Introverts can rejoice with this new trend in veterinarian care.
It is hard to imagine that you can address health concerns about your pet from the comfort of your home, but here we are talking about a virtual vet visit.
In recent years, the concept of a veterinary telemedicine has flourished as people look for more affordable and less stressful vet care options.
The pandemic of 2020 was also a big driver in the growth of this trend as well.
Telehealth is growing in all areas, but the online vet services segment is one of the hottest.
It is expected that the veterinary telehealth market across the globe will grow at an estimated 21% through 2027.
With this growth comes an influx of new online veterinary care options for pet owners to consider.
What Is VCPR And Why It Matters
An important thing to understand before using an online vet service is the idea of the Veterinary Client Patient Relationship (VCPR).
VCPR is part of the regulations of veterinarians and is considered the agreement between a vet and pet owner for medical care and services.
What complicates VCPR is that there is no countrywide standard, so your state will dictate the rules around it.
About half of the states in the US allow this relationship to happen online, the rest do not.
So if one of the telehealth vet services below does not allow for formal medical diagnosis or prescriptions for medicine, this is why.
States that do not allow virtual VCPR will limit the activities of the online vet services to preventative care and more basic health questions like some of the ones below.
- Itching
- Rashes
- Weight loss
- Wellness
- Nutrition
- Coughing
- Vomiting
- Behavioral issues
- Minor wounds
- Eye or nasal discharge
- Fleas or ticks
- Ear infections
Virtual Vet Visit Options
For this guide we are showcasing all the available options for booking virtual appointments for your pets.
This is not a “best of” guide since each one of these options is unique and the best will be highly relevant to your pets needs.
Each pet’s health is unique so whether you need general pet care or have an emergency question will make a difference in which option for vet appointments is best for you.
Now let’s get started, in no particular order, here are all the online veterinarian options we could find.
Vetster
- Cost: $30 and up for vet techs, $50 and up for veterinarians – per appointment
- Availability: 8am-11pm EST every day, unavailable in Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho and Montana
- Types of Pets: All species
- Consultation Type: Basic guidance and advice, no medical diagnose or prescriptions can be offered
- Access: Web, iOs, Android
Pawp
- Cost: $24 per month – unlimited access
- Availability: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- Types of Pets: Dogs and Cats
- Consultation Type: Basic health, behavior and nutrition – emergency call to access the emergency fund
- Access: Web
Pawp is a subscription based service that offers pet parents the opportunity to talk to an experienced veterinarian online through a video chat.
The monthly fee is $24 and offers unlimited telehealth visits with vets and other pet experts for up to 6 pets.
But what makes this a great option is that 14 days after you start with Pawp you will be entitled to access an emergency fund of $3,000 for your pet.
This fund is good for one pet and can only be used for an emergency situation – life or death type issues.
You can see what emergencies Pawp covers here.
You will need to speak to one of their vets first to confirm that you do have an emergency and then you can continue the process of getting your pet the care it needs at a local vet.
Virtuwoof
- Cost: Varies by practice
- Availability: 8am-11pm EST every day, unavailable in Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho and Montana
- Types of Pets: Dogs and Cats
- Consultation Type: Consultation with your own vet, must be part of the Virtuwoof network
- Access: Android, iOs
VirtoWoof is a little different from other options since it primarily focuses on having your local veterinarian be a part of their platform.
Once your veterinarian is on the platform you can then sign up and add your pets to the platform.
When you need to reach your veterinarian you will “start a new visit” and then you will be connected with your vet within about 5-10 minutes.
They do offer an option to talk to one of their Virtuwoof vets as well if your vet is not on the platform.
PetDesk
- Cost: Varies by practice, app is free
- Availability: Veterinarian business hours
- Types of Pets: Whatever pets your clinic accepts
- Consultation Type: Basic guidance and advice, no medical diagnose or prescriptions can be offered
- Access: Web, iOS & Android
PetDesk is an app that allows you to manage the health can care of your pet.
This platform does not offer random vet consultations, it only works with your own veterinarian.
They will need to be participants on the platform to be able to schedule a virtual visit.
The cost of an online vet visit will be based on your veterinarian rates.
AirVet
- Cost: $19.99 per month unlimited access or $35.99 per month with route care reimbursement
- Availability: 24 hours a day 7 days a week
- Types of Pets: All species
- Consultation Type: Basic guidance and advice, no medical diagnose or prescriptions can be offered
With over 150,000 pet parents having used Airvet, you will be in good company if you choose this option.
Airvet offers unlimited virtual pet care for common issues like basic health care, behaviors or preventative care.
There are over 3,000 veterinarians on Airvet in all 50 states as well as Canada.
They offer 2 plans to choose from.
The basic plan is $19.99 a month and offers unlimited access to veterinarians all day.
The wellness plan is $35.99 and requires a 12 month commitment.
This plan offers the same as the basic plan but also adds a wellness plan for one dog or cat.
This includes up to $650 reimbursement for care such as grooming, flea and tick treatments, fecal test, vaccines and more.
There is the opportunity to do an on demand call for $30 flat fee.
You can also check to see if your own veterinarian is on the platform as a veterinary provider.
Hello Ralphie
- Cost: $35-$55 per appointment
- Availability: 24 hours a day 7 days a week
- Types of Pets: All species
- Consultation Type: Basic health, behavior and nutrition
- Access: Web, iOS
Hello Ralphie offers veterinarian help with all different kinds of animals from cats and dogs to exotics which makes them a bit different than many of the other options here.
Their vets can offers help with traditional issues like weight loss, eye and ear issues or answer general pet care questions.
They offer assistance through their website and have an app for Apple products.
A portion of every appointment fee is donated to a variety of pet rescue organizations too.
AskVet
- Cost: $29.99 per month – unlimited access
- Availability: 24 hours a day 7 days a week
- Types of Pets:
- Consultation Type: Basic health, behavior and nutrition – emergency call to access the emergency fund
- Access: Web, iOS & Android
Reach a licensed veterinarian 24 hours a day, seven days a week with AskVet.
For a monthly membership of $29.99 you get a variety of resources to help you care for your pet.
They can offer general guidance on pet health issues, but cannot offer a diagnose or prescribe medications.
Every month you are a subscriber, AskVet deposits $45 into what they call a “Rainy Day Fund”.
This provides you up to $1,000 for an unexpected trip to the emergency room.
You do have to do a live chat with an AskVet vet within 10 hours of an emergency visit to be able to access the funds.
They offers what is called a “Care Coach: that will work with you to create a pet health plan and address any issues you may have for your pet.
Upon signing up you also receive a welcome bag that has a home lab test ($100 value) which allows them to understand everything they need to know about your pet.
Discounted pet meds, food and supplies are also offered with the AskVetClub at PetCareRX.
JustAnswer
- Cost: $29 per month – try 7 days for $5
- Availability: 24 hours a day 7 days a week
- Types of Pets: All species
- Consultation Type: Basic health, behavior and nutrition
- Access: Web
JustAnswer offers a whole collection of “ask a specialist” resources.
I have used them in the past for legal questions about my business and was impressed with the process.
Whether you need an electronics expert, mechanic or lawyer, if you have a question, there are experts waiting to help.
Their online veterinary resource is where you can go and ask questions to professional veterinarians any time of day.
You will start a conversation in their chat box and be walked through the some questions and then be forwarded to a payment page.
Once you pay the $5 fee to ask a question you will then talk to an actual vet.
Now, what is a little stand-offish to me about the way they do this is that the $5 fee is for unlimited conversations for 7 days, after that you will be charged $29 per month.
You need to read the FINE PRINT! You can cancel your membership before the 7 days and not be charged.
But with that said, overall JustAnswer is pretty well rated and a great option.
Whisker Docs
- Cost: $16.99 per month – unlimited access, on-demand options available
- Availability: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- Types of Pets: Dogs and Cats
- Consultation Type: Basic health, behavior and nutrition
- Access: Web, iOS
In less than 30 seconds you can be speaking to a US-licensed veterinarian or credentialed vet technician to answer your pet related questions.
They can offer general assistance for questions related to health, behavior and nutrition but cannot make a formal diagnosis or prescribe medications.
They offer a monthly plan with unlimited access to veterinarians, but you can also choose an on-demand option.
This allows you to pay per use instead of subscribing.
A single call or chat is $39.99 and an email is $4.99.
Average response times for mobile, phone and live chat are 45 seconds or less and email is 2 hours or less.
WhiskerDocs also follows up within 48 hours of your contact to see how things are going.
Some employers offer WhiskerDocs as a company perk, so be sure to check with your employer.
Fuzzy
- Cost: $14.99 for text chat / $19.99 for video call, free for Chewy autoship customers
- Availability: 8am-11pm EST every day, unavailable in Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho and Montana
- Types of Pets: Dogs and Cats
- Consultation Type: Basic guidance and advice, no medical diagnose or prescriptions can be offered
- Access: Web, iOS, Android
One thing I do not like about Fuzzy is that they were not up front about their pricing.
One I started the free trial process I saw the pricing as $8.33 per month when using annual billing or $24.99 per month for month to month.
They are also very product oriented offering a variety of healthcare products.
Bond Vet
- Cost: $50 per appointment
- Availability: Scheduled appoints are available from 12pm – 7pm daily – excluding holidays
- Types of Pets: Dogs and Cats
- Consultation Type: Basic guidance and advice, no medical diagnose can be offered but prescriptions can be prescribed for NY residents
BondVet is an in-person veterinarian team that has offices in several locations in NYC.
Their telehealth services started because of COVID.
They knew they needed a way to help their in-person clients, but since have expanded their telehealth to be available everywhere.
BondVet charges a $50 appointment fee and each video appointment is 20 minutes.
The video call needs to be scheduled, it is not immediate like some of the other options listed here.
Once you schedule your call, you will receive a link for a Google Hangout.
Vet Triage
- Cost: $50 per session – no subscription required
- Availability: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- Types of Pets: Any species
- Consultation Type: Emergencies. Veterinarians will help assess if your pet is truly having an emergency and help you coordinate a local emergency vet visit.
- Access: Web
VetTriage is a bit unique compared to other telehealth service options.
They have partnerships with many animal hospitals to help assist with emergency vet visits.
Many veterinarian clinics are only open during regular business hours and do not offer after hours care.
That is where VetTriage comes in.
If you feel your pet may need emergency vet care, but do not know where to go, you can call them.
VetTriage costs $50 per appointment for their on-demand video chat.
During this chat the vet can look at your pet and you can advise on your concerns.
The vet will then let you know if your pet can wait until morning to make a trip to the local vet, or if you should in fact get to the vet immediately.
They will also help connect you with the closest ER vet or on-call veterinarian to help you.
Chewy Connect With A Vet
- Cost: $14.99 for text chat / $19.99 for video call, free for Chewy autoship customers
- Availability: 8am-11pm EST every day, unavailable in Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho and Montana
- Types of Pets: Dogs and Cats
- Consultation Type: Basic guidance and advice, no medical diagnose or prescriptions can be offered
- Access Type: Web based
Many people do not realize that Chewy has their own online portal for getting vet help.
Their Connect with a Vet service is free for Chewy autoship customers (which everyone should really be anyway because they are the BEST company to get your pet goods from).
You can choose to have a text chat which is $14.99 or live video call which is $19.99.
Accessing a veterinarian is easy, just visit Connect With A Vet from your computer or phone and then click the connect now button.
You will have the opportunity to ask questions, upload images or schedule a video call.
Video calls are limited to 20-minutes and can be scheduled 30 minutes to 2 weeks in advance.
Veterinarians can assist with basic questions around health and behavior for dogs and cats.
The veterinarians on this platform cannot diagnose or treat a medical condition or prescribe medication.
It is available from 8am – 11pm EST every day but is not currently available in Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho or Montana.
FAQ
What is the best virtual vet?
The best virtual vet is the one that meets YOUR needs. The list above offers many options for you to consider. Most have decent reviews and have many happy clients. But you need to consider your own needs. Do you have a budget? Do you just need a one time call? Are you only interested in using it for emergencies? Ask yourself your needs before making the leap into what will be the best virtual vet for you.
Can online veterinarians prescribe medications?
No, online veterinarians cannot prescribe medications for your pet. Because there is no relationship between the vet and your pet and no understanding of past medical history it would not be safe for an online vet to prescribe medications.
Do virtual veterinarians accept pet insurance?
Some do! Each online vet is different, so be sure to check with them before you start your session.
Hello! Online veterinarians can prescribe medications in certain states. For example, NJ, VA, OK, and MI are some states that allow online vets to prescribe medication without a VCPR. During the height of the pandemic, more states allowed vets to prescribe online for safety purposes. These prescription meds are non-controlled, widely used, and often low-risk drugs such as antibiotics, skin creams, and ear drops.
Hi Kay, thank you for clarifying!