We’re excited to launch the VetHelpDirect forum. 

This is an opportunity for pet owners to ask our vets any questions about health and welfare. Whether your doberman has a dental problem, you’ve got a stressed out Siamese or a grumpy guinea pig, we’ll be happy to help. 

Our resident vets will be there to respond, so give us all the (gory) details and we’ll suggest some next steps. Of course, the most used caveat on this site, if there is something seriously wrong please don’t wait for a response. Call your vet and get your pet booked in. 

How does it work?

Head to the forum and sign up. It’s quick and painless, you can even use your Facebook account (if you have one) to speed up the process.

Once you’re fully registered, select a category to get started. Then just start a new thread. Something like the below;

You can also add images, if this would help explain the issue. We do ask that you refrain from anything that might be too graphic for other users or could cause offence. 

It’s an open platform, so other users can share their own experiences too, in fact we encourage it. You can also search existing threads to find similar issues. But we will always aim to respond within 48 hours to provide a veterinary response, often much sooner.

Why a forum?

We know that life with a pet can throw you a few curveballs. Sometimes you just need an answer, or reassurance that the new weird behaviour your dog has started is actually perfectly normal.

Every day we receive questions on our blog posts. These help us to explain some of the more specific issues pet owners encounter. But they can also get buried, or restricted by the subject-matter. That’s why we want to open it up and ask us anything petcare related. 

Our aim is to offer a service that helps animals and pet owners. From the process of finding a vet, to dealing with health and behavioural concerns. So this is just another step towards providing all the information you need in one place.

So what’s the catch?

There isn’t one. We aren’t looking to replace a visit to the vets or push products on you. Our aim is to provide a resource for pet owners to have their (non-emergency) questions answered. We do this in our blog, symptom checker and factsheets; so the forum is a logical extension of that. 

Where we think a question may have wider appeal or requires further explanation, it could be used as the basis for a longer article in future. As you probably already know, if you’ve read our blog, diagnosing a problem is rarely black and white. So some issues can benefit from a little fleshing out. 

Building a community

The only thing we ask from participants is to respect each other and our moderators. All comments are checked. Anything that goes against our Community Guidelines will be removed. Again, this is to ensure the forum is a safe and useful resource for everyone, not to censor thoughts. 

Our vets are here to provide advice based on years of accumulated knowledge and experience. With answers to help you, your pet and other owners with the same questions. 

What if I can’t find what I’m looking for?

The forum will grow and evolve organically. So your questions and feedback will help to shape that. If you can’t find it, just let us know. Start a thread, and we’ll be happy to help where we can.