This puts enormous emotional stress on us. I've had countless DMs asking for emergency advice, things that need to be seen by the vet NOW – but I was asleep or off twitter.

It's also disrespectful, esp if you don't even follow the person you're DMing. 1/9 #MedTwitter #pets https://twitter.com/lulwuh/status/1308989578284535810

Veterinarians can and will set boundaries. We know the harm we can do by trying to triage or diagnose over social media.

We know you're reaching out in desperation, but that doesn't change our emotional experience. 2/9

It's a fine line. The majority of people reach out for comfort/validation that the thing they're worried about isn't immediately life-threatening. Right now clinics & ERs are so backed up that I really do understand the anxiety owners feel. 3/9

But before messaging that vet you follow, ask yourself- what is my goal? If your question is "should I go to ER?" then get off social media & call the emergency vet.

Ask yourself what effects the message will have on the veterinarian should they not see it and the pet dies. 4/9

If your goal is to share cool pictures or chat about a diagnosis, then by all means message us! We can't diagnose or treat but we love sharing our experience! 5/9

This is going to sound terrible, but the added caveat "I don't have enough money to go to the vet" doesn't change a damn thing that we can do to help over social media. 6/9

#VetTwitter #pets

Please also know - your pet's vet is there for you too! If you have a pet question, call their vet or a local clinic to ask. They can help with things like antihistamine doses, telling you if ER is necessary, etc.

We DON'T want to charge you for an exam if we don't need to! 7/9

Lemme repeat that:

*ahem*

VETERINARIANS DON'T WANT TO CHARGE YOU FOR AN EXAM IF WE DON'T NEED TO!

8/9

Bonus point: CALL YOUR VET BEFORE JUST SHOWING UP, especially with an emergency! On any given day we're currently booked full and have to find a way to "squeeze in" two or three more pets because the owner is panicked and everywhere else is booked too. 9/9

TL;DR – take your pet to the vet, if you have a vet friend be respectful and reasonable in your interactions, and know that every single veterinary clinic is currently stretched incredibly thin.

Cat picture for making it to the end (Sloane in a cat sombrero)