Should People Have To Pass an IQ Test before Getting a Dog?

This post was going to be about something else.

But I need to vent.


I don't want to be unkind, but I feel that having an IQ of at least two digits should be a requirement for dog ownership. I love running my Dog Health Issues Facebook group and I love being able to help people on Pawbly or any other online forum.

I understand that there are many situations when one can be unsure what to do. Nobody wants to rush to a vet with every pimple or hick-up.

Nobody knows all and it's good to ask.

Except when it's clearly an emergency.

Yes, sometimes it is hard to tell whether the situation truly is an emergency or not. Not every situation is obvious.

Dr. Andy Roark has a great video highlighting 5 signs of a pet emergency.



Please, watch it, everybody.

No video or other source can cover every possible scenario, however. Sometimes one just needs to use their own common sense.

What do you think about the following situations? Emergencies, or not?

My dog was given a bone to eat. When going for a poo he was screaming out and whimpering. He passed some, but was still straining afterwards and screaming out .Hes a 4 year old staff. Any help ideas please?
***
My chihuahua got attacked by a pit bull and she’s just laying on the bed and when she breathes her ribs pop out and she pooped on herself and there was blood in it what should I do?
If you were in so much pain to make you scream, would you call an ambulance? If you got attacked by an alligator or run over by a steamroller, would you seek medical attention?

How much more obvious does it need to get?

How is that any different when it comes to dogs? When something like that happens, NOBODY can help you over the internet. Your dog needs a vet right away.

Here is an article highlighting some common emergency situations and symptoms.

If your situation isn't on the list, it can still be an emergency.

The two examples above are not rare. I see questions like that all the time.

Emergency or not?

My puppy is 5 months old and is up to date on all her shots. This morning she threw up two socks. She is disoriented and dizzy and can’t walk right. Plus she want eat or drink. What’s wrong with my baby?

If your dog got attacked, was in an accident, is screaming in pain, non-responsive, having hard time breathing, bleeding ... or showing any other signs of serious trouble - please, it's an emergency.

Comments

  1. The reason I disbanded my raw group was because of people who used the group to diagnose their dogs and the other people who came down on me for removing those people and deleting their posts. It's hard t o stay polite in those situations.

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    1. I have all kinds of patience and understanding. There is just one thing I wish people were able to grasp and that is when they need to be burning rubber on the way to the vet rather than looking for miracle solutions online.

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  2. I'm an animal control officer. People call my office with weird medical questions ALL THE TIME. I tell them "I am not a veterinarian. You should talk to a veterinarian. Take your dog to the veterinarian." The answer, invariably, is "But they're expensive."

    The biggest stressor in my life is that I'm not allowed to slap stupid people. I understand your frustration.

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    1. There are websites and forum where people can ask weird questions for free. But when it's an emergency there is no time for that. *sigh

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  3. You have way more patience than me Jana!

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    1. Unless the dog is in immediate danger, yeah, I guess I have patience :-)

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  4. Wow...by the time they wrote those emails, I would have already been at the vet.

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  5. OMG I would have been in emerge in any of those immediately.

    However just a side note- it can be very very expensive to go to an emergency vet, especially if the animal requires surgery. My cat fell down some stairs 16 years ago and it cost several thousand dollars to treat her. It was a financial stretch for me. For many people, that would not have been an option. Even Kilo stole some chocolate when I first got him and it was several hundred dollars (he got treatment within 10 minutes and was fine) I am getting insurance on Kilo. xs

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    1. Yes, I'd have been in emerge with any of those. I agree that it is costly, but in such cases it's either that or death or extreme suffering of the dog.

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  6. Scary. Sometimes I wonder if people who write those questions are just trolling. I've seen some really shocking questions about babies too, when clearly they should be at the ER or calling 911,

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    1. Actually, I'd be much happier knowing they're just trolling. But somehow I don't think so.

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  7. People like that make me angry too. I'm in a couple of reptile groups, as well as general pet groups. The questions asked sometimes are maddening. It is true that vets are expensive, and some people really can't afford them, but ... should they have a pet then? I don't know. I try not to judge and be understanding, but I do love my animals. Thanks for your post. Peace out.

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    1. I wouldn't use the word anger ... it's frustration. Utter frustration.

      As for whether people with low means should be allowed to have pets ... I'd say yes, since they might be giving a home to a dog who would have been put down in the shelter. So a short happy life is still better than even shorter miserable one.

      But in cases such as those described, SOMETHING needs to be done no matter what.

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  8. I'm always disheartened when I see such messages of people asking about their pets when it should be quite obvious the answer is vet asap. I don't know what it is about pets that makes people feel like 'maybe I can wait this out' but it really can be disturbing.

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    1. IT is very disturbing. Some things can be waited our, some can be treated at home. Some CANNOT. I wish people learned the difference.

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  9. ugh. people are such idiots! I agree they should have some basic knowledge of illnesses and emergency situations.

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    1. At least the emergency situations. I find it amazing that something like that could be unclear to anybody.

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  10. If your pet isn't acting right, or is in obvious pain or discomfort or is bleeding, if you love your pet, you take him or her to the vet. Don't bring a life into your home if you can't afford to take care of him or her. Seriously.

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    1. It's not always easy to realize what kind of cost one can encounter. And it's not always necessary to spend thousands of dollars on care. But when it's an emergency like that, something has to be done other than looking for miracles on the internet.

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  11. OHH MY F'ng god... can't people use some common sense? I just don't understand the ignorance of people. Sorry, please vent, maybe someone who has no clue about dogs, or cats shouldn't own one. Not only an IQ test is needed, but I think people should have to pass a test to own a pet!

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    1. I agree with that completely - that there should be a dog owner licensing. At least for the bare basics, such as when it is an emergency.

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  12. YES! The idiotic comments I see daily on FaceBook back this up.... some people are just plain stooopid!

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