The tech revolution in pet health

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Business Round Up

Weekend Rounds is all about the breaking down the news of the week into manageable chunks, and this week there were a few business headlines to catch you up on:

Dial A Vet Expansion 

Australian teleconsulatation provider, Dial A Vet, has announced plans to expand into Canada, the US, and UK in their mission to “bring affordable, expert pet care to pet owners worldwide”. And it looks like disruption is the name of their game, with 24/7 access priced below traditional costs ($49 CAD / $35 USD / £30 GBP). Dial A Vet isn’t the first provider of this service, and due to veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR) laws, prescriptions cannot be issued in Canada and many US states. It will be interesting to see the impact of this expansion, if any.

The Rising Costs of Care

DVM360 published a short article on the rising costs of care that outlined some challenges and pathways to greater access for our clients. It wasn’t groundbreaking, but it’s important to remember the important factors:

• for many clients, rising veterinary costs are making essential pet care increasingly inaccessible

• this increase is driven by workforce expenses, shifting practice economics, and the high price of advanced treatments

The article stresses the importance of improving affordability without compromising quality by:

• educating pet owners on financial planning

• offer a spectrum of care options

• adopt innovative practice models like telehealth and urgent care centers.

The tech revolution in pet health

The AAHA published an interesting article on how technology has shaped and reshaped veterinary medicine over the last 25 years. It’s without surprise that new technologies have brought massive shifts in how we deliver care, communicate, and manage patient health. From digital x-rays, to apps to communicate with clients, to online appointment booking - there isn’t an aspect of our field not being pushed forward by technology.

What we found interesting about the article was the look ahead to what technologies could be emerging in the next 10-20 years:

• AI-powered assistants for diagnostics, analysis, and record scribes - if you caught last week’s edition of Weekend Rounds, you know where we stand on this. Some AI applications are ahead of others in their efficacy and usefulness. Right now, we can’t rely on it for diagnostics, but it may be helpful for some clinicians to streamline the administrative work of running a clinic and treating patients.

• Tailored and automated client education systems - imagine an app where clients can automatically see relevant information on their pet’s case in the format they prefer (audio, video, text, etc.).

• Lameness detection and behavioral monitoring with home cameras - it’s a little Orwellian for us, but admittedly it may be helpful to remotely monitor changes in a pet’s gait, behavior, skin conditions and more.

• Small sample diagnostics - advances in laboratory technology are heading toward devices that require only minimal samples to run comprehensive tests much quicker that today.

• Prescription fulfillment - it’s very possible that clients will no longer need to pick up prescriptions or worry about refills. Big players in the space (we see you, Amazon & Walmart) are already changing the game. Soon, clients will be able to manage all their pet’s medications online, have them delivered directly to their door, and receive automated reminders for refills.

It’s important to keep one eye on what’s ahead the ensure your skill set, and your clinic infrastructure is future-proof.

AI scribes enter academia

As DVM360 reported this week, the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine has adopted introduced an AI-powered scribe platform for use across its’ veterinary facilities and in classroom settings. At the same time, Texas A&M has introduced a different scribe. The battleground is heating up. As graduating vets get more comfortable with AI tools, they will bring those habits to the clinic with them after graduation - thereby accelerating the AI-adoption boom. As the saying goes, ‘Artificial Intelligence won’t take your job, but someone using AI might’.

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Congress addresses rural vets

Obi Veterinary Education, and the authors of this newsletter, are proudly Canadian so we try to not focus too much of our efforts on the U.S. government these days. But one headline this week caught our eye as it would appear government is (finally?) functioning the way it should.

In 2025, the USDA declared 243 rural veterinary shortage areas in 46 states and now bi-partisan legislation has been reintroduced in House and Senate to address it. The bill - strongly endorsed by the AVMA - aims to address the shortage in rural areas by:

• Expanding the reach Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP), which can help to attract veterinarians by reducing educational debt

• End the federal taxation on VMLRP awards, allowing more veterinarians to participate in a program

• Align the tax code with human and other healthcare professions’ award funds

We’ve seen how things tend to go in government (especially recently) so we don’t recommend holding your breath. But it’s nice to see some action and support for vets that has support on both sides of the aisle.

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AAVSB Weighs in on AI

Following quickly on the heels of the ACVR and ECVDI position statement we brought you last week, the American Association of Veterinary State Boards has made its view on AI known with a white paper released this week.

The white paper runs the gamut of AI from natural language processing to computer vision and even touches on possible futures with robotic surgery.

The AAVSB does not hold direct control over anyone’s license but advises and suggests policy to its member groups - state license boards. Therefore it is a good bet that this white paper will trickle into the official position of your licensing body.

While you might be getting tired of AI, this is a short read and we strongly recommend it:

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Quick Hits

Here are some of the other stories that caught our eye and we're following this week from around the veterinary world and animal kingdom: