Getting pet health information from the Internet

When your pet develops a medical issue, chances are you’ll be inclined to do some Internet research. Hopefully you will talk with your vet about what you’ve learned.  Know that having this discussion with your vet is a perfectly reasonable expectation as long as you are careful to avoid using valuable office visit time discussing “whackadoodle” notions gleaned from cyberspace.  Here are some pointers to help you find instructive, accurate, worthwhile Internet information while avoiding “online junk food”. By the way, although I’m a veterinarian teaching people how to better care for their furry and feathered family members, please know that this information also applies to your own health care.

So, let’s begin.  How can you determine whether or not a website is dishing out information that is worthy of your time? Here are some general guidelines:

1.  Ask your veterinarian for website recommendations.  He or she might wish to refer you to a specific site that will supplement or reinforce the information she has provided.

2.  Veterinary college websites invariably provide reliable information.  Search for them by entering “veterinary college” or “veterinary school” after the name of the disease or symptom you are researching.

3.  Web addresses ending in “.org,” “.edu,” and “.gov,” represent nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and governmental agencies, respectively.  They will likely be sources of objective and accurate information.

4.  If your dog has a breed-specific disease, pay a visit to the site hosted by that specific breed’s national organization.

5.  Avoid business-sponsored websites that stand to make money when you believe and act on what they profess (especially if it involves purchasing something).

6.  Be wary of anecdotal information.  It’s perfectly okay to indulge yourself with remarkable tales (how Max’s skin disease was miraculously cured by a single session of aromatherapy), but view what you are reading as fiction rather than fact. 

Websites we use in the veterinary profession that you might also check out are those related to AAHA (the American Animal Hospital Association) or AVMA (the American
Veterinary Medical Association.

Do read up on medical issues. There is a ton of great information on the Internet. Just beware that all information is not necessarily good information!

http://www.healthypet.com/blog/post/Reasonable-Expectations-VI-The-Ability-to-Discuss-Your-Internet-Research-With-Your-Vet.aspx