The COVID pandemic led to more Zooming and FaceTiming, including for veterinary care. And it may be easy to assume that most people have come to prefer such virtual vet visits because it’s more convenient than taking your dog to the doctor. But they don’t.
When 1,000 people responded to a survey administered by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), almost 900 of them said that having a veterinarian physically examine their pet and talk to them in person is what leads to the best care. AVMA president Rena Carlson, DVM, agrees. “The in-person visit and physical examination is the most valuable tool a veterinarian has,” she says. “It allows them to use sight, sound, touch, and smell to identify potential health issues, supports the collection of diagnostic samples necessary to develop a treatment plan, and helps avoid a misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis, which can lead to additional animal suffering and more cost for the pet owner.”
This doesn’t mean there’s never a place for virtual office visits, particularly for follow-up care. But for the most part, those with dogs should have a veterinarian see their pet in person to assess the animal’s health and make treatment recommendations.
