Stop Playing Vet: The Real Dangers of Community Carers Diagnosing and Treating Dogs
Across the rescue and welfare world, one thing crops up again and again: well-meaning community carers taking it upon themselves to diagnose and treat dogs with medical conditions.
It might look like kindness on the surface & indeed the intention is to do good, but make no mistake this is dangerous, irresponsible, and often lethal.
You Are Not a Veterinarian
Caring about animals does not give anyone the qualifications, training, or knowledge to practice medicine.
Diagnosing diseases, prescribing treatment, and administering drugs requires years of study and professional oversight.
A community carer armed with guesswork, Google searches, or advice from Facebook is not a substitute for veterinary care.
When you play vet, you gamble with a dog’s life.
Misdiagnosis Kills
Dogs cannot tell us where it hurts. Their symptoms often overlap across multiple conditions. What looks like “mange” could be a severe allergic reaction. What seems like “distemper” might be kennel cough—or something else entirely. Only a qualified veterinarian can run tests, interpret results, and provide an accurate diagnosis.
A wrong guess means the wrong treatment. The wrong treatment means suffering. And suffering can mean death.
Medication Is Not a Toy
Community carers have been known to hand out medication as though they were sweets. This is reckless. Medication must be dosed precisely according to weight, species, and health status.
Too much, too little, or the wrong drug altogether can cause organ damage, resistance, or fatal toxicity.
Dogs are not humans. Drugs safe for us can poison them. Even the most “basic” treatments carry risks if misused.
Delayed Veterinary Care = Dead Dogs
Every time a community carer attempts treatment, they delay proper veterinary intervention. By the time the dog reaches a professional, it may be too late. An infection that could have been managed early spirals into sepsis. A fracture set incorrectly leaves an animal crippled for life. A treatable disease becomes terminal.
The bottom line? Playing vet kills dogs.
Compassion Without Competence Is Dangerous
We understand the motivation: you want to help. But help without knowledge is not kindness. It’s harm. True compassion means recognising your limits and getting a dog the professional care they need.
If you cannot afford or access veterinary treatment, the answer is not to improvise. The answer is to reach out to rescues & charities for help. Anything else is negligence dressed up as compassion.
Draw the Line
Community carers have an important role: feeding, sheltering, monitoring, and advocating for dogs. But that role must stop short of diagnosing and treating. When you cross that line, you stop helping and start hurting.
If you care about dogs, stop playing vet. Leave medicine to the professionals. Lives depend on it.