What is Dutch and what can they do for my dog?

Dutch is a telehealth veterinary platform that connects pet owners with licensed vets for video and messaging consultations, and it is available in all 50 US states. What it can do varies by state: reviewing and explaining bloodwork is available everywhere, while starting a new prescription depends on whether your state allows a VCPR to be established electronically, which only nine do. Ongoing management of a condition your dog is already diagnosed with is the strongest use case.

What conditions can an online vet treat?

Online vets handle allergies, skin conditions, anxiety and behavioral issues, chronic pain management, thyroid disease, diabetes management, urinary issues, and follow-up for many diagnosed conditions. They cannot manage emergencies, conditions requiring physical examination or imaging, or new symptoms with no prior diagnosis.

When do I still need an in-person vet visit?

You need an in-person visit for: emergencies and acute illness, new symptoms with no prior diagnosis, conditions requiring physical examination (lumps, pain localization, cardiac auscultation), imaging (X-ray, ultrasound), surgical procedures, and any situation where your pet's condition is deteriorating. If in doubt, go in person.

Can an Online Vet Read My Dog's Bloodwork and Prescribe Medication?

Q: Can an online vet read my dog's bloodwork results?

Yes. Online vets can review bloodwork results you share during a consultation, explain what each flagged value means, assess urgency, and recommend next steps. They cannot perform a physical examination, but for interpreting lab results and managing ongoing conditions, a telehealth consultation is often adequate.

Q: Can an online vet prescribe medication for my dog?

Only in some states. A prescription requires a Veterinarian-Client-Patient Relationship (VCPR), and the AVMA's position is that establishing one requires an in-person examination. Nine states currently allow a VCPR to be established electronically — Arizona, California, Florida, Idaho, New Jersey, Ohio, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia — and even there the limits are tight: Idaho permits an electronic VCPR but bars prescribing under it, and Florida caps most drugs at 14 days with no refills. In the other 41 states an online vet can interpret bloodwork and advise, but cannot start a prescription for a dog it has never examined. Where your dog already has a diagnosis and an existing relationship with a clinic, refills and adjustments are a different and easier case.

Q: How do I share my dog's bloodwork with an online vet?

Most telehealth platforms let you upload documents directly during intake or in the chat. Have your bloodwork as a PDF or clear photo. VetLens can help you organize and format your pet's records so they are easy to share with any provider.

The short answer

✓Review bloodwork results — yes, you share the file and they explain every flagged value
✓Prescribe medication — only where state law allows a VCPR to be established online (nine states), or where your dog already has a diagnosis and relationship
✓Recommend next steps — yes, including when to go in-person
✗Physical examination — not possible; still need in-person for new diagnoses requiring exam
✗Emergencies — always go to an in-person ER for acute serious illness

If your dog's bloodwork came back with flagged values and you can't get a vet appointment for two weeks, or you're managing a chronic condition and want to adjust medications without a $200 office visit every time — online vet consultations are a legitimate option — provided you know what they can actually do where you live, which is narrower than most platforms imply.

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What Online Vets Can Actually Do With Bloodwork

Telehealth vets work differently from in-person vets — they can't listen to your dog's heart or feel a lump — but reviewing and interpreting bloodwork is almost entirely information-based, which makes it well-suited for remote consultation.

When you share your dog's bloodwork with an online vet, they can:

✓ Explain each flagged value

What it measures, what elevated or low means, how significant the abnormality is, and what conditions could cause it.

✓ Assess urgency

Whether the results need same-day attention, a follow-up appointment in the next week or two, or simple monitoring.

✓ Recommend next diagnostic steps

Whether additional tests (urinalysis, imaging, specialist referral) make sense given the results.

✓ Prescribe medications for covered conditions

If your dog has a known diagnosis and the bloodwork fits that pattern, they can adjust or initiate treatment.

✓ Advise on diet and supplement changes

Immediate actionable steps while you wait for a follow-up.

✓ Connect you with a specialist

Some platforms have internal medicine and dermatology specialists on staff.

Prescribing Online: How the VCPR Works

In the US, a vet can only prescribe medication once a Veterinarian-Client-Patient Relationship (VCPR) has been established — and this is where most of the confusion about online vets lives. The AVMA's position is that a VCPR requires an in-person physical examination, or a visit to the premises where the animal is kept. Telemedicine is then used to continue that relationship.

Nine states currently allow a VCPR to be established electronically, without the animal ever being examined in person: Arizona, California, Florida, Idaho, New Jersey, Ohio, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia. In the other 41, an online vet can explain and interpret your dog's bloodwork — which is most of what people want — but cannot lawfully start a prescription for a dog it has never physically examined.

Even among those nine, what can be prescribed is tightly limited, and the limits are not intuitive:

California

Up to six months per prescription after a video exam; a repeat prescription for the same drug needs a new exam.

Arizona

Initial supply capped at 14 days, renewable once without an in-person exam.

Florida

One month for flea-and-tick preventives, 14 days for other drugs, no refills without an in-person exam.

Idaho

Allows an electronic VCPR but prohibits prescribing any drug under one.

New Jersey & Virginia

In-person exam required before prescribing a controlled substance.

Vermont

Few restrictions, and a registry lets out-of-state vets treat Vermont animals remotely.

State	What can be prescribed under a telemedicine VCPR
California	Up to six months per prescription after a video exam; a repeat prescription for the same drug requires a new exam
Arizona	Initial supply capped at 14 days, renewable once without an in-person exam
Florida	One month for flea-and-tick preventives, 14 days for other drugs, no refills without an in-person exam
Idaho	Electronic VCPR permitted, but prescribing any drug under it is prohibited
New Jersey & Virginia	In-person exam required before a controlled substance can be prescribed
Vermont	Few restrictions; a registry allows out-of-state vets to treat Vermont animals remotely
Ohio, Rhode Island	Electronic VCPR permitted; confirm current prescribing limits with the platform
All other 41 states	No electronic VCPR — interpretation and advice only, no new prescriptions

Rules change as states legislate, so treat the table as a starting point and confirm your own state before assuming a prescription is available. Separately, even where an electronic VCPR is allowed, certain activities always need an in-person visit or premises visit — health certificates among them.

The practical consequence: if you want someone to explain a flagged liver value, where you live does not matter. If you want a prescription off the back of that conversation, it very much does. Medications that telehealth platforms commonly handle, where state law and an existing diagnosis permit it:

Apoquel (oclacitinib)

Gabapentin

Trazodone

Prednisone

Methimazole

Fluoxetine

Metronidazole

Cerenia

Rimadyl (carprofen)

Trilostane

Mirtazapine

Doxycycline

What Still Requires an In-Person Visit

Online vets are honest about their limits. These situations still require going in:

✗ Emergencies and acute serious illness

Difficulty breathing, collapse, uncontrolled bleeding, suspected toxin ingestion, inability to urinate — always go to an ER.

✗ New diagnoses requiring physical examination

A vet needs to feel a mass, auscultate heart sounds, or palpate an abdomen to properly diagnose many conditions.

✗ Imaging

X-rays, ultrasound, and CT require in-person equipment.

✗ Surgery and dental procedures

Cannot be done remotely.

✗ Severely abnormal bloodwork with symptoms

If your dog is showing serious symptoms alongside critical values, in-person evaluation is needed — don't wait for a telehealth slot.

The Best Use Cases for Online Vet Bloodwork Consultations

Online vet consultations are most useful when:

You got results but can't get a follow-up appointment for 1–2 weeks and want to understand urgency and whether you should push for a sooner in-person slot.
Your dog has a known chronic condition (allergies, hypothyroidism, anxiety, arthritis) and you need a prescription refill or dosage adjustment based on recent monitoring bloodwork.
You want a second opinion on a diagnosis or treatment plan before committing to an expensive specialist referral.
You're managing a medication that requires monitoring (like methimazole for hyperthyroid cats or trilostane for Cushing's) and the follow-up bloodwork looks stable.
Your regular vet is closed and you need guidance on whether something can wait until Monday or needs an ER visit tonight.

How to Prepare Your Dog's Bloodwork for an Online Consultation

The quality of a telehealth consultation improves significantly when you arrive prepared. Before your online vet appointment:

Have the actual bloodwork document ready to share

A PDF from your vet's portal or a clear photo of the printout. The vet needs to see the actual values and reference ranges, not just a summary. VetLens can help you organize this into a clean, shareable format.

Note which values are flagged and any symptoms

Write down: which values the H/L flags, when the bloodwork was taken, and any symptoms your dog has shown — lethargy, vomiting, increased thirst, weight change. This saves time and helps the vet focus.

List current medications and supplements

Many medications affect bloodwork values. A complete medication list helps the vet distinguish drug effects from disease effects.

Bring previous bloodwork if you have it

Trends over time are much more informative than a single data point. If you have results from 6–12 months ago showing the same values were normal, that context matters.

Upload your dog's records to VetLens first

VetLens organizes your pet's bloodwork, lab reports, and vet notes in one place — so you arrive at any consultation, online or in-person, with a complete picture ready to share.

Organize My Dog's Records

Frequently Asked Questions

Can an online vet read my dog's bloodwork results?

Yes. You share the document during the consultation and the vet explains each flagged value, assesses urgency, and recommends next steps.

Can an online vet prescribe medication for my dog?

Only in some states. Nine allow a VCPR to be established electronically — AZ, CA, FL, ID, NJ, OH, RI, VT, VA — and even there limits apply, with Idaho barring prescribing under an electronic VCPR entirely. In the other 41, expect interpretation and advice rather than a new prescription. Refills or adjustments for a dog already diagnosed at a clinic are a much easier case anywhere.

How do I share my dog's bloodwork with an online vet?

Upload the PDF or a clear photo during intake or in the chat window. Most platforms accept documents before the appointment so the vet can review them in advance.

When do I still need an in-person vet?

Emergencies, new diagnoses requiring physical exam, imaging, surgery, and any acute serious illness. If your dog is deteriorating, don't wait for a telehealth slot — go to an ER.

How much does a Dutch online vet consultation cost?

Dutch charges a consultation fee (varies by service type) plus medication cost if prescribed. It is typically significantly less than an in-person office visit for the same issue.

Sources

• American Veterinary Medical Association — Telehealth and the VCPR (position that a VCPR requires an in-person examination or premises visit; the states that permit electronic establishment)
• American Veterinary Medical Association — The Veterinarian-Client-Patient Relationship (owner-facing explanation, and the activities that still require an in-person or premises visit)
• AAHA — The patchwork quilt of state veterinary telehealth laws (why the rules differ so much between states)
• Otto — VCPR by State (state-by-state prescribing limits under an electronically established VCPR)

Telehealth rules change as states legislate, and this page was last checked in September 2026. Confirm your own state's current position before assuming a prescription is available — the platform you use should be able to tell you.