How To

How to Get Emergency Veterinary Advice Online

Contributor
By Isaiah
eHow Contributing Writer
(0 Ratings)

The general rule for finding emergency veterinary advice online is: the more popular your pet, the easier it will be. For such popular pets as dogs, cats, certain rodents and fish, there is a wealth of information already available. If you have a more exotic pet, you will have to take the time to research what online communities already exist.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Instructions

Things You'll Need:

  • Computer
  • Internet Access
  1. Step 1

    Find an online library with good information about your particular pet. A general purpose pet website such as Healthypet.com will have articles about a wide variety of different critters, but you also want to find something specific to your own animal. For example, if you are a dog or cat owner, a website like Web-DVM allows you to research your animal and email questions to a veterinarian.

  2. Step 2

    Start by looking at the FAQ. Unless your animal is suffering from an extremely rare condition or has been the victim of a serious accident, you will probably be able to find information from pet owners or experts who have gone through the same thing.

  3. Step 3

    Make friends in the community before you run into trouble. Most online animal communities, such as Ferret Village, are linked to FAQs and articles, as well as bulletin boards and chat rooms. Go in and introduce yourself to other pet lovers, and share your own knowledge. That way, if your critter does get into trouble, you will know who to go to for help.

  4. Step 4

    Find expert pages. Use a search engine, such as Cuil.com, to find the page of an expert willing to answer your questions. For dog and cat fans, there are plenty of sites. Although there are fewer exotic pet owners, they often make up in enthusiasm what they lack in numbers. Chances are, there is someone out there with a website dedicated to giving emergency veterinary advice online.

  5. Step 5

    Find a page dedicated to emergency veterinary advice on an ask the experts website. The website Allexperts, for example, allows you to ask a veterinarian questions about animal medical problems.

Tips & Warnings
  • Even if you can't find a page dedicated to your particular animal, you might be able to find advice that applies to it and similar animals. For example, there are many small rodents articles that apply to mice, hamsters, gerbils and other similar critters.
  • If you can, take your pet in to the vet. You will get faster, more accurate veterinary help and advice than over the Internet.

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