Remote Consultations
I do offer remote consultations on a limited basis, for dog owners with behavior concerns. This is something I get emails about fairly frequently, so I wanted to put together a quick resource on my blog site with all the details about how it works!
Because I am a veterinarian, there are strict laws regarding what I can (and can’t!) do remotely. The veterinary practice act in most states (including WV, where I’m located) requires a physical exam in person in order to establish a veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR), which is needed in order to diagnose and treat medical conditions, or prescribe medication.
So what does that mean, in terms of what’s allowable in a remote consultation?
To make sure everything is on the up-and-up, I do remote consults ONLY in collaboration with the pet’s primary care veterinarian. This can work one of two ways:
Option 1: With your veterinarian’s approval, I can talk directly to you via Zoom about the behavioral issues you’re having with your pet. While I can’t legally give you a specific behavioral treatment plan to follow, I *can* talk in general terms about possible underlying causes or contributing factors that might be related to the behavior you’re seeing; make general suggestions on safe management and behavior modification/training approaches that might be helpful; and discuss how we often use medication as part of an overall treatment plan.
I can also discuss specific medication options with your regular veterinarian, to help get an appropriate plan in place for your pet if it seems like meds might be helpful.
Option 2: Some veterinarians may prefer that I speak to them about the case via phone or email, rather than working directly with the pet owner. This is absolutely within the veterinarian’s rights to decide, since the legal VCPR is between them and the pet owner, and they will remain the managing doctor on the case – so I will follow whatever parameters they are most comfortable with!
If your veterinarian chooses this option, I am happy to give any input on the case that they would find helpful. This can still include the same types of things discussed above (general information about the behavior problem in question, basic management and training approaches to consider, and possible medication suggestions) – the difference is that your veterinarian would be the one to relay this information to you and handle all communication about the case going forward, rather than you speaking with me directly.
How much does it cost?
My remote consultation fee is $425. This includes the initial consult (with either the primary care veterinarian, or the pet owner directly) and any necessary follow-up communication with either you or your veterinarian related to the main behavioral concern at hand for a period of three months.
If additional input from me is needed beyond the three-month timeframe, then a recheck consult can be scheduled at a cost of $250 – this ensures that we’re all on the same page about how things are going, and includes another three months of follow-up communication.
How do I schedule a consult?
If you’d like to schedule a remote consultation, you’ll first need to talk to your regular veterinarian to make sure they’re on board. If so, they can fill out the Veterinary Case Referral Form (see below) to get the process started. Once the referral form is completed, I will reach out to you to go over additional logistical details and get the consult scheduled.
I also request that you fill out the Dog Behavior History Form (see below) at least 48 hours prior to our scheduled consult, so that I have a chance to read over it and get an idea of what we may need to discuss.
Feel free to email me at jen@drjensdogblog.com with any questions!