LUBBOCK — Telehealth is going to the dogs.
Or, at least, state Sen. Nathan Johnson wants it to. The Dallas Democrat has proposed legislation that would expand telehealth practices to veterinary medicine.
Animal health experts, however, are not throwing him a bone, and say the bill could do more harm than good.
At a Senate committee hearing Monday, Johnson said his legislation would update Texas law to align with a court decision that allows veterinarians to establish a veterinary-client-patient relationship through electronic means. Texas law effectively bans using veterinary telemedicine without an initial physical examination.
Dr. Nancy Carter, president of the Texas Veterinary Medical Association, said the bill is framed as a “magic bullet” to fix problems — from rising costs for animal owners and limited access to veterinary care. She called it a false promise. There are conditions that could be misdiagnosed without physically examining an animal and listening to its heart and lungs, she said.
“This runs the risk of missing a serious illness or prescribing medications that do not treat the animal’s condition or even threaten its health,” Carter said.
Colleen Vera, an animal rescue volunteer and vice chair of the Tyler County Republican Party, supported the bill. She said when she moved to rural East Texas, she found a great vet. However, the vet provides only basic care. This often leaves Vera’s rescue animals and pets without the medication they need.
“I realize most pet owners will never use telemedicine, and it won’t reduce the need to see a vet in person for vaccines and testing,” Vera said. “But for those of us in rescue, especially in rural Texas, telemedicine would be such a blessing.”
Dr. Monica Janacek, a rancher and veterinarian in La Grange, testified against the bill. She worries about dangerous diseases that could be missed by virtual veterinarians.
It was veterinarians on the ground, she said, who identified the connection between dead birds at Panhandle dairies and the Avian Influenza. Other dangers can’t be discovered through a zoom call, she said, such as the invasive screwworm that burrows into living animals can affect livestock, pets, and in rare cases, people.
“This presents a concrete danger to our state’s $15 billion animal agriculture industry,” Janacek said.
Johnson said he’s speaking with both rural and large animal veterinarians about the bill and is still working to evolve it so experts are more comfortable with what it does.
“Would it be nicer to have somebody in person? Yes,” Johnson said. “That’s not always practical.”
The bill was left pending in the Senate committee.
