Barbara Natterson-Horowitz: What Veterinarians Know That Doctors Don’t

Barbara Natterson-Horowitz: What Veterinarians Know That Doctors Don’t


What do you call a veterinarian that can only take care of one species? A physician. In this short and fascinating talk, Barbara Natterson-Horowitz shares how a species-spanning approach to health can improve medical care of the human animal — particularly when it comes to mental health.

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40 Comments

  1. Sshhppoonnggllee

    I thought she was gonna say we should start circumcising dogs and cats. Lol

    Reply
  2. Little Space Case

    My friend spend 2 or 3 years just trying to get into vet school, and she’s a 4.0 student..

    Reply
  3. BOT Opie

    “What veterinarians know that doctors don’t?” How about everything?

    Reply
  4. Maggie Robertson

    so clearly home girl never did animal research or went to a primary source on drug data which uses animal studies. I recently consulted a vet hospital up at cornell for a extra large humans and they refused the consult and refused the imaging study for legal reasons. so there goes your theory

    Reply
  5. Lana Elohssa

    Oh please… Medical school is way harder to get in than Vet school with their aptitude tests and interviews.. I have a friend who is a pretty unintelligent person that is studying to be a vet at one of the best Vet universities in the world. He’s not getting anywhere near my dog…

    Reply
  6. UnoDelDIM

    11:02 –> here is the real issue!  it takes a lot of courage for some one who has invested a lot of their time and effort… a lifetime, usually, into the highest scholar title a human can achieve, to humble themselves and admit that there is more that they can learn AND that the source, though carrying a less prestigious title, may have more practical knowledge about a particular subject.  I don’t think this TED talk is particularly enlighening, but it is the white elefant in the room and I appreciae her pointing it out on behalf of better patient care.

    Reply
  7. ZeChachaiimSheli

    She keeps asking why this information wasn’t put in the hands of physicians, but it has been available this whole time.  Anyone can go on a database like PubMed or Web of Science and read articles describing this information and these treatments.  As a pre-veterinary student, I read a lot of scientific articles detailing both human and animal medicine.  I keep up with medical news in both the medical and veterinary world.  And so do many other vet students and veterinarians I know.  If doctors would just pay attention to these kinds of articles, they would have known about the treatments as well.  It’s not “Shouldn’t this information have been put into the hands of physicians?” – as if it’s the veterinarians’ fault.  No, it should be “Shouldn’t have physicians stopped looking down on the veterinary profession and actually taken the time to look up this information on their own?”  It’s available after all.  (And I don’t mean this about all physicians – or all veterinarians – for that matter.  I’m just generalizing.  I do know that there are some veterinarians who don’t pay attention to medical articles and some physicians who do pay attention to veterinary articles.)

    Reply
  8. Greenman_mk

    Animals can’t tell you how they feel. Veterinarians are better doctors.

    Reply
  9. Eric Goberman

    Lots to think about !  Imagine how much more we can learn

    Reply
  10. Kirhean

    An excellent point.  It is a pity that practical medicine gets buried by arrogance, perhaps required attendance at some kind of cross-pollination conference should be a requirement of maintaining one’s medical license.

    Reply
  11. Antonio Usman

    In Italy we study basic sciences, 2 years of Physiology, 2 years of General Pathology and 1 year of Pharmacology along with Veterinary students.  Veterinarians often conferred with our instructors.  
     My medical diploma was signed by the Dean of my medical school, a Veterinarian.
    There is much to be said of traditional medical science.

    Reply
  12. Jammer53

    Wow, interesting

    Reply
  13. passthetoiletpaper

    I don´t get the point of this talk is it to teach judgemental people that Veterinarians aren´t any less than a Doctor?

    Also no, we can´t just use knowledge we have from other animal species in humans it surprises me that a Physician is considering this, I´m a med student and one thing we learn is the history of medicine and how back in the day most of the studies were made in other species and then practiced on humans like we were the same no need to say that carried some problems in some cases we might have similarities but it isn´t safe nor scientific to do that.

    What I do agree on is to use the knowledge we have in the medical field from other species to start studying if it´s the same on us not just blatantly assume it´s the same.

    Reply
  14. Aaron Kopman

    I’m a retired professor of Anesthesiology. One of the smartest anesthesiologists I know is a veterinarian at the College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University in Ithaca NY. He would clearly be a star in any traditional medical school.

    In addition I am always amazed at the challenges he handles on an almost daily basis. Patients ranging from a marmoset to a 500 pound tiger. As a physician I am humbled by his clinical prowess.

    Dr. Natterson-Horowitz has it absolutely right.

    Reply
  15. dufusrunescape

    is it true that in England, vets are alowed to treat humans?

    Reply
  16. eebeelive

    Brilliant idea!  “for whatever happens to the beasts happens to the man” Chief Seattle

    Reply
  17. toobphish

    Humans are exceptional! Exceptionally evil! TNX for the video!

    Reply
  18. Jaeyoung Choi

    I translated this and want to provide korean subtitle. How can I do this?

    Reply
  19. Pamela Trapani

    Very moving, and I think she is on the right track. Gave me chills. She’s very eloquent.

    Reply
  20. beatrix969

    There is a case in Brazil, Curitiba, where I live, that a woman was cured by taking a medicine indicated by a veterinarian. Physicians didn´t have an answer for any medicine to cure her.

    Reply
  21. Erin Indigo Osmanthus

    This was such a fantastic talk. Never knew there was such a rift between the two professions.

    Reply
  22. Kathy007s

    True!

    Reply
  23. Etc. & TaU

    THIS is a person who really did a college, who learned to ratiocinate! She didn’t said nothing difficult to think about, by the logic… but almost no professional thinks this way. Why, I don’t know! Maybe they  don’t like to explore what they studied so much to do!

    Reply
  24. LoveFlatfootin1

    I wish I could find a physician as good as my dog’s veterinarian.

    Reply
  25. Mark Friedman

    Ms. Natterson really makes one think. Combine this perspective with teaching evolutionary medicine to medical students and we have the beginning of a sea change in medical care and public health. It shall also mean breaking the stranglehold that all the  “for profit” drug companies and insurance companies have over the world. These ideas need to be advanced thru all physiology and biology courses.
     If you enjoyed this video read her book “Zoobiquity.:

    Reply
  26. intuitknit

    Lactation consultants have known this information for a long time, but who is listening? They have always known that infants should not be separated, washed, handled by others , injected, and given eye drops until the infant has had long periods of skin to skin time with his mother. It is when the oxytocin level is peaking and through suckling, the baby and mother benefit from the hormone shifts. People always say, “why is breastfeeding so difficult, I thought it was natural?” What part of birth these days is natural I say. We treat baby kittens and puppies better than we treat our own infants. At least we know enough that we don’t interfere with animals, lest their own mother reject them or at the very least have suckling issues. I hope someone out there is listening……

    Reply
  27. jcvet33

    Don’t forget, vets cured ulcers with antibiotics since the 1940’s. Physicians just treated the symptoms with Zantac type drugs til they went over the counter in the 90’s.

    Reply
  28. Margaret Wacker

    I am a physician who has been learning from and working with veterinarians for over 20 years. I even have discussed my medical problems with a veterinarian, and received some good advice. I have attended a veterinary conference, and found it interesting.

    Reply
  29. Evelyn Lissa

    in short, veterinarians are better and more competent than human doctors.

    Reply
  30. kuunfire emmanuel

    I wish all Ghanaians had watch this wonderful speech.ln order to renew their minds about vet surgeons

    Reply
  31. Umesh Jadhav

    Thanx a lot we veterinarians feel honoured !

    Reply
  32. Robyn Daniels

    I’m a retired nurse and don’t go near a doctor or hospital unless I absolutley have to (i.e for emergencies or if an infection has gone beyond what I can manage myself) – this is because their only answers are to pump you full of drugs or chop bits off your body – no knowledge of what is going on emotiuonally or psychologically in my body required nor adminstered. Personally I’d rather be treated by a vet.

    Reply
  33. yesim kara

    Reply
  34. Marija Miskovic

    Wow,I see all these beautiful comments about veterinarians and can’t be anything other than grateful.I am in the first year of veterinary college and have my doubts from time to time.All I can hear is how veterinarians are underistamated and how they shouldn’t be with somebody as big as a doctor “in the same room”.But I guess there are honourable people who think otherwise.
    So thank you all ❤

    Reply
  35. Cyanakrli

    my father consults the veterinarian who vaccinates his bunnies because often times the treatments and or drugs he gets from his doctor aren’t working.

    and yes my father actually found much needed relief from his fucked up knees in form of unassuming pills he got from his veterinarian, because, as it turns out, rich people are much more willing to dish out money on the development of methods to treat their race horses than they do on helping humanity as a whole.

    Reply
  36. Lisa Chociej

    wow!

    Reply
  37. Alayuu Ahmadi

    veterinarians are the best doctors in the world

    Reply
  38. Farallon Deeps

    We should all think of ourselves as human animals. Let’s work on finding a way to help veterinary scientists and biomedical scientists communicate more readily.

    Reply
  39. Denise Hewitt

    Quite educational.

    Reply
  40. avaluos integrales

    Que gran médico, espero que el futuro de la educacion nos lleve por este camino multi diciplinario de no solo estudiar a los humanos sino a los animales, eso nos ayudará a crear una conciencia más global.

    Reply

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