Some simple diagnoses can be accomplished with your pet and a laptop connected to a veterinary professional. Photo provided
By Arden Moore
Veterinary clinics and other pet professional businesses in Palm Beach County are unleashing a new way to provide health care. Welcome to the emerging era of veterinary telehealth.
Yes, help for your cat, dog or other pet may be just a computer click, phone call or text away, any time of the day or night. Think of it as house call Version 2.0. Expert advice may come from a veterinarian or veterinary tech who is not in an exam room with you or even in the same city or state as you.
“There is the convenience of speaking to a veterinary team by telephone, text or video at any time,” says Dr. Lowell Ackerman, DVM, an in-demand global expert on pet health care. “It can be used for prescription requests, virtual examinations and post-surgical checkups.”
Veterinary telehealth delivers speed and convenience.
“Telemedicine serves the needs of all ages,” says Dr. Hazel Carney, DVM, past chair of the American Association of Feline Practitioners’ guidelines committee, who is based in Emmett, Idaho. “I have older clients who can no longer physically drive and bring in their cats. I also have younger clients who grew up with technology and are more comfortable communicating about their cats via a live chat with their veterinarians.”
In doing a quick look online, I discovered that all Banfield Pet Hospitals in Palm Beach County are now touting virtual office visits and a service known as Pet Chat. Clients can get questions answered by veterinary teams 24/7 online or on the Banfield app. The service is available for no extra charge to clients who have Banfield’s Optimum Wellness Plans.
Imperial Point Animal Hospital of Delray Beach recently announced its connection with Airvet, founded in 2018 by Dr. Jeff Werber, DVM, and his son, Brandon Werber.
“Airvet has been a game changer for veterinary medicine,” says Dr. Werber, based in Los Angeles. “Airvet offers clients access to affordable veterinary care 24/7. Clients love having access to talk to veterinarians one-on-one any time of the day or night.”
Regal Animal Hospital in Lake Worth Beach now offers BetterVet, an online service in which virtual veterinarians help pet parents determine if their pets need an in-home exam, urgent care appointment or evaluation at an emergency clinic.
Even non-veterinary clinics are offering veterinary telehealth services to their practices. Woofie’s, a pet company offering mobile grooming, pet sitting and dog walking in several states, recently partnered with a telehealth company called Pet Vet Connection.
“In doing a snout-to-tail inspection on a dog, one of our groomers may find a hot spot or a tick or a lump or bump,” says Liz Gibbs, general manager for the Woofie’s in Delray Beach. “Having immediate access to veterinary telehealth services gives our clients that much-needed peace of mind.”
She shared two recent situations requiring access to a veterinary team. One involved a shih tzu named Dilbert, a newly adopted rescue dog whose body was covered in mats.
“While grooming him, we discovered a wound by his eye that was open and bleeding,” says Gibbs. “It had been covered underneath the mats. Pet Vet Connection gave us advice on how to provide him with immediate care and keep him comfortable. His owner was able to take him to her personal veterinarian shortly after the groom.”
A senior-aged English bulldog named Rocco, known for having arthritis, fell and had trouble getting up during a recent Woofie’s visit.
“We immediately did veterinary telehealth, and they asked for videos of him walking and how he was acting to rule out any neurological impairments,” says Gibbs. “They recommended pain medications and solutions for his pain.”
The rules surrounding veterinary telehealth are evolving. Depending on state laws, telemedicine providers can evaluate, diagnose, consult and provide treatment for pets. And they must establish what is called VCPR. That stands for veterinarian-client-patient-relationship.
In Florida, a new law went into effect on July 1. The PETS Act lifted the ban on veterinarians from practicing medicine or prescribing medications unless they have examined the animal in person.
To learn more about telehealth, see these two sites:
• Veterinary Virtual Care Association: https://vvca.org
• American Veterinary Medical Association: www.avma.org/resources-tools/avma-policies/telemedicine
Telehealth options
Here is a rundown of some companies offering veterinarians and veterinary technicians 24/7 by phone or app. The services and fees vary.
• Airvet: www.airvet.com
• Dutch: www.dutch.com
• Pet Vet Connection: www.petvetconnection.com
• Pawp: www.pawp.com
• Pet Chat: www.banfield.com/services/pet-chat
• BetterVet: https://bettervet.com
• Pet Desk: www.petdesk.com
• AskVet: www.askvet.app
Arden Moore is an author, speaker and master certified pet first aid instructor. She hosts the syndicated radio show Arden Moore’s Four Legged Life (www.fourleggedlife.com) and the popular Oh Behave! podcast on PetLifeRadio.com. Learn more by visiting www.ardenmoore.com.
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