How to Get Online Veterinary Advice

Sometimes a pressing question might come up about your pet's health and a veterinary office isn't open to find out what's wrong. Finding advice online can be a good way to determine what might be wrong; however, there is a method to sifting through all those search results.

Online advice for medical reasons might sound like a bad idea, since anyone can post on the Web their own opinion about it, but in reality, it can be a very important tool to really understand what might be going on with your pet.

Some reputable websites with veterinary advice include: VetInfo, Web-DVM and Veterinary Partner. There are some other tips to keep in mind as well.

• Forums can be a good way to find information, but most of the time, they might not have the right advice. Try to avoid them. 


• Look for websites with certified veterinarians on staff who can provide advice online, rather than just asking random people.


• Use keywords like "veterinary advice" or "certified vet advice" to find reputable sources.


• If the previous keywords are not helping, do a search of the symptoms your pet is experiencing and look for a website with a reputable veterinary association or single veterinarian maintaining it.

What if you already know what your pet has, but, would like to find more information? The websites previously mention can help, as well as doing a search on the name of the condition your pet might have. If you know what your pet has, here are some things to consider when doing a search online.

• On the flipside of finding what your pet might have, forums can be a good way to talk to others whose pets have the same ailment.


• Again, look for websites that are written or maintained by veterinarians.


• Print out information you find online, and if possible, bring it to your own veterinarian to discuss.

While finding extended information on the Internet is perfectly fine, it is always suggested to reinforce that information with advice from your own veterinarian to make sure everything matches up. Also, when finding information online, try not to fall for the hysteria--sometimes your pet can just have a simple problem and not a life-threatening issue.