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Pet well soon: Online vet services for your sick furbabies

MANILA, Philippines – These days it can be unsafe to leave the house for even the quickest of trips, so when Bantay starts throwing up after every meal or Mingming is less energetic than usual, pet parents are left in a quandary – do we brave the Omicron cesspool out there for our beloved pets?

Thanks to the Internet, we don’t always have to. A number of vets are now offering their services online, and it works a lot like a teleconsultation with human doctors. Via voice calls, video calls, or even messaging, you can bring up any medical concerns you may have about your pet, and get prescriptions and recommendations from licensed vets. It can save you both a risky trip to the vet and potentially your furbaby’s life.

Most of these services come with a caveat – since the vet’s examination of the pet is limited, their treatment plans and prescriptions may be limited as well. If it’s a matter of life and death (if your pet is bleeding, or has eaten something toxic for instance), it’s best to bring them to an open pet hospital ASAP.

For less urgent health concerns (or if you need help in giving your pet basic first aid before heading to a clinic), here are a few online vet services you can try:

VetMo: VetMo has a team of 14 qualified veterinarians who can help answer concerns about cats, dogs, and even reptiles.

Zippet: Zippet is a spinoff of the Facebook group Free Vet Consult, which gave out veterinary advice to members online.

EasyVet: Aside from offering the usual slate of veterinary services (vaccinations, deworming, heartworm preventive), this Bataan-based vet clinic and pet supply store also does online consultations, available to patients anywhere in the Philippines.

Vet Online PH: This service offers online consultations with licensed veterinarians, and they come highly-rated, based on Facebook reviews.

Bonus: Pet Vet Corner: This Facebook group allows members to post any questions or concerns about their pets, and only licensed, pre-approved vets are allowed to answer.

Internet: <www.rappler.com>.

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There is not a veterinarian service if you need help with a reptile.