This article first appeared in the June 2026 issue of Southern California VMA's Pulse magazine

Since 2024, certain telemedicine appointments have been available at UC Davis and other veterinary clinics throughout California. This has allowed both specialists and general practitioners to reach underserved areas of the state or areas where specialty care may be scarce.

The UC Davis Behavior Service has made this availability a priority for its referral community, often allowing general practitioners to be more involved in the administration of specialty services for their patients.

In addition to referring veterinarians, more family members and/or trainers can now be part of a behavior visit, either together or from different locales. Virtual visits also keep animals safe in their home environment, especially beneficial for dogs being treated for anxiety.

“Seeing patients in their home environment—albeit on-screen—offers a completely different experience than seeing them at the hospital,” said Dr. Melissa Bain. “We can now see the layout of their home, which helps to identify potential pitfalls.”

Bain and Service Chief Dr. Liz Stelow have made virtual appointments a large part of their caseload, which bring an interesting dynamic to their specialty.

“Part of our job is to look at the big picture, study patterns, and apply them to our cases,” Stelow said.

These virtual “house calls” work well for clients and veterinarians alike. The behaviorists can see pets interact with their owners in their home environments, presenting a more natural view of objects, scenarios, or other circumstances that may be contributing to their behavior issues. They also allow for additional cases that may not be best suited for an in-clinic experience.

“This allows our service to see more cats, as they are sometimes more difficult to serve in the clinic,” said Stelow. “Those additional cases benefit students and residents, as well, allowing them to gain more experience.”

While there are some limitations of telemedicine at UC Davis—most importantly that it is only available to California residents and that medications need to be prescribed through the referring veterinarian—the appointments are greatly enhancing accessibility and availability of specialty care throughout California, especially for pet owners in rural areas.

For more information, please visit the UC Davis Behavior Service website. Appointments can be made by the client (530-752-1393) or by the referring veterinarian (530-752-4050 – veterinarian or clinic staff use only on this line please).

#   #   #