If your vet.....

Mine was at the vet for investigation and xrays on Friday, and as he was showing them to me, he said

"There's a touch of higher non articular ringone there but it's far enough away from the joint to not be a problem and it's above the nerve block anyway. Now this is what is causing his problem..." and went on to tell me in layman's terms, in depth about his pedal bone (nothing too serious thank god!)

At the time I was concerned with what is causing the problem now and how I can get him sound and pain free so it was just an aside. By the time I had digested all that and got the vet to write down instructions for the farrier as I couldn't remember it all, I was on my way home. I suddenly thought "I know he said it wasn't a problem but I forgot to ask about the ringbone" So even if you are the sort of person to ask the vet questions you can forget things in the heat of the moment in stressful situations.

I know a bit about ringbone, but most of what I know is that it can spell the end of a horse's ridden career (or even life) but was conscious that the vet said it wasn't a problem. A bit confused, I googled it when I got back and was pleased to read that the type and location of it means it shouldn't really be a problem. I didn't need to ask advice on here but would have if I hadn't found an answer elsewhere. Nothing is as good as a vet's advice but sometimes circumstances mean we forget to ask things and only think of them later.

I think it's great that we can ask each other advice on things on this forum like we would our friends in the 'real' world as well. The added benefit is that unlike the real world if you don't like something somebody's written on here you can ignore it and nobody will ever know.

The downside is that some people think a computer and a keyboard gives them enough distance to not see the effects of saying nasty and hurtful things. I always go by the premise that if you wouldn't say it in real life you shouldn't type it on a forum.
 
I will - and do - query my vet if I do not understand something. On the other hand, it does no harm to see what other people think . I would hoever query my vet first and rely on them, not on a Forum Board.
 
I do think that first and foremost you should listen to your vet, and go back and ask more questions if you don't understand something - after all you are paying alot of money for his services. BUT alot of vets only speak from their own experience and if the only case they have ever seen before died then they won't be optimistic in future. In my case, my horse had seizures and I was told it was probably a brain tumour, untreatable anyway and I should have her put down. That was 12 years ago and she was perfectly fine when I fed her this morning! She has been successfully treated for 11 years but almost every vet in the country will still tell you that there is no treatment available, or the dose isn't known, or the drugs will finish off their livers in 6 months time. It is a rare condition in horses and most vets will never see a case, so when one crops up they really don't know what to do. That is why I hang out on boards like this and look for people who I know I can at least give some hope to, some tried and tested advice and where to get more information. I'm more than happy to try to help because I know exactly what it is like to be feeling totally alone with a problem.
 
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Fair comment. But sometimes a situation is complicated - and it helps to talk things over with people who've experienced similar situations - to help you fully understand what is going on etc.

It's all part of learning surely????

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Absolutely!

And sometimes it really helps to have it explained by someone who hasn't got the technical terms all whizzing round at the forefront of their minds! It's why peer mentoring works in schools - a child will explain it to another child in child language; a vet will explain it in vet language, however hard he tries.

ETS: I do, however, think that if you feel something your vet is doing is wrong/you don't know why they are doing it, then you should ask them about it, not come online and bad-mouth them on a forum.
 
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LOL! Spot the posters who don't know Vici
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Welcome back btw
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Ditto

Nice to see you back
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Nice to see you back!

I think with ailments, there are a lot of owners who do know a lot about a small area - many people with horses with, e.g. navicular, have been through different testing, treatments, different ways of approaching it, claiming LOU, going on to be ridden perfectly happily on bute, different alternatives to bute, etc. They may know zilch about rain scald, or sweet itch, but they have spoken to their vets at length, gone through treatments etc with navi.

I have seen vets tell owners 'yeh, could be navicular, let's x-ray next Tuesday' - leaving the owner reeling somewhat and wondering if their horse has been given a death sentence. Whilst some vets have the time to answer a lot of questions, some will have to go on to emergencies, other cases etc - not to mention you may not even know what you want to ask until it has sunk in. Whilst the vet is always going to be the person you want to discuss treatment with, it doesn't hurt to do some background reading to find out what the options are. My old vet's long term solution was normally bute, but when we asked about devil's claw (back before forums, and google!) he was suprised we knew about it, and explained it to us, and we chose to use that, with great results. I think forums are a great resource that can give suggestions for additional research, and questions for your vet. I have never met a vet who objected to being asked 'what about x, would that help' even if it was waaaaay off base - but if you don't know to ask about something, what could you be missing? I wouldn't suggest anyone ignore vet advice based on what someone says online, but similaly, if one of the farriers, or newly qualified vets on here told me about a new therapy or treatment I think that would be a great thing to know about and to ask the vet about.

It's a while since I saw vets on a regular basis, but I apply the same thinking to my own medical care - before I go to the doctor, I research my options - it is postively encouraged by groups such as cancer societies, who point out that GPs don't have a lot of time for reading about new theories and treatments, and informed patients are often the way GPs find out about cutting edge trials and new patient care. That way, I can ask well constructed questions about tests and treatments, and know what to expect from others who have been through it before (I know, for example, that you can buy custom hospital gowns that have flaps for the staff to administer injections, change dressings etc through, but that are soft cotton, fit well and are without that 'one size fits all flashing your bum at the world' side effect - not a bad thing to have found out from someone who has gone through the treatment before).

I think you just need to evaluate information properly, rather than not asking in the first place.
 
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