Has your veterinarian expanded her practice to include telehealth visits?  Many vets are now using technology to accommodate the need for remote veterinary services.  Is it worth scheduling a telehealth visit for your pet?

According to the American Animal Hospital Association, telehealth visits can be helpful in a variety of situations.  They include:

• Consultations about nutrition for a newly acquired pet.
• Sending photos of rashes and other skin conditions.
• Having an emergency vet do remote “teletriage” to determine if you need to bring your pet in for immediate care.

• Sending a video recording of a pet’s movements and behavior if you see something unusual.
• Getting a prescription refilled.

The AAHA says that there are many benefits to veterinary telehealth.  A triage phone call can be life saving in an emergency.  It can also save you money on an in-person emergency clinic visit if you know you can wait until normal office hours.

Pets are calmer in their home environments than they are at the vet’s office, so it can be more helpful to capture a particular behavior over video than in an office environment where fear and adrenaline can mask a problem.

Many vets can also evaluate data that you collect from a pet’s wearable technology and remote monitors, so be sure to ask about that if you are interested in talking to your vet about telehealth visits.