You tried to start a new vet chat and the app pointed you back to an existing one. Don't worry — this is expected, and it usually takes one tap to get where you want to go.
Why it happens
You can only have one open vet chat per pet at a time. If there's already a conversation open for that pet — whether it's still waiting for a vet or a vet has joined — the app steers you to it rather than starting a second one.
The card reads Open chat already exists — "You already have an open vet chat with \<your pet's name>. Continue that conversation instead of starting a new one." — with Open Chat and Cancel.
Fix 1 — carry on with the chat you already have
Tap Open Chat. The app takes you to the right place automatically:
| The open chat is… | Open Chat takes you to |
|---|---|
| Still waiting for a vet | Waiting for a Vet |
| A vet has joined | The live Vet Chat |
| Already finished | The Chat summary |
Your vet has your original question and photos, so just keep typing.
Fix 2 — finish the old one, then start fresh
If the open chat is about something completely different:
- Tap Open Chat.
- If it's still waiting, tap Cancel Request and confirm. If a vet has already joined, tap End Chat in the header and confirm.
- Go back and start a new vet chat for that pet.
Please note: starting the new chat uses another one of your 2 included vet chats.
If you can't find the open chat
An open chat whose conversation no longer exists — or one a vet had joined that's now more than 24 hours old — is cleared automatically the next time you try to start a chat for that pet. So if this card appears for a conversation you can't find anywhere, try again — and if it still blocks you, close the app fully and reopen it.
A request that's still waiting isn't cleared on a timer, so if that's what's blocking you, open it from your list and tap Cancel Request.
If you saw a warning first
The message "Couldn't verify existing chats — continuing." means the app couldn't check for open chats before you picked your pet. It lets you carry on, and the one-open-chat rule is applied when the chat is created — which is why you may then land on this card.
Still stuck?
If you're blocked on a pet that has no visible open chat, or you think an included chat was used without a conversation opening, contact the Ask A Vet support team with the pet's name [CONFIRM: support contact channel — email address and/or in-app support route].
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