# Limit of veterinarian's treatment **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 9, 2019, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limit-of-veterinarians-treatment/838411 "2019-08-09T15:22:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2019, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limit-of-veterinarians-treatment/838411/1 "2019-08-09T15:22:47Z")
In today’s retro _Peanuts_, Charlie Brown shows up with a bandage on his finger. Why? Because after Snoopy got hit in the head with a baseball during a game, he takes Snoopy to the vet. But Snoopy jumps off the table and when C.B. bends down to pick him up, the vet steps on C.B.'s finger. How much treatment can vets ethically give a kid they hurt in such a situation? If it’s merely sore, can they give first aid? What would the limit of first aid be? If the finger is broken can they splint it or does C.B. have to go to a hospital or his own doctor? This is a non-emergency. What happens in emergency situations? ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2019, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limit-of-veterinarians-treatment/838411/2 "2019-08-09T15:27:21Z")
Anyone can give first aid, and in a veterinary surgery, it’s quite likely that someone is trained and they have limited supplies (bandages, plasters and a defib machine). They would probably advise Charlie to get qualified medical assistance - whether he did or not would be up to him or his parents/guardians. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2019, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limit-of-veterinarians-treatment/838411/3 "2019-08-09T15:40:58Z")
Wha-wa-waah, waaah. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2019, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limit-of-veterinarians-treatment/838411/4 "2019-08-09T16:48:13Z")
Sounds like that vet was a real blockhead. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2019, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limit-of-veterinarians-treatment/838411/5 "2019-08-09T17:10:12Z")
I fainted in a Vet’s office once. They were on me like EMTs. They saw my diabetic bracelet. When I came awake the Vet was checking my blood sugar. The joke at the vet clinic is now; When am I coming in for my annual rabies shot? The Vet gave me an honorary tag. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2019, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limit-of-veterinarians-treatment/838411/6 "2019-08-09T22:31:53Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > The Vet gave me an honorary tag. You gotta have at least two, so they jingle. That’s how I keep track of The Crew when we’re out in the desert. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2019, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limit-of-veterinarians-treatment/838411/7 "2019-08-10T00:04:54Z")
I like two-fers. ---
**Author:** ![cerberus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cerberus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cerberus)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2019, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limit-of-veterinarians-treatment/838411/8 "2019-08-10T00:06:14Z")
[url=][Q&A John Weigelt, MD, DVM | College of Veterinary Medicine at MSU](https://cvm.msu.edu/news/perspectives-magazine/perspectives-spring-17/q-a-john-weigelt-md-dvm) this guy can treat both ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2019, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limit-of-veterinarians-treatment/838411/9 "2019-08-10T02:00:23Z")
Unless it’s different where you are, the vet can’t do prescriptions for people, and can’t do x-rays for people, and can’t claim insurance for people. Also can’t claim to be a Doctor, and can’t offer medical services, but actually there would be a lot more dodgy people claimiing to be doctors and offering medical services if they could figure out a way to write prescriptions and claim insurance payments. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2019, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/limit-of-veterinarians-treatment/838411/10 "2019-08-10T03:42:40Z")
ISTR James Herriot giving medical advice to a client once. An elderly farmer was having back pain, so Herriot convinced him to give up hand-milking cows and let younger family members do it. Of course, Herriot was there because the cows were showing signs of minor injuries from overly-vigorous milking by the elderly gent, so the vet found a roundabout way to treat the hooved patients. 🙂