What to ask
Is an online chat enough to get a pet medicine?
Quick online consultations can feel like a shortcut past the clinic. Here is what the rules ask of a vet first, and a short list of questions to take along.
Verdict Myth
“An online consultation is enough to get any medicine for my pet.”
3 parts make up the federal vet-client-patient relationship: the vet takes charge, knows your pet well enough, and is there for follow-up. [1]
The short answer
Not under federal rules. Before a vet can use an approved medicine in a way its label does not describe, the law asks for a vet-client-patient relationship, often shortened to VCPR. Using a medicine that way is called off-label use. [1]
- It means the vet has taken charge of your pet's care and knows your pet well enough for at least a first diagnosis.
- Under the federal rule, the vet must have seen the animal recently, in an exam or by visiting where it is kept. [2]
- Photos, videos or an online form alone cannot start it under the federal rule. Once it exists, the FDA says care at a distance, by video or phone, can help keep it going. [2]
States add their own rules
Each state writes its own version of the relationship rule, and they differ, most of all on video calls. Two examples show the range.
- Texas does not allow the relationship to start by phone or electronic means alone. [3]
- Since January 1, 2024, a California vet may start one through a live video exam, but not by phone alone or by questionnaire. [4]
- California also caps what a video-only start allows: no prescription longer than six months without a new exam, and no controlled drugs, the medicines under extra legal limits, without an in-person exam. [4]
- So which rule wins? Both apply. A video start is enough under California law, but for off-label use the federal rule still does not accept video alone.
- Other states were not covered in the research behind this guide.
Questions to bring to your vet
Pick the ones that fit. Many come straight from the FDA's own suggestions for pet owners.
- Is this approved for a dog, or for a cat, and what is the approval number on the label? [5]
- Is it an approved brand or generic, or a pharmacy-mixed (compounded) drug that is not FDA-approved? [6]
- If it is compounded, is there an approved version, for pets or for people, made with that ingredient? [6]
- Could it clash with other medicines or supplements my pet takes?
- Which side effects do I watch for, and which ones mean calling you right away? [7]
- What tests come before starting, and when is the recheck?
- Are there other options we could try instead?
- For a peptide: which animals was it tested in?
What to bring along
A little preparation helps the vet see the whole picture, and it makes the visit calmer for you too.
- A written list of everything your pet takes, including supplements and anything bought online. The FDA suggests this list. [8]
- Any past bad reactions to medicines.
- The product itself, or a clear photo of its label.
- Notes on what you have noticed: eating, energy, walking, sleep, and when the change began.
Checking an approval claim yourself
You do not have to take a label on trust. The FDA's free database, Animal Drugs @ FDA, lists most approved animal drugs. [9]
- An approved label reads “Approved by FDA under NADA #” for a brand or “ANADA #” for a generic, then a six-digit number. [5]
- An NDC number, a product code some labels carry, does not prove approval. Unapproved drugs get them too.
- Nor does a printed federal caution that only a licensed vet may use or direct use of the drug. That line appears on unapproved drugs too.
- Nor does a line saying the factory is registered with the FDA.