Telemedicine – the opportunity in the threat

![][1] John Chitty is a veterinary surgeon at Anton Vets in Hampshire. He is also a consultant to Virtual Vet Derms. We have always regarded the consultation as the gold standard of veterinary care. For initial patient contact it probably still is, providing the opportunity for a hands-on examination, using all our senses, and to carry out investigations. However, in reality what we often see is a snapshot of a stressed animal’s status in a strange situation. In other words, we do not see the patient in its normal conditions, behaving and responding as it normally would. Traditionally, we have assessed this ‘norma’ by taking a history and relying on an owner’s assessment. But, as we all know, this can be confusing at times and even misleading. For me, this aspect of a consultation has been revolutionised … [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif