You have test results
PCR, a culture, blood counts, chemistry, a rapid test or an ultrasound — but it is unclear what they mean together.
Infectious disease veterinarian online
Online consultation with a veterinarian for infectious diseases
A review of symptoms, tests and the current treatment for FIP, ringworm, viral and bacterial infections in cats and dogs. The veterinarian helps you understand how urgent it is, whether it is contagious and what to do next.
- 01 PCR, cultures, blood counts and chemistry reviewed
- 02 FIP, ringworm, panleukopenia, cough, diarrhea
- 03 A plan for tests, isolation and monitoring
Emergency? If your animal is struggling to breathe, bleeding heavily, having seizures, has collapsed or lost consciousness, go to the nearest veterinary clinic now. Online consultations are not for emergencies.
How it works
How the infectious disease consultation works
- Describe the symptoms and payThe species, age, vaccinations, contacts, how long it has been going on and what has been prescribed.
- Send the materialsAfter payment you receive a link to the questionnaire for tests, photos, videos of breathing, droppings or skin, and clinic records.
- Get a planThe veterinarian sets out how urgent it is, the likely causes, isolation measures, which tests are needed and when to recheck.
Clinical practice
Working through a clinical case
The veterinarian looks at the symptoms, imaging, tests and how things are changing: this makes it clearer what to do now and what information an in-person clinic will need.
When it helps
When to consult online
The online format helps when you need to understand the reasoning behind a diagnosis and the next step quickly — including how urgent it is and whether a clinic is needed.
Suspected FIP
You need a review of the symptoms, fluid, blood proteins, the form of the disease and how treatment is being monitored.
Is it contagious at home
Whether to isolate the animal, how to protect other pets and which measures are actually needed.
Treatment is prescribed
A second opinion on antibiotics, antivirals, the length of the course and the follow-up tests.
The difference
How an infectious disease review differs from a general visit
A general practice vet looks after the whole animal. An infectious disease review helps work out whether there is an infection, how to confirm it, and how to avoid harm from unnecessary treatment.
General practice vet
Sees the whole animal- assesses general condition, pain, dehydration and other conditions;
- orders basic diagnostics and supportive care;
- decides whether urgent or hospital care is needed;
- may not go deep into interpreting borderline PCR results and infection protocols.
Infectious disease review
Looks at the infection risk- matches symptoms, tests and the likelihood of infection;
- assesses contagiousness, isolation and the risk to other animals;
- checks the reasoning behind antibiotics, antivirals and recheck timing;
- helps tell an infection apart from a tumor, an immune process or a chronic disease.
One positive test does not always mean disease. Review the tests with a veterinarian
Common situations
Short answers to common worries
These cover what owners search for most. In a consultation the veterinarian reviews your pet's actual tests and condition.
FIP in a cat: one test is not enough
A positive coronavirus result, antibodies or PCR do not confirm FIP on their own, apart from the symptoms, blood work, ultrasound and fluid. The whole picture matters.
Antiviral treatment for FIP
A dose cannot be copied from someone else's protocol. It depends on weight, the form of the disease, eye or nervous system involvement, the active ingredient and follow-up blood work — to discuss with your treating veterinarian.
A positive PCR without symptoms
PCR can show contact with a pathogen. The decision depends on the clinical signs, the sample, how many cats or dogs live at home and the risk of complications.
Ringworm in a cat
It needs a confirmed diagnosis, safe cleaning of the environment and protection for people. One ointment is often not enough, and self-treatment blurs the picture.
Panleukopenia in a kitten
Diarrhea, vomiting, weakness and refusing food in a kitten need a veterinarian the same day: panleukopenia often needs hospital care.
Kennel cough
Isolation, breathing, temperature and the risk of pneumonia matter. Not every case needs an antibiotic, and an antibiotic does not replace assessing the dog's condition.
Tests
Which tests and prescriptions can be reviewed
Infectious disease diagnostics often go wrong when one result is read apart from the animal. The veterinarian checks whether the tests match the symptoms.
PCR and rapid tests
What a positive result means, which sample was tested and whether a repeat is needed.
Blood counts and chemistry
Inflammation, anemia, blood proteins, bilirubin, dehydration and the risk of complications.
Culture and sensitivity
When they help, and when an antibiotic was chosen before the result and should be reconsidered.
Fluid, ultrasound and radiographs
Which findings support FIP, pneumonia, complications or another cause of the symptoms.
Current treatment
Antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals, gut support, the length of the course and recheck points.
Isolation
How long to limit contact, how to arrange the litter box, bowls and cleaning without unnecessary panic.
Contagiousness
What to do at home right now
Home measures depend on the pathogen. The aim is to reduce the risk of spread sensibly and save the sick animal's strength.
Separate items
A separate litter box, bowls, bedding or cage if the infection may spread through discharge or skin.
A clean environment
Clean up discharge, wash fabrics, choose a disinfectant that works against the likely pathogen.
Monitoring
Temperature, appetite, breathing, weight, droppings, urine and videos of the symptoms help the veterinarian see the trend.
Only the medicines needed
Antibiotics, steroids and immune modulators only when indicated: that way it is clear what helps and what harms.
Second opinion
A second opinion on an infectious diagnosis
Especially useful when treatment has started but the diagnosis is unclear, tests contradict each other or the animal is not improving.
Checking the diagnosis
Which findings really point to an infection and what needs to be ruled out.
Checking the plan
The reasoning behind the medicine, the length of the course, the recheck tests and the signs it is not working.
Questions to ask
What to ask your treating veterinarian and which tests not to put off.
A route nearby
What can be done at a local clinic if there is no infectious disease specialist nearby.
Format and price
Written consultation for infectious diseases
Written consultation
Suits a case where you want a calm, structured plan for the symptoms and home measures.
- a review of the complaints, history and tests, at no extra cost;
- how urgent it is and whether it is contagious;
- a plan for tests and monitoring;
- reply within 24 hours of submitting the questionnaire.
Your result
What you have after the consultation
The result is a step-by-step plan for your pet: easy to follow at home and to show your veterinarian at the clinic.
What a consultation is. A veterinarian reviews the description, history, photos, videos and test results you send and replies in writing within 24 hours of submitting the questionnaire. You receive a PDF with an assessment of the situation, what to check and how urgently, a step-by-step plan, and which medicines and doses to discuss with your local veterinarian. A consultation is advice from a distance: it is not an examination or a prescription, and it does not replace your veterinarian. How remote advice works.
Example written consultation
PDF
Patient
Cat, 2 years
Concern: fever for 5 days, lethargy, suspected FIP; blood work and ultrasound done
Assessment
The whole picture is needed: symptoms, blood proteins, bilirubin, fluid and the trend, compared together.
What to check
- the full blood count and chemistry;
- whether there is fluid, and its characteristics;
- breathing, temperature and weight;
- rechecks agreed with your local clinic.
Plan
- labored breathing, seizures or refusing water: a clinic the same day;
- keep a log of temperature, weight and appetite;
- doses to discuss with your veterinarian, recalculated for weight and the form of the disease;
- get back in touch if it gets worse or new results arrive.
Dr. Alex Strelkov
veterinarian
Who consults
Aleksandr Strelkov (Alex Strelkov)
A fourth-generation physician, Dr. Strelkov graduated with honors from the K.I. Skryabin Veterinary Academy and holds state-accredited specializations in clinical radiology and in abdominal surgery and endoscopy. He is a Cat Friendly certified practitioner, works with feline infectious disease, and has spent 18 years in clinical practice. An FIP review is built around your cat's own record: what has actually been measured, how firmly it supports the diagnosis, and which decision has to be made next.
He reviews the symptoms, the tests, the history and the treatment already prescribed. The strength of the online format is putting the whole picture together, so that one positive result is not read apart from the animal.
18+ years in clinical practice
Cat Friendly certified practitioner
Feline infectious disease
Honors graduate
Peer-reviewed publications
Every report signed by the doctor himself
My goal is that you understand exactly what is happening with your animal and know precisely what to do next. I cannot promise miracles — but I will do everything modern veterinary science allows.
Dr. Aleksandr Strelkov
Documents and publications
Qualifications backed by documents
Warning signs
When an infection needs a clinic now
Few veterinarians focus on infectious diseases. If there is none near you, an online consultation helps you understand the tests and the plan — but with the signs below, go to the nearest clinic first: oxygen, fluids, draining fluid from the chest or hospital care cannot wait.
Labored breathing
Shortness of breath, breathing with an open mouth, bluish gums or suspected fluid in the chest.
Seizures and weakness
Loss of consciousness, unable to stand, sudden blindness or marked wobbliness.
Dehydration and blood
Repeated vomiting, blood in the stool, refusing water, dry gums, sudden lethargy, yellow tinge.
Kittens, puppies, rabies
Diarrhea, vomiting or a high temperature in the very young, or any suspicion of rabies.
If there is no specialist near you
An online consultation wherever you live
The veterinarian helps you understand what can be done at the nearest clinic: which tests to run, what to clarify in the records, when hospital care is needed and which questions to ask your treating veterinarian.
Reviews
What owners say about the doctor
Real reviews from public profiles, translated faithfully from the original. All reviews and sources
★★★★★
Google review
Our cat was terribly ill — he was literally dying in our arms. We had been round dozens of clinics and collected a stack of test results, but nobody could put it together into a single picture. Maybe the heart, maybe the kidneys, maybe a virus. Some vets prescribed one thing, others the exact opposite. We did not know what to do, and we were losing precious time. Searching for help we came across Aleksandr Strelkov, an infectious disease vet, and booked an online consultation. Within minutes of the doctor's call it was clear we were dealing with a professional. He worked carefully through all the information we already had, found the logic in it, explained which investigations were genuinely needed, and referred us for tests in Moscow, choosing doctors who could be trusted. When the diagnosis was confirmed, treatment began. We could ask questions at any moment, send results, and adjust the prescribed therapy. There were many difficult moments — the cat would not let us inject the medication, and side effects appeared from the antiviral treatment. But the doctor was with us at every stage. Our cat is now completely healthy, and we do not even know how to thank Aleksandr. If you need real help — especially if your pet has FIP or a complex infection — go to him. He is the best doctor we have ever met.
★★★★★
Public profile review
Our dog was poisoned outdoors, chronic gastritis set in, and we had no idea what to do. We were guessing at the right treatment and the vets in our region all said different things. At just the right moment we found Dr. Strelkov, who consults online — which turned out to be very convenient. After the very first consultation we understood what had to be done and what definitely must not. We went through a series of consultations, stayed in contact with the doctor throughout, and in the end made a full recovery. Afterwards we also bought his guide on improving coat quality — the result is simply stunning.
★★★★★
Verified purchase
We found Aleksandr and have come back to him more than once — with our parrots and with our dogs. The doctor always explains in detail what to do, helps with the diagnosis, and gives clear treatment and care recommendations. Thanks to him our pets always get qualified help, even at a distance. We are very glad to have found such a wonderful vet and recommend him to everyone without reservation.
Common questions
Questions about the online infectious disease consultation
Can an infection be diagnosed online?
A consultation is veterinary advice based on what you send. It does not replace an in-person examination and does not create a veterinarian-client-patient relationship where the law requires an exam. The veterinarian reviews the symptoms, tests and history, assesses urgency and explains which findings would confirm the diagnosis: an examination, a sample, ultrasound, radiographs or a fluid analysis. These can be done wherever is convenient, and the results reviewed online.
Can the veterinarian help if FIP is suspected?
Yes. The veterinarian assesses how well the FIP diagnosis is supported, which other diseases look similar, which tests and signs matter, how treatment is monitored and which signs mean a clinic is needed.
Which tests should I send?
Helpful are a complete blood count and chemistry, PCR or rapid tests, culture and sensitivity results, ultrasound, radiographs, a fluid analysis, and photos or videos of the symptoms. If something is missing, the veterinarian tells you what is actually needed. Reviewing tests is included at no extra cost.
Can FIP be treated without an in-person veterinarian?
No. Treatment is prescribed and monitored by a veterinarian who can examine your cat. The online review checks the diagnosis and the plan, explains the reasoning behind the dose for the cat's weight and form of the disease, and goes through the follow-up blood work — so you and your treating veterinarian can make decisions with the whole picture.
What if my cat's coronavirus PCR is positive?
A positive PCR on its own does not equal FIP. It can show contact with feline coronavirus or shedding of the virus. The decision depends on the symptoms, blood work, fluid, ultrasound and the cat's general condition.
When does an infection need a clinic urgently?
With labored breathing, seizures, loss of consciousness, severe dehydration, blood in vomit or stool, a yellow tinge, refusing water, a kitten or puppy with diarrhea and weakness, or any suspicion of rabies, go to the nearest clinic now.
Can I get a second opinion on the prescribed treatment?
Yes. The veterinarian reviews the diagnosis, tests, the medicines prescribed, the length of the course, recheck points and the questions worth discussing with your treating veterinarian in person.
Do you help with antiviral doses?
The veterinarian can check the reasoning behind a dose: weight, the form of the disease, the active ingredient and the current condition. A dose cannot safely be copied from someone else's protocol, a product name or a chat message. The final dose is set by your treating veterinarian.
Does this consultation cover cats and dogs?
Yes. This page is for cats and dogs: FIP in cats, ringworm, viral and bacterial infections, cough, diarrhea, borderline PCR results, cultures and questions about contagiousness at home.
Is there a free consultation?
A full individual consultation is paid, because the veterinarian studies the history, tests, treatment and risks. For free, you can read the doctor's articles about FIP and infections in cats.
How fast does the written consultation arrive?
Written consultations are answered in order of the queue, within 24 hours of submitting the questionnaire. The veterinarian looks at every case individually, so please describe everything that worries you. Right after payment you get access to the questionnaire, where you can tell the whole story in detail. Complex cases are sometimes discussed with colleagues before the reply.
Is there a video call?
No, the consultation is written. If the veterinarian needs to see something, he will ask you for photos or video.
Describe the symptoms and attach the tests
Describe the situation and pay for the written consultation. After payment you send the materials in the questionnaire and the veterinarian prepares a plan for your case.
Start the consultationRelated reading
