Why am I sharing this advice? When I first took an interest in veterinary medicine (late 1970s) veterinarians were looked to for advice on pet care. Even though vet care was not as sophisticated as it is today the sources for information were less voluminous and more science based. Like many other things, the information on vet care has expanded and the quality of the information has been diluted in the tsunami of words. In an effort to save money, avoid the stress of veterinary visits, and get help more immediately pet owners have taken to looking at many sources prior to bringing their pet to the vet. In many cases this has delayed proper treatment or even resulted in even more expenses and stress giving additional treatments to reach a resolution for the pet. I am sharing here as an educated veterinarian who wants to see pets and owners get proper treatments and therefore reduce costs and stress.