WARNING: The Internet is Bad for Your Pet's Health

When people think of internet dangers, many think of child predators. What they may not realize is there's an online danger for pets too. I'm not referring to some weird type of 'pet predator', I'm referring to those popular 'ask a question' sites where anyone can give advice and call themselves an expert. Many put little thought into the answers they give and seem to have little concern for the pets involved. Better info could be found if someone actually picked up a book on the subject.

I'm not against finding answers online, I'd just like to point out a disturbing trend I've noticed. My reason for the warning is this: remember the movie that accidentally encouraged kids to flush live fish down the toilet? If you do you know how easily a child can be convinced that something harmful is a good idea, and will do something that will kill the pets.

More and more people are going online for answers, even trying to diagnose their own personal health problems. While it is possible to find some good info if you know where to look, it shouldn't be your only source, you may even be harming yourself. It is also possible to find some good info about pet care online, but just like when looking for answers to address your own health, you have to know how to tell a reliable site from an unreliable one. Actual ask Vets and sites dedicated to care of a particular kind of pet tend to have good info. The official Humane Society ( www.hsus.org ) and the ASPCA ( www.aspca.org ) websites are great sources for pet care information. Reliable sites often post a reminder to see a health professional or vet for possible health problems and emergency situations. Current petcare books often have the answer and are a good way to double check info found online. General ask a question or ask an expert sites, especially those not specializing in animal care tend to have very bad, harmful info about pet care, even the basics.

There is a LOT of bad advice about pets online, given by people who consider small animals throwaway pets and have done little research on proper care of any animal, and still call themselves experts.

Here are some examples of what I've read online