Practo, an integrated healthcare company, has launched a veterinary telemedicine service on its platform. The India-based company has teamed up with licensed veterinarians across the country to offer 24x7 online consultation services for pets.
According to the company, there are more than 20 million households with pets in India, and there has been a growth in the adoption of dogs and cats amid a work-from-home setting. With this in mind, the service is aimed at helping pet owners get medical help for their furry friends from the comfort of their homes. The service can be used to talk to veterinarians regarding concerns that do not require a physical examination or warrant an emergency visit to the clinic.
Launched as a pilot project last month, Practo said that they recorded nearly two lakh search queries from pet parents, which led them to officially launch the service as part of the company’s telemedicine services. Most of the veterinary queries revolved around diet management for pets, medication for fleas and ticks, food allergies among pets, and behavioural problems among pets according to the company. They further added that queries came in from across the country with Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Delhi NCR, and Mumbai topping the list.
Commenting on the new initiative, Siddhartha Nihalani, VP - Product, Practo, said, “Our foray into virtual veterinary care aligns with our larger vision of improving access to quality healthcare. With many people taking care of pets for the first time during the coronavirus-induced lockdown, and several others anxious about visiting a clinic amid this pandemic, we want to enable them with a convenient yet reliable solution.”
With Practo’s veterinary telemedicine service, pet parents can connect with a verified veterinarian via audio or video call or even text messages. The service will be available on Practo’s app as well as the website.
Dr Daisy Rani, a veterinarian from Chennai with 25 years of experience, said, “Helping people to take care of their pets is the best part of being a veterinarian.” She further added that she is happy that Practo has added veterinary services as a part of its telemedicine platform. “Being able to do that in a way that is convenient for pet parents, especially during a pandemic like this, is a truly rewarding experience.”