Telehealth has been around in one form or another since the early 1900s, when a doctor could listen to heart sounds over the telephone. But now, the benefits of telehealth are available for pets in California.
Like pet hospitals everywhere, animals are diagnosed and receive treatment every day at the San Diego Humane Society. But thanks primarily to efforts by the Society, California now has a law that makes vet telehealth legal.
“Telehealth is one way to provide that care when there aren’t enough veterinarians necessarily to do office visits for people, and (when) people also can’t get into the clinics to get care from their vets," said Dr. Gary Weitzman, President & CEO of the San Diego Humane Society.
And there are other benefits, said the Humane Society’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Zarah Hedge.
“There are still locations within San Diego County where there is not a vet clinic within walking distance, for example. We know that transportation can be a barrier, and a lot of vet clinics are booked out for many weeks," Hedge said.
Walking distance is one thing, but this is a big county. Some people live an hour or more away from the nearest veterinary clinic. The availability of a telehealth visit can be critically important for them.
“(One) can potentially see a veterinarian sooner and determine if whatever’s going on with their pet, is (it) something that they do need to go in person for, (or) can be managed through telemedicine," Hedge said.
Telehealth can be done with just a simple phone call, or with a video link.
At the San Diego Humane Society, telehealth visits are a huge help for folks who foster animals.
“It’s not uncommon for the foster parent to reach out through email or call and say, 'This is going on.' Sometimes we’ll say, 'Can you send us a picture or a video?' And that’ll help us decide if they need to bring that animal in," Hedge said.
And there’s yet another benefit of telehealth: affordability.
“Because they may not want to walk into a vet hospital because they know they can’t afford the cost. But maybe a telehealth appointment is something that’s more affordable," Hedge said.
If you’re interested in checking out vet telehealth, Hedge said a simple Google search will turn up plenty of options; options that can lower costs, and bridge distances, all to bring needed care to the animals in our lives — the ones that bring us humans a very special kind of joy.
