Veterinary medicine has changed over the years, along with people’s attitudes about how animals should be treated. Once, veterinarians mainly served work and farm animals (think of the books by James Herriot). Social and economic changes mean that today, smaller, in-home companions fill animal clinics. The technology used to support their care has changed just as much.

In many ways, animal healthcare is following a similar trajectory to humans’. Today, veterinarians employ many kinds of diagnostic equipment and treatments that were once solely used for humans, including laparoscopy, dental X-rays, ultrasounds and MRIs. 

In the future, some anticipate more specialization among veterinarians in areas such as dentistry, internal medicine or cardiology. This will lead to further discoveries and medical advancements, of which electrical contractors will be a part. 

Scientific advances and technology will continue evolving, and veterinary practices need to be flexible enough to accommodate these changes. At the center of these innovations is connectivity.

Adjusting to new demands

The healthcare industry, including veterinary care, struggled following the pandemic. Veterinarians and human healthcare providers continue to face increased demand for services, said Mark Rosati, assistant director of public relations for the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). 

He pointed out, however, that veterinary medicine is a broad, diverse profession that includes emergency and specialty practices, shelters, academia, rural veterinarians—especially in food animal and equine practice—and public health. As a result, each sector faces its own challenges in attracting and retaining professionals. 

“The AVMA works constantly and collaboratively with veterinarians and partners in government, academia and industry to ensure we have a sufficient supply of veterinarians in all sectors,” Rosati said. 

The most effective short-term solutions to lingering workforce challenges include leveraging technology to reach more owners and animals while ensuring high-quality care, he said.

Telemedicine

One example is telemedicine, a remote service method that veterinarians have been using successfully for a long time. 

“Proper use of telemedicine can improve effectiveness and efficiency in delivering veterinary care, and the AVMA provides a suite of resources that empower veterinary practices to implement it,” Rosati said. “The AVMA strongly believes that veterinary telemedicine must only be conducted after a VCPR [veterinarian client-patient relationship] has been established in person, except in emergencies, until the patient can be seen by a veterinarian.” 

The in-person visit is often the most reliable condition for a veterinarian to assess an animal’s physical condition and collect appropriate diagnostic specimens. Both are important for a prompt and accurate diagnosis.

Making a telehealth-based diagnosis can be challenging because animals may not show obvious signs of disease or pain. A wrong diagnosis or treatment plan can result in prolonged illness and suffering and also increases costs for the animal’s owner, Rosati pointed out. Despite that, telehealth for veterinary offices is likely to gain in popularity.

And while telehealth is one level of connectivity that a clinic must have built in to its data system, it also needs to accommodate the growing options in cloud-based software and artificial intelligence. Many software solutions for veterinarians center around connected access to clients and their information through apps and cloud-based tools. For example, software company Weave, Lehi, Utah, offers a veterinary software package that relies specifically on such connections. The company released a 2023 business insights report that indicated 74% of vet practices found that client expectations are prompting increases in tools that improve the quality and efficiency of care.

A.I. takes charge for some diagnostics

A.I. is reforming other parts of veterinary practices including recordkeeping. Some practices are employing A.I. to assist with transcribing patient visits and phone conversations. The result, according to some practices, is improved workflows and less time note-taking.

At the 2024 AVMA Veterinary Business and Economic Forum, Justin Toth, owner of Dallas Highway Animal Hospital in Powder Springs, Ga., spoke about his clinic’s use of A.I. for radiographic interpretation to enable automated recordkeeping. Veterinarian Bill Williams also described how A.I. is reforming veterinary recordkeeping. He is a co-owner of Altoona Veterinary Hospital and Hubbell Animal Hospital, both small animal practices in Altoona and Des Moines, Iowa, respectively. 

The technology includes workstations in examination rooms equipped with a conference microphone that records during the appointment. The audio recording can be reviewed to clarify any awkward or inaccurate wording.

Typically, the veterinarian narrates findings during the exam or procedure. A.I. technology drafts a subject, objective, assessment and plan (SOAP) for visits and makes recordings. The service can also provide a visit summary in a client-friendly format from a finalized SOAP.

Other technology aids in tracking inventory of controlled drugs to help ensure clinicians comply with local laws in their use, prescribing and disposal. Scanning codes on the drugs enables users to access cloud-based records and retrieve and produce reports on up-to-date information anywhere they are, reducing time spent on manual daily line entries, stock counts and reconciliations. Several are designed specifically for veterinary practices. Some platforms let teams scan coded drug labels with a smartphone to immediately log the drug, even tracking the GPS location of all activity. 

Digital equipment for radiology also makes it easier to seamlessly integrate images into electronic medical records and then apply A.I. to interpret the results.

Final services

One of the most sensitive aspects of veterinary services is end-of-life care. Technology can aid in this process. For instance, AngelPaw, San Diego, is a pet cremation service that uses RFID technology at both the veterinary office and cremation site to ensure that each pet’s remains are properly handled and their ashes returned to the pet owner.

“We’ve now grown into the largest pet tracking system for pet crematoriums and pet aquamation globally,” said James Byler, AngelPaws’ founder and CEO. (Aquamation is an alternative to cremation that uses water and chemicals.)

Byler recalled difficult times after his own dog passed away. The veterinarian’s office had little information to offer him regarding the location of his dog’s cremains or how they were being cared for. 

He found that the management of pet remains typically relies on paper records. Those remains are picked up from a vet’s office and transferred to a crematorium, and then the cremains are later returned, so that they can be returned to the pet owner or be disposed of, as requested. If a pet’s “parents” have specific requests, such as a paw print or a tuft of fur, the process can become more complex. The lack of information, Byler said, creates undue stress for the parents and can often lead to errors.

AngelPaws employs wireless scanning technology to track an animal’s remains automatically. An RFID tag is attached to the bag to follow removal to a crematory and related information can be sent to the pet parents. Companies use scanners to read the tag and access information about any special services for the pet.

This information, Byler said, “gives them peace of mind by understanding what is happening during the final destination of a beloved pet.” 

Emerging technologies, increased specialization and diagnostic skills mean improved care and animal welfare ahead. Connectivity is going to be at the heart of what happens—in the form of A.I. improving diagnostics and bookkeeping, telehealth connecting clients with doctors virtually and highly integrated diagnostic equipment operating through a connection to the cloud or remote operators.

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