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Vetster Pet Vet Review

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Ratings

  • Ease Of Use – 8/10
  • Services Offered – 8/10
  • Website – 8/10
  • Convenience – 10/10
  • Price – 9/10

Overall Score: 8.6/10

Introduction

Vetster is on a mission to give pet parents access to quality pet health care anytime, anywhere at an affordable price. This online vet service is provided via video call, voice call, or text message.

The company was co-founded by entrepreneurs Mark Bordo and Regan Johnson and their medical director is Sarah Machell, DVM. They decided to use technology and the internet to provide online vet advice without leaving your home.

Pet parents can now take a proactive approach to managing their pet’s health and well-being from the comfort of the couch.

What Does Vetster Offer?

Vetster is a vet telehealth site with over 1500 licensed veterinarian professionals in areas all over North America. You have the option to choose a vet based on geographical location, reviews, available times, or type of pet being treated.

Vetster is an on-demand resource for pet parents who have questions or concerns about their furry family members. Their vets are ready to deal with everything from problems like skin issues, dietary queries, wellness, and training regimes, to general health and more.

All of the veterinarians registered on Vetster must undergo a lengthy background check. Thy provide you with access to a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM). The vets you’ll have access to have all completed extensive post-secondary education, usually around 8 years of study. The vet techs you will have access to are either registered, licensed, or certified (RVT, LVT, CVT). They are all accredited professionals with a minimum of 2 to 3 years of professional education.

How Does Vetster Work?

Vetster offers free accounts and is easy to set up. To get started you need to enter a few details about yourself, like email and where you live. From there you can go onto entering your pet descriptions and credit card information.

Basically each pet needs their own profile and medical history to store records or set up appointments. When you need to set up an appointment, you can set it up right on the website with one click.

If something changes after you set up the appointment, booking adjustments and cancellations are always free. All you need is a computer or phone to complete the appointment. You have the option of doing a video call or using a phone number to express your concerns.

The Sign Up Process

Once you have signed up for an account with your email address, you will be asked to tell them more about your pet. Vetster will then ask for name, species, color, gender, weight, date of birth and if your pet is spay or neutered.

How to add a pet profile

Once you have entered your pet information, you must provide your address and location of the pet and also credit card information. The next screen asks you to verify your phone number with a code and you are done.

The next page you will land on is your dashboard with your pet profiles. Each pet you enter has a profile you are able to edit and add pictures of. When you need to book an appointment for that pet, it is important that you do so from that pet’s profile.

What a pet profile looks like

How To Book An Appointment With Vetster?

Once you select the pet profile, for the pet who needs an appointment, you will choose the “Book a Vet” button from the left hand menu. You can book with a veterinarian or a technician but your choice could affect the cost of the appointment. Technician appointments start at $30 while veterinarian appointments start at $55.

You have the choice of appointment type

Sign Up And Book Your Appointment Now!

Once you make the selection you need to put in your location and hit the search button. A list of providers will then come up in your area that you can choose from and depending on where you live, this list could be long. Each provider lists the cost, their specialties and their available appointments.

Vetsters list of providers, services and price

Once you choose a provider you can choose from available times to book an appointment. On the appointment button, it will also tell you how much the cost will be and under that the total with tax and fees.

Once your summary is complete you will need to enter the issue your pet is having in the “Tell us about your concern” box. From there you click the “pay now” button and your appointment is booked.

How Does The Actual Appointment Work?

Once the appointment is booker, everything you need is done on the Vetster Web Application, without the use of additional downloads or software. All that is needed is a modern web browser such as Google Chrome, Firefox, or Microsoft Edge.

You will find your appointment under the appointments tab and you can click on it when your selected time occurs. This will lead you to a video screen and your chosen veterinarian on the other side. You can connect with video, voice, and/or chat-enabled options during your session. Your session is also recorded on your Vetster account, which may be helpful for your pets medical records.

Your veterinarian will answer your questions during the session and provide approximately 15 minutes of diagnosis for your pet. During this time you can explain the issue with your pet and show your vet your pet on camera. Vetster also has an option to upload any photos, videos, and medical records to your pet’s profile prior to your appointment.

What a Vetster video chat looks like

Once the session is complete, you may fulfill your pets prescription if one is given, through one of Vetster’s pharmacy partners, or you can request your veterinarian to send the prescription to your pharmacy of choice.

Vetster is also expected to launch a mobile app early next year.

What Types of Concerns Can Vetster Advise?

The scope a Vetster session with a veterinary technician can cover general health and wellness concerns such as the following:

  • Diet
  • Exercise
  • Nutrition
  • Behavioral issues
  • Weight management
  • Quality of life questions

For more concerning issues, you will want to set up a session with a veterinarian. Issues they can diagnose and provide prescriptions for are like:

  • Minor cuts or wounds
  • Behavioral concerns or aggression
  • General health and wellness concerns
  • Dietary concerns and nutritional advice
  • Wellness and training advice for puppies or kittens
  • Skin issues like itchiness, redness, and rashes
  • Infections
  • Toxicity concerns
  • Unexplained limping or lameness
  • GI issues like diarrhea and vomiting
  • Seasonal issues like bug bites or allergies

These types of consultations do not replace a face-to-face vet visit when and if you’re facing an emergency.

How Do Prescriptions Work?

If your vet recommends a prescription, it will be uploaded to your pets profile and available in a PDF form.

You do not have to fill the prescription if you are not comfortable and have the option of using your own pharmacy or utilizing one provided by Vetster.

Vetster does not prescribe narcotics or controlled substance prescriptions to be written.

Is A Service Like Vetster Worth It?

Yes if you are in need of peace of mind and can not get to a vet physically.

Vetster provides access to thousands of veterinary professionals online at any time of the day or night with just a few clicks.

Vetster’s price point makes this innovative platform for on-demand vet service something everyone can afford, in addition to the high-quality advice they offer.

Vetsters website is easy to use and allows you to set up separate profiles for each pet. They also have many partnerships in the works as well as a mobile app launching next year.

Overall Impressions

I think Vetster is great because it gives you personal, one-on-one attention from a vet while in the comfort of your own home. For people like me with two cats, who do not like to travel, this is a great option. It is also a more cost effective way to put my mind at ease when I have a concern for one of my fur babies.

Sign Up And Book Your Appointment Now!

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About Amy Brown-Towry

Amy Brown-Towry is a Certified NAVC Pet Nutritionist and animal lover. She is the proud owner of two cats and a dog and her love for animals has led her to a successful career as a freelance writer specializing in pet care, nutrition, and product reviews.