When it comes to cattle I’m very passionate about them and make their health a number one priority. Whether you’re a bovine or a human, there is nothing worse than not feeling well. Taking care of your herd’s health is so important for so many reasons.

Three Reasons You Need To Take Your Herd’s Health Seriously:

1.) You chose this life. You chose to raise them and it’s your obligation to take the best care of them that you can. These creatures rely on us for their food, shelter, and care. You don’t just get to have cattle and get to skip a step or two in there because you don’t want to spend the money on a vet bill. There is no picking what you want to provide your cattle. It’s all or nothing.

2.) You don’t make money on an animal that doesn’t feel well or is injured. The more time you waste getting them feeling better, the more money you’re wasting in the long run.

3.) It’s the right thing to do. Plain. and. Simple. Raising cattle is a privilege that is not to be taken lightly.

Stop Asking Facebook for Cattle Health Advice

There are too many people joining Facebook groups and asking for medical advice for their herd’s health. The people who are providing the advice THINK they’re experts or who have MAYBE seen that situation before. What’s worse is that they’re assuming all these people can help them with just simply posting a picture of a certain animal in the group.

Guess what? Who can actually tell what is wrong with an animal by looking at a picture?? Even the best of veterinarians wouldn’t diagnose an animal over a picture.

The part that scares me the most? People are actually taking the advice from these ‘experts’. Which could lead to giving the animal the wrong diagnosis, giving it the wrong medication, or simply making the situation worse. They’re putting their herd’s health in the hands of people they’ve never met before.

WHY??? JUST WHY!?!?! Why in the world is this happening and why are people doing this? I would NEVER post a picture of a psoriasis spot on my skin in a Facebook group, get the opinion of 20 random people, and start applying all these random things that would ‘work’ for my supposed ‘rash’. (Psoriasis can’t easily be mistaken for ringworm and a picture wouldn’t allow someone to know if it was psoriasis, ringworm, or just a rash.) Not only could I seriously injure myself, but I could make the situation worse. I would ABSOLUTELY go to the dermatologist and ask what I could do for my psoriasis. You know why?? Because my dermatologist is trained, certified, and seen thousands of cases of psoriasis and can help me better than any Joe Schmoe off the street. Plus, he can see it in person and get a better diagnose of what to do to help me.

Conclusion: Go to your Veterinarian

You see what I’m saying here? Why wouldn’t you put your herd’s health in the hands of the correct person, the veterinarian, to get a correct diagnosis? This way you’re getting you animals healthier, faster. You’re getting them the correct treatment for whatever ails them. You’re not wasting money on random medication that others suggested and, possibly, saving money by not killing them by wasting time with getting advice from Facebook.

That’s it. I’m getting off my soapbox.

Just please do me a favor. Take your animals, no matter the species, to the veterinarian and allow them to help you diagnose your animal’s ailment and get them on to the road to recovery sooner. Facebook is a great tool for many things, but having strangers diagnosing your animal’s condition over a picture isn’t one of them.

-Kellie