A lot of us embraced virtual visits with our doctors during the pandemic. Some of us still prefer them. Pet owners’ adoption of veterinary telemedicine has not kept pace. A recent survey of more than 1,200 American cat owners showed that 72 percent of respondents used telemedicine for themselves, yet only three percent used it for their cats.
Source: The New York Times, April 7, 2023. Link. But when the pandemic began, some states temporarily eased their requirements. Veterinary practices turned to telemedicine to conserve personal protection equipment and flatten the coronavirus curve. The share of vets offering remote video appointments rose to 30 percent from 4 percent, according to one curve of American and Canadian Clinicians.
Now that pandemic craziness overall is slowing down, it’ll be easier for veterinarians and their teams to take a breath and figure out how to better integrate telemedicine.” Dr. Lori Teller, president of the American Veterinary Medical Association.