The site, which has been providing free advice to pet owners since 2006, includes free, interactive symptom-checker tools to help animal keepers to decide how urgently they need a vet and gives them customised first aid advice, specific to their animal’s particular symptoms.
A fundamental feature of Vet Help Direct is that all content has been developed specifically by vets, many of whom are specialists in their field. The advice given on the site for farmers is no exception: the cattle and sheep sections have been developed by specialist cattle vet Nich Roper BVetMed DBR MRCVS and farm animal vet and farmer Clare Finn-Kelcey BVSc MRCVS.
 |
| Flow charts allow users to get advice on veterinary problems. |
The farm animal guides provide very detailed, practical advice and includes useful discussion of the possible causes of the animal or herd’s problem.
“We understand that many of the people using the farm animal symptom guide will be professionals themselves,” the site’s founder, Susie Samuel, who is also a vet, said. “We wanted to provide a specialist resource that will be genuinely useful for them while still covering the needs of smallholders and hobby farmers.
“We are pleased with initial feedback, which suggests we have succeeded in doing this; we will be adding more symptoms to the guide over the next few years and we are really keen for farmers to request symptoms they would like to see covered.”
Another feature of Vet Help Direct is a UK-wide vet practice directory that allows you to search specifically for farm animal vets across the country and read about their facilities, staff members and so on. There is also a new reviewing system that allows site users to leave reviews about their vet creating a useful, personalised feedback system; invaluable for helping farmers and small holders to choose the best vet for them and their animals.
For more information visit: www.vethelpdirect.com.
