Virtual Vet Consults

What you probably don't know about Virtual Vet Consults

More and more Aussie pet owners are turning to online or virtual veterinary consults when they can't physically make it to their regular vet due to distance, scheduling problems or other reasons.

Many Aussie pet owners know that they can get online vet consults from qualified Australian vets, who can examine their pet via video or live message and provide advice or a second opinion.

Please note that there are restrictions on when Online vets can provide prescriptions. For regular prescriptions and repeats and non-urgent matters, your regular veterinarian is always the best choice. However Online vets can provide triage and emergency advice (including urgent prescriptions in certain circumstances) and can also provide advice for healthy pets on worming, flea prevention, diet recommendations and other health needs.

If your pet is sick, online vets can also provide advice on at home care including ointments, treatments, supplements and home remedies you can use to treat your pet safely.  They can advise if a clinic visit is required and if so, when you need to go in and what you need to look out for to check your pets condition.

There are some things you might not know about online veterinary consultations if you have never done one before, so here are some points your online vet wants you to know:

• Often your online veterinary consult will be via an online video sharing program like GoToMeeting or Zoom, so you may need to download the program to your computer or device if you've never used that program before. 
• Make sure you give your phone number when making the appointment, so that if there is a problem setting up the video link, your online vet can call to help with connection.
• Have your pet ready and appropriately restrained either on a lead or in a small area. Also make sure the area you and your pet are in is well lit. Having someone help you by holding the web cam or the pet makes life easier.
• During the video vet consultation, the vet will ask you to go through a series of steps that will gather information about how your pet is feeling. This may include heart rate, respiratory rate and if you have a thermometer, temperature. 
• If you have a copy of your pets medical history, keep it handy to answer questions promptly
• Remember, your online video vet knows this might be the first time you've done an online video veterinary consultation, so don't be afraid to ask if you're not sure of anything
• Virtual vet providers can differ but with VetChat you don’t need an appointment.  VetChat vets are ready and waiting to take your video or message 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
   
  Always remember when obtaining a vet consult online, to make sure you're using a reputable service and Australian qualified and registered veterinarians. We've worked with many Australian online vets, and our customers have told us that they have found Pawssum and VetChat all to be very professional and helpful.