Vet Spotlight: Dr. Julian’s insights into pet owner education
Meet Dr. Tim Julian, a veterinarian with 14 years of experience treating dogs and cats. A graduate of Ontario Veterinary College, and former owner of a Toronto practice for nine years, Dr. Julian now focuses on providing affordable, effective virtual care. He’s a strong advocate for leveraging virtual care, human pharmacies and over-the-counter solutions, to ensure fast time-to-care, especially for those in rural areas or facing long vet waits.
We sat down with Dr. Julian to discuss how educating pet owners is key to successful virtual appointments, and we are excited to share some tips and advice on the subject in this month’s Vet Spotlight.
“When communicating with pet owners, I like to inform them of what symptoms and behaviours to watch for and provide a timeline for recovery.”
What are some of the most common misconceptions pet owners have when they contact you virtually, and how do you navigate those on your virtual visits?
Many pet owners don’t realize veterinarians can prescribe and dispense medications virtually. They’re often surprised to learn that many common pet medications, like antibiotics, are also human medications that can even be dispensed from the same pharmacies where people pick up their own medications!
For veterinary exclusive medication, I direct clients to online pharmacies which can usually ship within one to two days. If clients are comfortable giving injections to their pets, then even injectable medications can be shipped from online pet pharmacies for people to administer at home.
Another challenge is that some pet owners are unable to be with their pet during their virtual visit or they don’t realize the pet should be present. While some issues can be resolved without a virtual examination, it’s ideal for the veterinarian to look at your pet during the virtual appointment to ensure that the treatment is appropriate and safe.
How do you help pet owners feel confident managing their pet’s health at home without a physical exam?
I guide clients through basic at-home assessments and it can be very helpful for pet owners to know how to assess important parameters like hydration and respiratory rates.
There are some parts of a physical exam that are tougher for pet owners, like an oral exam and abdominal palpation, but many important parts of a physical exam can be easily performed by pet owners. Pet owners are also attuned to their pets and know intuitively when they’re in pain or struggling in any way. After years of living with their pets, pet owners tend to intuitively know when something is amiss.
What advice do you often communicate to pet owners during video consultations?
I always set clear expectations for pet owners. I walk owners through the treatment process and educate them on what symptoms to monitor and what to expect in response to a treatment. This means knowing how quickly a problem should resolve and what kind of red flags would require further veterinary attention. Owners can use the tips and skills they learned during the virtual appointment to monitor their pet’s recovery, such as how to check on their hydration status.
Are there any trends you identify with pet owners who are using virtual care?
Many pet owners who seek virtual care are looking for a way to get veterinary care for their pet when it is challenging to have in person care. A pet may be overly nervous or aggressive at the veterinary clinic, making a vet visit and an effective examination nearly impossible. Virtual examinations in the comfort of their own home, with no strangers around, are a fantastic solution for these pets who are not their best selves at the vet hospital. Other times there are long waits for a veterinary appointment, or a client is in a rural area with limited access to veterinary care. Telemedicine is a great option to fulfill this gap in the provision of veterinary medicine.
In your opinion, how can pet owners prepare to make the most out of a virtual vet appointment and what can vets do to help support them?
Photos or videos of the problem can be extremely helpful. Some pets are not always cooperative during the time of a telemedicine appointment and the resolution and detail in an image is always much better than that of a video call. Also, certain behaviours, like a potential seizure event, a cough, or a limp, for instance, can be intermittent and can’t be reliably observed on a virtual exam. In cases like this, a pre recorded video can be the only opportunity for a veterinarian to visually review the issue.
If the pet’s issue is chronic or complex, then it is helpful if the client uploads their medical records and diagnostic tests for review. Asking them to provide a timeline of symptoms and treatments can also be a great way to decipher what’s the next best step in the treatment process. As a virtual vet I like the challenge of reviewing a complicated case and providing guidance on how to proceed moving forward.
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