With the the rapid growth in the veterinary industry, embracing technology has become inevitable. The industry has experienced technological advances in the last say 20 years.
The technological advancements have not only led to better treatments but faster and more accurate diagnosis.
Ultrasounds
Ultrasounds are one of the examples of technological advancements that have been realised in the veterinary industry. Despite not being in existence in the animal kingdom, they are slowly being assimilated.
Teleconsultations and telemedicine
Unlike before, clients can have direct communications with the veterinarians, despite of their geographical location, and the veterinarian is able to prescribe the right medication for their patients.
Clients do not have to wait for Veterinarians who are miles away, but can make simple phone calls, and the veterinarians responds to the needs of their animals
This demand is fueled by:
- Consumer interest in technology and personalized customer service
- Consumers who genuinely want to provide quality care for companion animals, but cannot attend appointments due to busy schedules
- Individuals without reliable transportation
- Clients with companion animals in need of frequent checkups whose journey to the veterinary office is stressful for both clients and patients
Payment Plans
There have been a lot of technological advances, in terms of payment plans, between clients and veterinarians. Clients do not have to wait for veterinarians to come and individually collect the cash, but can use methods such as direct bank transfers, direct deposit to bank accounts, use of cheques and Mpesa.
Wearables
Though not very common among Kenyans, animal owners have adopted collars with cameras and GPS trackers for their animals. These enable them to monitor an animal’s activity levels, body temperature, heart rate, food intake, and other measurements as a necessity.
These devices transmit and store data through an app and web portal. Access to the database allows animal guardians to catch small changes in an animal’s behavior that would otherwise go unnoticed while allowing veterinarians to monitor patient health remotely.
We are bound to see more technological advancements in the rapidly growing industry as time goes by.
