Frustrating situation in Canada

[Meg0000]

Hi, I just wanted to share something that happened on a facebook group in Quebec. Basically someone started a group on facebook to share his knowledge, articles and help people with their sick fish. He helped to save hundreds of fish but sold illegally medicine products that are available at a lot of places like in the USA. Here they are not available because it's the veterinary who is supposed to give you these products but they just don't and it's expensive. This person who started this group had to close this group or he would have a 125 000$ dept.

 

[Utar]

In Canada, a person has to go to the vet to get meds for their fish? Is there a good reason for this, that some of us are not aware of?

 

[Essjay]

It's similar to the UK, and possibly the rest of Europe where we can't buy antibiotics over the counter, we have to get a prescription from a doctor or vet. Though we can get some other types of medication over the counter.
With human antibiotics, it's to stop the misuse of them. My mother worked for many years as a doctors' receptionist, and they would get patients going in asking for an antibiotic because they had a cold (antibiotics don't work on viruses). Similarly with animal antibiotics it's to stop people using them when there is no bacterial infection in their pets. Once a doctor/vet diagnoses a bacterial infection, a prescription for the most effective antibiotic is written.

 

[mark4785]

In Canada, a person has to go to the vet to get meds for their fish? Is there a good reason for this, that some of us are not aware of?

I suppose the reasoning behind needing veterinary authorisation comes down to the idea that a registered vet is the most knowledgable person that can preempt how a drug will react when it has been administered so that an animal does not suffer or receive something that is inappropriate for the condition the animal has.

 

[Meg0000]

In Canada, a person has to go to the vet to get meds for their fish? Is there a good reason for this, that some of us are not aware of?

I do not know a lot on this situation, I find it hard to find information on this subject on internet. I think there are some products that are available but really nothing compared to the USA. For other products you would have to go to the vet I think but nobody does.

 

[Utar]

@Essjay I can understand the reasoning why antibiotics are strictly controlled, I believe these types of medications should be controlled. I am not aware of how much control there is in the USA for meds, but I would have to believe that even antibiotics are controlled here or should be.

 

[Colin_T]

I am not aware of how much control there is in the USA for meds, but I would have to believe that even antibiotics are controlled here or should be.

There's isn't much control over anti-biotics there and you can buy them off the shelf in pet shops and stock feeders. Doctors also regularly prescribe anti-biotics without making sure the patient has a bacterial infection.