Virtual Vet Visits: How Telehealth Could Change Your Veterinary Experience

Due to the pandemic, the adoption of Telehealth accelerated across many healthcare industries, including veterinary healthcare. More pet owners are now open to or even prefer virtual visits for pets over in-person appointments. In this blog post, we’ll go through:

• The Rise of telehealth and virtual care in veterinary practice
• What services can vets provide remotely
• Benefits of implementing telehealth for vet care

However, veterinary telehealth also poses potential challenges that providers and pet owners should navigate. Let’s go through the blog post.

The Rise of Telehealth and Virtual Care in Veterinary Practice

Taking good care of a pet is a huge responsibility. Whenever they feel unwell, immediately traveling to the veterinary practice can be anxious for the pet owners and pets as well. 

The Telehealth Platform raised and significantly helped the veterinary care practice. However, Many Pet owners in the USA would choose the telehealth platform rather than traveling to the veterinary practice for an In-person vet appointment. 

Let’s speak numbers – According to the Source, the Global Veterinary Telehealth market value is at USD 182.4 Million and is expected to rise and reach USA 546.8 Million by 2030 at a CAGR of 17.00% Growth rate.

Read this post: #3 Ways Telehealth Will Boost Your Practice Revenue Smarter

What Services Can Vets Provide Remotely Using Telehealth

You might be wondering what services can veterinary care providers provide remotely using telehealth. From teleconsultations to basic triage services, there is a vast range of services provided by veterinary care services. Here are the services offered by the Vet using telehealth:

1. Teleconsultation

Veterinarians can virtually connect with pet owners via phone or video call to discuss symptoms, provide diagnosis, and recommend treatment plans. 

This virtual connectivity allows instant health consultation for pets and evaluation to offer health advice without the need for in-person visits.

2. Follow-up Exams

Telehealth allows veterinarians to examine and follow-up assessments for pets receiving ongoing treatment or medication. 

This will allow the vets to efficiently see how they’re responding. Vets can view the lab results, monitor progress, and adjust medications if needed.

3. Behavioral Consultation

Veterinarians can assess the behavioral issues of pets like anxiety, aggression, or fear through teleconsultation. They can provide training and behavior modification plans remotely.

4. Prescription Management

Moreover, vets can prescribe medication for pets virtually after completely examining the pet’s medical condition in a teleconsultation or follow-up exam.

5. Basic Triage Service

For pets with minor health conditions, vets can perform an initial triage and assessment via telehealth before recommending whether an in-person visit is necessary.

More like referral services and post-operative care can also be consulted remotely through video calls, phone calls, and messaging to expand access to instant care conveniently.

Benefits of Implementing Telehealth for Vet Care

Veterinary care practices have significantly experienced a vast range of benefits by adopting Telehealth Technology. Here are a few to list:

1. Improves Accessibility

Firstly, telehealth improves accessibility to pet care for owners and veterinary care providers as well. Especially for pet owners who are all living in rural areas and have barriers to transportation. 

With Telehealth platforms, pet owners can instantly connect with Veterinary care providers and health consults for pets via video call in the comfort of their homes. 

Also, the vet healthcare providers can have complete access to their pet’s medical records like lab results, monitoring progress, and more without the need to travel and collect results in person.

2. Convenience

With the help of Telehealth, pet owners can conveniently connect with vet care providers and consult regarding their pet’s health. Telehealth also enables pet owners to connect with vet care providers even after clinical hours. 

Whatever emergency times, individuals can connect immediately if the offline clinic is not available. Telehealth eliminates the need for physical veterinary care practice visits and provides convenience and peace of mind for pet owners.

3. Cost-Efficiency

One of the main benefits of Telehealth for Veterinary care is cost efficiency. The Virtual vet eliminates the need to travel to the physical care practice, ultimately saving cost and time. However, intervening in minor health situations can potentially reduce the expensive cost of in-person visits later on. 

Telehealth can help veterinarians streamline the vet care workflow and automate administrative tasks, allowing them to efficiently focus on pet care and allocate resources for some other important.

4. Consistent Care

Telehealth helps the pet with chronic health conditions by providing continuous care. Usually, pets with chronic conditions are required to visit an in-person vet care clinic regularly. 

With the help of telehealth, vet care providers can continuously care for and monitor the pet’s condition remotely. Moreover, continuous monitoring of the pets will help them adjust their medication or treatment plans. This support and care will enhance the quality of care for pets and promote better outcomes.

5. Emergency Support

During emergency times, pet owners find it challenging to travel to the vet care practice. At the time, the pet requires instant emergency support. 

Telehealth allows pet owners to consult veterinarians instantly via virtual connect to immediately examine their pet’s medical condition. 

This will ensure immediate medical access during critical cases. When the pets cannot be transported to the vet practice in person, telehealth enables emergency support and guidance until the pet can able to transported to the veterinary care practice.

Related: EHR Telehealth Integration: How Vozo Helps In Tackling Your Hardest Challenges

Challenges with Veterinary Telehealth

Veterinary telehealth offers a vast range of benefits to veterinarians, pets, and pet owners, but it also has a few potential challenges and limitations.

1. Physical examination

With telehealth, Vet care practices have limited physical examination of the pets physically, particularly for pets with health issues that require in-person assessments.

Solution

Vets can guide the pet owners through basic examinations of the pet via Video Chat. Owners can use their smartphones to show the vet any areas of concern for the pet.

2. Emergency support limitation

If the pet is required for in-person assessment during any critical medical condition, telehealth limits the support. 

During emergency health situations, telehealth is not suitable for efficient care.

Solution

Vet practices can set up clear protocols for pet owners on when to bring pets in person during an emergency versus using telehealth. This includes a list of symptoms or conditions that are required in clinical evaluation.

3. Technical Hurdles

Technological hurdles can be daunting for pet owners, especially for underserved or remote areas with limited resources.

Solution

Vet practices can provide technical support and resources to assist owners with digital literacy and accessing virtual visits. This could include video tutorials, help hotlines, loaner devices, etc.

Vozo Telehealth Solution

Telehealth offers significant benefits for both vets and pet owners. Leveraging the telehealth platform for veterinary care lets you provide a more convenient way of caring for pets remotely. 

By adopting the Vozo telehealth solution, you can experience a more convenient way of healthcare and providers can streamline the workflow.

With a vast range of features like text/call/video chat consultation, scheduling appointments, analytics & reporting, better access to vet care, etc.

• Vozo Telehealth allows vet care providers to provide care and consultation remotely, allowing more flexible health consultation for pets, and aiding owners.
• Save time and money on travel for pet owners, eliminating the need to transport the pets to in-person clinical visits.
• Vozo Telehealth visits can reduce the stress and anxiety of pets who dislike vet clinics and car travel.
• Virtual visits allow pet owners to conveniently access veterinary expertise anywhere via video chat, especially helpful for remote areas
• Vozo Telehealth allows the veterinarian to efficiently consult with specialists and other practices remotely to provide collaborative care.

By leveraging Vozo Telehealth Solution, vet care providers can reduce the burdens and focus more on better outcomes remotely.

Reach out to Vozo and Leverage cutting-edge telehealth solutions for your veterinary care practice.