Best Online Veterinarians of 2024 (2024)

Dogs

Vetster is the best online veterinarian with a marketplace-based approach

• 01 of 04

  Best Overall: Vetster

  

  Key Specs

  • Services: 24/7 on-demand vet appointments, prescription service (only available in some U.S. states), wellness plan
  • Unique Features: Curated collection of pet telehealth news and resources
  • Cost: Starting at $50, but pricing will vary by vet and location

  Why We Chose It

  Vetster uses a marketplace-based approach to virtually connect you with vet care professionals in your area.

  Pros

  • Ability to choose between vets and vet techs

  • Emphasis on finding medical professionals near you

  • Profiles and review systems add confidence

  Cons

  • Some areas have fewer vet options

  Overview

  Vetster’s approach to telehealth may remind some people of Rover, the enormously popular app for finding pet sitters. The site allows users to search for veterinary professionals in their area and make telehealth appointments with the push of a button.

  Unlike most other online vet services, Vetster lets you choose from vet techs as well as veterinary doctors, giving you more control over pricing depending on the urgency or need for the appointment.

  Vetster’s interface is easy to use, and it’s usually possible to make an appointment for the same day. We also love that users on the medical professional side fill out profile details listing their professional designations, key areas of interest, and whether they can consult on certain issues.

• 02 of 04

  Best With Brick and Mortar: Banfield Vet Chat

  

  Key Specs

  • Services: Virtual office visit, 24/7 live vet chat, nutritional coaching session
  • Unique features: Price estimator tool
  • Cost: Wellness plans can start at $36.95 per month for dogs and $29.95 per month for cats, depending on age, breed, location, and other factors

  Why We Chose It

  Banfield Pet Hospital is an established veterinary care provider with over 1,000 locations across the country.

  Pros

  • 24/7 vet access

  • Well-designed app

  • Continuity between in-person and digital experiences

  Cons

  • Must enroll in wellness plan

  • Text-only chat

  Overview

  With locations in every state, Banfield Pet Hospital is one of the nation’s most popular vet care providers. If your furry friend is already a patient at one of its brick-and-mortar locations, you can complement their in-person care with the Vet Chat feature on the Banfield app. This tool provides around-the-clock access to a real vet, simplifying the question of whether or not to rush to urgent care after your dog eats a bag of cheese puffs.

  Vet Chat is easy to use, with a text-based interface that’s also accessible on the Banfield website. The ability to use the same service for online advice and real-world visits is also a major plus, creating consistency for your pet’s care plan.

  The only real drawback is that even if you’re already a Banfield patient, you must enroll in the company’s Optimum Wellness Plan in order to use the Vet Chat service. Visit Banfield's website for an estimated pricing calculator; monthly costs vary based on your pet’s species, age, location, and whether they are spayed or neutered.

• 03 of 04

  Best Affordable: PetCoach

  

  Key Specs

  • Services: Online consultation and expert forum
  • Unique features: Ask a Vet, Educational Center, healthy pet weight calculator
  • Cost: $20 live chat consult; $5 per question submitted to forum

  Why We Chose It

  PetCoach is a great resource with a huge amount of free content around veterinary health as well as an easy-to-use “Ask a Vet” feature.

  Pros

  • More affordable than other telehealth services

  • Often publishes questions asked by users (with responses from vets)

  • Available as an app

  Cons

  • Some services are buried in the site

  • Content pages not organized by pet type

  Overview

  Traditional vet care can be pricey, and telehealth services for your pet can often be as well. For a more affordable option, check out PetCoach, an online and app-based provider that lets users submit questions to a vet whenever they like, or arrange for a private telehealth appointment.

  We love that PetCoach publishes a vast amount of content around a variety of veterinary care topics, including many of the questions and responses submitted by the app’s users.

  If there’s one drawback, it’s that the site can be difficult to navigate, with few filters to separate content by pet type or condition (and tracking down vet profiles to set up consultations is also surprisingly tricky). However, the app is well-designed and generally easier to use.

• 04 of 04

  Best Subscription: whiskerDocs

  

  Key Specs

  • Services: 24/7 chat, phone, and text messaging
  • Unique features: Health library
  • Cost: $16.99 per month or $129.99 per year subscriptions; $39.99 per call or live chat consultation; $4.99 per email consultation

  Why We Chose It

  whiskerDocs offers a convenient monthly subscription so you can have access to vet professionals anytime you need.

  Pros

  • Offers a subscription service if you frequently need vet care

  • Options for single visits without a subscription

  • 24/7 access to a vet

  Cons

  • No ability to get a prescription

  Overview

  If you find yourself constantly coming up with questions for your vet, a subscription-based service like whiskerDocs may be a great option. This web-based veterinary service connects you to a vet or a vet tech via email, phone, or chat and is available 24/7. If your question is not urgent, you can opt for an email response, but it will take about four hours to hear back.

  whiskerDocs can answer questions and give guidance about your pet’s health, but it cannot prescribe medicine. It has options for both subscriptions and one-time visits. Plans are based on a single pet, but you can add additional pets for a discount. Basically, whiskerDocs is a great choice for anyone who wants 24/7 access to a vet for a single price.