Pros and Cons of Pet Telehealth & Telemedicine

Just as scheduling and attending in-office doctor appointments can cause hassles for humans, the need for veterinary treatments and exams pose frustrations for pet owners. If you've ever wished you could just wave a magic wand and get professional veterinary care for your beloved pet, you may be in luck. Online video technology has made it possible for veterinarians to offer telehealth and telemedicine services -- but will these services really provide your pet with what it needs? Let's look at the pros and cons of pet telehealth care.

What Does Pet Telehealth Involve?

Pet telehealth care works very much like the telehealth options that medical offices provide for their human patients. You may be able to schedule a telehealth appointment with your family vet directly, or you can arrange one through an online third-party provider. During the session, you'll talk to the veterinarian through an online video window. You can tell the vet about your concerns and/or allow them to perform a visual examination of the issue.

To be effective, vet telehealth care requires that you, your pet, and the veterinarian all be present on the call in order for the veterinarian to provide necessary care. You should also come to the meeting with your pet's medical history and documentation in hand so the veterinarian will have enough supporting information to make accurate diagnoses and useful recommendations.

Pet telehealth care falls into two main categories: tele-triage and telemedicine. Unlike telemedicine, tele-triage doesn't require a pre-existing vet-client-patient relationship. Any qualified vet, veterinary technician, or veterinary assistant can perform this service. It focuses on visually assessing your pet’s condition, addressing your concerns, and providing advice on the next steps. In telemedicine, the veterinarian is actually able to make diagnoses and prognoses, recommend specific treatment strategies, and prescribe medications.

Advantages of Pet Telehealth Care

Pet telehealth care can relieve a lot of pressure from all parties concerned. Here are some of the most attractive advantages of this approach.

• It's convenient. Participating in a telehealth conference is obviously much easier than loading your pet into your car and driving to a veterinary clinic. It can also prove easier for the vet to provide some flexibility in scheduling.
• It's efficient. A pet telehealth appointment will take considerably less time out of your day than a commute to and from the vet's office. You can save on both fuel and vehicular wear and tear, especially if your pet's care calls for multiple follow-up appointments.
• It's stress-free. Some pets get nervous or anxious in a veterinary facility. By participating in the vet appointment from the comfort and familiarity of your own home, you can spare your high-strung pet some stress. (You may find it more relaxing, too!)
• It's easy to access. If you live a long way from the nearest veterinary clinic, pet telehealth can connect you with care that might be difficult or impossible to receive through in-office appointments.

Disadvantages of Pet Telehealth Care

As miraculous as pet telehealth care might seem on the surface, it also comes with its share of disadvantages. Keep the following downsides in mind.

• It's limited to visual inspection. There are limits to what a veterinarian can determine in a visual exam through a computer screen. While many symptoms and conditions may be readily apparent, some might only be evident through direct examination (such as feeling the body for possible tumors). Even the most skilled vet can miss important details without in-person evaluation.
• It doesn't include internal tests. Even a basic wellness exam typically includes blood, urine, and fecal sample testing as well as X-rays or other diagnostic imaging. A veterinarian simply can't administer these tests via video, which leaves some potential internal problems unchecked until you schedule an in-person exam. An in-office appointment is also recommended if your pet has a known chronic condition that requires frequent testing.
• It's not as interactive. Ideally, you want your pet to become comfortable with your trusted veterinary team. You may find it a lot harder to achieve this bonding if you rely primarily on telehealth appointments instead of scheduling in-person visits. You may even find the telehealth experience too impersonal for your own liking.
• It's potentially an added expense. If you're lucky, you can resolve your pet's immediate needs through a single telehealth appointment. However, there's a good chance that your pet may end up needing a more thorough examination or clinical treatment. You may find yourself scheduling and paying for more appointments than if you'd simply brought your pet to the clinic in the first place.

Still Not Sure? Ask Your Veterinarian

As you can see, the world of pet telehealth care can offer tremendous ease and convenience, but it can't address every pet health situation or condition. If you're still uncertain about when to rely on pet telehealth and when to schedule an in-person appointment, simply contact your veterinarian and ask. As long as you select the right option for your pet's particular needs, you can rest assured that you're doing the right thing for your four-legged friend!