Online vet guide: what telehealth can do for your pet
Key Takeaways
- Online vet care lets you connect with a licensed vet via video to diagnose, treat, and prescribe.
- Vets at Dutch can 150+ pet issues virtually, including pain, allergies, anxiety, and parasites.
- 71 percent of Dutch treatment plans, including prescriptions, are sent within 30 minutes of a visit.
- A Dutch membership costs less than a single traditional vet visit and covers unlimited calls for up to 5 pets.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Kate Elden, DVM
Short Answer
An online vet is a licensed veterinarian who sees patients over video instead of in person. You describe the problem, show your pet on camera, and the vet reviews their history and recommends treatment, with prescriptions sent the same day in most states. It covers about 90 percent of common pet issues. Bloodwork, imaging, dental work, and physical exams still need an in-person visit.
Most pet parents have been there: your dog is scratching constantly, your cat is acting off, or you're pretty sure something needs a prescription. Yet getting a vet appointment this week feels impossible.
Online vet care was built for exactly that. Dutch connects pet parents with licensed vets for same-day telehealth pet care in most states, with prescriptions shipped directly to your door. Some conditions, such as bloodwork, imaging, and physical examination, still require an in-person visit, and vets at Dutch will let you know when that's the case.
What is an online vet?
An online vet is a licensed veterinarian who sees patients via video call rather than in person. The experience is similar to a regular vet visit. Pet owners describe what's going on, show their pet on camera; the vet reviews their health history, assesses the situation, and recommends next steps. If medication is needed, it can be prescribed the same day in most states. For pet parents looking for the best online vet, the comparison usually comes down to clinical quality, access to prescriptions, and same-day availability.
How does telehealth for pets work? The main difference between an in-person visit and a virtual visit isn't the quality of care; it's the logistics. No waiting room. No stressing out a cat who hates the carrier. No taking hours off work for a 20-minute appointment. For the vast majority of common pet health issues, a video call provides a vet with everything they need to make a sound clinical decision.
Dutch is a membership-based online vet service. Pet parents book an appointment with licensed vets via the app or web for same-day video consultations, get prescriptions for 150+ conditions, and receive treatment delivered to their door. All of it costs less than a single in-person vet visit. Vets at Dutch are independent, licensed practitioners who bring the same expertise you'd expect at a clinic. The same telehealth model works for both species: televet for dogs and televet for cats covers the most common conditions in each.
Our vets can treat 90 percent of common pet issues virtually. What's more, 71 percent of Dutch treatment plans are sent within 30 minutes of a vet visit, including prescriptions.
What can a vet at Dutch do via video?
This is the question we get all the time. 24/7 online vets can treat many conditions via video. The best telehealth providers are realistic about what they can help with and when a pet needs to be seen in the office.
What a vet at Dutch can do via video
- Diagnose visible skin conditions: rashes, hot spots, hair loss, redness, sores.
- Assess eye and ear issues: discharge, swelling, redness, odor.
- Evaluate behavioral signs of pain, anxiety, or illness: posture, movement, reactivity.
- Review full medical records
- Diagnose and treat common infections: skin, ear, urinary tract, and respiratory.
- Prescribe medications for 150+ conditions, including pain, allergies, anxiety, parasites, and infections.
- Refill prescriptions via online pharmacy for stable conditions without a repeat visit.
- Advise on nutrition, supplements, behavioral concerns, and preventive care.
- Determine whether an in-person visit at a veterinary hospital is needed and what type of specialist to see.
What requires an in-person visit to an animal hospital
- Physical examination: palpation for lumps, abdominal tenderness, and lymph node assessment.
- Bloodwork: confirming infections, kidney function, liver values, and thyroid levels.
- Allergy testing: identifying specific allergens or resistant bacteria (requires a specialty veterinary dermatology clinic).
- X-rays and imaging: fractures, internal organ assessment, foreign body detection.
- Dental examination and cleaning.
- Vaccinations and in-clinic procedures.
- Emergency care: difficulty breathing, collapse, suspected poisoning, trauma.
- Surgery of any kind.
Dutch Vet doesn't try to replace in-person care. It's designed to complement it. When a condition genuinely requires a physical exam or lab work, a vet will tell you during your online vet appointment and can often advise which specialist or clinic to seek.
The thing that surprises me most in telehealth is how many pet parents apologize for calling. They say things like 'I know this is probably nothing.' Telehealth is designed exactly for that uncertainty. A 10-minute call can tell you whether you're dealing with something that needs same-day care, something that can wait for a regular appointment, or something you can manage at home. That triage alone is valuable, and it's what we're here for.
Dr. Kate Elden, DVM
When to use online vs. in-person care
The right choice depends on what's going on with your pet. Here's a practical guide.
Talk to a vet online for:
- Skin conditions: itching, rashes, hair loss, hot spots, suspected allergies.
- Ear issues: suspect infections, odor, head shaking, discharge
- Urinary symptoms: frequent urination, straining, and accidents in house-trained pets.
- GI symptoms: vomiting or diarrhea lasting more than 24 hours but no blood present.
- Anxiety or behavioral concerns: separation anxiety, noise phobia, situational fear.
- Pain management: limping, stiffness, post-surgical recovery, arthritis.
- Prescription refills: stable medications your pet has been on.
- Parasite prevention: flea, tick, and heartworm prescriptions.
- General concern: "My pet seems off, and I'm not sure if it's serious."
Go to an in-person vet for:
- Difficulty breathing or labored breathing.
- Collapse, extreme weakness, or inability to stand.
- Suspected poisoning or toxin ingestion.
- Trauma: car accident, fall from height, animal attack.
- Uncontrolled bleeding.
- Facial swelling or severe allergic reaction.
- Seizures.
- Bloated or rigid abdomen.
- Complete refusal to eat for more than 48 hours.
Go to an emergency vet immediately for:
Anything in the list above. Emergency conditions are time-sensitive. If you're unsure whether something is an emergency, a vet at Dutch can often help you triage in real time, and will tell you immediately if your pet needs emergency care.
For toxicity questions, call ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center: (888) 426-4435
As a rule of thumb, if your pet is in distress, can't breathe normally, or may have ingested something toxic, go to emergency care immediately. For everything else, a vet at Dutch can usually help within the hour.
Talk to a vet at Dutch today.
- 24/7 care from top-rated vets
- Unlimited vet calls & messaging
How an online vet visit works
Here's what happens from the moment you book to the moment your treatment plan arrives. For a deeper walkthrough, see how telemedicine for pets works.
Step 1: Book a visit. Open the Dutch app or website. Choose your pet, describe what's going on, and select a time. Same-day slots are available in most states, including nights and weekends.
Step 2: The video call. You join the call from wherever you are: couch, kitchen, car. The vet reviews your pet's health history, asks about symptoms and timeline, and observes your pet via video. Most visits take 10 to 15 minutes.
Step 3: The vet assesses and diagnoses. Based on what they see and hear, the vet makes a clinical decision. If medication is appropriate, they write the prescription. If something requires in-person care, they'll tell you what to do next.
Step 4: Your treatment plan is sent. About 71 percent of Dutch treatment plans are sent within 30 minutes of the visit. Your plan includes the diagnosis, medication, dosage instructions, and any follow-up guidance.
Step 5: Rx arrives at your door. Dutch ships prescriptions directly from licensed pharmacies. Most members receive their medication within a few days. For ongoing medications, refills on stable conditions don't require a new visit.
Before your Dutch visit, take a short video of whatever you're seeing: the limp, the skin lesion, the behavior change, the breathing pattern. What you describe verbally and what a vet can observe visually are two different things. A 30-second clip taken before the call often tells us more than the description alone, and it means we can give you a more confident recommendation.
Dr. Kate Elden, DVM
Online vet prescriptions: how it works
This is the question most pet parents have before their first visit, so it's worth being specific. If you're choosing between providers, the best online vets who write prescriptions are the ones that establish a legitimate VCPR through the visit and prescribe directly afterward, no extra steps required.
The VCPR: the legal foundation
Before a vet can prescribe medication, they must establish a VCPR, or veterinarian-client-patient relationship. This is a legal requirement in all states. It means the vet has assessed your pet and knows enough about their health to be responsible for their care.
With Dutch, the VCPR is established during the video call. The vet reviews your pet's history, observes them on camera, and makes a professional clinical assessment. This is legally recognized in most states as meeting the VCPR requirement, which means a prescription can be issued during the same visit. For pet parents who want to know if it's possible to get pet prescriptions without an in-person vet visit, this is the answer: the VCPR is real, and it can be established remotely.
What conditions can be prescribed online
Vets at Dutch can prescribe for 150+ conditions, including:
- Allergy and itch relief: Apoquel, Zenrelia, Cytopoint, antihistamines.
- Anxiety and behavioral medication: fluoxetine, trazodone, gabapentin.
- Pain management: meloxicam, carprofen, Galliprant.
- Infections: antibiotics for skin, ear, and UTI.
- Parasite prevention: Bravecto, Revolution, Simparica, NexGard, Credelio, heartworm preventives.
- Chronic conditions: arthritis management, thyroid medication, Pimobendan for heart disease.
Prescription refills
For stable conditions, such as medications your pet has been on and is tolerating well, Dutch members can request refills through the app without booking a new video visit. Your vet reviews the refill request and sends an updated prescription. It's one of the features pet parents consistently say makes the most difference once they're members.
Common conditions vets help with online
To give you a sense of the day-to-day cases vets at Dutch see, here are some of the most common situations where pet parents reach out and how they get resolved.
Skin issues and rashes
Itching, hot spots, hair loss, and unexplained rashes are among the most common reasons pet parents book a visit. Many turn out to be pet allergies; some are infections; a few are ringworm, which is a fungal infection (not a worm) that's contagious to people. A vet can usually identify the cause from a video and a few good photos, and prescribe accordingly.
Parasite prevention and seasonal flare-ups
Flea and tick problems aren't year-round in every region, but they're getting closer to it. Flea and tick season shifts based on geography and climate, and a vet can help you pick the right preventive for your area. For most pets, year-round prevention is now the recommended default.
Toxin exposure questions
Pet parents call all the time asking whether something their pet got into is dangerous. Some common questions:
- Are candles safe for pets? Most are fine when used carefully, but certain essential oils and ingestion risks make this worth knowing.
- Is marijuana poisonous to pets? Yes, particularly for dogs. THC ingestion is one of the more common emergency calls and is rising as cannabis access expands.
For confirmed or suspected ingestion of anything toxic, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (888-426-4435) and an emergency vet are the right calls. For uncertainty, a vet at Dutch can help you triage.
Post-surgery and recovery questions
Pet parents often have questions during recovery: is the wound healing right, when can we remove the Elizabethan collar, is this swelling normal? A quick video visit answers most of these without a trip back to the surgical clinic.
How much does an online vet cost?
Dutch membership vs. per-visit pricing
Dutch operates on a membership model rather than per-visit fees. One annual membership covers:
- Unlimited vet calls and messaging.
- Custom Rx treatment plans.
- Same-day access, nights and weekends.
- Prescription refills for stable conditions.
- Up to five pets.
- Guaranteed lowest Rx prices.
- 20 percent off flea and tick medication.
The annual membership costs less than a single in-person vet visit. For pet parents with more than one pet, or any pet on ongoing medication, the value compounds quickly.
Affordable vet care and the cost of pet ownership
Vet costs are one of the largest and most variable expenses in the cost of owning a pet. Routine care, parasite prevention, dental work, and unexpected illness can add up to thousands per year. For pet parents looking for affordable vet care, telehealth memberships are one of the most reliable ways to lower the recurring cost without compromising on quality. Same-day access, prescriptions included, no per-visit fees.
Online vet vs. pet insurance: what's the difference?
Pet insurance and an online vet membership serve different purposes and work well together.
Pet insurance reimburses you for vet costs after the fact, typically in-person visits, emergency care, surgeries, and diagnostics. It doesn't usually provide access to care; it reduces the cost of care you've already received. Some plans focus only on emergencies, like accident-only pet insurance, which is cheaper but covers a much narrower set of situations.
A Dutch membership provides access. You get a licensed vet available same day, prescriptions filled and shipped, and ongoing medication management. It's not insurance against catastrophic costs; it's the care itself for the 90 percent of issues that don't require an ER.
Many Dutch members have both. Pet insurance covers the in-person, emergency, and surgical side. Dutch covers the day-to-day: the ear infection at 9 p.m., the anxiety medication refill, the "is this actually serious?" question.
How pet care has evolved
Online vet care wasn't possible a decade ago. The rules around veterinary telemedicine have shifted significantly in the past few years, driven by both demand from pet parents and policy changes that recognize remote care as legitimate.
The state of the industry
Telehealth went from niche to mainstream in a remarkably short time. The state of online veterinary care today reflects both real growth and real shakeout: some early players have closed, while others have built enough scale and clinical infrastructure to serve millions of pets. The category is here to stay.
State-by-state telehealth rules
Veterinary telemedicine is regulated at the state level, so coverage varies. Most states recognize the VCPR established via video; a few are more restrictive. California's AB-1399 was a meaningful expansion of telehealth access for California pet parents, allowing licensed vets to establish a VCPR remotely. If you're in California or Florida specifically, see our state-focused guides for California online vet care and Florida online vet care for what's available, what's covered, and what's prescribed remotely in your state.
The veterinary standards of care for telemedicine are clear: a video visit must meet the same clinical standard as an in-person visit before any prescription is written. Vets at Dutch are trained to that standard and use it on every call.
Is online vet care right for my pet?
For most common pet health situations, yes. It's faster, less stressful, and less expensive than an in-person clinic visit. But it works best when pet parents understand what it can and can't do.
Online vet care is a good fit if:
- Your pet has a visible condition you can show on camera.
- You need a prescription or refill and your pet is stable.
- You're not sure if something is serious and want a professional opinion fast.
- You have an anxious, travel-phobic, or multi-pet household where in-person visits are genuinely hard.
- Your closest vet can't see you for days or weeks.
It's not a replacement for:
- Annual wellness exams and vaccinations.
- Dental care.
- Emergency or trauma situations.
- Conditions requiring bloodwork, imaging, or physical examination to diagnose.
The best approach for most pets is to use Dutch for day-to-day and ongoing care, and maintain a local in-person vet relationship for things that genuinely require a physical exam. Vets at Dutch will always tell you when that's the case.
Talk to a vet at Dutch today.
- 24/7 care from top-rated vets
- Unlimited vet calls & messaging
About the Reviewer
Dr. Kate Elden is a licensed veterinarian and Chief Medical Officer at Dutch Vet. With over 14 years of clinical experience, she specializes in behavioral medicine, anxiety, dermatology, and chronic condition management in dogs and cats.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, for most common conditions. A licensed vet can assess visible skin issues, ear and eye conditions, behavioral signs of pain or illness, and full health history over video, and make a clinical diagnosis from that information. What they can't assess via video: anything that requires a physical touch, bloodwork, or imaging. For those situations, a vet at Dutch will tell you and advise what kind of in-person care to seek.
Yes, in most states. Once a vet establishes a VCPR (Veterinary-Client-Patient Relationship) through a video visit, they can legally prescribe medication. Vets at Dutch establish the VCPR during the call itself, which means a prescription can be issued the same visit. 71 percent of Dutch treatment plans, including prescriptions, are sent within 30 minutes.
A Dutch membership costs less than a single in-person vet visit and covers unlimited vet calls for up to five pets. Rx prices are guaranteed lowest, and prescription refills for stable conditions don't require a new paid visit.
A vet subscription (or veterinary membership) gives you ongoing access to licensed vets for a flat annual fee. With Dutch, that means unlimited video calls and messaging, prescription access and refills, and same-day care for all your pets. It works the way a gym membership works: you pay once and use it as much as you need throughout the year. Most members save far more on care and prescriptions than the membership costs.
Pet insurance reimburses you for costs after the fact: ER visits, surgeries, and diagnostics. It doesn't provide access to care; it reduces the cost of care you've already paid for. A Dutch membership provides access: a licensed vet available same day, prescriptions filled and shipped, and medication refills without repeat visit fees. They serve different purposes and work well together. Dutch covers the 90 percent of situations that don't require an ER. Pet insurance covers the other 10 percent.
Yes. With a Dutch membership, prescription refills for stable conditions are included; no new visit fee required. Your vet reviews the refill request through the app and sends an updated prescription. Conditions that need re-evaluation (new symptoms, first-time prescribing) require a new consult, but routine refills for medications your pet is tolerating well are handled without one.
Dutch offers same-day appointments including nights and weekends in most states. While there isn't a walk-in style instant connection at every hour (you book a time slot), availability is significantly broader than in-person clinics, which typically require days of lead time. For true emergencies at any hour, emergency in-person vet care is still the right call.
Use an online vet for conditions that need diagnosis and treatment but aren't life-threatening: skin issues, infections, anxiety, pain, prescription refills, and general concerns. Use an emergency vet for anything where your pet is in immediate distress: difficulty breathing, collapse, suspected poisoning, trauma, uncontrolled bleeding, or seizures. If you're unsure which category your situation falls into, a vet at Dutch can help you triage in real time and will tell you directly if your pet needs emergency care.
Online vets can't perform physical examinations, draw blood, run urinalysis, take X-rays or imaging, administer vaccines, do dental cleanings, or perform any surgical procedure. These all require a physical presence. For everything else, like diagnosis, prescription, treatment planning, medication management, and behavioral guidance, a video visit is fully capable. Vets at Dutch are trained to tell you when your pet needs something only an in-person vet can provide.
Book a visit with a vet at Dutch, describe what's going on, and join the video call. The vet assesses your pet, makes a diagnosis, and if medication is appropriate, sends the prescription. It's filled by a licensed pharmacy and shipped to your door. The whole process, from booking to prescription sent, takes under an hour for most members.
Dutch is a membership-based online vet service that connects pet parents with licensed vets via video for same-day care. One annual membership covers unlimited vet calls and messaging, prescriptions for 150+ conditions, Rx refills, and coverage for up to five pets. All for less than the cost of a single in-person vet visit. Vets at Dutch are independent licensed practitioners who bring the same clinical expertise you'd expect at a clinic. Available in most states.
Vets at Dutch are independently licensed practitioners. Not AI, not chatbots. The VCPR requirement is met through the video visit before any prescription is issued, which is the same legal standard in-person vets follow. Whether it's worth it depends on how often you use it: pet parents with a dog on ongoing medication, multiple pets, or limited local vet access typically recoup the membership cost within their first visit.
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