What kind of advice can I give?

[Biomajir]

I am a first year vet student and am taking jurisprudence. To be honest, it is slightly frightening to learn about everything that we could do wrong and get sued lol. I was wondering what kind of advice can I give friends/family now while I am in school and I suppose this would translate to when I graduate. Do I have to have a VCPR just to discuss pet care with someone? I have a lot of friends asking questions now and I would more than happy to help them, but I just am not sure what all I am allowed to do or so. I am sure when I graduate friends will want me to look at their animals and do other things, I just am not sure what all I am allowed to do.

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[sumstorm]

You should discuss this with your instructors and advisors at school.

Personally, I do not give medical advice to friends. I advise them to seek a vet for that information; I believe the time and money we spend obtaining an education should be respected and valued. I think handing out free advice devalues the services vets provide, and sets you up for unreasonable expectations throughout your career. You could get calls of 'your cousin said you would be HAPPY to help and could do so at a great price since she's my friend!' I have seen clinics where everyone and their brother took advantage of a vet and clinics where even the vet paid to the practice for the services she issued to her own animals. The first struggled regularly, the second donated services, but as part of a 501c3 that the owner organized....because she knew what money came into it and what went out, she could decide when to direct hard luck cases to the non-profit.

 

[Bill59]

What kind of advice can I give?

"Yeah, sounds like you should get him checked by your veterinarian."

That kind.

 

[Electrophile]

There's many people who invariably trust Dr. Google over anything even their vet would say. If they just want to read up on stuff, I've sent them the link to the online Merck vet manual. I'm a realist that people will look up stuff, which I'm not against. Might as well send them to a relatively reliable source in addition to their vet if they invariably want to do their own reading.

 

[chris03333]

"Yeah, sounds like you should get him checked by your veterinarian."

That kind.