14/07/2019
< WHY YOU SHOULDN'T ALWAYS TRUST YOUR VET'S ADVICE BLINDLY and why people on the internet are sometimes right. >
Lately I’ve been seeing a few posts going around in hedgehog Facebook groups accusing people of “hating vets” and how vets should always be trusted 100%, and be trusted over advice from the community.
I think it’s important to address these concerns. First, pointing out wrong and possibly dangerous vet advice has nothing to do with hating vets. I respect and appreciate vets and their hard work and I’m positive most others in the community feel the same way. But that doesn’t mean I trust every vet blindly, and neither should you. The same goes for advice given on the internet. So who should you trust?
When it comes to common pets such as cats and dogs there are plenty of experienced vets and there is plenty of scientific research on a wide variety of subjects. When it comes to exotics however, there is very little information, most of it is outdated and vets don’t get to work with these animals very often. They learn little to nothing about these animals in vet school.
This post isn’t about cats and dogs and other common pets. This post is about the rare exotics and the difficulties of finding the right balance between vet care and input from the community.
Let me take my own pets as an example: I own animals most vets have never seen before in their lives. I own animals most vets have never even heard of.
This means I can confidently say that I, as an owner, rescuer and breeder, have more experience and knowledge about my animals than the vast majority of vets. The same goes for many other people in the community who have experience with certain exotics. Experience which spans years or sometimes even decades.
Compare the experience of someone like that to the lack of experience of most vets. Someone who has owned a certain species for years versus someone who just read half a page about them in a veterinary handbook or Googled some symptoms. I’ve been in situations where the vet actually told me they felt bad about having to charge me because they learnt more from me than the other way around.
I have several years of experience in caring for these animals, I read every scientific paper I can get my hands on and I am an active member of the (online) communities. My vets and I work closely together and we’ve read the same handbooks and manuals. Many of these contain outdated information. Sometimes there’s new research on a subject that hasn’t been included in veterinary handbooks yet and sometimes it’s through trial and error by the community that new things get discovered. It is very important for a vet not to dismiss this as “keyboard nonsense”.
There are certain things I leave up to my vet and there are things I leave up to myself; the research I’ve done and the input of the community. I might be experienced in some fields but there are others I know nothing about. For me, vets are there for everything I can’t do myself: this includes veterinary treatment such as surgeries. This is often not species specific and this is something vets have studied for and know more about than I do, so that’s where I’ll have to trust them. Same goes for choosing the right medication and dosage, although some treatments are up for discussion (such as the use of Ivermectin).
For everything else I trust my own experience, research and the community more than my vet. Simply because the latter doesn’t have the experience and knowledge on subjects such as general care, behaviour, nutrition… during vet school they have learnt little to nothing about these species (and what they learnt is often outdated) and at work most of them don’t get much real hands-on experience with these species either.
Take nutrition for example. The community knows most hedgehog food is unsuitable for hedgehogs due to its ingredients, yet many vets still recommend it simply because that’s what they learnt from their textbooks or in school. This is often information from decades ago.
As an example of something which could be easily prevented if the vet did more research/the owner would’ve listened to the community instead of blindly following the (inexperienced) vet, let’s take a look at Wobbly Hedgehog Syndrome (WHS).
Probably one of the most common medical mistakes regarding pygmy hedgehogs is vets diagnosing them with WHS, a very rare degenerative disease a bit similar to multiple sclerosis in humans. This disease is extremely rare and presents itself (usually) with a gradual onset of a wobbling, unsteady gait and paralysis starting at the back end, which worsens over the course of several months. WHS can only be diagnosed through necropsy. There is no way to diagnose the disease when the hedgehog is alive. The cause is unknown, although there are a few theories, and there is no cure.
Over the years I’ve seen a disturbing amount of hedgehogs diagnosed with WHS, while they were alive (impossible), and very obviously suffering from something completely different. Some of them have died while they could have been cured if they’d gotten the proper treatment instead of a misdiagnosis. In hedgehogs, one of the first major signs of illness (often after people have failed to notice the minor ones, since hedgehogs are incredibly good at hiding their illnesses) is wobbling and an unsteady gait. In fact it can be caused by something as simple as a hibernation attempt which is easily reversed by warming up the animal. Some illnesses which can show similar symptoms to WHS are: hibernation attempts, inner ear infections, a stroke, other neurological damage, spinal damage, malnutrition, a severe mite infestation, organ failure, and more.
Some of these issues are incredibly common and easy to treat as opposed to the non-curable and rare WHS.
I’ve seen people with shaky or (partially) paralysed hedgehogs go to a vet, only to be given a WHS diagnosis which essentially means a death sentence for the animal. Recently someone I talked to had this happen to them and when people suggested a second opinion with a different vet, they went and x-rays were taken. The animal turned out to have a slipped disk which was treatable.
I’ve rescued a hedgehog several years ago which was found outside and brought to an inexperienced vet who told them the animal was paralysed. It turned out she was just severely emaciated and she made a full recovery.
And there are more stories like this. These are just two examples of misdiagnosis.
< THE COMMUNITY ISN'T ALWAYS RIGHT EITHER >
Just like not every vet knows all about hedgehogs and tenrecs (or other exotics), not everyone online does either. And even if people are very knowledgeable that doesn’t mean they are always right, or that there’s only one way to do things. All of this can be very confusing especially to new owners. It is understandable that many of them will - at first - trust their vet blindly, after all aren’t they “the authority” on animal husbandry and veterinary medicine since they actually went to school for it? We’ve already established such a degree means little to nothing when it comes to certain subjects of exotic animal care, but that doesn’t mean everyone on the internet is suddenly right. Someone can own animals for decades and still have questionable care practices.
When posting a story or a video which shows a shaking, wobbly hedgehog just as many owners will reply with concerns about WHS - even if the likelihood of the disease is extremely small.
When it comes to exotics like hedgehogs and tenrecs, neither should be trusted blindly: not the vets and not the community. Ideally, the two should work together. And none should want to replace the other.
< INTERNET ADVICE SHOULD NEVER REPLACE A VET VISIT >
Do: asking for advice online while heading to a vet.
Don’t: asking for advice online and not going to a vet.
In the first situation, you and your vet can examine the animal and compare the advice given with the vet’s knowledge on the subject. Especially when the vet isn’t too experienced, advice from more experienced owners and breeders (or other vets) can help in certain situations.
As for the second situation - people on the internet are not a replacement for a vet. I can’t stress this enough. When in doubt, ALWAYS go to a vet. Even vets themselves aren’t supposed to diagnose your animal from a picture on the internet. Vets exist for a reason.
Do: voicing concerns and advising people to seek out proper treatment.
Don’t: diagnosing illnesses from a story online (whether you’re a vet or not).
When I see someone with a sick hedgehog or tenrec and I’m suspecting a certain illness or a misdiagnosis, I don’t just point it out. I recommend seeking out vet care or a second opinion. Not a “your hedgehog has x” or “your vet is wrong, your pet doesn’t have x it has y”. Instead: “I suspect it might be x, please seek out veterinary treatment, we cannot give a diagnosis or recommend specific treatment online” or “I suspect it might be y instead of x. It is a common misdiagnosis and your description/picture/video points towards something else than the current diagnosis. I recommend going to a different vet for a second opinion”. Why? Because I am not a vet, and even if I were, I wouldn’t give out veterinary advice online.
Example: I received pictures of a very sick hedgehog from someone who just came back from a holiday and found their hedgehog unresponsive and very weak. Everything pointed towards a severe mite infestation. I told the owner, who already had a vet appointment scheduled. The hedgehog was put under to be examined and the owner mentioned the possibility of mites multiple times but this was dismissed by the vet. They didn’t find anything else but the vet suspected kidney damage and send them home with a glucose injection and some Hills a/d to syringe feed.
Once back home, the owner sent me a close-up video of what the vet said was “sand” or “dust”, except it was crawling all over the hedgehog. Not only did the vet dismiss the concerns of me and the owner, they somehow managed to miss a severe mite infestation while examining the animal under anaesthesia. The animal received proper treatment after a second visit to a different vet but unfortunately didn’t make it.
< TIPS ON FINDING A GOOD VET >
A good vet is worth their weight in gold. They do an incredibly difficult job for which they often don’t get the recognition they deserve. A job that can be very emotionally draining. And they have to deal with people who “know better” all the time. People who’ve read something online, follow the latest fad, read fake studies and voice concerns with no scientific backup whatsoever. I can fully understand a vet wanting to eye-roll at a client who read something online and is convinced their pet now has that incredibly rare disease and didn’t just catch a simple URI. With the internet it almost seems like everyone can become an expert in just a few clicks.
When it comes to treating exotics however, there is indeed a wealth of knowledge amongst the community that can’t be found in textbooks and isn’t taught in school. Vets need to realize this. The only way to work with exotics is more often than not by trial and error. By listening to experienced owners and discussing treatments with other vets.
Especially when you own exotics like hedgehogs and tenrecs finding a good vet is important. Here are some tips:
• Find a good vet before you get your pet. Another thing I can’t stress enough. Nothing as heartbreaking as having a very sick animal and not being able to find a vet who can treat them.
And, this is probably not something people want to hear: don’t get the animal if you cannot find any good vets within travelling distance. If there is no one in your area to treat them, it doesn’t matter how badly you want the species: don’t buy them. It is incredibly unfair to the animal and it’s entirely on you if you cannot provide veterinary treatment when the animal needs it.
• Keep in mind that most exotic vets are more expensive than regular vets.
• Find an experienced vet and ask them about their experience. Ask them how often they have treated said species. Some people think treating a hedgehog twice and following one class on them years ago means being “experienced”. It isn’t.
• Respect the decision of some vets not wanting to treat your animal because they don’t feel qualified to do so.
• If you really cannot find an experienced vet - and this is almost always the case with rarer exotic species like tenrecs - find a vet who is willing to learn.
• In fact this is one of the most, if not THE important thing I look for in a vet. They need to be willing to learn and be open to input from others. This means discussing treatments with other vets in the country (or from other countries), as well as with me. They need to be willing to listen and adjust their information if it turns out to be incorrect. It isn’t about who’s right or wrong, it is about the animal receiving the proper treatment.
• Find a vet who’s honest about their inexperience. Do not expect them to know everything, and do not blame them for it. Very little is known about hedgehogs and tenrecs and some things aren’t researched well enough or simply not at all. A vet doesn’t necessarily need to be very experienced with the species, being eager to learn and keep their knowledge up to date is more important.
• A vet should be transparent about the treatment and discuss it with the owner. Concerns regarding treatment shouldn’t be dismissed.
• A vet should be willing to look up things online/read up on online advice together with you and not dismiss any information that isn’t from a veterinary textbook. Do not pick a vet who will only listen to people in their own field or their textbooks.
I’ve been to and heard of experienced exotic vets which refused to listen to the owner, misdiagnosed animals or simply turned out to be not so experienced after all. On the other hand there’s vets with zero experience but who’ve done an excellent job treating animals simply because they wanted to learn, were open to input from the owner and others (from the medical/scientific field as well as the community). I’d take the latter over the former any day.
So, long story short: when it comes to exotic animals such as hedgehogs and tenrecs vets aren’t always the most trustworthy authority especially not in any field other than medical. If multiple experienced people in the community question certain veterinary advice, chances are high it is indeed incorrect and possibly harmful.
The same goes for advice that can be found online - it doesn’t always have to be correct. Do not trust every source blindly, vet or otherwise, and do as much research as possible so you can make an informed decision on what would be best for your pet.
