Dr. Contreras uses Vetster’s telehealth platform for her own clientele.

Meet Dr. Contreras, is licensed in California and specializes in rehabilitation. She uses Vetster as her chosen virtual care platform to run her online appointments with her own client base. (For a low monthly fee, Vetster now offers a separate subscription-based account for licensed vets and technicians to see their own clients. Contact us to learn more.) Her rehabilitation practice incorporates a deeper dive into integrative medicine and acupuncture. She completed her rehabilitation certification, and hopes to continue expanding her knowledge to better serve her patients and their families.

“Having the ability to conduct an appointment at home is especially helpful with rehab”

I have always had a love of animals from a very young age, but my journey with veterinary medicine specifically started when I was in school and I began to realize I also had a love of science. I enjoyed knowing why things happen, and exactly how they happen, all the way down to the protein level. When I put all that together I realized veterinary medicine was the best place for me. I started out small, mucking horse stalls at a boarding facility while I was still in high school. I then progressed to a kennel assistant, and then to a veterinary assistant at local veterinary clinics during my college years. During my summer vacations in vet school I completed various internships: a mobile equine vet, a zoo vet, and an exotic animal vet. So, once I graduated from the University of California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and started working as a veterinarian, I had already been working in the field for a while.

While I loved general practice, I ran into a case after a few years that completely changed my life trajectory. I had seen a dog who had suddenly lost the ability to use their back limbs. My technician suggested they try laser therapy, so we gave them the number to a local hospital that provided laser therapy services. About a month or two later, the family returned for a recheck, and to my surprise, the dog was not only walking, but running circles around the exam room. I immediately began asking the family all sorts of questions about what had happened since their last visit, and their response: rehabilitation. And that's when I started researching veterinary rehabilitation. I then became acupuncture and rehab certified and began working strictly in the rehab world, and I continue to be pleasantly surprised by how much these types of treatments can improve the quality of life of the animals we see.

The main reason I decided to delve into telehealth with my rehabilitation specialization, is because I know most rehab centers are usually found within large, metropolitan cities. This means there are many people who are not able to get to these services on a regular basis. If possible, I encourage owners to have their pets treated by a local certified rehab professional that can get their hands on their pet, but if that's not possible, this is where I hope my services help. I want to be there for owners who do not have any specialists in their area, for owners who are having trouble getting their painful or weak pet into/out of their car, for pets that become very anxious at the clinic, or for owners who are having trouble finding the time to get to a rehab facility consistently.

I like the idea of providing rehab services via telehealth because I am able to spread the word, not only about the services I offer, but also about rehab in general. As this is a newer field, it's not a well-known treatment option for owners or for those in the veterinary profession. As I continue to get the word out about what I do with Vetster, I also continue to share resources and research about the different rehab modalities to anyone who is curious.

I believe it's a great way to get these services to owners and pets that would otherwise not be able to go through a "normal" rehab program. One may ask “what are owners able to do at home?”. The answer is, a lot more than most people would think. For instance, after my initial consultation, I am able to create a personalized therapeutic exercise program for owners to start as soon as they're able. I also provide them instructions on how to do some basic massage techniques at home, including some acupressure points,and instructions on hot/cold therapy. I am also able to get their pets started on a laser and TENS/NMES program, where the owners either purchase or rent the needed equipment. And I can also discuss the other holistic health points, such as supplements, weight loss, ergonomic products (booties, braces, wheelchairs), senior care, and hospice care.

By going through a rehab program via telehealth, owners will be able to carry out the recommended treatments at home, on their time, and can get the whole family involved. Their pets will also be in their most comfortable environments, which allow for relaxation. This helps make the treatments more successful, as many treatments work by releasing endorphins and decreasing cortisol, which can be negated when pets are stressed in a clinical setting.

I hope more pet parents will be able to use telehealth as a preventative health measure, and talk to their vets more often about smaller issues that could become bigger issues in the future, such as arthritis, allergies, and behavioral issues. This would allow rehabilitation veterinarians a chance to come in and address and treat issues such as arthritis, hip dysplasia, and degenerative myelopathy, before they cause significant clinical symptoms, or at least try to help slow the progression of these diseases. Virtual care gives owners a space to have their preventative needs met outside of a veterinary clinic. It helps to ensure pets currently dealing with something urgent have a better chance at getting an appointment the same day with their regular veterinarian. In the same manner, if owners have built a relationship with their rehab practitioner early on, they could also call on us for those inevitable flare ups of chronic painful conditions, further freeing space at local clinics for those pets that really need to be seen in a hurry.

Vetster as a platform helps the veterinary industry as a whole with owner compliance and keeping pets healthier and more comfortable at home. Having the ability to conduct an appointment at home is especially helpful with rehab, as many treatments can require up to everyday or every other day dosing. And with the services I offer, owners can have everything they need to do these treatments at home with this type of frequency, while only setting up a telehealth appointment every week, every other week, or even once a month, making it more likely that owners will see the rehab program through to the end.

For a low monthly fee, Vetster now offers a separate subscription-based account for licensed vets and technicians to see their own clients. Contact us to learn more.

If you're interested in being featured in our blog, please contact Jennifer, our Manager of Veterinary Success by emailing jennifer@vetster.com.

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