Quote: Seriously? You're a vet, right? Are vets not aware how available the above drugs are?
-Kathy
For those that might want to order some of the drugs mentioned above, just do a search for the name of the drug and fish or the name of the drug and birds.
Baytril for birds finds this:
https://www.google.com/search?sourc...l4j0i22i30.0.0.1.4822...........0.yxF1FarlqcI
-Kathy
Thank you.
From vet's perspective, I do know that the drugs are available. My clients come in to see me instead of buying medication online and treating conditions themselves and I spend my time diagnosing and treating animals not researching ways for non-clients to not seek my advice. It is helpful for me to see where folks can obtain the medication because on occasion people that come in fess up to self-medication but can't give any specifics about the drugs, so having this information may help me treat patients in the future
My distributor requires me to have a separate account with Bayer before I can even purchase Baytril from them. The distributors I purchase from require me to provide my state license information prior to me purchasing medication. I am assured that the drugs I purchase have been handled in a way preserve efficacy and they are the real deal and I am sure they are not counterfeit. My reputation depends on that assurance
Many drugs available for fish or caged birds are not marketed to Poultry and in fact Quinolones including Baytril/enrofloxacin have been pulled for use in Poultry (from 2005: "U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Lester Crawford is announcing the Agency's final decision to no longer allow distribution or use of the antimicrobial drug enrofloxacin for the purpose of treating bacterial infections in poultry."). I got on the website you referenced to ask whether I needed a prescription for Baytril or for any of the drugs. They started the chat, but failed to respond (as in left the chat window open for 20 minutes with no response) after they realized I was asking about chickens. I have to believe that they know that it is not legal for them to sell the product for use in Poultry but do not have a disclaimer on the website.
As a vet, I have to adhere to a strict code of ethics and regulations. I cannot give medical advice without a valid pet-client-vet relationship ths I am barred from making specific diagnoses or recommendations online. I am not supposed to compound (mix drugs up in any way that is not approved on the label) any antibiotics if there is a labeled version of the drug, and regulations specifically state that concerns about money is not a valid reason to compound a drug that is available in a formulation for animals.
As a chicken owner, I sympathize with other owners when there are illnesses within their flock. I wish I could help more.
How frustrating do you think it is for us vets to want to help people out, have to adhere to regulations or potentially get sued or lose our license if we do not and then get scolded for not wanting to see chickens when there are vets who will see poultry but the owners don't want to spend the money to bring their pets in for advice becasue they can get free advice from non-vets online and get some medication online, although they will call me and ask me to provide drug withdrawal information for drugs I did not prescribe? It ends up putting vets in a very uncomfortable position, overall.