They’re Taking Farm Vet Care Online

They’re Taking Farm Vet Care Online COMPUTERS A father-son duo is tackling the problem of too few rural veterinarians with VETSon a virtual service platform designed to connect farmers and vets through their smartphones Founder Dr Glen Yates has more than 40 years of veterinary experience When he sold his practice Yates Veterinary Hospital he decided to join forces with his son Colin and focus their energy on helping rural animal owners who were falling through the cracks of traditional veterinary care A global shortage of veterinarians has become more pressing thanks to the pandemic career burnout and a rapidly retiring workforce The vets that do work typically only have time for the largest farming operations This means many small or hobby operations are left without good veterinary care options Through VETSon Yates hopes to use technology to make veterinary services accessible and equitable for all animal owners - regardless of farm size The app’s name has two meanings both “vets online” and “vet son ” as a nod to the relationship between the founders Dr Yates has already adopted the award-winning technology in his own practice to support remote farms in Ontario It’s slowly being adopted by other practices both equine and large animal to improve efficiency Each vet practice sets its prices which users can view before booking an appointment Typically the cost will be similar to a vet’s in-person hourly rate but the visit will be shorter because drive time isn’t a factor “For example a vet could set their availability from 2 to 6 p m ” says Colin Yates “Then farmers can book within that timeslot pay upfront and have a real-time video call with them ” VETSon in turn charges a fee per transaction submitted by the veterinary practice This includes appointments purchasing medication and more All veterinarians who offer telemedical services through VETSon must hold a license in the region where they accept clients and follow drug prescription regulations and professional standards These live videos are saved as a medical record that the vet can reference later They also allow for continuity of care between different vets within the same practice Says Yates “VETSon keeps records completely transparent and transferable ” The platform also allows for seamless animal health tracking and creates a channel for communication between animal caretakers and vets Several point-of-care diagnostic tests are in the works to help farmers who use the app make diagnoses independently To date VETSon has only partnered with vets within Canada but is interested in fostering relationships with U S -based vets “If you’re a veterinarian in the United States interested in our virtual approach please reach out ” says Yates Contact: FARM SHOW Followup VETSon info@vetson ai; www vetson ca

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