New service connects pet owners with veterinarians for telemedicine appointments

A recently launched service makes it possible for pet owners to see a vet as soon as possible. There has been a high demand for pet care since the pandemic began.
The new service is called Vetster and it provides telemedicine meetings with vets.
“From the state of New Jersey, all the way across to California – we have vets ready and able to take your calls right now for appointments,” says Vetster CEO and co-founder Mark Bordo.
News 12 was able to set a virtual appointment with Vetster’s lead veterinarian, Dr. Sarah Machell, in Canada. She says that the service, which launched in November, is helpful for vets and pet owners alike.
“The profession’s struggled before COVID, with really high burnout rates and challenges with compassion fatigue and trying to juggle a work-life balance,” Machell says. “So, a tool like Vetster really gives us the opportunity to have a little more flexibility in our schedule.”
Pet owners must put in their pet’s information and location and then will be given a list of local veterinarians on the service. Prescriptions can also be written and can be mailed to the pet owner through Vetster.
“It really does mirror human telemedicine appointment. You can certainly upload pictures of your animal. You can upload videos of your animal, trying to give veterinarians a feel for what the issue is,” Bordo says.
“Vetster can provide a pet owner with qualified advice at the end of their Google search, rather than ending up in some mysterious lost blog,” Machell says.
The service can currently only be accessed through Vetster’s website. But the company is expected to launch a mobile app early next year.