Do not give advice on injuries or illness!!!

[Minimor]

I don't see how anyone stating a personal experience, as in "when my horse had x condition, this is what my vet told me to do...." or "my vet told me not to give xx drug to this foal because..." or even "I generally let respiratory infections run their course & give drugs only if signs of pneumonia are present" can be seen as practicing veterinary medicine without a license. It's personal experience only--if I write that here, I'm only saying what I have done/normally do, it is not telling anyone here what they should do. If anyone here wants to run someone else's opinion/practice/experience past their own veterinarian, well & good, perhaps it can help.

I don't believe I've ever seen anyone come on here & say "This is my diagnosis on your horse, & now you must go out & do this & this, plus give him x many cc's of this drug & x many cc's of that drug". Yes, that sort of thing could be considered practicing without a license.

Interestingly enough, on another BB a couple days ago, a person living in the Cypress area of Texas posted on that forum that she was hunkering down at home with her horses, and if in the aftermath of Rita anyone else in the area had an injured horse that needed stitching up & could not be gotten to a vet (or a vet couldn't get to them), please try and contact her as she had all of the necessary stuff to sew/staple up a horse--she had sutures, staples, sedation/topical anesthetic drugs and above all, lots of experience at sewing up wounds. I was a bit surprised that anyone would make this offer on a public forum, and certainly she could be leaving herself open to a lawsuit if she did sew up someone else's horse and there were complications & the owner decided to sue. I'd certainly hope that no one on that board files a complaint against her for making the offer. I know that if I were in that situation & needed help of that sort, I'd sure be glad to have someone that could & would help.

 

[REO]

Oh for crying out loud! Grrrrr!!!!! I'm sorry they're still at it Lyn. Due to these %#@&% the forum will lose your experience in certain matters. Thanks to them, we all suffer. Was this something that took a year to get action on? Or are they using search of your old posts just to dig up something to make trouble with? They are after Lyn because of a personal vendetta about something else (Lyn is in the right!) so they go after her about anything they can think of. Many, many people here have offered advise and they are not after them. Just Lyn and a few others. I know what it's about and it really chaps my *@@!

Lyn, don't ever change {{{Hugs}}}

 

[LisaF.]

Lyn...I also thought these people were gone...( or maybe my hopeful thinking)...I agree what so many have said...and yes...we do have FREE SPEECH....so, I wish they would go away.

I do not see anything against the law on GIVING ADVICE...my gosh..I give my daughter ADVICE all the time about raising her daughter...( she may NOT take the ADVICE)...but, I have to think I still have the right to give advice.

I can't count the times this forum has taught me SO MUCH. It makes me SAD and ANGRY...for someone just trying to cause trouble.

Keep your chin up...you know we OUT NUMBER them...and you have our SUPPORT!

 

[capall beag]

I am telling you some people must lead very boring lives that they need to do stuff like this to give tehmselves a felling of importance????????

All I can say is they are a bunch of

"s!!

I hope it all goes as smoothly as can be expected for you.

That is rotten for you!!

 

[chevycouple]

This is absolutly rediculous. I am so sorry for your problems and hope that everything gets cleared up with ease. Good Luck with this unfortunant situation.

 

[Sue_C.]

Can you bring counter charges for them being such idiots?

Unfortunately, stupidity is NOT against the Law. Even MORE unfortunate, is that stupid people are even allowed to breed, and make even MORE stupid people...sigh...

Hang in there Lyn, so sorry this had to happen. And to think, the post that you mentioned, has you cautioning people NOT to self-medicate their horses.

 

[CAM]

I am so sorry you are going through this Lyn. This is such a shame. I am newer to the forum and have gained a lot of helpful information from reading others' posts. I think most of us use common sense and work closely with our veterinarians to be sure we are giving the best care to our horses. I believe those of us who treat our own horses with remedies do so because of our past experiences; experiences and knowledge we have gained from our veterianarians in the past and over time. I don't believe we try a medication w/o a good deal of research. Many folks on here are so knowledgeable on different subjects because they take the time to research these subjects thoroughly. Yes, we may have what others would call "no life" but it is a life we enjoy noneless and is no different than what these people are doing to Lyn with one big exception: our passion is for productive reasons rather than destructive ones. Enough said...

 

[MInx]

HOW RIDICULOUS!!! We all know Dr Pam, and other than that this is partly what this darn forum is for!

We ALL help each other with advice and tell people what has worked for them..I don't think anyone is so stupid to not realize that's all it is is advice!

I for one GREATLY appreciate any help given me as sonetimes it along with my own judgement decides whether or not to call a vet.

I guess form now if I need that sort of help I will ask the party email me privatly for such advice..

Is this the result of more pettiness, jealousy or something on this forum? Are we getting too big so that we can't act as a family any more??

You hang in there and tell them you have tons of friends here who appreciated someone trying to help another.

Maxine

 

[Marnie]

Lynn, When you talk to them, could you ask them if all of us would include in our advice from our own experiences, if we would include a phrase saying, I am not a vet but - if this would be ok or legal or whatever they want to call it? Just wondering.

 

[Margaret]

Lyn, I have always admired and respected your posts, as I am aware of your years of experience with these horses... Sorry you are getting flack from trying to be helpful on that particular subject. I have discovered that oftentimes the way things are worded can protect you from someone who could be out to get you. Because of this, I usually prefer to speak from experience, rather than knowledge ( which ironically can be obtained from experience) if any of that makes sence

 

[Jill]

[SIZE=14pt]Lyn,[/SIZE]

I'm sorry you're having to go through this. The sad thing is in this world, you don't have to be wrong to be sued, even successfully sued, you've just got to be unlucky.

My line of work is as tightly regulated or more than nearly any other. Recently, we were under investigation because of one nut case whose story changed every time he was asked what did we do wrong. Not kidding. EVERY TIME it was something else. However, the state still interviewed our clients showing up unannounced at their door step, etc. It all concerned one specific product that we were the #1 seller for on the east coast. Others in our area did mis-represent, but we did not and we have bought this thing ourselves. Anyway, it was very, very disruptive to our business and it went on forever and we finally got an attorney (scared to before because we didn't want to seem as if we had anything to hide...) and we ended up paying a fine and admitting no wrong doing but that fine was FIVE FIGURES and not "just" the low five figures.............................

It still tears me up thinking about it. I've been in the same line of work for 17 years, never a complaint. This one did actually not name me but just my dad. He's been in this line of work for 35 years and never a complaint. In fact, the %^#)@ investigator even commented that many of our clients think the world of my Dad.

Just stick to what you said. Don't give advice publicly. The dangerous thing about that in my opinion is you are wide open for people with a different situation taking what you said and applying it to themselves, when it may not be the right thing at all. That's one reason I do not take questions when I do seminars except in private at one on one consultations. The only things that can happen for the person giving advice publicly are usually bad.

Jill

 

[Marsha Cassada]

"...hard to prosecute this kind of crime." Well, when has it ever been a CRIME to give advice? If it were, there would sure be a lot of people in trouble! (My mother would be in big trouble, as she always gives me advice without my asking for it!)

I, for one, have greatly benefited from "advice" on this forum.

Marsha

 

[Nickermaker]

What a shame - I come on here for advise and opinions. Also to learn from other peoples experiences. As I realize that there are a lot of people that post on here and figure that maybe someone has experienced whatever it is that I may need help on. I realize that this is not professional help, but it is no different than me going to a friend or neighbor and asking them for advise, is this wrong also?

Always amazes me that some people can't find better ways to spend their time than seeing what grief they can cause for others.

 

[Shari]

You have got to be kidding... What happen to freedom of speech?

So now we are going to have folk tattle..... good grief. Lets just say, what I would want to say, I can't write on the board.

What of the folks that have been helped, the ones that are to far from Vets or can't get a Vet out. Are they to just watch their animals die?

I am not a Vet, however, if I can help save a life I will....................

Am so sorry that you had/have to go through this Lynn.

 

[OhHorsePee]

I am also sorry you are going through this. But, I bet they read this thread and get a boost from it. As a newbie, as a person, the advice here is marvelous! As a nurse, I know you have to be careful what you say, when you say it and to whom you say it to. From statement you made I do not see anything prosecutable. It merely sounds to me as you were advising them to get input from their vet.

Good luck and be strong

Fran

 

[Buckskin gal]

Lynn, I am sorry to hear you have to deal with a matter like this. One thing this forum is about is the sharing of experiences so others can learn from them. I don't know of the post they are referring to but if you said "from my experience....." or if you said "I think......" you won't have a thing to worry about. I think it is when one states something as a vet would then there can be trouble. I learned years ago to be very cautious about giving advice on vet matters because I had been aware that many vets don't want their business taken away. Even when I raised Shelties it was very difficult for me not to share my experiences and what I learned along the way but knew if it was medical advice I better be careful of reprecussions if what I said did not work for them. I came to the point that I would only say "this is what works for me but I can't say it will work for you." We do want to share but there will always be the risk of giving the wrong advice so I found it was just better not to give it and explain why. Hope it will all work out for you, Mary

 

[Mulligans Run]

[SIZE=21pt]OH MY GOSH!!! Advice and assistance from FRIENDS is what this forum is supposed to be about. Everyone helping everyone. I'm very dismayed to hear that someone reported you when you were trying to help. I'm so sorry for you and for everyone on this forum because it will obviously affect everyone in the future.

[/SIZE]

I pray that the outcome of this investigation will be in your favor Lyn.

Don't people realize that everything that is posted her is a 'suggestion' or a recollection of something others have experienced?

I read all the suggestions and sort through them to make my own decision on what to do.

 

[Cathy_H]

I have found that past experiences from other horse owners has been more helpful than the vets advice at times. Sorry that you have to go through this Lyn. Wonder who will be next? ................................. Guess we should all get in line hey! Guess we should quit giving out training advice also.

 

[Just Us N Texas]

Our veterinarian also reads this forum from time to time, and listens when we tell him what we have learned from people on this forum. I think I know who has reported you, the same old ones. Do they not realize that you are a free person, who can give out your opinions on a certain issue, and do they not realize that you are an expert on the subject, since you are legally blind? Guess not huh? Guess only their opinion counts! I almost feel sorry for them as they are truly the ones that are pathetically close minded. Note I said almost.

 

[Hosscrazy]

This thread makes me so, so angry...I read it this morning, and decided to wait a while before I posted.

I have 2 comments:

1 - If someone is not happy with the dynamics on this forum, then leave. Go find another forum.

2 - I've been on the forum for 8 years (with a short haitus in the middle). I want to say THANK YOU to everyone over the years for helping learn how to help Misty while she was pregnant with Cody, how to safely deliver Cody, how to deal with my horses' colic, how to deal with choke, how to deal with heat stroke, and most recently how to deal with laminitis-founder-Cushings Disease-Insulin Resistance.

Thank you for the advice on horse health care. Thank you for the advice on equine nutrition. And thank you for the advice on training.

If it were not for the collective experience of the people here on the forum, I would not be the equine person that I am today.

Still learning,

Liz R.