Online Vets

Has anyone used any of the online vet sites?

No....and, I can assure you that I would not - under ANY circumstances.

I've had occasion to read some of the back-and-forths between "patients/clients" and online Veterinarians on some of these sites.

Not only have I not been impressed, but disturbed at times by the "advice" - or lack thereof - provided in the replies.

Ask yourself this: what trained, competent, professional would take on work like this for minimal monetary return?

I can think of many explicit reasons against using such "services" (disservices???), but my bottom line advice would be that you save your money and find a local, competent, feline-only Veterinary clinic.

I wouldn't use such sites either. IMO, sites that offer such services should not exist either; they take advantage of certain kinds of pet owners: Those who are super nervous and cannot wait to see the vet, OR those who either cannot afford a vet or are too cheap to go to one. Basically, the same reasons why people use human health websites in favor of actual health care. Someone who isn't feeling well will often go to Google or to a health forum and get medical advice from strangers because they're paranoid or won't go to an actual doctor for whatever reason.Could a doctor effectively diagnose a person over the phone? This is why if you call a doctor or an emergency room, they will just tell you to come in (usually) if you're worried. And if there is an issue the online vet feels is going on, they will most likely tell you to go to the vet anyway. Not to mention having a vet examine your cat in person can allow that vet to find symptoms the owner may not see or be aware of. So rather than wasting $20 or more to have an online vet tell you to go to an actual animal clinic, just skip the online discussion and make an appointment with your local vet.

Thanks for the insite. I have been in and out of my vets office 5 times in the past 3 weeks. I am frustrated and at my wits end. I did contact an online vet that confirmed stuff I learned through this site and of course Ieill be calling my vet the first thing in the morning.

Katherine123 said:

...I have been in and out of my vets office 5 times in the past 3 weeks. I am frustrated and at my wits end.....

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Well, I can only tell you what I would do IF I were in that position.....I would look around for a cat-only clinic. If I couldn't find one in the Yellow Pages (yes, I know, quite old-fashion!), I would use this nifty site http://www.catvets.com/findadoctor/findadoctor.aspx

That said, I've also learned that, just because a Vet is a member of the AAFP, that in itself is no guarantee of competency....it IS a good starting point, however.

Katherine123 said:

Thanks for the insite. I have been in and out of my vets office 5 times in the past 3 weeks. I am frustrated and at my wits end. I did contact an online vet that confirmed stuff I learned through this site and of course Ieill be calling my vet the first thing in the morning.

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Here in the UK I would look for a second vet, or ask for a second opinion, or a referal to Glasgow or Edinburgh Vet Schools.  We have very few cat-only vets here, but plenty of truely excellent and caring vets and I'd rather have one of those than an indifferent cat-only vet.

BTW what is going on with your cat?