FAQ

You can talk to a vet or email a vet.

You can use messenger chat or choose a video consult.

You can upload pictures, videos or files – whatever you need to to get the best answers from the vet.

We are convenient

Yep. We are Australia’s only 24-hour online vet service. No appointments are necessary. You can ask a vet a question now if you want. We are waiting….

No more inconvenience of trying to get to a vet clinic, coping with traffic, bad weather, trying to fit a clinic visit in around kids after school activities or hey….even your job.

Our vets are available 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year. Want to talk to a vet at 2am, no problem.

Over 70% of Problems Can Be Treated At Home

Yes, you heard me correctly.
The vast majority of things that go wrong with our animals can be helped with treatments we can give ourselves at home.
BUT, you need qualified advice for what you can do, and what you can’t do.

Why stress out your pet (or yourself!) getting to a clinic? Talk to us. We can determine what the issue is and provide options for you to manage and treat from home.

We Provide Affordable Vet Care – No Surprises

Talk to a vet for A$49.95
Email a vet for A$14.95
Get a script for A$30

Our expert advice is delivered by registered Australian veterinarians. Not vet nurses, not vet techs (no disrespect to these peeps….they are amazing), only vets.

No bullshit. We aren’t affiliated with any vet clinics, so we won’t be trying to get you to go to a clinic or get a home vet service out to visit unless we absolutely think your pet or horse needs an in-person visit.

You can ask your question and get the answers you need to get peace of mind you are doing the right thing.

We might not be the cheapest and we aren’t Dr Google or a Facebook Forum.

Nope. We are qualified, registered vets who work in clinical practice. You can be totally assured that you are getting the best advice.

I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’m asked this question! I find it a little ironic, because it seems people are quite happy to ask questions on Facebook or in Forums yet are scared to ask a real vet on an online platform.

Let me reassure you.

When you use Your Vet Online to get health advice about your pets and horses you will be talking to a registered Australian vet.

Consults Last 15 Minutes

The consult lasts about 15 minutes, although we won’t cut you off if we need to take longer.

Generally speaking, we use a chat program to talk to you. It’s just like Messenger. You can upload photos, videos, blood results, xrays, whatever you think will help us to get a better idea of what is happening with your pet or horse.

If we need to assess an animal in real-time, then we use video. This allows us to see exactly what is going on.

The Consult Process

The consulting process begins with you telling us what the problem is and some details like age, sex, current medications etc.

We then ask you questions….warning…there may be a lot!

We need to get right to the nitty-gritty of what is going on so that we can understand exactly what is happening.

The more detail you share with us, the better. Depending on the problem we might ask you what diet your pet is fed, when the problem occurs, what behaviour you see etc. You can download this History Form to help you to collect the information that would be helpful for an online consult.

Once we have collected the history and depending on the problem we might ask you to take a look at your animal and tell us what you see.

For example, we might ask you to count the number of breaths it takes, or show us the area of skin where a wound is present, or check gum colour.

If it’s a horse with a lameness problem it is worthwhile having two people so that we can see the horse being trotted up, or pre-record a video.

If you have vet notes, pictures or blood results we will ask you to load these up.

Once we have collected all the information we will have a much better idea of what the problem might be and how we can treat it.

In general, we try to use animal medications, however, if clinics are closed or you are rural with no access to a pharmacy we can assist by choosing regular medications you might have on hand or get from a local store.

In some circumstances, we will be able to write a prescription. You can check here to determine what conditions we may be able to prescribe for.

Please note, the ability to prescribe medication is not to be taken lightly and is governed by law.

If the vet does not deem your pet or horse is eligible for a prescription and requires an in-person visit with a vet, this is because it is impossible for us to determine what the correct medication is.

Please remember all our vets have your animal’s best interests at heart, always.

In some circumstances, we can help walk/talk you through a procedure. This might be assisting you with how to place a bandage, give an injection, treat a wound.

The chat service can be transcribed so you have a record of what to do, we also can send you a list of recommendations if required.

If your regular vet requires a record of what we recommended we can organise to send them a note too.

All in all the online vet consult is not hugely different from a regular consult at a clinic. To find out more about what conditions we can help you with read here.

The big difference between these types of questions is that an email question does not allow for any further questioning and is for questions that can be answered relatively quickly, i.e. 5 minutes!

An email question will not allow you to forward any pictures or videos. There will be no back and forwards communication. We will often answer email questions with reference to an article that we may have written. We are unable to prescribe medications off the back of an email question. 

In-depth consults do not require booking. Unlike your regular vet or other online vet services Your Vet Online vets are ready and waiting to answer your questions in a consult right when you need them. 

Email Questions are not designed for emergencies and will be answered within 12 hours. The vast majority are answered within 2 hours. 

Another awesome question and one we get asked a lot. 

All veterinarians follow a logical approach to solving a health problem. This is based on our training, experience and the probability of a particular problem occurring based on the history we collect.  

Regardless of whether a consult is online or not, the history is the most important part of the whole consult process. 

With our extensive training, we recognise clues that the history gives us that can guide us to what might be wrong with your animal. 

• Some health problems are more common than others.
• Some issues might rarely be found in older animals but are very common in the very young.
• Some diseases only occur in certain regions of a country or at a certain time of the year. 

Our ability to determine what is wrong with your animal is determined a lot by the answers that you give us. 

We will also ask you to examine the animal to give us further clues as to what may be the issue. We might ask you to count the breaths, lift up the lip to view the gums or show us the wound on a leg. With all this information we are able to make an educated assessment of what is wrong with your animal. 

We will then advise whether further testing is required, whether a home treatment can be given or if we need to provide a script. 

If we determine that your pet or horse requires an in person vet visit, we can advise you why we think this, what tests may be required and when you might need to take your animal.  

In some circumstances we might recommend that if no improvement occurs after X amount of time, you take your pet or horse to the clinic. 

There are very few situations that require an emergency dash to a veterinary clinic. Generally speaking, if you aren’t sure then it’s best to contact us to help you make that decision. That way you are not putting your animal’s welfare at risk. 

Unlike other Australian online services Your Vet Online doesn’t require an appointment. Our vets are available 24/7, 365 days of the year. 

Once you have made your payment you are in control of when you start your consult. The vet will typically begin your consultation in less than 5 minutes. Please keep your browser window open and they will be right with you.

Our vets are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

• An In-depth Consultation costs AUD$49.95, 
• An Email Quick Question costs AUD$14.95
• A Prescription costs AUD$30.00 (must have an In-depth Consult)

After consulting on 1000s of cases since 2015 we have yet to receive a question that we have been unable to help a client with. 

If on the rare occasion one of our veterinarians is genuinely unable to help you, and we cannot find a vet that can, your payment will be fully reimbursed and we will help you to seek guidance from the right source.

If you are not happy with the service you receive, please contact customercare@yourvetonline.com. We will review your question and answers and if our medical director deems it to be incomplete or inadequate you will receive a full refund and we will provide a more informed answer to your question.

Our vets are fully qualified to assist you with all animals: 

• cats 
• dogs
• horses
• pocket pets such as rabbits, rats, ferrets, guinea pigs
•  ruminants such as cows, sheep, goats, alpacas and llamas
• birds, reptiles and wildlife

Let’s not beat around the bush, there are some conditions that an online vet just won’t be able to help you with.

That said though, if you aren’t sure what is going on with your pet or horse, then talking to us first can either save you from an inconvenient trip to a vet, or help you to understand what the vet might need to do and give you a guide on expectations.  

Even if we determine that your pet or horse does require an examination and/or have tests performed (bloods, xrays, urinalysis, swabs for cytology) we will help you understand exactly what is required and what the vet will do. That’s a bonus! 

Let’s consider the main things we can help with:

When You Think Something Might Be Wrong

The biggie is when you just aren’t too sure what is going on with your animal. Yep, vague. You kind of think something might be up. Maybe they aren’t eating as much, their behaviour has changed in some way, they aren’t wanting a cuddle? But what’s wrong?

When you are not sure about something then it’s always wise to ask an expert vet. Why worry yourself sick looking up every symptom in the book and thinking your pet is dying? After a consult with one of our experienced vets we will be able to provide you with answers. 

Behavioural Problems

Whether it’s your cat peeing outside the litter box or your dog showing signs of separation anxiety when you leave the house, behaviour problems can really upset the dynamics in your family household.

Our vets can help you to determine what the problem is, why it occurs and get you started on a treatment program. 

In cases where your pet really does need to go to the vet and they are petrified, we can help you by prescribing medication to assist with this process if your regular vet won’t do this. 

3. Nutrition and Weight Management Questions

Our vets have years of nutritional training in small animals, horses and ruminants. We are well versed in diets and can assist when you need advice on what to feed. Whether it is a dog with allergies or a horse that has metabolic syndrome, we can assist with information about what to feed and when. We also have programs available to assist with weight management. We all know that carrying excess weight is unhealthy for us, well, our animals are no different. 

General Medical Questions

How many times has something happened...maybe your pet got diarrhoea or starts vomiting and you really don’t know if you need to go to the vet or if you can ‘ride’ it out at home? 

Perhaps your cat has been diagnosed with diabetes and is acting weird? Or you’ve found worms in your horse’s poop and want to know what the best program is for treating this? Our vets can help you with any medical question. We will advise how to manage and treat at home and when it is vital that you go to the clinic to seek specialised care. 

• Vomiting
• Diarrhoea
• Medication questions - double checking dose rates
• Toxicity questions i.e. my dog has eaten chocolate, my cat has been sprayed with permethrin
• Urination problems - blood, straining, going in unusual places
• Arthritis management and treatment
• Allergies management and treatment
• Reproduction - new puppies, birth, questions about mating
• Vaccinations - what you need, when to get them, titre testing
• Skin problems - infections, allergies, wounds

Aging Pets and Horses

Just like us, our animals seem to get more health issues as they age. Often they start to do ‘weird’ things and it’s difficult to know if this is a medical problem or a behavioural problem. Many times a chat to a vet is enough to get your pet or horse onto a plan to improve their quality of life. We can assist with options for management of issues such as cancer, cognitive dysfunction, arthritis, cardiac disease or seizures to name a few.

Most importantly we can be a sounding board for when you need to talk over quality of life and when you might need to make the hard decision to euthanise your mate.  

Purchasing a New Pet or Horse

There aren’t too many situations that our vets haven’t come across before, so when it comes to purchasing a pet or horse for the first time, it’s always a great idea to get an expert opinion. 

Our vets can help you with purchasing decisions as well as giving an opinion about whether a particular breed or rescue would be suitable for you and your family. 

Owning a pet or a horse is a long term decision. We are always here to help you make the right decisions for your circumstances. 

We can help you understand what tests you might need to ask a breeder or owner about i.e. hereditary conditions that might be prevalent within a breed. 

We are here to advise you on all the vaccinations and preventative care that is required. 

Second Opinions

We help a lot of people who just need reassurance they are doing the right thing by their pet. We call this a second opinion. 

Basically, you’ve been to the vet, they’ve diagnosed an issue and either you don’t understand and need clarification or you would like another vet’s opinion about the case. 

In these circumstances we ask that you request your vet to forward a copy of your pet’s notes, blood tests and/or radiographs to customercare@yourvetonline.com. 

We will then alert you when we receive the records and you can then book your consult at a time that suits. We can give a second opinion on medical or surgical cases and radiographs. Any case where you are unsure, we are always available to assist. 

When You Don’t Have A Vet

Sometimes, for whatever reason you don’t have a regular vet or maybe you just don’t have access to a vet.

It might be that you are new to an area, or perhaps you are rural or maybe you are on holiday.

We never know when you might need a vet and having the option to use the Your Vet Online service can be a relief when you are stuck with no vets around you. 

Medication and Supplement Queries

There are often times when you might have a query about the medication your animal has been given such as double checking an important fact like dose rate.

If you ever have a query like this it is very important to discuss it with a vet, and as you know, unlike Your Vet Online, not all vets are available 24/7. Rather than take a guess, it is far better to be safe than sorry and ask one of our vets for advice. 

We also see how popular it is for people to give their pets and horses supplements. Many of these supplements are not registered and/or regulated so it makes sense to discuss the pros and cons of using them. 

It is very important that you don’t give your animals vitamins and minerals willy nilly. A bit of this and a bit of that can have devastating consequences. A couple of examples that spring to mind immediately are Vitamin D and Selenium. In excess, both these supplements can cause severe toxicity including death. 

At this moment in time Your Vet Online can provide prescriptions for animals in Australia only. 

To legally provide a script there must be vet-client-patient relationship. That means that we must have an online consult, or you have visited your regular vet within a week of requesting an emergency script, i.e. you are on holiday and have forgotten your animal's medications. 

We understand that some vets are refusing to provide scripts. We don’t agree with this and recognise that not everyone has the same means to afford medication from a vet clinic. 

In saying this, we must act within the realms of the law and practice evidence based medicine. This means there may be times that we will NOT write a script for conditions that have not been diagnosed properly. 

This is because for some conditions it is impossible to tell via an online consult what the problem is caused by without further diagnostics eg. coughs, nasal discharge, smelly breath, blood in urine to name a few. 

Some conditions/drugs that we will not write a script for if your regular vet has not made a diagnosis:

• Suspect ear infections with a request for antibiotics - requires swabs and cytology result (within the week before a request is made).
• Any kind of anabolic steroid
• Any kind of sedation for horses
• Opioid medications
• Any condition that might require antibiotics i.e. cough, blood in urine, sneeze, nasal discharge without a diagnosis. 

Your Vet Online reserves the right to decline providing a script. If you have paid for this service, then you will be able to request the script once your regular vet has performed the diagnostics required. 

There are no refunds for scripts, your account will remain in credit. (Refunds are available for non-Australian residents who order scripts by accident). 

1. Fill out the online form to order your script
2. Pay for your script
3. Request your animal's vet records be sent to us at customercare@yourvetonline.com
4. Wait for us to email you that we have received these
5. Book your in-depth one on one online consult with our veterinarians
6. Our vet will email your script to the pharmacy of your choice (or we will suggest a pharmacy)
7. Our vet will email you to advise that your script has been sent and you can order your animal's medications. 

For ALL cases Your Vet Online requires a copy of your pet or horse’s veterinary record from your regular vet. Please ask your vet to email this to customercare@yourvetonline.com

If you wish us to provide a script without access to your animal's records, we will ask you to sign a statement that declares that you understand the risks of us not knowing your animal's history. 

If your pet or horse has not been seen by a veterinarian within the last week for the condition that you require medications for, you will need to book an online consult. Please wait to hear from us to confirm that we have received the records. This means our vets can read these PRIOR to the consult. 

Once you have received an email from us to say that we have received your pet or horse’s records you can book your online consult for a time that is convenient to you. Remember Your Vet Online is available 24 hours a day! 

If you visited your vet within the last week, then you may not require a consult. We will let you know in an email. 

Once it is determined that we can provide a script you will then need to fill in a form here to order your script. Make sure you put your full postal address and contact details. I can’t stress this enough, we are not mind readers. 

We will ask you to choose the online pharmacy that you wish to use to purchase your animal’s medication from. We have suggestions for pharmacy’s if you don’t have a preference. 

We will send your script directly to the pharmacy and email you with the link and instructions to make your purchase. Honestly, it sounds complicated, but having helped many Australian animal owners it really is quite easy! 

Your pet insurance policy may cover this online consultation, however terms, conditions and exclusions are likely to apply. 

We’ve been told this by the providers:

“This is general information only. Please consider the Combined Product Disclosure Statement, Policy Terms and Conditions and Financial Services Guide in deciding whether to acquire or continue to hold any pet insurance policy.”

Please alert our vets at the beginning of your consult if you wish to claim via insurance. 

No we don’t offer any discounts or free consults at this stage. We have done our best to ensure that our Your Vet Online services are both affordable and convenient for all our clients.

Yes, we will send the receipt directly to the email account you used when you registered with us. 

Your Vet Online does not store credit card details, and have no access to any of these details. Your Vet Online uses a third party secure payment service provided by Stripe and do not store any credit card information on our servers. See our detailed Privacy Policy for more information.