Need a vet? There’s an app for that! If you’ve noticed that it’s become increasingly difficult to get an appointment with your veterinarian – or to find a veterinarian who is taking on new patients – you are not alone.
Throughout the pandemic, veterinary medicine has been plagued with the perfect storm: a significant increase in pet ownership paired with a longstanding shortage of veterinarians and support staff, dating back many pre-COVID years.
Additional factors have compounded the situation – time-consuming COVID cleaning protocols, provision of safer but more tedious non-contact curbside care, increased family obligations such as homeschooling children, and a pre-existing high burnout rate in the profession – creating a considerable discrepancy between the pet population and the number of veterinary professionals available to care for them.
Enter telemedicine. In order to see more pets safely and efficiently, the pandemic compelled the veterinary industry to accelerate the use of technology.
Online telemedicine platforms became more commonplace and the College of Veterinarians of Ontario, the provincial governing body for veterinary medicine, adapted their policy on telemedicine, modernizing how veterinary medicine is practiced today.
Beyond providing a new option for access to veterinary services, telemedicine has also created opportunities to provide care for pets where transportation to a clinic is otherwise difficult or even impossible; think anxious or fearful pets, clients who are home-bound or who have challenging work schedules, and pets living in remote areas. Thanks to telemedicine, those pets can now receive more flexible veterinary support.
Telemedicine does have its limitations and is certainly not a replacement for traditional veterinary care; rather, it’s meant to complement it. The technology can be used for situations such as determining if a pet should be taken to an emergency clinic, provision of short-term solutions to keep a pet comfortable until traditional care can be sought, and even for the diagnosis and treatment of some conditions where the veterinarian feels it is safe and appropriate to do so.
Best of all, telemedicine creates a dedicated space where a veterinary professional can help a client gain a better understanding of their pet’s health simply through focused communication without distractions or interruptions.
The next time you’re having trouble finding timely veterinary care for your pet, aren’t sure how urgently your pet should be seen, or simply have burning questions about your pet’s general health, consider going digital and giving telemedicine a try.
There are a number of telemedicine platforms available in Ontario, including Vetster, Smart.Vet, and Vetsie.
Check with your regular veterinary clinic to see if they recommend a specific platform.
Dr. Kirsten Graham provides telemedicine services through the Vetster online platform and is the owner of Graham Mobile Veterinary Weight Management Services in Rockwood.