Frequently Asked Questions

Phone A Vet connects you with a registered veterinarian via phone, video or chat to provide professional veterinary assessment and guidance.

The consultation focuses on understanding your pet’s signs, discussing likely causes, identifying risks, and helping you decide on the safest next step.

No. Telehealth is different from a clinic visit.

Your vet cannot physically examine your pet or perform diagnostic tests. However, they can assess the history and signs you describe, discuss the most likely explanations, and explain when hands-on examination is important.

Yes.

Your vet will assess the information you provide and discuss:

• the most likely causes of your pet’s signs
• other possibilities that may need to be ruled out
• which features are reassuring and which are concerning

In some cases, this may narrow the problem significantly. In others, an in-clinic exam is needed to confirm the diagnosis.

Not always.

Some conditions can be diagnosed confidently based on history and signs. Others require physical examination or tests to confirm. In those cases, your vet will explain what conditions they are considering and what a clinic visit would be looking for.

Not necessarily.

Veterinarians can only prescribe medication when it is safe and appropriate. If the likely causes cannot be reliably distinguished without examination or testing, prescribing medication may not be in your pet’s best interests.

Your vet will explain their reasoning and guide you on next steps.

You are paying for:

• professional veterinary assessment
• discussion of likely and less likely causes
• identification of risks and red flags
• clear guidance on what should happen next

Referral does not mean the consultation lacked value. It means your vet has determined that hands-on care is important to confirm the diagnosis or choose the right treatment.

Telehealth is often useful for:

• early assessment of new problems
• understanding what might be causing your pet’s signs
• deciding whether something is urgent
• guidance on monitoring and next steps

Some problems, such as ear disease, eye problems, lameness, wounds or ongoing illness, often require in-clinic examination to confirm the diagnosis.

Veterinary medicine often involves working through differential diagnoses — a short list of possible causes that fit the signs.

Telehealth allows vets to narrow this list, explain which causes are more or less likely, and decide whether further examination or tests are needed.

If technical issues prevent the consultation from being completed properly, your vet will advise you on next steps. In some cases, a refund may be appropriate.

Phone A Vet provides access to professional veterinary thinking — helping you understand what may be going on, what matters most right now, and what the safest next step is for your pet.