Telehealth for Pets: How to Build a Mobile App Solution for Veterinary Practices

The veterinary industry has grown significantly in recent years, and with it, the demand for mobile apps for veterinarians, pet healthcare apps, and telehealth apps for pets.

According to a report by Grand View Research, the global veterinary software market growth is expected to touch a CAGR of 9.0% between 2022 and 2030. The report also states that the increasing adoption of pet healthcare, the start of pet care businesses, and the rise in the number of veterinary practitioners are driving the growth of the veterinary software market.

Why Invest in Veterinary App Development?

There are several reasons why investing in app development for veterinarian services is a wise choice. Some of them include:

Improved Communication and Engagement

A mobile app solution for veterinary services provides a platform for pet owners to easily communicate with their pet’s veterinarian. The app can provide information about the pet’s health and offer appointment scheduling options to ensure efficient management of the pet’s health.

Convenient Access to Vet Care for Pet Owners

A mobile software solution for veterinary practices can provide convenient access to vet care for pet owners. They can schedule appointments, access pet health records, and communicate with their pet’s veterinarian from anywhere, at any time.

Efficient Management of Pet’s Health

With a telehealth solution for veterinary services, pet owners can easily access and manage their pet’s health records, medications, and treatments. This can lead to better health outcomes for pets and increase satisfaction for pet owners.

Increased Revenue for Veterinary Services

A telehealth solution for vet services can provide additional revenue streams for veterinary care providers through various monetization options, such as in-app purchases, subscription-based services, and advertisements.

Mobile app development companies with experience in building vet applications can help you in establishing business automation for internal and external operations so that to come up with a product to lead the pet care market.

How Does a Vet App Work?

Telehealth for the vet or a vet app functions in multiple ways depending on the workflow defined as per the purpose of the app. Broadly, a vet app works from three perspectives – a vet, a pet owner, and an app owner.

From a Vet’s View

Veterinarians can use the app to keep their eyes on pets’ health and progress. Certain modern devices can be integrated with a vet app so that pet doctors can view their pet’s health vitals such as pulse, heart rate, and the like. Several functions and features on the vet application can give an entire picture of their pet patients online. Vets can also set reminders on calendars for upcoming appointments and personal notes on their patients.

From a Pet Owner’s View

Pet owners can use a vet app or telehealth for pets to keep their pets healthy and zealous. The features such as contact or consult a vet, find a vet near me, vet’s consultation fees or charges, and similar facilities can help them when they need any assistance for their pets. Through video calls, they can show their pets’ conditions and talk to vets directly irrespective of the distance. Also, some features on veterinary mobile apps such as food recommendations along with diet for different pet conditions can help them groom their pets with optimum health.

From an App Owner’s View

If you are neither a pet owner nor a veterinarian doctor or care service provider, you can still own a vet app for pet care. As a part of your venture, vet app development can be customized according to your business ideas and objectives. You can include as many features and facilities as you want that would be helpful to doctors and pet owners or pet parents.

As mentioned in this article, you can perform research on what to have in your customized vet apps that can make your product a unique one. As a vet services app owner, you can set your role as an admin and can work on different privileges to offer to different users including veterinarian doctors, pet owners, other moderators, and so on.

What are the Different Types of Online Vet Apps?

Primarily, there are two types of mobile apps for veterinarians – Pet healthcare apps for pet owners and Veterinary engagement and communication platforms for veterinary practices.

• Pet healthcare apps for pet owners provide a platform for pet owners to access information about their pet’s health, schedule appointments, communicate with their pet’s veterinarian, get access to their pet’s healthcare records, find a nearby clinic, care center, hospital, or veterinarian for their pets.
• Veterinary engagement and communication platforms for veterinary services provide a platform for vet service providers to access information about pets’ health and communicate with pet patient’s owners, while also offering features such as teleconsultation, online health records, and e-prescriptions.

Which are the Most Popular Vet Apps?

On the market are many popular vet apps that you can study or get inspired from. Here are a few to name –

Televet Care

The Televet Care app enables pet parents to easily connect with their veterinarian doctors to avail of the best pet care. They can easily chat with the doctors, manage appointments, and stay synchronized with their pets’ health.

Vet2Pet

Labeled as a branded app for pet care, this allows pet owners and pet care providers a common or single platform where they can meet, chat, and address pets’ concerns. Vet2Pet is a perfect app with pet telemedicine features.

Airvet

Whether a dog crying or cat going nuts, Airvetis dedicated to providing the best virtual vet care via video and chat to pet parents. The app has won several awards as the best pet parenting app.

Pawp

Pawp makes it one of the best vet apps in the USA for virtual pet care as pet owners can have 24/7 assistance from vet doctors and nurses right on their phones. Appointment, personal chat, or expert advice is available on the app.

PetDesk

As they state, their goal is to assist pets to keep their health at optimum level. On the app, you find veterinarian doctors near you. Pet parents can easily manage their pets’ health through PetDesk.

How to Make Money via Telehealth for Pets or Vet App?

The vet service provider can monetize the mobile app through several options, including in-app purchases, subscription-based services, and advertisements.

• In-app purchases can include features such as teleconsultation with a veterinarian also known as a veterinarian’s telehealth app, e-prescriptions, and online ordering of medications and supplements.
• Subscription-based services can offer a range of options, such as unlimited access to teleconsultations, reminders, and notifications.
• Advertisements can be included in the app, such as sponsored content, telemedicine, and product placements.

Challenges and Breakthroughs of Telehealth Application Development

One of the significant challenges in developing a telehealth app for pets is the regulations regarding virtual pet care. Many states and countries have regulations regarding the practice of virtual care for pets, and these regulations can be complex and confusing. However, some breakthroughs have been made, such as the increased acceptance of virtual care by veterinary regulatory bodies.

Additionally, advancements in technology, such as wearables and IoT devices, can offer new opportunities for the management of pets’ health through a mobile app solution for veterinary practices.

One breakthrough in this area is the increasing availability of telehealth services for pets. With the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of telemedicine has skyrocketed, and this trend has extended to the pet industry. Telemedicine consultations have provided pet owners with an accessible and convenient way to consult with vets, particularly in areas where access to veterinary care may be limited.

Another breakthrough is the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in pet healthcare management. AI can analyze vast amounts of pet health data and make predictions about potential health issues, which can help vets to diagnose animal health issues early and provide more effective treatment options. AI can also improve the accuracy of diagnoses and reduce the time and cost of vet consultations.

Which are the Regulations To Follow During Vet On-Demand App Development?

All mobile applications on app stores need to follow a bunch of guidelines set by platform providers as well as local authorities such as government bodies. Especially for any healthcare application, the guidelines are stricter. For your vet app development, you may need to consider the following compliances.

FFDCA & FDA

The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) authorizes the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) which regulates the approval of new drugs, certain medical devices, and other food/color additives. For any food, drug, and healthcare products including products for pet care should comply with FFDCA/FDA.

AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association)

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) provides veterinary medicine practice guidelines that vets in the United States of America must follow.

HIPAA

HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) determines whether privacy rules affect your vet app. Also, HIPAA is known for software security measures and safeguards to protect data of all medical kinds.

Local Laws

Along with the standards and compliances mentioned above, vet app development should also mind the local laws and guidelines, if any. You can always hire an attorney or experts in law to stay safe.

Mobile App Solution for Veterinary Services and Practices

A mobile app development for veterinary practices can help vets and pet owners manage their pet’s health more effectively. The mobile software application can provide pet owners with easy access to pet health records, appointment scheduling, and medication reminders. Veterinarians can consult with pet owners remotely and manage their appointments and prescriptions within the telehealth app for vets.

Telehealth for pets can provide pet owners with real-time data on their pet’s health status, such as weight, exercise, diet, and medical history. With the help of AI, vets can make more accurate diagnoses of health issues and provide better treatment options. Wearable technology such as smart collars can provide vets with real-time data on a pet’s health status, which can help them diagnose health issues more quickly and accurately.

Making a Mobile app for veterinary services can be monetized in several ways. Vets can charge for online consultations, generate revenue through in-app advertising, or charge for premium features. Pet owners can also pay for subscriptions to access premium features or for consultations with veterinary doctors.

What are the General Features of The Veterinary App?

Appointment Scheduling

This feature allows pet owners to schedule appointments with their pet’s veterinarian easily.

Pet Health Records

The online app can store their pet’s health records, including medications, treatments, and vaccinations.

Reminders and Notifications

The telehealth app can send reminders and notifications to pet owners regarding upcoming appointments, medications, and other health-related information.

Chat or Messaging

The vet mobile app can provide a messaging platform for pet owners to communicate with their pet’s veterinarian.

Online Ordering

The app for pet owners can offer online ordering of telemedicine, supplements, and other pet-related products.

What are Must have Advanced Features of The Vet App?

Teleconsultation

This feature allows pet owners to have virtual appointments with their pet’s veterinarian, eliminating the need for in-person visits in some cases.

E-prescriptions

The veterinary drugs app can offer e-prescriptions for medications, allowing pet owners to have their pet’s medications filled at a pharmacy of their choice.

Wearable Integration

The app can integrate with wearable devices to monitor pet health metrics such as heart rate and activity levels.

Remote Monitoring

The veterinary care app can allow veterinarians to remotely monitor pet health metrics and provide insights and recommendations.

AI-Powered Diagnosis

The vet app can use AI-powered algorithms to diagnose certain conditions, reducing the need for in-person visits in some cases.

What is the Required Tech Stack for Vet App Development?

The tech stack for a veterinary engagement and communication platform can include several technologies, such as:

• Front-end development: React Native, Swift, Kotlin, Java
• Back-end development: Node.js, Django, or Ruby on Rails (RoR)
• Database: MongoDB, MySQL, or PostgreSQL
• Cloud Services: Amazon Web Services(AWS), Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud
• APIs and integrations: Stripe, Twilio, or SendGrid
• Real-time Analytics Tools: IBM, Spark, Hadoop, Apache Flink, and Cisco
• Payment Gateways: Stripe, PayPal, Braintree, and E-Wallet
• Push Notifications: Push.io and Twilio
• Notifications Service: Twilio and Nexmo
• Monitoring and Log Maintenance: AWS CloudWatch
• Storage & Backup Solutions: Amazon S3

Mobile App Technology Stack

What is The Process to Develop a Vet App?

The steps to create a veterinary app can be divided into several pieces. Here are they:

Research The Market and Competition

Researching the market and competition involves gathering data and insights on your target audience, the competition, and industry trends. This can help you identify gaps in the market and create a unique value proposition for your vet app.

Define The App’s Features and Functionalities

Defining the app’s features and functionalities involves mapping out what the mobile app will do, how it will work, and what value it will provide to users. This can help you prioritize features and ensure that the app aligns with your business goals.

Create a Wireframe and Design

Creating a wireframe and design involves sketching out the visual layout and user interface of the app. This can help you visualize the app’s flow and identify any potential usability issues before moving into the development phase.

Develop The Front-end and Back-end of The App

Developing the front-end and back-end of the app involves writing code and building the app’s core functionality. This can include features such as user authentication, appointment scheduling, and in-app messaging.

Integrate APIs and Third-Party Services

Integrating APIs and third-party services involve connecting your vet service app to external systems and platforms to add additional functionality. This can include services such as Google Maps for location-based features, Stripe for payments, or Twilio for messaging.

Test and Debug The App

Testing and debugging the app involves running a series of tests to identify and fix any issues or bugs in the app. This can help ensure that the app is stable and performs as intended for users.

Launch The App

Launching the app involves making the app available to users through the iOSApp Store or Google Play Store for Android. This can involve creating a marketing strategy and optimizing the app to increase visibility and downloads.

Getting Ongoing Maintenance and Updates

Providing ongoing maintenance and updates involves fixing bugs, adding new features, and addressing any user feedback. This can help ensure that the app stays relevant and continues to provide value to users over time.

Complete Guide to On-Demand App Development

How much Does it Cost to Develop an On-Demand Mobile App for Vet?

Strategies to build a business revolve around the cost of the overall project and today, the mobile app development price is a non-ignorable factor for any company. If you want to get into vet app development, it is important that you spare a specific budget for the same. The amount may add up to your market research and other pre-development costs.

The cost to develop a veterinary app can vary based on several factors, such as the app’s features and functionalities, the complexity of the app, the platform, and the location of the development team. The vet app development cost can range from $5000 to $500,000 or more depending upon the features and functionalities to be included in it.

How to Estimate Your Mobile App Development Cost?

Get Vet Online for Pet!

In conclusion, a mobile app solution for veterinary services and practices can offer several benefits to pet owners and veterinary practitioners. The app can provide improved communication and engagement between veterinarians and pet owners, convenient access to vet care, efficient management of pets’ health, and additional revenue streams for veterinary practices.