Editorial: Telehealth is good for people — and for their dogs and cats too

In much the way that telehealth medicine has brought medical resources to people who won’t or can’t travel to a doctor’s office, veterinary telehealth brings care to pets whose people can’t make it to a veterinarian’s office.

But in California, veterinary telehealth is so highly restricted that it is mostly used for follow-up care after an in-person visit or for triage in an emergency.

A bill winding its way through the Legislature would lift the requirement that veterinarians see an animal in person first before they treat it through telehealth. Assembly Bill 1399 offers a smart and reasonable change that could help tens of thousands of underserved pets get needed care. The Assembly has already passed the bill, and the Senate should do so as well.