Veterinarians sometimes feel more threatened by Dr. Google than they do by the vet down the street! I contend that Dr. Google, like the vet down the street, is actually a potential friend. It would be a shame to miss out on the relationship because we are afraid.
I appreciate clients researching online. When clients bring me specific Internet info, we can learn together. That has opened up avenues of learning I otherwise might not have pursued, and a few times put me miles ahead of where I would have otherwise been in my learning.
There’s a lot of <nonsense> on the Internet, but there is some really good information too. You have to look for it, but don’t miss it (vets and laypeople), because there is WAY more on the Internet than you could ever fit into a journal or textbook. It just is not as “pure,” and you need to be able to wade through it.
As docs, we have the smarts and the veterinary background to help clients do that. And to write some of it. ;)