Equine Disease Quarterly

You can’t believe everything you read, hear, or see.

 

Critical thinking is more important than ever, and I am continually amazed at the erroneous, misleading information to which we are exposed.

 

Always be wary of grandiose statements.

 

When Zika virus made the headlines in the U.S., an “expert” on the national news stated “all we have to do is kill the mosquitoes” to keep the disease out of North America. And, he wasn’t making a joke.

 

One only has to look online at news reports from late 1999 to find reassurances by public health officials that citizens didn’t need to worry about the “new” West Nile virus returning in summer 2000 due to a full-scale campaign to spray insecticides to kill mosquitoes. Look how well that worked.

 

Mosquito-borne illnesses are difficult to control because of the resilience and breeding efficiency of these insects. While there is no evidence that Zika virus affects horses, other mosquito-transmitted viruses such as WNV affect hundreds of horses each year, despite available effective vaccines and annual reminders to horse owners about mosquito control.

 

More grandiosity …

 

A national Sunday newsmagazine supplement recently published an article stating that Good Samaritan laws in every state protect people against liability if they try cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on a person. The article also went on to state that “you can’t be sued for trying [CPR].” Both statements are completely wrong. Kentucky law (for example) does not protect everyone who attempts CPR, and lawyers can sue for anything. Learn how to perform CPR and know the laws and liability protections in your state.

 

Who is a veterinary “specialist?”

 

I’ve seen several websites that tout the sponsoring veterinarian as a “specialist in sport horse medicine” (for example). According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, a veterinary specialist is a veterinarian “who has completed additional training in a specific area of veterinary medicine and passed an examination that evaluates their knowledge and skills….” Considering the rigorous training involved in obtaining “Diplomate” status, veterinary specialists almost always include this in their educational background, such as Diplomate, ACVS for veterinary surgeons, or Dipl. ABVP (Equine) for American Board of Veterinary Practitioners in Equine Practice. The term “specialist” means additional education, training, rigorous examination, and continuing education. Many exceptionally skilled veterinarians have practices that involve primarily sport horses. However, if they are not board certified, they are not “specialists.”

 

Let’s talk about “certifications.” Business cards or websites for some people boast an impressive list of certifications and letters after the individuals’ names. But, are they legitimate, meaningful indications of advanced, specialized education or experience? Or simply that the person paid money for a weekend’s worth of training that barely scratched the surface, but resulted in being presented with a “certificate?” Investigate the organization online to determine what training, testing, and “certification” was actually involved. You may be surprised.

 

Critically evaluate what you read, see, and hear. Ask questions. Assume nothing, and if it is too good to be true, it usually is (but find out anyway).

 

 

Source: University of Kentucky