The Rise of the Virtual Vet: A New Era in Veterinary Medicine

The Rise of the Virtual Vet: A New Era in Veterinary Medicine

Virtual veterinarians are becoming increasingly popular, and what once seemed like an unusual or futuristic approach to veterinary care is gradually becoming part of everyday life. Veterinary telehealth platforms are appearing across the internet, giving pet owners access to veterinary advice without necessarily having to travel to a clinic.

But is this simply a passing trend, or are we witnessing a genuine shift in the way veterinary medicine is delivered?

The answer is probably somewhere in between. Telehealth certainly cannot replace the traditional veterinary consultation in every situation, but it can offer something incredibly valuable: another way for veterinarians and animals to connect.


So, what can an online vet actually do?

One of the biggest questions pet owners have is: “But what can a veterinarian actually do if they can't examine my pet?”

The answer is: quite a lot — provided the situation is suitable for remote care.

An online veterinary consultation can be used to gather a detailed history, discuss symptoms, review photographs and videos, assess changes in behaviour, provide general veterinary guidance and help determine what should happen next.

Depending on the situation, an online veterinarian may be able to:

  • Help you decide whether your pet needs to see a veterinarian urgently

  • Discuss whether a particular symptom is likely to require further investigation

  • Review photographs or videos of skin, wounds, movement or behaviour

  • Provide advice about nutrition and weight management

  • Discuss behavioural concerns

  • Help monitor an ongoing or chronic condition

  • Review how a pet is responding to treatment

  • Discuss medication administration and potential concerns

  • Provide post-operative follow-up advice where appropriate

  • Help assess quality of life in an elderly or chronically ill pet

  • Offer a second opinion or another perspective

  • Help owners prepare for an upcoming veterinary appointment

  • Provide guidance to owners living far from their nearest veterinary practice

There is also an important distinction between veterinary advice, triage and diagnosis.

An online veterinarian may be able to help you understand what could be happening and what your next step should be. However, without a physical examination or appropriate diagnostic tests, it may not always be possible — or responsible — to provide a definitive diagnosis.

Sometimes the answer may simply be:

“This is something we can discuss online.”

And sometimes it will be:

“Your pet needs to be examined by a veterinarian.”

Both are valuable veterinary outcomes.

In fact, knowing when to refer a patient for hands-on care is one of the most important parts of responsible veterinary telehealth.

The goal isn't to keep every consultation online.

The goal is to get the right veterinary support to the animal at the right time — whether that happens through a screen, in a consulting room, or through a combination of both.


A brief history of veterinary telehealth

Telemedicine has existed in human healthcare for decades. Veterinary telehealth, however, has generally been viewed as something of a novelty.

That isn't entirely fair. Veterinary professionals have been using remote communication for years, particularly within specialist fields. Teleradiology, telepathology and specialist consultations allowed veterinarians in one location to obtain expert opinions from colleagues elsewhere.

However, for the average pet owner, speaking to a veterinarian through a computer or smartphone was not part of normal veterinary care.

Then came 2020.

The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically changed the way healthcare was delivered around the world. Face-to-face consultations became more difficult, and veterinary practices had to find ways of continuing to support their clients while reducing unnecessary physical contact.

Telehealth suddenly moved from the sidelines into the mainstream.

What began partly as a response to an extraordinary global situation demonstrated that there was a genuine demand for veterinary advice that could be delivered remotely.

How much has veterinary telehealth grown?

If numbers are your thing, the growth is certainly interesting.

The global veterinary telehealth market was valued at approximately US$92 million in 2020, with estimates suggesting annual growth of close to 20% during the following decade.

More recent estimates have placed the market at approximately US$365 million in 2025, with forecasts suggesting it could exceed US$1.6 billion by 2033. That represents annual growth of around 21%.

The increasing use of virtual consultations is another indication that this isn't simply a temporary phenomenon. The Veterinary Virtual Care Association's 2024 report analysed more than 500,000 virtual consultations and two million data points, demonstrating that virtual veterinary care has become an established part of the veterinary landscape.

The numbers tell a story: people are using it, and the industry is growing.

Why do pet owners like telehealth?

There is one very obvious advantage to virtual veterinary care: you don't necessarily have to leave home.

Anyone who has tried to persuade a reluctant cat into a carrier, wrestled with a large, boisterous dog in the back of a car, or travelled several hours to reach the nearest veterinary practice will understand the appeal.

For many owners, telehealth offers:

  • Faster access to veterinary advice

  • Less stress for anxious pets, particularly cats

  • No travelling or waiting-room time

  • Access to veterinary advice for people living in rural or remote areas

  • Support for working animals, including dogs and horses deployed far from veterinary facilities

  • Convenient follow-up consultations

  • Improved monitoring of chronic conditions

  • Behavioural consultations from the comfort of home

  • Medication reviews and general health discussions

  • Help deciding whether an apparently worrying situation requires an emergency visit

That last point can be particularly valuable.

Imagine it is late at night and your dog has developed a worrying symptom. You aren't sure whether you should drive to an emergency clinic immediately or whether it is something that can safely wait until morning.

A virtual consultation may help provide some guidance about what to do next.

Of course, that does not mean an online veterinarian can determine that every situation is safe to manage at home. Sometimes the most important advice a virtual veterinarian can give is simply: this animal needs to be seen.

Interestingly, a global survey found that approximately three out of four pet owners who had used a virtual veterinary consultation were satisfied or very satisfied with the experience.

Clearly, owners are finding value in having veterinary support available in this way.

 

What about the veterinarians?

It isn't only pet owners who can benefit.

Of course, virtual veterinary work won't appeal to every veterinarian. For many of us, the hands-on interaction with animals is one of the very reasons we chose veterinary medicine in the first place.

But veterinary medicine can also be physically and emotionally demanding, and traditional practice isn't always compatible with every stage of a veterinarian's life.

A flexible, remote working option can be particularly useful for veterinarians who are parents, travelling, temporarily unable to work in a clinic, or looking for a different way to remain professionally active.

Some of the potential advantages include:

  • More flexible working hours

  • Better use of appointment time

  • The ability to support clients over much larger geographical areas

  • Improved continuity and follow-up care

  • Fewer unnecessary clinic visits

  • The ability to provide support to underserved or remote communities

  • Opportunities to continue practising veterinary medicine in a less physically demanding environment

Perhaps one of the most exciting possibilities is the ability to extend veterinary expertise into places where veterinary services are limited.

A veterinarian sitting at a computer in one part of the country can potentially provide guidance to an animal owner, kennel worker, conservation team or working-dog handler hundreds or even thousands of kilometres away.

That doesn't replace the local veterinarian.

It can, however, provide an additional layer of support.

But there are limitations

A balanced discussion of veterinary telehealth is essential.

The biggest limitation is also the most obvious: a screen cannot replace a physical examination.

A veterinarian cannot palpate an abdomen, listen to a heart or lungs, assess neurological reflexes, take a temperature or perform diagnostic tests through a video call.

There are also situations where remote advice simply isn't appropriate.

Other limitations include:

  • No physical examination

  • No ability to perform diagnostic testing remotely

  • Emergencies requiring immediate hands-on treatment

  • Differences in veterinary legislation and regulations between countries

  • Poor internet access or technological limitations

  • Difficulty assessing some clinical signs remotely

  • Owners sometimes expecting a definitive diagnosis when advice or triage is more appropriate

This is why responsible telehealth isn't about trying to diagnose everything remotely.

It is about understanding what can safely be managed remotely and, just as importantly, recognising when it cannot.

Where does telehealth work particularly well?

Case selection is critical.

Some veterinary problems lend themselves particularly well to virtual consultations, especially when the veterinarian already has access to a good history and the owner can provide useful photographs or videos.

Examples include:

Skin conditions
Photographs and videos can sometimes provide valuable information about skin lesions, ears, feet and areas of irritation.

Behavioural problems
Behaviour consultations can actually work particularly well remotely because the veterinarian or behaviour professional can observe the animal in its normal home environment rather than in the unfamiliar surroundings of a veterinary clinic.

Nutrition
Dietary discussions, weight-management plans and nutritional advice can often be provided remotely.

Senior pet check-ins
Virtual appointments can be useful for discussing changes in appetite, mobility, behaviour and general quality of life.

Post-operative follow-ups
Where appropriate, photographs and videos can help assess healing and allow the veterinarian to decide whether an in-person recheck is necessary.

Medication reviews
Owners can discuss medication schedules, possible concerns and ongoing treatment with their veterinarian.

Hospice and quality-of-life discussions
These are often deeply personal conversations, and being able to have them in a familiar home environment can be valuable.

Second opinions
Telehealth can make specialist or independent veterinary opinions more accessible, particularly when travelling to another practice isn't practical.

And there is an important point here: the online veterinarian should be comfortable saying when an online consultation isn't enough.

If an owner isn't sure whether their particular concern is suitable for telehealth, asking the question is often the best place to start.

When should telehealth never replace an examination?

There are situations where hands-on veterinary care is essential.

Examples include:

  • Difficulty breathing

  • Collapse

  • Severe trauma

  • Persistent vomiting or diarrhoea

  • Suspected poisoning

  • Dystocia or difficulty giving birth

  • Severe pain

  • Major bleeding

  • Seizure activity

  • Suspected venomous snake bite

These are not situations where an online consultation should delay appropriate veterinary treatment.

In some cases, however, a virtual veterinarian may still have a useful role — for example, helping an owner recognise the urgency of the situation and directing them towards appropriate emergency care.

Sometimes the most valuable thing an online veterinarian can do is help an owner understand how quickly their animal needs to be seen.

The future: a hybrid model

So, will virtual veterinarians eventually replace traditional veterinary practices?

Almost certainly not.

The future is much more likely to involve a hybrid model, where face-to-face veterinary medicine and telehealth complement one another.

Imagine a veterinary journey where an owner can have an initial virtual consultation, attend a clinic when a physical examination or diagnostic testing is required, and then continue with remote follow-up appointments once the animal is stable.

Technology may also make this increasingly sophisticated.

Future developments could include:

  • AI-assisted triage

  • Wearable health-monitoring devices

  • Remote monitoring of vital signs

  • Integration with electronic medical records

  • Better digital diagnostic tools

  • Greater access to veterinary expertise for conservation projects

  • Improved support for working and service dogs

  • Veterinary support for remote and underserved communities

The possibilities are particularly exciting for animals that live and work far from traditional veterinary facilities.

A conservation dog working in a remote area, a horse on a rural property, or a working-dog unit deployed far from a veterinary clinic could potentially have access to veterinary guidance without the veterinarian needing to physically be there.

That doesn't eliminate the need for hands-on veterinary medicine.

It simply extends the reach of veterinary expertise.

A new tool, not a replacement

Veterinary medicine has always evolved alongside technology.

From digital radiography and ultrasound to electronic medical records and sophisticated laboratory testing, new technology hasn't necessarily replaced the veterinarian. Instead, it has given veterinarians more tools with which to do their jobs.

Telehealth is another one of those tools.

Used appropriately, it can make veterinary advice more accessible, improve continuity of care, reduce unnecessary journeys, support owners in remote areas and provide an additional safety net when they aren't sure what to do.

But good telehealth requires good judgement.

Knowing when an animal can be safely managed remotely is important.

Knowing when it cannot is even more important.

Veterinary telehealth isn't about replacing the hands-on skills of a veterinarian. It's about extending those skills beyond the clinic walls — making expert advice more accessible, improving continuity of care, and helping ensure that more animals receive timely veterinary support wherever they are.

 



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