When it's time for your call, joining takes one tap. The consultation runs in Google Meet, so the app hands you over to Meet (or your browser) at the right moment.
Before you start
- Have your pet nearby and, if you can, somewhere well lit.
- Check your internet connection before the call.
- Anything you'd like the vet to see — packaging, medication labels, a video of a symptom — is worth having to hand.
Step-by-step
- Open the Consults tab and select Telehealth, then tap your booking. (You can also reach it from the Calendar tab or from a reminder notification.)
- Stay on the Call details tab.
- Tap Join Meeting.
- Google Meet opens. Allow camera and microphone access there if you're asked, then join the call.
Please note: the button only becomes tappable 5 minutes before the scheduled start. Before that it's greyed out with the helper text "Available 5 minutes before your call." The hint next to it reads: "Open the Google Meet to start your consultation, or cancel to release the slot."
You don't need to be admitted
The meeting room is open to anyone with the link, so you won't sit in a waiting room and you don't need a Google account to get in.
Joining from your email instead
When your vet accepts the booking, you receive a Google Calendar invite email with the same Meet link. If you'd rather join from your computer, open the link from that invite.
Reminders you'll receive
| When | What arrives |
|---|---|
| 2 hours before | A notification and an email: "Your consultation with {vet name} starts in two hours." |
| 30 minutes before | A notification: "Your consultation starts in 30 minutes / Tap to join your call with {vet name}." |
Make sure notifications are enabled for the Ask A Vet app so these arrive.
Tip: you may see a notification saying "{vet name} has joined the call" shortly before your start time. This fires when the recording assistant joins the meeting — it doesn't necessarily mean the vet is already in the room. Join at your booked time as planned.
If the Join button isn't working
If Join Meeting isn't there or won't respond, see "The 'Join Meeting' button is greyed out, missing, or has turned into 'End'".
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