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 alagas?

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. Booking a session with any of their qualified vets is as simple as sending them a DM on Facebook Messenger. You can choose to consult through phone calls (for Globe subscribers only), video calls on Google Meets or Zoom, and Google chat. Consultation costs P349 per pet, and they keep their lines open for two days after the session for any follow-up questions.

Zippet

The brainchild of veterinarian Chrysobel Ramos, Zippet is a spinoff of the Facebook group Free Vet Consult, which gave out veterinary advice to members online. You can book a virtual vet visit on their website and consult with a licensed vet via Google Meet, Skype, or Viber with a rate of P250 for a 30-minute session. Aside from vet consults, Zippet also offers online classes on pet care, with sessions about pet first aid, pet nutrition, caring for baby animals, and caring for senior pets.

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. Online consultations are at P350 per session, and can be booked via Facebook messenger.

Vet Online PH

This service offers online consultations with licensed veterinarians, and they come highly-rated, based on Facebook reviews. Based on these reviews, they respond quickly, even at odd hours, and consultation is pretty straightforward and done over Facebook messenger. Prescriptions and treatment are given online as well.

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. It’s a free service and only a handful of vets cater to thousands of members around the world so posters are never guaranteed an answer, but with so many pet owners in one group it’s practically a library for pet health advice, given by actual vets. It’s perfect if you have any non-urgent concerns, general questions, or are seeking additional opinions about your pet’s health. – Rappler.com