What are the most common veterinary falsehoods?

RE: What are the most common veterinary falsehoods?

Carolyn Edwards — Sat, 20 Sep 2025 20:36:35 GMT

Lots of people seem to think that VNs are training to be vets. I wonder if RNs get asked, when will they be a doctor?

RE: What are the most common veterinary falsehoods?

Arlo Guthrie — Wed, 20 Aug 2025 16:03:30 GMT

Finally, I've managed to get the first Veterinary Mythbuster film made. If you like it and think it may help owners understand the financial realities of veterinary practice, DO SHARE IT!

Grateful for any thoughts, ideas etc. Thinking about the next one now.

RE: What are the most common veterinary falsehoods?

Inge Breatnach — Sun, 06 Apr 2025 09:02:48 GMT

I’m so sorry to hear this Louise, it’s so hard to tell sometimes even when we think we should know because of our job. I remember seeing a really discrete swelling on my dog Eriks nose, and thinking I was being overpanicky insisting it was FNAd - yep, it was recurrence of his ECTL.

RE: What are the most common veterinary falsehoods?

Louise Buckley — Sun, 06 Apr 2025 08:40:51 GMT

@Arlo - you might want to check out Dogs Today / Beverley Cuddy's personal (public) Facebook page. L4 is a very topical discussion there at the moment!

RE: What are the most common veterinary falsehoods?

Louise Buckley — Sun, 06 Apr 2025 08:39:48 GMT

I think this suggestion has a lot of merit, Arlo! Cancer affects so many humans and animals that it will resonate, and could save lives. I have just had my own 4 year old's leg amputated due to an aggressive soft tissue sarcoma that came up so suddenly that I kept looking at it wondering it was my imagination and just muscle bulk!

RE: What are the most common veterinary falsehoods?

Michelle Palmer — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 20:48:42 GMT

Also, raw or barf is the best the breeder says my dog won't get allergies or need vaccines.

RE: What are the most common veterinary falsehoods?

Arlo Guthrie — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 11:52:29 GMT

HI everyone (amanda schulz, Jo Hobbs, Louise Royle RVN CertCFVHNut, Inge Breatnach and Ben Ogden)

Thank you for all your thoughts ...

Thinking some more about it, I think probably the most useful films I could make are ones that support the advice you give or counter myths that stand in the way of compliance.

Of the ideas so far, Louise, I think yours stands out to me as one that we could make a film on: safety of lepto 4 (and whilst I am there, have a crack at that old chestnut: it must be true, the breeder said so!)

Would you agree that a series of short films to counter specific product / treatment myths would be a useful thing (ie you could point clients to them as an independent, respected source of info to back up what you have said).

And if so, what are the biggest myths about specific treatments, or surgery or diagnostic tests that you have to fight against regularly?

RE: What are the most common veterinary falsehoods?

Ben Ogden — Mon, 17 Mar 2025 20:58:07 GMT

‘X’ years and my pet has never needed the Vet…

RE: What are the most common veterinary falsehoods?

Inge Breatnach — Sun, 09 Mar 2025 09:15:39 GMT

Also… that we can definitely diagnose a lipoma by feel. I’ve seen so many come back as sts or other diagnoses, or even liposarcomas, when a simple fna would have given an answer. (Yes I am an onco nurse, so these are my personal pet peeves! While we’re on that subject, that chemotherapy for pets is awful is another one!)

RE: What are the most common veterinary falsehoods?

Inge Breatnach — Sun, 09 Mar 2025 09:13:46 GMT

Age being a reason not to treat. The amount of people, both in veterinary and not, who told me I shouldn’t treat my 14y old chihuahua x because of his age. We got another year and a half together of good QoL and then when the time came that it was affected, I euthanased him.

RE: What are the most common veterinary falsehoods?

Louise Royle RVN CertCFVHNut — Wed, 05 Mar 2025 17:24:24 GMT

It's limping but it isn't in any pain! My breeder said the lepto 4 vacc isn't safe/I only need to vaccinate for the first year. She should have a litter before we neuter her, the lump only appeared yesterday (ulcerated pendulous hairless mass the size of a grape fruit!).

RE: What are the most common veterinary falsehoods?

Jo Hobbs — Mon, 03 Mar 2025 17:13:38 GMT

Nurses only play with puppies and kittens all day ‍♀️

RE: What are the most common veterinary falsehoods?

amanda schulz — Mon, 03 Mar 2025 14:04:14 GMT

If i had a penny for every time an owner said “my pet has never had fleas”. Although they never use any parasite control.
OR my dog came back from the groomers with fleas.

I feel very much like a stuck record!