Vet Spotlight: Dr. Forbes-Cingolani values telemedicine through Vetster

Meet Dr. Karen Forbes-Cingolani, a native Floridian and pug fanatic, who owned and operated a small animal general practice for nearly 15 yrs before transitioning to urgent care and emergency medicine. Her passions are in complex internal medicine and endocrinology cases, as well as cardiology and dermatology. Dr. Forbes-Cingolani treats cats, dogs and small mammals on Vetster, and is thrilled to be helping pets through telemedicine.

“...it is obvious at this point that veterinary telemedicine is a valid, valuable, and efficient service.”

I look forward to improving on how we help pets by using a means other than solely in-person veterinary visits. I think it is obvious at this point that veterinary telemedicine is a valid, valuable, and efficient service. I look forward to a time when we can't imagine not being able to offer telemedicine to pets and their owners. In the near future, I feel that veterinary telemedicine will become commonplace, so much so, it will almost be taken for granted (such as the telephone or internet).

Sometimes accidents happen with pets that are funny or amusing at first, but later reveal themselves to have been quite dangerous. One such example occurred with a beautiful little Cavalier King Charles male named Apollo. I spoke to Apollo's worried owner after Apollo decided he'd like to figure out how a mouse trap operated. What could've started out as an "America's Funniest Videos" moment ended with a corneal ulcer. The nerve endings in the cornea are more dense than anywhere else on the body, which makes these injuries one of the most painful things that can happen to a pet's eye. Furthermore, if they become infected or are not recognized and managed correctly at the outset, there is risk of losing sight in the affected eye. Luckily for Apollo, his owner acted quickly and his painful injury healed within days due to a combination of ophthalmic antibiotic drops and something for easing the pain.

At this point in my telemedicine career, I cannot imagine working without VetsterRx. So many of the conditions we veterinarians see and attend to online require prescription or non-prescription products to treat. VetsterRx makes it incredibly convenient and easy to ensure that my clients obtain the exact products they need for effective treatment. It is extremely efficient to use the tooling and takes little time. I believe the owners appreciate it as much as I do.

I've never had a client express regret about having scheduled a Vetster appointment. The response has been overwhelmingly and consistently positive. Even when I think the pet's health issue is something that truly requires an in-person exam, clients genuinely seem to appreciate being able to confirm the need for that with an experienced practitioner online. I also have had clients express to me that Vetster appointments are even more thorough and satisfying than some in-person veterinary appointments they have had.

Owners are thrilled with the value of the service time and time again. It’s fulfilling to know that in some cases I have been able to help a pet that may have otherwise not been seen by a vet due to time, location or cost.

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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