is deluded rather than malevolent.
Cortez
Tough but Fair
He does pioneering and excellent work on 100's if not 1,000's of animals that would otherwise be put down or live with seriously debilitating limitations. He has also done some things that are suspect and skirting the edge ethically, and that I would not allow to be done to any animal of mine, but that does not mean that the vast majority of procedures undertaken at Fitzpatrick's are suspect. And it's small animal only.
P.S. I find him personally irritating, but that's beside the point. He's also neurodiverse, which probably explains a lot.
AmyMay
Situation normal
I’d certainly be happy for him to undertake surgery on my animal if it were a ‘simple’ surgery.
AmyMay
Situation normal
Thanks, you articulated far better than me!
PinkvSantaboots
Well-Known Member
I agree! it's some of the complex surgery just seems unethical to me in some circumstances.
blitznbobs
Well-Known Member
I have seen so much that he does that is so clinically inappropriate (eg cracking the chest of a dog when it died on the table to do internal cardiac massage ) in a dog that was already paralysed from the neck down… inappropriate, not clinically indicated and cruel.
Note - cracking a chest in cardiac arrest is ONLY indicated in blunt force trauma to the chest … not a medical cardiac arrest.l because it doesnt work… The danger is that people think this is ground breaking and great but it isnt - its just showboating and grossly inappropriate
blitznbobs
Well-Known Member
This is more dangerous
Rowreach
Adjusting my sails
He's done remarkably well for someone who (reliable source) struggled to get through vet school.
Fransurrey
Well-Known Member
He may well have struggled due to being neurodiverse. I struggled to get through uni for that reason. The teaching style was one fit for all, particularly for the sciences. I have attended his lectures to students and he certainly lectures better than I do. I worked with an autistic PhD student who had to drop out of uni and he is anything but stupid.
In answer to the original question, he is small animal, only.
Horseysheepy
Well-Known Member
I've only seen a couple if his TV shows, so I can't really judge. There were times though, when I felt that the procedures performed were not really in the best interest of the animal.
Carlosmum
Well-Known Member
Just because you can doesn't mean you should!
maisie06
Well-Known Member
There would be an awful lot of horses hopping around onn bionic legs if he did... I totally agree with you on that point
Cortez
Tough but Fair
I doubt it; the stallion who they (not Fitzpatrick) tried that on didn't ultimately survive, all though he did suffer for far too long IMO.
suestowford
Well-Known Member
I've watched a lot of his programmes and on more than one occasion they have shown an ethics committee meeting to decide whether treatment is ethical or not. So it isn't only NF & the pet owners who do the deciding on this.
The cases I find problematic are often the ones where the first intervention fails for whatever reason, so the pet has to have more surgery, then more after that. There have been times where I've thought, surely it's time to call it a day now? I reckon the owners who consent to this are walking close to the ethical line also.
The cases I find problematic are often the ones where the first intervention fails for whatever reason, so the pet has to have more surgery, then more after that. There have been times where I've thought, surely it's time to call it a day now? I reckon the owners who consent to this are walking close to the ethical line also.
Chianti
Well-Known Member
I'd like to know how often the ethics committee says 'no'. I only watch it very occasionally now but it always seems that they've ok'd it. Maybe they only put those cases on the TV?
sport horse
Well-Known Member
I went to watch him in a local theatre and it was quite thought provoking. We use animals for drug testing and developing implants etc but then those animals do not benefit from the drugs etc because there is not enough money in it for the drug companies to bother carrying out the necessary tests. Is that acceptable?
He is certainly an odd personality but maybe they are the people that push further and thing he tries will develop into mainstream in due course?
He is certainly an odd personality but maybe they are the people that push further and thing he tries will develop into mainstream in due course?
splashgirl45
Lurcher lover
He lost me when he performed spinal surgery on a 9 year old Great Dane , Danes have a short life span anyway so to put her through that was not ethical by him or the owners IMO
Cortez
Tough but Fair
Owners always have to approve surgey, it's never the surgeon's decision. I would probably not want to put an elderly dog through major surgery, but obviously the owner wanted to give their dog a chance at a better old age. It's their dog, their choice, their veterinary bill (or their insurance).
Winters100
Well-Known Member
I have not seen his TV shows, so I have only my personal experience to go on, but about 12 years ago he did 2 surgeries on my dog to replace his hips. The surgeries were successful and the follow up care was great (he even sent one of the vets to my hotel to check the dog). My dog had more than 10 years without pain on those hips, and lived a normal active life during that time. I don't know what the questions about ethics are, but I suppose at one time a hip replacement would have been seen as experimental, and perhaps unethical.
splashgirl45
Lurcher lover
I’ve questioned the ethics of both him and the owners , Great Danes don’t often live that long , 9 is a good age for a giant dog , if it was a little terrier they would have a chance of another 6 years . My post was saying what I thought and why I lost faith in his judgement in this case ..
teapot
Well-Known Member
The problem is, I think, that someone like Fitzpatrick is in a position where he can for whatever reason offer an entirely different level of hope, than other vets who perhaps wouldn't, whether that's through skill, experience, ethics, or generally having a bit of a more balanced honest approach with regards quality of life afterwards.
He is far more of a 'well what we can do is build a mechanno kit and save your dog' vet and the distraught owner clings on to that far quicker than your everyday vet going we can do y, but actually it's cruel/unfair/quality of life won't be what it was.
Burnerbee
Well-Known Member
Who knows the link between Noel and Britney Spears?
www.independent.co.uk
Britney Spears fans discover ‘Toxic’ is about unexpected TV star
He’s very well known to British viewers
www.independent.co.uk
Cortez
Tough but Fair
I doubt that that is regularly the case though. It seems to be popular to portray this vet as a kind of Dr Frankenstein, conducting evil experiments for his own amusement, whereas there are countless owners who are grateful and delighted to have pets that would otherwise quite possibly have been put down.
teapot
Well-Known Member
At what cost to the animal's welfare though? It's the age old just because you can (and someone's willing to pay) doesn't mean you should debate.
Jenko109
Well-Known Member
I find him difficult to watch.
Not just because of the questionable practices, but also just him in general. I find he is always acting the showman, his language when talking to the pet owners always seems unnatural. I don't believe he talks in the same way when he is not being recorded.
Furthermore, he is in a prime position to talk about poor breeding practices. To highlight the importance of health testing. To be transparent about the types of breeds to tread very carefully before considering owning. It's a shame he doesnt.
Yes. I would allow him to operate on one of mine. There is no question that he is very talented. A usual surgery. No experiments, thank you.
Not just because of the questionable practices, but also just him in general. I find he is always acting the showman, his language when talking to the pet owners always seems unnatural. I don't believe he talks in the same way when he is not being recorded.
Furthermore, he is in a prime position to talk about poor breeding practices. To highlight the importance of health testing. To be transparent about the types of breeds to tread very carefully before considering owning. It's a shame he doesnt.
Yes. I would allow him to operate on one of mine. There is no question that he is very talented. A usual surgery. No experiments, thank you.