Telemedicine & the Future of Online Veterinary Care

Before COVID-19 changed everything, pet owners had few options outside a traditional trip to the vet. But since the FDA lifted its requirement on in-person veterinary examinations for fear of spreading the virus, pet telemedicine has boomed.

Online veterinary care provides convenience for owners and pets alike. The ability to receive quality medical advice and guidance from the comfort of your own home is one of the most common benefits cited by patients who enjoy telemedicine appointments.   

Assistance Animals Consulting has been providing online consultations since they began, realizing this trend and the connection it offers patients and providers. Online veterinary consultations can help tackle a variety of health and wellbeing concerns while saving time and hassle. There are many cases when an in-office visit is not necessary and in those cases an online consultation is ideal. They are able to provide veterinary care through video, chat, and voice-enabled appointments.

Benefits of Veterinary Telemedicine:

Convenience for when you have a pet health concern. If you are unable or if visiting your local clinic is challenging for you or your pet an online appointment would be a great option for you. You can get the help you need quickly and easily. Booking an appointment only takes a few minutes online.

Simple, easy-to-use care solution from the comfort of your own home. Using online consultations can help you save time and money while enabling you to keep your pet more comfortable in your home environment.

Common Myths:

Veterinary telemedicine can't solve my problem.

There are a variety of issues that can be easily addressed with telemedicine appointments, the only constraints to be considered are if an issue requires x-rays or bloodwork for proper diagnosis. The majority of other health or well-being concerns can be addressed with an online consultation. These appointments are ideal for proactive wellness, chronic care concerns, annual check-ups, follow-up appointments, service animal evaluations, and more. They can also provide guidance and advise if an in-person appointment is necessary.

Telemedicine isn't secure

Veterinary practices are just as serious about privacy and utilization of data online as they are in the office. Your pet or service animal's medical records will be stored securely for up to 7 years.

Telemedicine is too hard for me

You can book your appointment online in just a few minutes. Joining the appointment is simple, with an easy-to-use link that will automatically load the online meeting with our veterinarians. All you need is a reliable internet connection on any device to access your appointment invitation email.

Assistance Animals Consulting provides the following care for pets, emotional support animals, and service animals during online consultations: 

• General Pet Health & Wellness Concerns
• Pet Training & The Human-Animal Bond
• Service Animal Treatment Plans, Training & Evaluations
• Behavior Concerns & Aggression
• Dietary Concerns, Weight Loss/Gain, Nutrition Advice
• Consultations for Healthcare Providers to Assist with Treatment Plans & Strategies

Time for a check-up?

Speak with one of our licensed veterinary professionals by booking an appointment now.

For Veterinary clinics and providers that are considering adding virtual care to their services, the American Veterinary Medical Association has developed AVMA Guidelines that may be useful in developing such plans. Some of these include:

• Establish the practice's logistics surrounding telehealth, including availability, turnaround time, rates, and billing.
• Define the scope of the services, and what will be involved in evaluating patient progress.
• Make a plan for record-keeping, privacy, and security.
• Discuss the limits of telemedicine and when it's necessary to recommend in-person care with your team.