INTRODUCTION

The‘digital first’ behavior is extending into all parts of our lives, and as our human healthcare services are gradually increasing their digital capabilities, virtual veterinary services – referred to as ‘telehealth’ or ‘telemedicine’. Veterinary ‘telehealth’ describes virtual veterinary services and ‘telemedicine’ is the term used for digital interactions between the veterinarian and client.

As the use of technology continues to grow at an exponential rate in the United Kingdom, and amid the on-going coronavirus pandemic, telehealth adoption is becoming a topic of great interest throughout the care continuum, and veterinary medicine is no different. One recent report published by Grand View Research found that the worldwide veterinary telehealth market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 19.5% from 2021 to 2028. Using telehealth in an effective manner can have similar advantages for our four-legged friends as for us humans. This state-of-the-art tech solution can greatly improve animal care by facilitating swift treatments, early diagnostics, anytime communication through text, voice and video, better client education and quick appointment scheduling, among other things.

What is telemedicine?

It might sound futuristic but veterinary ‘telehealth’ describes virtual veterinary services and ‘telemedicine’ is the term used for digital interactions between the veterinarian and client. This can refer to the use of text messaging, photo messaging, email and video calls, right through to the use of apps and wearable devices (although right now, devices are mainly used to monitor livestock rather than pets). 

General wellness advice

A telemedicine service, delivered through email, the website or text message, can help veterinarians provide owners with reliable expert advice they can trust, while also increasing exposure to pet owners and building a closer relationship. 

Already apps such as PetCoach, offer free veterinary advice to worried pet owners. While in a step towards telemedicine, some veterinary clinics are considering installing chatbots to their websites to answer owner questions, which can be particularly useful for any out-of-hours queries and may even assist with client recruitment. 

Post-surgical care 

When an animal has undergone an operation, post-surgical care is important for recovery. Owners can help veterinarians monitor this critical stage simply through the power of their smartphone. Veterinarians can keep on top of a patient’s post-op recovery by asking the owner to send images of the incision site to track how it is healing and pick up on any abnormalities early on. Videos or video calls can help the veterinarian monitor the animal’s behaviour and mobility in their home environment, avoiding the need to bring the pet into the clinic for a check-up, which could be uncomfortable and potentially cause unnecessary stress. TeleVet connects to the clinic’s in-house software, allowing them to outsource the hassle of setting up telehealth capabilities while retaining control of delivering the care themselves. 

 Our journal of Scientific Journal of Veterinary Advances is great platform for the all the researchers who are in the field of veterinary including pathology, microbiology, parasitology, physiology, pharmacology, veterinary medicine.

You can submit your related manuscript to the https://www.sjournals.org/scientific-journal-of-veterinary-advances.html for publication in any type of research work as original papers, review article, and short communication.