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[–] 82 points 1 year ago (26 children)

So, I'm sure this is a bad idea. But can anyone tell me exactly why? Years ago, in a desperate situation, a doctor told us to get antibiotics for fish and use them, and we had to do that a few times. Some animal products are identical or nearly identical to human products, some are quite different...

With this in particular, how is it different, and why is it bad?

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  • [–] 99 points 1 year ago* (4 children)

    Chubbyemu explains it best: https://inv.nadeko.net/watch?v=ifXH86-eIqk

    But basically, the electrolyte balance that's healthy for a horse is quite a lot higher than what is healthy for a human (due to body mass differences, among other things). The magnesium in the horse electrolyte is actually over the lethal dose for a human if taken as written. You could theoretically take it and be fine if you calculate the proper dose yourself, but by that point you're better off just buying human products, I guess.

    EDIT: I was thinking of manganese, not magnesium, but that's 1500% of the daily intake, not necessarily lethal dose. Sodium, though, is over the lethal dose.

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  • [–] 18 points 1 year ago

    Just to add to this, on human stuff, they have an incentive to not be sued out of existence for a single fuckup In horse medicine, it's kind of like "Eh, a stiff breeze could have killed that horse!"

    That bucket of stuff is probably th same ingredients, but sourced from who knows where cheapest biddder, mixed together by eyeballing it for 30 years on equipment that's probably barely maintained.

    I remember reading up on New Life Spectrum fish food a while ago and they were making the pellets on a salvaged pasta press. No tests for lead or any other contaminants because no one gives a shit about the mental health of ornamental fish. I'm sure it's slightly more rigorous for horses, but I doubt the sanitation, quality controls, and batch monitoring are up to human grade snuff.

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  • [–] 41 points 1 year ago* (5 children)

    Because if you take horse electrolytes, you wake up the next day with your shoes nailed to your feet with an overwhelming urge to shit in the road.

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  • [–] 35 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    ... so same old same old you're saying?

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  • [–] 5 points 1 year ago (1 child)

    Ohhhhh! That makes sense. Also explains why I ate all my young and started pooping really long strings after I took those fish antibiotics.

    The strings proved unremarkable, to be honest, but I do miss my kids.

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  • [–] 18 points 1 year ago (8 children)

    I don't know about this product specifically, but in general, animal food products are not regulated as much as food for people. This means it may not be as safe.

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  • [–] 9 points 1 year ago (6 children)

    Depends on the animal and the jurisdiction. As far as I'm aware, dog and especially cat food is more tightly regulated than human food in the US.

    Horse food though? Not so much.

    And almost no other countries are victims of regulatory capture to the degree that the US is.

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  • [–] 6 points 1 year ago (5 children)

    And almost no other countries are victims of regulatory capture to the degree that the US is.

    That seems hard to believe, considering stuff like the "banana republic" thing - surely, the country that gets couped for the purpose of economic exploitation by a foreign power is captured more thoroughly than a country that had at least somewhat democratic institutions?

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  • [–] 6 points 1 year ago* (4 children)

    You'd think so, but guess what country the corporations couping with impunity is almost invariably from?

    Past the propaganda, the institutions of the US aren't actually that democratic. They've mostly been designed by and for the rich and powerful from the beginning but especially since the rise of Neoliberalism in the late 70s.

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  • [–] 4 points 1 year ago (3 children)

    Before Trump, US institutions generally liked to at least keep up the pretense, which means that they often did have to make rules that aren't as bullshit as they could have been. In south and middle american dictatorships, they don't have to give a single flying fuck.

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  • [–] 2 points 1 year ago (2 children)

    Before Trump, US institutions generally liked to at least keep up the pretense

    Accurate.

    which means that they often did have to make rules that aren't as bullshit as they could have been

    Yes, but that doesn't mean that they weren't STILL 80-95% bullshit by volume.

    In south and middle american dictatorships, they don't have to give a single flying fuck.

    And they also don't have anywhere near the pressure from the most powerful corporations in the world.

    Or elections designed to be unduly influenced by the highly organized and systemic corruption of corporations and their lobbies rather than the comparatively haphazard organization of less official corruption.

    That makes a much bigger difference than the inherent motivation and fear of public resistance of the leaders themselves.

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  • [–] 1 point 1 year ago (1 child)

    And they also don’t have anywhere near the pressure from the most powerful corporations in the world.

    Or elections designed to be unduly influenced by the highly organized and systemic corruption of corporations and their lobbies rather than the comparatively haphazard organization of less official corruption.

    In the case of banana republics, corruption for specific corporations is literally their reason for existence.

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  • [–] 8 points 1 year ago* (1 child)

    So, I'm sure this is a bad idea. But can anyone tell me exactly why?

    With this in particular, how is it different, and why is it bad?

    This is how to use what our parents called the information superhighway responsibly right here. Well done Sir/Ma'am/other 🫡

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  • [–] 3 points 1 year ago

    My general approach to life is to assume that not everything similar is the same, and to try to verify things. Ask questions even if you know the answer, having the reasoning explained can help you out in the future, y'know?

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