COLUMBUS, Ohio – A new telehealth law in Ohio will allow veterinarians to diagnose and treat certain animal patients via Telehealth, marking a significant shift in veterinary practice standards. The provision, included in a sprawling state budget bill signed by Gov. Mike DeWine on June 30, takes effect Sept. 30.

Ohio’s new law reflects a national trend toward integrating technology in veterinary care, aiming to improve convenience and access, especially for underserved communities.

Ohio is the eighth state to drop the requirement for a veterinarian-client-patient relationship (VCPR) to treat house patients such as dogs, cats and birds. However, when it comes to treating large food production animals such as cows and pigs, Ohio veterinarians and farmers will be required to establish that initial VCPR.

“Veterinarians must conduct that first, in-person examination to establish a VCPR before they can prescribe medications or provide remote consultations for production animals such as goats, sheep, pigs and cattle,” said Christopher Henney, executive director of the Ohio Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA). “Telehealth is a good thing as it can extend veterinary care to farms in remote areas or where there’s a shortage of large animal veterinarians.”

Henney said that although veterinarians of house pets such as cats, dogs and birds won’t be required to have that initial in-person visit, many might still prefer it. Veterinarians for farm animals won’t have that choice.

“Once that VCPR is established, veterinarians of large farm animals will appreciate telemedicine, especially when the animals are in a distant rural area and the vet cannot see the animal, or the animal cannot get to them.”

The law also limits the duration of initial prescriptions to 14 days with one possible 14-day refill. Subsequent refills require an in-person visit.

Telehealth can minimize travel expenses and time spent on farm visits, making veterinary care more affordable and efficient. And, by reducing the number of people physically visiting farms, telehealth can help minimize the risk of disease transmissions.

According to Henney, this remote monitoring technology can help identify sick animals sooner, allowing for quicker intervention and potentially reducing the severity of illness, adding that telehealth facilitates better communication between veterinarians and livestock producers, and will enable more proactive herd management.

When dealing with farm animals, telehealth can be used to evaluate animals for minor injuries, skin conditions or other issues via video calls. And follow-ups are easier since there would be no need for another farm visit.

“I cannot speak for the farmers, but I do know that telemedicine is a welcomed tool by those in the veterinary community,” Henney said.

The law allows veterinarians to prescribe medications after a telehealth consultation, but controlled substances can only be prescribed following an in-person examination. And veterinarians must obtain informed consent from clients before providing telehealth services, ensuring that clients are aware of the limitations and requirements of virtual consultations.

After a telehealth appointment, veterinarians are required to provide clients with a written or digital record of the visit, including their license number and contact information.

According to Henney, Ohio clinics and veterinarians of all kinds are preparing to integrate telemedicine more broadly even though the debate over virtual vet care is far from over.

The trend toward telemedicine accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic as veterinarians struggled to keep up with demand amid social distancing requirements.

Before Ohio, Florida was the latest state (in 2024) to broadly drop the in-person examination requirement. It was preceded in 2023 by Arizona and California. Earlier adopters were Idaho, New Jersey, Vermont and Virginia.