Vet Spotlight: In fond memory of Lily the donkey.

Meet Dr. Randall, a veterinarian with over 35 years of experience who provides holistic and functional medicine. His scope of services includes chiropractic, acupuncture, traditional Chinese veterinary medicine, herbal therapies (Chinese and Western), hyperbaric oxygen therapy and other disciplines. He actively practices large and small animal medicine and surgery.

“I was surprised to find how easy the Vetster platform is to use. I can focus on my interaction with the client and patient.”

I own a mixed-animal practice in a rural area. Many veterinary services that are available elsewhere are not available here. Emergency rooms are nearly non-existent, and the ones that are available are generally swamped. In addition, many general practice clinics are limiting after-hours availability.

I practiced emergency medicine for many years and realized that many “after-hours” issues that affect pets can be cleared up with simple solutions. Starting treatment early for these patients can make a big difference in their medical outcome. Often getting a patient medications or other intervention is enough to get them through until they can see their primary veterinarian. Sometimes, owners may not recognize how sick their pet is and I can direct them to seek in-clinic care sooner than they had planned. I think telemedicine serves a great value for triage and early intervention. I was looking for some way to fill the void for these after-hours, non-emergency cases. Vetster was recommended by an acquaintance in another state who was very satisfied with her experience using the platform.

I had some experience with using other methods to provide telehealth. I was pleasantly surprised when I started to use Vetster. I found the platform makes it easy to quickly establish a great relationship with the client. The clients have realistic expectations. They understand that telehealth is not appropriate for all situations and that makes the whole appointment flow smoothly. They also seem to understand the role of telehealth, to get the ball rolling until they can get in to see their primary veterinarian. This understanding allows us to use a common sense approach to addressing their pets’ problems.

I was surprised to find how easy the Vetster platform is to use. I can focus on my interaction with the client and patient rather than fiddling with the application settings. Everything I need is easily accessible. I am big on documentation and client education; I find Vetster very useful in these aspects.

From Dr. Randall’s perspective:

Lily was a donkey rescued by Heidi. They live in a small rural town and Lily had been in her care only a few months. They live a long way from emergency veterinary care - more than an 8-hour drive. When Lily got sick, Heidi was unable to find a local veterinarian that could help. Heidi set up an appointment on Vetster and I was able to see her virtually on the same day and get her treatment started.

Lily was showing signs consistent with an upper respiratory tract infection and was refusing to drink or eat anything other than a few pieces of apple or carrots. I was able to walk Heidi through collecting her vitals and providing a good video exam via her cell phone camera.  By working together, we were able to make a good assessment of the situation and start on an appropriate treatment plan. Vetster helped coordinate with a local pharmacy, and Heidi was able to start Lily’s medication the same day.

From the owner Heidi’s perspective:

I adopted Lily, a donkey facing imminent slaughter, from a kill lot. Initially wild and withdrawn, she gradually warmed up to her new home during a month of quarantine. Despite the love and care I provided, including a low-carb diet and efforts to encourage her drinking, Lily struggled with depression and health issues. She developed a severe sinus infection, which was treated with antibiotics prescribed by an online veterinarian through Vetster. I think Vetster is wonderful because it gave her comfort in her last weeks of life. Despite these efforts, her condition worsened, leading to hyperlipidemia and laminitis. I devoted countless hours to caring for her, and she passed away at the end of January. The months I had Lily were hospice for her rather than a violent death in a slaughterhouse. Though her time was short, I found solace in providing her a loving environment.

Vetster provides access to medical advice in rural areas where vet care is limited, which is immensely valuable. This case with Lily exemplifies how telemedicine can be utilized in a crisis. The owner had no other options, especially on a Friday evening, and was hours away from emergency assistance. We were able to very adequately assess the patient, prescribe the appropriate medications, and provide additional recommendations to help with her recovery. In a perfect world, this patient would have been evaluated in person on the farm, but it was logistically impossible. We are seeing a lot of these types of cases in rural practice. With Vetster, we were able to get the appropriate care started much earlier than would have been possible otherwise.

With a little imagination and good communication skills, we can get a great patient history and a substantial physical “evaluation”. As veterinarians, we gather as much detail as possible and make our best diagnosis based on our medical training and experience. Sometimes we make these determinations based on a lot of data, sometimes with very little. This is no different when using telemedicine. Interestingly, I find that involving the owner in the patient’s assessment is better in telemedicine than in the exam room. This involvement is rewarding to both the clinician and the client.

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