Like my
Dad told me long ago, "If it seems too good to be true-- it is."
Veterinarians
are highly-paid professionals. Beware a service that claims (as Just
Answer did in my case) to offer an involved assessment from a veterinary
specialist, late at night, within 15 minutes of the request, for $15.
At that point, JA showed me a teeny tiny "answer" that they claimed was the answer to my question, and they told me that I would be able to read the answer once I paid up. Using a magnifying glass, I found that the teeny tiny text shown was actually a question about a human medical issue.
At that point, JA showed me a teeny tiny "answer" that they claimed was the answer to my question, and they told me that I would be able to read the answer once I paid up. Using a magnifying glass, I found that the teeny tiny text shown was actually a question about a human medical issue.
I found a
Just Answer response online to a question about mutts vs purebreds. The
"vet" gave an answer that revealed s/he had not seen the inside of a
Biology 101 classroom, and had badly misunderstood what s/he had read in a
hasty internet search. Many if not most high school graduates are aware
of this very rudimentary principle of genetics: small gene pools lead to
inbreeding and cause greater likelihood of genetic defects manifesting. But
the pseudovet in this exchange got it backward, and averred that a smaller gene
pool was better.
Google
"Just Answer scam" for plenty of other examples.
It is most
likely that JA uses poorly-paid people with no specialized education, oncall at
all hours to do quick internet searches and come up with answers for worried
pet owners. Real vets would not be available for this. JA routinely first promises answers for very little money, then badgers people to pay more. I have seen JA answers that did appear to have been written by a professional; real vets may be called in when users hand over serious cash.
If your
pet is seriously sick, there is no substitute for professional treatment, but
you may be able to treat some minor problems at home.
You can,
in fact, find a lot of good information on the internet, for free. Look
for sites sponsored by professional organizations, or by vets whose full names,
license credentials and physical addresses are displayed on the site. Don't pay Just Answer to do your internet search
(and possibly misunderstand the results) for you.
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