Responses like this...irk me.

[marc999]

"That looks serious, you should go see a Vet".

Well thank-you Captain Obvious.

People ask a question on a forum to seek responses from those whom have experience or knowledge of what ails their cat(s).  Frankly, it tires me to see dozens of responses where people say something along the lines of: "Sorry your cat isn't doing well, please go see a Vet".  It's positively worthless advice and a waste of space that fills up a thread with non-productive assistance.  Do you feel the need to type a response, even though it doesn't address the OP's concerns in the slightest?   Do you think people want to scroll through 24 responses only to come up with one useful response? No, they don't.

Do you think the OP has never heard of a Veterinarian before?

 

[pinkdagger]

I can understand your frustration with seeing that, but the fact of the matter is that people seek the internet because - for whatever reason - they don't deem it appropriate to see a vet at that point. If that's the case and in other people's opinion, it does look bad enough to warrant a vet visit, having those opinions is better than nothing and can be that extra push to seek help.

I would much rather be told "this is urgent, you should see your vet ASAP" than wait around and get zero responses because people don't have any other input. Sometimes it saves lives. If people don't think it's necessary to see a vet and wait for the symptoms to subside when all they do is get worse, they could lose their pet. Pets go downhill very quickly. We can coddle people and tell them it'll be okay, and give them other common sense answers (and remember, common sense is pretty subjective) to ensure the cat is eating, drinking, pooping, and peeing, but that doesn't give them any idea of what is wrong with their cat because we are not vets. We are addressing their concerns by letting them know that their concerns need to be addressed by someone who is able to physically examine the pet. If theirs is a medical concern, their need is a medical professional, not the internet.

We are not qualified medical professionals and even if people have anecdotal experience or advice, every cat is an individual. Instead of making broad statements that could be completely irrelevant to the animal in question, like with a food or a medication or whatnot that could harm or kill them, the safest bet is to ask the owner to have a vet examine their cat for the best course of action.

People also don't realize you can just call a vet and at least speak to a tech, receptionist, or the vet themselves if they're free. Instead of asking random strangers online, some of whom can be quite sick in the head, ask someone you can trust.

 

[di and bob]

A lot of us have had a LOT of experience through the school of hard knocks and like me have owned and loved cats for over 50 years. But we can only offer amatuer advise, we are NOT trained vets. We can offer advise that has worked for us, but it is still best to take the cat in to a vet, every case is different. As for coming on and offering comfort and not advise, I would feel wonderful to receive those 24 posts of comfort (and no advise), it mean these people truly care and want you to know it, it would sure make me feel better that they have read my post and care. If you just want medical advise and not the vast storage of experience and caring this site offers, you can just Google it and follow that. I can see your frustration, but sometimes you won't receive a miracle cure, just good solid advise to seek medical attention, even if it is only a phone call. Good luck and please keep posting, YOU may be able to help someone!

 

[mschauer]

   (referring to the posts of pinkdagger and Di and Bob)

 

[denice]

There are times too when it is an emergency but the OP isn't aware.  There was one not too long ago in the evening who had a kitty that was vomiting.  The kitty was male so the OP was asked if he had seen the kitty straining to pee, he hadn't but the kitty was in and out of the box.  Even though money was a big concern as it is for many he took his kitty to the emergency vet clinic and the kitty was blocked.  Chances are the kitty would not have survived until regular vet hours or the damage would've been to the point where euthanasia would have been the best option.

 

[jiazzi]

There are times when it is more irresponsible to provide advice that can be lethal.  If you look at diabetic cats for instance, insulin dosing advice is no laughing matter as it is a high risk, high alert medication that cats can easily go into hypoglycemic shock over.

 

[stephenq]

Also it is a TOS violation to offer specific medical advice.  We can say things like "with my cat I did such and such so you may wish to discuss this treatment or possible diagnosis with a vet" but we can't tell you what to do.  Nor are we qualified.  And vets aren't even really qualified to diagnose over the internet.

Mind you not all threads are asking for vet help per se.  They just may want info so we may link them to articles, or discuss the issue that is at hand, but when a cat is sick, there are generally few illnesses that don't need a vet's intervention.

 

[pinkdagger]

An afterthought I wanted to add is that even if people come seeking help, sometimes they don't know of how to access or contact a vet, or in some areas, it's very uncommon that pets receive medical care. The assumption that everyone here is fortunate enough to live in a comfortable and privileged area in North America or the United Kingdom where vets (especially knowledgeable ones) are commonplace would be incorrect. Lots of well meaning animal lovers come here desperate for advice because they don't know of any vets that are around, and the reality may well be that medical care for animals is sparse, if even existent where they are. Having that information come to light gives us another way to help the OP.

I recall people in the middle east, or even people in rural areas asking specifically how they can contact a vet who will go see them or reach out to assist them with either travel or expenses - this is a big international community and we've pulled together to make some magic happen, whether it's vigorous Googling or going through our own contacts - where it has led to the rescue of cats! Once people understand the severity of the condition if a vet is warranted, the push and the support can save lives.

 

[reba]

Sadly, to some people it's not at all obvious that they should see a vet.    In fact isn't there that statistic that cat's don't get seen by vets nearly as much as dogs. 

 

[Anne]

@Marc999  To be honest, I rarely see a one-liner saying "this looks serious, go see a vet", let alone 24 of these in a row. If you ever see that, do report the thread or just let me know in PM (you can do that in restrospect too, so feel free to browse around for these threads

). More often than not, the responses do add more information about what possibly could be wrong with the cat. Other than that, I'm not sure what kind of advice you're expecting . If you think TCS members are going to be irresponsible enough to offer online diagnoses and treatments then I'm afraid you're in the wrong place for that. I do see that happen in other online forums and on Facebook, with cats and humans, and frankly it makes me cringe. 

As @StephenQ  mentioned it is against the site rules to offer medical advice here. From our rules - 

Cat Care Policies, Guidelines and Stances

1.  If you suspect that your cat may be ill, please contact your vet immediately.  No online advice can replace direct veterinary intervention.You are welcome to look for advice in the health forum while waiting for that appointment, but never delay proper veterinary care waiting for Internet advice.

2. Do not provide medical advice. Discussing various options is encouraged and you may share your experience including details about what kind of medication was administered and dosage. However, do not suggest to another member that they should change anything in the course of treatment prescribed by their vet without first consulting with a qualified veterinarian.

I think it's a good idea to elaborate about possible issues relating to the problem presented, offer general information and links to cat health articles, and I do believe this is often done. Other than that, anything more specific is simply irresponsible. Not only can it confuse people, it's likely to create the illusion that veterinary care can be postponed or avoided. Well, it can't and I have no intention of letting people dilly dally with their cats' health while chatting about it on the forums. Alongside veterinary care, detailed discussion of the issue is awesome. Instead of? Unacceptable.