Great news, pet owners! You can now get veterinary telehealth services for your dog, cat, and other pets.
Telehealth veterinary medicine is the latest innovation in pet care. It combines the already widely trusted and used telehealth services, but with your vet. Telehealth veterinary medicine is expected to generate $15.9 billion in revenue according to Sciatica.com. It offers a way for dog owners everywhere, no matter where they are in the US, to access veterinary services for their pet.
Here, you’ll find information that answers all the questions you may have about telehealth veterinary medicine. Find out more about:
- What veterinary telehealth is
- Why you should use veterinary telehealth medicine
- How much veterinary telehealth is
- How to access telehealth services for your dog
What Is Telehealth Veterinary Medicine?
If you’ve ever emailed, called, or texted your vet a question or concern about your dog, you’ve used telehealth medicine! Telehealth is an all encompassing term used to describe a patient’s remote access to any healthcare services. So if you had reservations about using telehealth veterinary services before, you’ve most likely already used telehealth. Your vet can offer you telehealth veterinary medicine in the form of:
- Texts or other direct messaging apps
- Emails
- Telephone calls
- Video calls
- And more!
If you’re still not familiar with telehealth veterinary medicine, here are some terms you should get to know:
Telehealth
The umbrella term for any remote health service. Telehealth can refer to patients access to care, information, or education. If you’ve emailed your vet about your dog’s health before, you’ve used telehealth veterinary medicine!
Telemedicine
This is a subcategory of telehealth in which a communication tool is used for both contact and visualization. This can include using tools such as zoon, skype, or any other application for a form of face to face contact with your vet.
Teleconsulting
Another subcategory of veterinary telehealth that allows patients to use the telehealth tools to speak with a veterinary specialist. This can be used by both patients and vets looking for more insight into their pet’s health.
Telehealth veterinary medicine allows for vets and dog owners alike to access care and communicate in a health-focused way. Your vet still charges you for any telehealth “face to face” visits.
Why Should I Use Telehealth Veterinary Medicine?
You can access care for your dog via telehealth 24/7 and is often cheaper than in-person vet visits. This means you can access care for your dog, no matter what time of day it is, for a much more affordable price! So even if you feel like you have a “stupid question” about your dog, you won’t have to worry about how much it’ll cost you.
Aside from needing to access a vet via telehealth for emergencies, owners can also use telehealth to speak to a vet about:
- Training
- Odd behaviors
- Recent changes
- Recommendations for products, medicine, and food
- More concerns regarding your dogs health
Since telehealth veterinary services can still give you all the access you need to show a vet exactly what’s concerning you about your dog. This way, even if your concerns are minor, you can have all your questions answered without having to make the pricey trip to the vet.
How Will I Be Charged For Using Telehealth Veterinary Medicine?
Depending on how your vet normally charges you, or if you choose to use another third party telehealth veterinary medicine service, the price for telehealth vet services can vary.
Similarly with your regular vet bills, accessing telehealth veterinary services is much cheaper if you have pet insurance. However, unlike in-person vet visits, telehealth veterinary services are much cheaper.
Depending on which telehealth veterinarian service you use, either directly through your vet or with a third party service, there are also a few discounts you can get with veterinary telehealth. These discounts can include, but are not limited to:
- A free or no-charge first exam
- Pre-existing or wellness check benefits
- Charge by usage
If you’d like to know more about how much a visit with a telehealth vet will cost you, or if you want to see if your insurance will cover telehealth veterinary medicine, call Quote Purple. Quote Purple can set your dog up with one of our partners who can offer coverage or telehealth veterinary services.