Dr. Teri Weronko

I am an emergency and general medicine veterinarian with 30 years of experience taking care of dogs and cats, as well as many other species around the world. My goal as a telemedecine veterinarian is to provide continuity of care and advocacy for families facing situations that would benefit from a more traditional veterinary relationship, one in which you actually KNOW the veterinarian you will be talking to. Currently, in our post covid climate, we are facing an overwhelming demand on our veterinary care system. It is common to wait weeks for an exam and months for a necessary surgery! In addition, many of our small clinics have been bought up by large corporations, which have staffing turnovers that make it almost impossible to see the same veterinarian twice. This is a major deviation from veterinary medecine even just 15 years ago… in those days you found a veterinary office you liked and vets that you trusted. That same team of people were there to help you through the many twisting turns of your pets’ lives…. From the maddening days of puppy training and potty accidents all the way through the golden years of our geriatric pets’ lives. Now, in so many instances… each new medical dilemma is dealt with by a new veterinary face as well… even if it is something that needs just a few rechecks such as skin and ear problems, clients can rarely see the same veterinarian that they saw initially. Dealing with much more serious problems such as a cancer diagnosis or major metabolic problems, without consistent care can feel overwhelming and devastating. Not all medical issues can have just a telemedicine basis… most illnesses require an initial hands, eyes and ears on exam to properly diagnose and treat our patients. But after that is achieved there are often chronic care considerations that telemedicine can really assist in. Some of the more common problems I have helped families navigate through are chronic illness…should we treat and which of the discussed treatments are best in which situations? Diabetes, hypertension, thyroid disease, and cancer are just a few of the many illnesses that telemedicine can help develop chronic care plans for. I have a real passion for the joys of early puppy training and the ongoing search for keeping life quality as good as possible for as long as possible for our very geriatric soulmate companions. There are so many options now to help our older dogs and cats live far better for far longer, but people just do not know about them! This is true for those with terminal diseases such as organ failure and cancer, and those who are very healthy…but also very old! Another area that a telemedecine consult can help with is deciding if you really have an emergency. Though this may seem obvious, in a crisis it often is not. As an emergency vet I have people waiting in the parking lot 4, 6, even 8 hours just to talk to me about a problem that really could have waited the several days it would have taken to see their regular vet… while other people sit at home far too long with a critically ill pet because it so often can take days or even weeks to be seen by their regular veterinarian. In this situation a telemedicine consult can truly be invaluable. My ‘off work’ passion is aid medicine abroad… I have had the honor of leading many Veterinary Medicine Without Borders trips around the world. With amazing teams of volunteer veterinariansI We have treated dogs and cats in Peru, elephants in thailand, lions and leopards in Africa and camels in Mongolia, to name just a few of our many adventures. I have learned that with dedication, commitment and passion we can work together across all economies and geographic challenges to bring together solutions that help all of us and the animals that share our lives.

My primary language is english, I also have limited ability to communicate in spanish, french and greek.