Three ways to use a virtual vet
Veterinary telemedicine has become very popular since the pandemic, and more pet parents are using it than ever before. The vet industry didn’t usually offer this type of service ever before, but since the pandemic, they had to change up the way they do things.
Pet parents have become much more susceptible to this kind of treatment for their pets, and it’s becoming more commonly used in a lot of households. Here’s why…
3 ways you can use veterinary telemedicine:
1. General questions
If your regular vet doesn’t offer veterinary telemedicine services, you can use an online service that does, such as Petzey. But since these expert vets haven’t seen your dog inperson, they can’t diagnose or prescribe medications to your pet.
If you are a worried pet parent like most of us are, using an online telemedicine service is a great option if you have general questions about your pet. Their real-time chats are a great way to ask questions that you don’t want to bother your regular vet with, especially if they’re busy and you can’t get through to them quickly. If you find your dog is limping after going for a walk and you want to see if you should ice it, or if you can give them anything OTC, you can use an online telemedicine service.
2. Diagnose and treat
This is a great option if your regular vet offers telemedicine services. Because they’ve seen and treated your pet in person before, they can actually diagnose and prescribe medication to your pet if they need to.
If you notice your pet is suffering from a lot of joint pain, you can hop on a telemedicine visit with them, show how your pet is walking stiffly and having a hard time getting around, and they can prescribe you medicine right then and there.
3. Monitoring
Some pets are more prone to certain illnesses than others. If you have a pet that is known to have heart issues, you can use a telemonitoring system with your vet. They can recommend you get certain medical devices for your pet, and you will be in charge of keeping track of their vitals and numbers, and you can report those back to your vet so you can both monitor your pet’s health.
Our Finals Thoughts
Veterinary telemedicine is a great option if you live a busy life and don’t have the free time to go to your vet office, wait in the lobby, speak to your vet, or if you don’t have time to wait on the phone to ask them a question about your vet. There are services online that you can use to ask general questions, but it’s even better if your regular vet offers a telemedicine option!
Sources used for reference, but all wording is my own.