When Telehealth Is Not Appropriate for Pets: A Veterinarian’s Perspective (Australia, 2025)
Telehealth has quickly become a valuable extension of veterinary care in Australia, offering pet owners convenient access to professional guidance when a clinic visit isn’t immediately possible. At its best, it allows a vet to provide reassurance, help owners interpret symptoms, and determine the urgency of a situation. However, despite its growing popularity, telehealth has very clear clinical and legal limitations.
As veterinarians, we are obligated to ensure that our advice is safe, evidence-based, and compliant with state veterinary regulations. This means recognising the boundary between what can responsibly be managed through a video consultation and what requires a hands-on physical examination.
Below is a detailed, professional overview designed to help pet owners understand when telehealth is not appropriate, and why certain conditions must be seen in person.
The Clinical Reality: Why Telehealth Has Limits
Veterinary medicine relies heavily on physical examination. Unlike human medicine, where patients can verbalise symptoms, animals cannot describe:
where it hurts
how intense the pain is
what preceded the symptoms
what sensations they feel
To compensate, veterinarians use tools such as palpation, auscultation (listening to heart and lungs), neurological assessment, mucous membrane evaluation, joint manipulation, ophthalmic examination, and diagnostic testing.
None of these can be performed through a screen.
For this reason, telehealth is best viewed as an adjunct to veterinary care — not a replacement.
It is ideal for triage, guidance, behavioural consultations, and general discussions, but it becomes unsafe when the pet requires diagnostic accuracy or immediate intervention.
Clinical Situations Where Telehealth Is Not Suitable
1. Respiratory Distress
Any difficulty breathing — whether rapid, shallow, noisy, or laboured — is automatically an emergency in veterinary medicine.
A pet in respiratory compromise needs immediate in-clinic examination, oxygen support, and diagnostic imaging.
Telehealth cannot assess lung sounds, chest movement, or oxygen saturation.
2. Collapse, Weakness, or Inability to Stand
These symptoms can indicate:
cardiac disease
neurological events
toxicity
internal bleeding
metabolic abnormalities
All of these require immediate physical evaluation and diagnostics.
3. Significant Trauma
Injuries from vehicle accidents, falls, dog attacks, or blunt-force trauma can cause internal damage not visible externally.
Telehealth cannot assess:
fractures
internal bleeding
shock
neurological damage
abdominal pain
These pets must be seen in person.
4. Severe Pain or Acute Distress
A pet that vocalises, guards a limb or abdomen, refuses to move, or shows aggression from pain requires a hands-on exam.
Pain cannot be adequately graded via video, and underlying causes often require imaging or bloodwork.
5. Suspected Poisoning
Common toxicities (rat bait, grapes, chocolate, human medications, certain plants) require immediate intervention.
Even slight delays can be fatal — telehealth is inappropriate for toxicity cases.
6. Eye Problems
Ophthalmic conditions can deteriorate within hours.
A squinting eye, redness, cloudiness, discharge, or sudden vision change warrants urgent in-clinic care.
Ophthalmic examination requires fluorescein staining, tonometry, and detailed visual inspection.
7. Repeated Vomiting or Bloody Diarrhoea
Gastrointestinal signs may indicate pancreatitis, foreign body obstruction, toxin exposure, or severe infection.
Persistent vomiting or blood in stool always requires physical examination.
8. Seizures or Neurological Changes
Seizures, head tilt, imbalance, tremors, disorientation, or sudden behavioural change indicate neurological involvement.
These cases cannot be safely managed via telehealth.
Legal Limitations: What Telehealth Cannot Provide
Australian veterinary regulations require veterinarians to establish a valid veterinarian–client–patient relationship (VCPR) based on an in-person physical examination before:
diagnosing conditions requiring clinical assessment
prescribing Schedule 4 (S4) or restricted medications
renewing prescriptions (unless a recent physical exam has occurred)
This applies nationwide — VIC, NSW, QLD, SA, WA, TAS, NT, ACT.
In short:
Vets cannot legally prescribe or initiate treatment for conditions that require a physical examination through telehealth alone.
Telehealth consultations must remain informational, supportive, and triage-focused.
When Telehealth Is Appropriate
Despite these limitations, telehealth is extremely useful when the situation is non-urgent and the goal is guidance rather than diagnosis. Appropriate uses include:
Behavioural advice
Training and anxiety discussions
Nutritional consultations
Chronic disease follow-up (without new prescribing)
Clarification of symptoms
Wound checks (when previously examined in person)
General health questions
Determining whether a physical visit is necessary
In these scenarios, telehealth provides valuable support without compromising medical safety.
How DocTel VetCare Ensures Safe Telehealth
DocTel’s veterinary professionals follow strict clinical and regulatory standards. During a telehealth consultation, our vets:
assess symptoms based solely on observable information
provide guidance without crossing into diagnostic territory requiring examination
advise when an in-clinic visit is essential
support owners in interpreting symptoms
provide behavioural and nutritional advice
follow all legal restrictions around prescribing and diagnosis
This ensures every consultation is safe, ethical, and fully compliant with Australian veterinary law.
Final Thoughts: Telehealth Is a Tool — Not a Substitute
Veterinary telehealth is incredibly helpful when used appropriately, but it cannot replace the clinical value of a hands-on examination.
A responsible telehealth service should always prioritise:
the safety of the animal
transparent communication
legal compliance
professional judgement
DocTel VetCare will never compromise on these principles.
If you’re uncertain whether your pet’s condition is suitable for telehealth, our team can guide you — and if in-clinic care is needed, we’ll tell you immediately.
Need Professional Help for Your Pet?
Book an online vet consultation today with DocTel VetCare and experience safe, compassionate care that fits your schedule.
Your Health, Your Way — With DocTel
Discover a new era of healthcare with DocTel. Our platform is designed to provide you with personalized, convenient, and compassionate care. Take the first step towards a healthier you by booking a consultation today.