I no longer feel comfortable posting here...

[henryhorn]

Ever since one forum member told me he keeps records of replies on here (he told one person he had read all 1000 of her posts!) to enable him to report to the media the bad information that is given on vet forums I feel worried when I reply to someone.
I did tell him I felt his actions were not in the spirit of the forums which was to offer help to anyone who asked, and no-one needs to follow it, just make an informed choice, but it seems he is worried about possible litigation following bad advice..
Now I am wary of saying very much, and wondered if others felt the same?
Do you feel Big Brother is watching us or couldn't you give a stuff!

 

[icestationzebra]

God how creepy!

 

[merlinsquest]

I would of thought that if people are asking for opinions then thats exactly what they will get......

If they are asking for qualified vetinary advice then they should expect to pay for it or take their chances.

Sounds to me like this person has very little else in their lives but to spy on a forum and should be pitied

Makes me think of Norris off of Coronation Street

I like to think that I would only post what I am sure is correct and if i am not sure, then I either dont post at all, or would make it clear that I am not absolutely sure, or its just an opinion.

I couldnt give a stuff if someone keeps my posts.... feel quite flattered to think anyone even reads mine

 

[Donkeymad]

Very sad state of affairs. The majority of readers know it is simply an OPINION. Sadly, it take just ONE person to follow the information in ONE bad post, have disastrous results and sue.

 

[Pidge]

never even thought about it to be honest! only comment on what I've had personal experience on and then it is up to the individual what they do. When I've asked for advice I take on board what people say and then make my own mind up. TBH I think this man is a sad individual if he trawls vets forums for bad advice, after all if people are that worried then they would call their vets. Please don't stop posting in here

 

[Fiona]

Maybe we need to add a disclaimer at the bottom of our posts.......
ie any advice given is ADVICE only, and is no substitute for a veterinary opinion.

I only tend to post in vets if it is a condition that I have experienced with one of my own horses though, woundl't feel qualified to comment on people's vet problems in general.

Don't stop posting HH, it would take the rest of us years to build up the experience you have got. Please go on sharing it!!!!!!!!

Fiona

 

[brighteyes]

He. That narrows it down a bit. I'll be happy to give him a bit of veterinary advice

If it wasn't for you lot helping me out on more than one occasion here, I'd either be broke or down one pony - or both.

May he shove that in his little file - for the record. * raspberry-blowing smiley required *

 

[sarahrees]

same here im grateful of any advice from here. it helps when your upset and you can talk just like tonight

 

[brighteyes]

Nah, get Admin to do us a sticky.

 

[the watcher]

I am on the fence on this. One the one hand I do understand the concern that anybody reading 'advice' or opinions here might go away and do the things referred to, not necessarily the OP either, but a completely random reader. This is one of the reasons I normally comment (and I am sure some readers are insulted by it) that if you are having to ask for advice, you first point of reference should be the vet.

On the other hand, sometimes it is good to sound others out when you are uncertain, worried or just curious - and I would hate for anybody to feel that they couldn't discuss things.

I honestly don't know what the answer is but do know I would be disappointed in anybody here who uses information given unwittingly by other posters for their own agenda, especially if doing so puts the entire forum at risk

 

[Faithkat]

What an incredibly sad person, whoever he is really needs to get out more. I think asking for advice on here can be incredibly useful given the breadth of experience that people have. I am, by no means, knocking the veterinary profession but, quite often a lay person's experience can be very helpful especially if it helps someone less experienced make up their mind whether or not to call a vet out for example. It's very easy to feel that you are the only person in the world to have a faced certain situations and being able to have an informed discussion on forums such as this is really good.

 

[Shilasdair]

All horses should be covered in golden syrup twice daily.

See, I'll take my chances of litigation!

S

 

[brighteyes]

Daft question, but since the veterinary forum has been running for some while now and Admin haven't warned us against posting 'anecdotal experience' because we might all get sued....... why should we worry?

For every 'do this' post, there are usually a few 'no don't, do this instead' posts and on many occasions repeated advice to 'get the vet now if you haven't already' (and if you haven't, why not?) Aww, I think we're OK to carry on. Put caveats on everything, if you must, but don't limit advice to - get the vet!

 

[brighteyes]

* shakes head *

 

[merlinsquest]

Yum yum

BUT IMO it could lead to a sticky situation!!! groan

 

[brighteyes]

And umpteen cases of laminitis

 

[Shilasdair]

But your rugs will never slip again....and you'll be able to stay on over those tricky 1'6" cross poles.
S

 

[the watcher]

[ QUOTE ]
All horses should be covered in golden syrup twice daily.

See, I'll take my chances of litigation!

S

[/ QUOTE ]

I got it so wrong, I thought you were recommending something to baste them with (where did the eating horse meat thread go?)

 

[Shilasdair]

Well, if the jumping goes wrong...
S

 

[PapaFrita]

I know who you're talking about, but did he really mean it? I honestly thought he was just making a point

How VERY anal!!

 

[alleycat]

Henryhorn, what axe has this guy to grind? Has he himself done something incredibly stupid, based on unprofessional advice? ( I had a mental flash there of him struggling home from the 24 hour supermarket AT THIS VERY MOMENT with a stolen trolley full of industrial-size barrels of golden syrup).

Looking back over my years with horses, I'd have to say that some of the altogether WORST advice I've had has actually come from vets...all the worse because until you get old and cynical you tend to believe a professional whereas you'd consider another horse-person's advice before accepting it.

Young, inexperienced academic high-flying vets anxious to maintain their image are well and away the worst and a product, I think, of a system that chooses candidates for vet school on academic prowess rather than on what it really takes to do the job on the ground. I remember one such prat diagnosing a friends horse as having ringworm, despite her telling him repeatedly that the thing he was looking at was actually a whorl, and she'd had it from birth..same as most horses.... You hadn't to offend that gentleman, though; whether through malice or incompetence he shut one commercial yard down as having glanders, even though the owners there were telling him (correctly as it turned out) that the coughing horse actually had COPD (as was. Can't think what its called now).

This sort of ignorance, coupled with my own ignorance in believing the professional,at various times lost me a foal and nearly the mare and left me with a pony that was lame for months rather than days (how I wish I'd just used horse sense). This was pre-world-wide web. If I could have accessed a forum like this in those days, things might have been very different.

I suppose what I'm trying to say here is that direct experience is incredibly valuable. We all need it, and one lifetime isn't long enough; so being able to access other people's is the next best thing.

The best vet I ever had was an out and out horse vet, and would have loved a resource like this; I don't think he'd have had any problems with good and bad advice being presented and aired and discussed. How else do you learn? He was hugely knowledgable, but with more experience than most, always ready to take on board someone else's view. He's retired now, so that he can concentrate on breeding his own horses...

 

[rema]

That would be a great shame HH.But surely there is giving advice and there is giving advice!.If somebody has posted asking if anybody has experiance of treating a bad case of thrush or rainscald then it is hardly a case for the vets.But if somebody asked how to perform home colic surgery then it's a differant matter isen't it?.With the amount of users this forum has then the chances are that someone has had the same problems with their horse and can give some information or say 'if i were you i would get the vets asap',which i have seen posted on more than one occassion.It's just crazy.

 

[_jetset_]

It would be a shame if people did feel like this, as for some people this is the only place they can ask for others' experiences. For example, if my horse was diagnosed with kissing spines, then I know there are people on here who have been through the operation themselves and would be more than happy to give me any advice or information they can from experience. That is just not possible any other way, as it is not something you come across regularly on a yard.

Everyone's opinions are their own on here, and that should always be taken into account when reading advice administered. However, it is the same when people on the yard offer out advice; some you take some you discard.

 

[henryhorn]

I don't really understand why he does it unless it's work related, he was very evasive when I asked if he was actually asked by H and H to do this, and back pedalled furiously maintaining he is a "normal" forum member.
Like many people the advice I offer is usually based on having seen or experienced a situation myself. In some cases like mud fever it can be a simple suggestion as to what did or didn't work for me; I would never indicate I knew as much as a vet because I don't!
Apparently it isn't just our vet forum he monitors but several on other sites too, so perhaps he collates data and intends to publish the results, we did have a woman living here once who did similar things with Deer breeding, she spent her life scribbling facts down in notebooks.
I didn't intend saying anything about it but for me he has spoiled my reading of the vet forum, now I read and wonder if he can use replies as ammunition, and quietly feel quite angry he has made me feel like this.
I also wondered if it was anything to do with the fact we are getting a new "Improved" forums system in the New Year, will there be disclaimers or regulations on it thanks to him?

 

[zigzag]

Who is this guy? people seem to know him apart from me!

 

[Honeypots]

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/2311882/page/2/fpart/1/vc/1

 

[Shilasdair]

Having read the thread about abscesses and bute, I just wanted to say that real scientists aren't interested in threatening or belittling 'ordinary' horse owners or other people. Anyone doing so perhaps lacks confidence in their abilities (academic or otherwise).
'Real' scientists are often the most helpful and funny people...I know a Fellow of the RS (a physicist too) - and he's so much fun - he's always the one filling up your wine glass!
So don't worry guys...don't let one person spoil things for you.
S

 

[henryhorn]

Obviously the afore mentioned member is still reading the vet posts daily because I just received a "disgusted" pm from him.
He claims I misrepresented his original pm's so I suggested he come on here and explain himself. (and made a few other choice remarks too I'm afraid)

I can't see why anyone should be so anal without good reasons, and his to me don't fit, either he works in a capacity of monitoring vet forums or he is just someone who has a high opinion of what's right and wrong...

 

[Shilasdair]

Can you not click on 'Ignore-this-user' (although you'll have to live the rest of your life without the benefit of their wonderful scientific knowledge

) and delete PM's unread?
Or report to the forum moderator? If you are really concerned about vet advice/litigation why don't you ask HHO admin for advice?
S

 

[AmyMay]

[ QUOTE ]
Do you feel Big Brother is watching us or couldn't you give a stuff!


[/ QUOTE ]
Yep - especially as it was my 1000 posts that were read!