Stick to One Local Vet
As we are sure you are aware there are many online veterinary services offering virtual consultations, whilst this can seem like a convenient way of accessing veterinary care it can also pose a few problems. We aim to outline a few below and also explain why at Huckleberry’s our policy is that you are only registered with one veterinary service, much like yourself with a doctors practice!
Stick to One Local Vet
As we are sure you are aware there are many online veterinary services offering virtual consultations, whilst this can seem like a convenient way of accessing veterinary care it can also pose a few problems. We aim to outline a few below and also explain why at Huckleberry’s our policy is that you are only registered with one veterinary service, much like yourself with a doctors practice!
Many online consulting platforms state that they can solve a vast majority of veterinary problems without having to see your pet however this can be misleading.
Online vets are not legally able to prescribe a number of treatments including antibiotics, anti fungal and anti viral medications, parasite (flea) treatments and any controlled drugs.
Certain symptoms or conditions may appear minor but could signal a more serious problem. In a physical exam a vet can touch, palpate and assess your pets overall demeanour, which provides important clues which a virtual consultation can’t capture. Even with the best intentions online vets must rely on verbal descriptions, which can be subjective or incomplete.
Relying on these alone increases the chance of incorrect assessments, potentially leading to delayed or ineffective treatments.
There have been a number of cases where an online or mobile veterinary service has advised certain treatments or procedures and then the client is under the impression that we can just book theatre time based on another vets recommendations. Unfortunately this is not the case, we will not book any theatre/ xray/ dental time for a procedure unless a Huckleberry vet has done a face to face consultation and made an assessment for themselves.
We have had clients and other members of the public asking us to fulfil prescriptions issued by an online vet after a virtual consultation. We are not willing to do this as we are not a pharmacy. We will only dispense prescription medication to patients that have been fully examined by one of our vets.
These platforms might seem useful especially out of hours to put your mind at rest but remember you can always call us or message via PetsApp which is free of charge (outside of our opening hours your call will be forwarded to South Downs Emergency Services who are happy to speak to you about any concerns you may have). It is also worth checking with your insurance company as they may offer virtual consultations for free to help you decide if you are worrying unnecessarily or need an urgent face to face appointment.
Any questions or concerns please feel free to call for a chat.
There have been a number of cases where an online or mobile veterinary service has advised certain treatments or procedures and then the client is under the impression that we can just book theatre time based on another vets recommendations. Unfortunately this is not the case, we will not book any theatre/ xray/ dental time for a procedure unless a Huckleberry vet has done a face to face consultation and made an assessment for themselves.
We have had clients and other members of the public asking us to fulfil prescriptions issued by an online vet after a virtual consultation. We are not willing to do this as we are not a pharmacy. We will only dispense prescription medication to patients that have been fully examined by one of our vets.
These platforms might seem useful especially out of hours to put your mind at rest but remember you can always call us or message via PetsApp which is free of charge (outside of our opening hours your call will be forwarded to South Downs Emergency Services who are happy to speak to you about any concerns you may have). It is also worth checking with your insurance company as they may offer virtual consultations for free to help you decide if you are worrying unnecessarily or need an urgent face to face appointment.
Any questions or concerns please feel free to call for a chat.