How much does an online vet cost?
An online vet costs from $102 for a single video appointment on Vetster, while subscription plans such as Vetster Plus and Dutch cost about $12 a month, billed annually ($149 a year for Dutch). An online vet can give advice, triage and, where state rules and a valid vet-client-patient relationship allow, prescribe. Emergencies, wounds that need stitches, blood work, imaging and surgery need an in-person vet.
Prices are national ranges from the sources listed below. Your price depends on your provider, location and case; confirm the cost with your provider before treatment. How we get these prices
| Item | Low | High | Typical | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vetster single video appointment[1] | $102 | Starting price for one pet; includes 48 hours of follow-up messaging | ||
| Vetster Plus subscription[1] | $12/month | Billed annually; 4 video appointments, unlimited messaging with vet techs, 50% off extra visits | ||
| Dutch annual plan[2] | $149/year | $12/month; unlimited vet calls and messaging, up to 5 pets | ||
| Care Anytime Virtual Veterinarian visits[4] | $0 | All visits included in the membership | ||
| In-person routine vet visit, for comparison[5] | $60 | $80 | $73 | |
| In-person emergency exam, for comparison[6] | $107 | $260 | Average $135 dog, $143 cat |
Online vet prices compared
Online vet services charge per visit, by subscription or as part of a membership; the table above lists the prices. What each plan adds:
- Vetster single visit: one video appointment for one pet, plus 48 hours of follow-up messaging.[1]
- Vetster Plus: four same-day video appointments a year, unlimited messaging with registered vet techs and 50% off extra visits.[1]
- Dutch: unlimited vet calls and messaging for up to 5 pets, with free prescription delivery.[2]
- Care Anytime Virtual Veterinarian: video chat or phone access to licensed veterinary professionals 24/7, with all visits included in the membership.[4]
A single online visit can cost more than an in-person checkup, which averages about $73, so compare prices with the vet visit cost guide before you book.[5]
Free online vet chat options
Fully free, open-to-anyone vet chat is rare; most free options come bundled with something you already pay for:
- Pet insurance helplines. Embrace’s PawSupport is free with every Embrace policy, by live chat, video chat or phone, 24/7. Its staff give guidance on emergencies, symptoms and medicines but cannot diagnose or prescribe.[7] Pets Best includes a 24/7 helpline staffed by vet techs and licensed vets with all its policies at no extra cost, by phone, live chat or email; it does not prescribe.[8]
- Memberships. Care Anytime members pay $0 per Virtual Veterinarian visit, because visits are included in the membership.[4]
- Your own vet. Many clinics answer quick questions by phone; ask yours whether it charges for that.
Check your pet insurance policy or any membership you already have before paying for a single online visit. If money is the problem, the vet visit cost guide has steps for when you cannot afford the vet, and the vet costs hub lists low cost vet care.
What an online vet can do
- Help you decide how urgent it is. Whether a problem needs the ER, a regular appointment or home care.
- Answer general and preventive care questions.
- Follow up on an ongoing illness or diagnosis.
- Talk through quality of life questions.
- Diagnose and prescribe for many common problems, where allowed. Dutch says its vets handle over 150 health issues and over 90% of its cases can be treated virtually.[2]
What an online vet cannot do
An online vet cannot examine your pet with their hands, take blood or run imaging. Conditions that need a hands-on physical exam, lab work or imaging usually need in-person care first.[3] Dutch lists emergencies, wounds that need stitches, blood work, imaging and surgery as needing an in-person vet, and refers those cases.[2]
Online vet prescriptions and the VCPR
- Legal everywhere, with conditions. Vetster says online prescriptions are legal in every U.S. state when specific conditions are met.[3]
- A valid vet-client-patient relationship (VCPR) comes first. Almost every state requires one before any vet, online or in person, can prescribe.[3]
- Some states need an in-person exam before an online vet can prescribe.[3]
- Controlled drugs have extra limits. They can sometimes be prescribed by telemedicine with a valid VCPR, but extra restrictions often apply.[3]
- The pharmacy sets the medicine price, not the vet.[3]
Rules depend on your state, so ask the service whether its vet can prescribe for your pet before you book.
When to go to the emergency vet instead
Skip the online visit and go straight to an emergency hospital if your pet:
- Has trouble breathing or collapses
- Is bleeding heavily or has a wound that needs stitches
- Has a seizure
- Ate something toxic
- Has a problem that needs blood work, imaging or surgery[2]
See the emergency vet cost guide for what an ER visit costs.
Talk to a vet online with Care Anytime
Care Anytime’s Virtual Veterinarian benefit gives members immediate access to licensed veterinary professionals by video chat or phone, 24 hours a day, every day of the year, as often as needed. Members pay $0 because all visits are included in the membership. Use it when you are unsure if your pet’s situation is urgent, have questions about quality of life, need general guidance or want a virtual visit about an ongoing illness, including advice on whether to go to a day practice or the ER.[4]
Frequently asked questions
How much does an online vet cost?
Vetster's single video appointments start at $102. Subscriptions cost less per visit: Vetster Plus is $12 a month billed annually with four video visits, and Dutch's annual plan is $149 for unlimited calls and messaging. Care Anytime members pay $0 for Virtual Veterinarian visits, which are included in the membership.
Can I get antibiotics for my dog online without a vet prescription?
Prescription medicine needs a prescription from a vet. An online vet can write one only where state rules allow, and almost every state requires a valid vet-client-patient relationship first; some require an in-person exam. Talk with a vet before giving your dog any medicine.
Can an online vet prescribe medication?
Sometimes. Vetster says online prescriptions are legal in every U.S. state when conditions are met: almost every state requires a valid vet-client-patient relationship (VCPR), and some require an in-person exam first. Controlled drugs carry extra restrictions. The pharmacy you choose sets the medicine price, not the vet.
What can an online vet help with?
Dutch says its vets can diagnose and prescribe for over 150 health issues and that over 90% of its cases can be treated virtually. Common uses are deciding whether a problem is urgent, questions about an ongoing illness, quality of life questions and general preventive care.
When should I go to the emergency vet instead?
Go in person for emergencies, wounds that need stitches, and anything that needs blood work, imaging or surgery. If your pet has trouble breathing, collapses, bleeds heavily, has a seizure or ate something toxic, go straight to an emergency hospital.
What is a vet-client-patient relationship?
A VCPR is the formal relationship in which a vet takes responsibility for your pet's medical care. Almost every state requires one before a vet, online or in person, can prescribe, and some states require an in-person exam to set it up.
Sources
- Vetster. Vetster Plus: online vet care plans. Accessed October 30, 2026.
- Dutch. Dutch Pricing. Accessed October 30, 2026.
- Vetster. How do online vet prescriptions work? Cost, rules, and how to fill one. Accessed October 30, 2026.
- Care Anytime. Virtual Veterinarian. Accessed October 30, 2026.
- Lemonade. How Much Does a Vet Visit Cost?. Accessed October 30, 2026.
- CareCredit. Emergency Vet Visit Cost and Veterinary Financing. Accessed October 30, 2026.
- Embrace Pet Insurance. PawSupport: 24/7 Pet Health Help Line. Accessed October 30, 2026.
- Pets Best. Pets Best Announces 24/7 Pet Helpline. Accessed October 30, 2026.