Pet Telehealth in the USA (2026): How Online Vet Visits Work, What They Cost, and What They Can Treat

Quick answer: An online vet visit is a live video appointment with a licensed veterinarian who can assess what's visible, advise on care and say whether your pet needs an in-person exam. At the services compared below (October 2026), single visits cost $64.99 to $102 or more. Where state law allows, the vet may prescribe FDA-approved animal drugs used as labeled; human and off-label drugs generally need an in-person exam. Emergencies need an emergency hospital.

Prices and laws on this page were checked on October 14, 2026. This is general information, not a diagnosis. If your pet may be in danger, go to the nearest emergency animal hospital.

What Is Pet Telehealth?

Pet telehealth is the umbrella term for any veterinary care or advice delivered remotely. The American Veterinary Medical Association's policy (updated December 2025) groups several services under it. Pet owners usually meet the three below, and only telemedicine can lead to a diagnosis or a prescription:

• Teleadvice: general information about pet health that isn't specific to your pet. Free advice lines and articles like this one are teleadvice.
• Teletriage: deciding how urgently a pet needs care. In the AAHA/AVMA definition, no diagnosis is made.
• Telemedicine: a licensed veterinarian examines, diagnoses and may treat your specific pet remotely, usually by live video. It requires a veterinarian-client-patient relationship, or VCPR.

A VCPR means the vet takes responsibility for medical decisions about your pet, you agree to follow the vet's instructions, the vet knows your pet well enough to make at least a preliminary diagnosis, and the vet is available for follow-up. Whether a live video exam can start that relationship is set by state law. Florida and Virginia allow it; in New York the question is unsettled. The AVMA's policy, which is professional guidance rather than law, says the relationship should start with an in-person exam. Federal rules for off-label and human drugs require more than video (see below).

What Online Vet Visits Cost in 2026

These are the prices each service listed on its own website on October 14, 2026. They change often, so check before you book.

Service	Price (Oct 2026)	How you pay
RexVet video visit	$64.99 per visit	Per visit
RexVet Family Plan	$120 for 4 visits over 12 months, every pet in the home	One payment, never renews
TelaVets	$65 per visit	Per visit, no membership
Bond Vet	$98.50 per video visit	Per visit, one pet each
Vetster	From $102 per visit	Per visit, one pet
Vetster Plus	$144 a year for 4 video visits	Billed yearly
Dutch	$199 a year (about $17/mo), up to 5 pets	Yearly, in full or 4 payments

A few things the table doesn't show:

• Medication is extra everywhere. You pay the pharmacy for any medicine. RexVet is not a pharmacy; if RexVet's veterinarian prescribes and you ask RexVet to send the prescription to an outside pharmacy, a separate pharmacy transfer fee applies (Terms, section 5.4).
• Count pets and visits, not just the sticker price. Per-visit appointments at Bond Vet and Vetster cover one pet each. RexVet's Family Plan covers every pet in the home, and Dutch's yearly plan covers up to 5 pets.
• Where the vet can prescribe varies. Bond Vet, for example, gives general advice nationwide but says it prescribes by telehealth only in some states.

For side-by-side detail, see Dutch vs RexVet and Vetster vs RexVet.

Can an Online Vet Prescribe Medication?

Sometimes. Two layers of law decide it. State law sets the rules for FDA-approved animal drugs used as labeled. Federal law adds a stricter rule for off-label use and for human drugs. No vet can promise a prescription before examining your pet.

Florida

• Only a vet with a current Florida license can treat a pet in Florida by telehealth, and a first telehealth exam must be live, two-way video. Phone calls, texts, questionnaires and chatbots can't start the relationship.
• At that first video exam, the vet must give you their name, license number and contact details, at least one physical clinic near you, and instructions for follow-up care if the video fails or your pet reacts badly to treatment. You sign and date an acknowledgment, and you can fill any prescription at the pharmacy of your choice.
• After a video-only exam, the vet may prescribe only FDA-approved animal drugs used as labeled: up to a 1-month supply of products labeled solely for flea and tick control, and up to 14 days of any other animal drug. On the statute's plain wording, combination products that also prevent heartworm or intestinal worms aren't labeled solely for flea and tick control, so the 14-day limit applies (our reading, not a Board ruling). These prescriptions can't be renewed without an in-person exam.
• Human-labeled drugs and compounded antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral or antiparasitic medications need an in-person exam first. Controlled substances need an in-person exam within the past year.
• Travel health certificates and certificates of veterinary inspection can't be issued by telehealth.

Virginia

A vet may prescribe only within a bona fide VCPR, and Virginia law lets the vet examine your pet either physically or electronically, using equipment that transmits images and medical records. The vet must hold a current Virginia license to treat a pet located in Virginia, and telehealth care is held to the same standard as an in-person visit. The vet still decides case by case, and federal off-label rules still apply.

New York

New York has no veterinary telehealth law. A bill to create one (A1782) has been in the Assembly Higher Education Committee since January 2025 and is not law. Until the law is settled, what the vet can prescribe for a New York pet may be narrower, and a New York video visit may end with a recommendation for an in-person exam before any medication.

Every state

For FDA-approved animal drugs used as labeled, federal law sets no VCPR requirement, so state law governs. Using a drug off-label (a different species, condition, dose, frequency or route) or giving a pet any human drug requires a VCPR under federal rule 21 CFR 530.3, in which the vet has recently seen the animal through an exam or a visit to where it lives. The FDA says that relationship cannot be established solely through telemedicine, so off-label and human-drug prescriptions generally need an in-person exam first.

Outside Florida, New York and Virginia, each state sets its own telehealth rules, and RexVet can't see pets located there. See our state-by-state guide to online vet prescriptions, and for ongoing medications, what an online vet can and can't do about refills.

What a Virtual Vet Visit Can and Can't Handle

A video visit works best for problems you can show on camera or describe clearly. It usually suits:

• Skin problems, rashes, hot spots, itching, minor wounds and limping, especially if you can film them
• Behavior and diet questions
• Follow-ups and rechecks of a known problem
• Deciding whether your pet needs a clinic today, soon, or can be cared for at home
• Mild, stable stomach upset in a pet that is alert, drinking and keeping water down, with a clear plan for when to go in (check the emergency signs below first)
• A care plan and, where state law and the drug allow, a prescription (never a guarantee)

A video visit can't do:

• Anything that needs hands or equipment: taking a temperature, feeling the belly, listening to the heart and lungs, bloodwork, urine tests, X-rays or ultrasound
• Vaccines (including rabies), injections or any procedure
• Off-label or human-drug prescriptions without an in-person relationship, or anything a state's telehealth law excludes
• Emergencies

As a Texas A&M veterinarian put it, telemedicine is not a substitute for in-person care that needs a physical exam or diagnostic tests.

When to Go to an Emergency Hospital Instead

Go to the nearest emergency animal hospital now, and call ahead, if your pet has any of these. This list gives examples and isn't complete:

• Trouble breathing, or shallow, rapid breathing
• Pale or bluish gums
• Collapse, unresponsiveness or a seizure
• Bleeding that won't stop, severe trauma or severe pain
• A swollen or bloated belly
• Straining to urinate, or unable to urinate or stand
• Swallowing something toxic, or an object big enough to cause a blockage
• Trouble giving birth
• Vomiting and diarrhea together with lethargy
• Anything else that seems serious to you

For a possible poisoning, call ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 (a consultation fee may apply) or Pet Poison Helpline at (855) 764-7661 ($89 per incident as of October 2026). Both answer around the clock. Don't give home antidotes, and don't make your pet vomit unless a vet or the poison line tells you to. For what emergency care costs, see emergency vet prices in 2026.

How an Online Vet Visit Works

1. Make sure it isn't an emergency. If your pet shows any of the signs above, go to an emergency hospital instead.
2. Check where your pet is. The vet must be licensed in the state where your pet is during the call.
3. Book a live video slot and confirm the fee before you pay. Visits are scheduled, not on demand: RexVet's slots run about 8 AM to 11 PM Eastern daily.
4. Prepare (see below), then join on time from a phone or computer with a camera.
5. Complete the first-visit paperwork. In Florida, this includes the vet's license details, a nearby clinic for in-person care and your signed acknowledgment.
6. The exam. The vet takes a history and watches your pet on camera, and may ask you to show the eyes, gums, skin, gait or breathing up close.
7. The plan. You get home-care advice, a recommendation for an in-person exam or tests if needed, and, only if it's medically appropriate and legal for your state and the drug, a prescription.
8. Fill any prescription at the pharmacy of your choice. Call first: many pharmacies don't stock veterinary drugs.

How to prepare

• Upload photos, videos and records before the appointment so the vet can review them. Here's how to take useful photos and videos.
• Film the problem when it shows most clearly: the limp, the cough, the scratching, the episode.
• Use good light, a quiet room and a stable internet connection.
• Have your pet in the room, leashed or held.
• List current medications, supplements, food, vaccine history and when the problem started. Note your pet's recent weight if you know it.

Booking with RexVet

RexVet (Rex Vets, Inc.) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit. You book a live video visit with Dr. Tiffany Delacruz, DVM, who is licensed in Florida, New York and Virginia, so your pet must be in one of those states during the call. Video slots currently run about 8 AM to 11 PM Eastern, every day. A visit is $64.99, or the one-time $120 Family Plan covers 4 visits over 12 months for every pet in your home and never auto-renews. Dr. Delacruz decides whether medication is medically appropriate and allowed for your state and the drug, so a prescription is never promised. RexVet is not a pharmacy: if you ask RexVet to send a prescription to an outside pharmacy, a separate pharmacy transfer fee applies (Terms, section 5.4), and you pay the pharmacy for the medicine. RexVet isn't for emergencies and isn't available overnight; in an emergency, go to an emergency hospital or call a poison line (see above). Book a $64.99 video visit.

Does Pet Insurance Cover Online Vet Visits?

It depends on your policy. Some plans reimburse virtual visit fees; others, such as Trupanion, don't cover exam fees at all. Some insurers also include a vet helpline: Nationwide members get VetHelpline, run by FirstVet, a separate company. Check your policy's exam-fee and telehealth terms before you book.

Routine vet bills generally aren't HSA-eligible or deductible as medical expenses. The IRS makes an exception for service animals.