Vet Spotlight: Buzzing with Dr. Nadeau

Every month, our Manager of Veterinary Success interviews a Vetster vet to get their insights into telehealth and to share stories on their experiences in using Vetster.

Meet Dr. Nadeau! A beekeeper and small animal veterinarian from Quebec, Canada.

My favorite thing about Vetster is how easy it is to use in general. Specifically, I really like the prescription creation tool. You enter the medication information and dosage into a form, and then the site automatically generates a nice PDF file with all the relevant information. I would also add the speed with which the staff answers your questions. This is really appreciated.

Vetster is a very easy to use service. Clients are always very grateful to have access to a veterinarian quickly. You will definitely have great experiences.

I believe that telemedicine will gradually become part of our lives. There are many small problems and follow-ups that can easily be resolved remotely. Of course, the in-person visit with the animal will always remain essential in many cases. However, I believe that the possibility of having quick and easy access to a health professional is really a complement to the classic consultation.

Initially, I knew about Vetster because I was looking for an online platform to easily meet my beekeeping clients. Indeed, in the summer I practice in the bee industry, and this has been since 2015. I have my company Artisans de la ruche in Quebec City through which I offer coaching, consulting and training services for beekeepers. As the only veterinarian in private practice in Quebec to offer such services, I receive calls and requests from all over Quebec. With Vetster, I have found a platform where it is easy, fast and efficient for my clients to reach me at any time.

A beekeeping consultation is a bit like what we see in population medicine (poultry and swine). The main reason for consultation is the management of the varroa mite parasite. The client first explains the problem (e.g. problem managing the varroa mite, excessive mortality, problem with queens), and then I propose an action plan. Often, we review and adjust the varroa management schedule. This is really what happens most often. Of course, in some situations, an on-site visit may be necessary to take samples. Currently, these services are mainly provided by the Government of Quebec through the MAPAQ. Thus, in certain situations I refer the beekeeper to his regional inspector or veterinarian.

In the winter season, I mainly use Vetster for canine and feline consultations. But my beekeeping clients are already aware of my presence on the platform. Many of them have mentioned that they were very happy to be able to reach me more easily during the very short beekeeping season.

I had just returned from a long evening of work in the clinic. Everything had gone well, but there had been several complex cases. When I got home, it must have been close to 9:00 p.m., I really wanted to rest. Checking my messages on my phone, I looked at the Vetster app, and figured I could unlock a few hours for the rest of the evening. I thought to myself that no one would be making appointments anyway at this late hour. So I opened up a few time slots for appointments for the rest of the evening.

Barely 5 minutes later, I received a notification for a 9:30pm appointment. It was a lady from the United States traveling to Mont-Tremblant. She mentioned in her description that her little dog had signs of a urinary infection. I accepted the request and we met as planned at 9:30 pm.

During the meeting, she mentioned that her little dog seemed very uncomfortable since the beginning of the day and that it was impossible for her to find an appointment at the veterinary clinic near Mont-Tremblant. She needed help quickly. I offered her some medication which she was able to get quickly from a pharmacy, and recommended that she quickly see her vet in the New York area when she returned.

The lady was very happy and relieved. She was thus able to end her trip in peace with her happier little dog.

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

You may create an account as a veterinary professional, or learn more here.