Telemedicine a crucial solution

Significant growth in the veterinary telemedicine market is projected by the State of Online Veterinary Care Report 2025 from Dutch, a virtual vet service in the US, highlighting that revenues are expected to exceed 10 bn dollars by 2030. Telemedicine is, according to Dutch, becoming a crucial solution for the more than 1 in 3 of Americans or 129 mio people living in a veterinary desert, areas with limited veterinary access, where 22 per cent of counties have no veterinarians per 1 000 households.

Pet health care should not be accessible only to those living within the vicinity of a brick-and-mortar veterinary clinic, says Dutch, which is why the demand for telehealth vet care has spiked in recent years. The report dives into the veterinary care crisis and how innovation in the industry is vital to propelling it forward.

Awareness of telemedicine among pet parents has surged from 3 per cent in 2019 to 48 per cent in 2024, though 74 per cent remain unaware that prescriptions can be written virtually, says the report. According to Dutch, Telemedicine offers substantial cost savings, and effectively addresses 90 per cent of cases, focusing on acute issues like allergies and infections, and complements in-person care.

Recent legal victories in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi allow vets to offer telehealth without an in-person physical exam. The report underscores the transformative impact of telemedicine on veterinary care, making it more accessible, affordable, and effective.