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Are you an animal lover? If you are, you can likely relate to other pet owners who will do anything for their favorite furry loved one when they’re sick. That’s exactly why we found it so inspiring when we heard about a veterinary hospice, Lap of Love, which now offers Skype consultations for families and their ill pets from afar.

Acknowledging that the most important part of assisting families through the death of their pet is communication, Lap of Love decided to offer video call consultations from the veterinary hospice to patient’s homes in order to minimize the stress of the illness and the hassle of getting to the doctor’s office for both the family and animal. Through these consultations, Dr. Dani McVety, Dr. Mary Gardner, and Dr. Karri Miller of Lap of Love are able to provide treatment options, as well as expert tips on how to best manage a pet’s health at the end of their life, to otherwise inaccessible families scattered across the country.

In just over a month, Lap of Love has already helped five families deal with their pet’s illness through video calls. “With the Skype consultations, patients can talk with a veterinary oncologist in their home – and I can actually see their pet in his/her natural environment! This means no scary vet visit and no tearful car ride,” Dr. McVety said. “This also means there are no rash decisions made in the exam room – the family has time to think and talk about what their options are and what they should do. It just makes so much sense.”

What is an innovative way you’ve used Skype for recently? Leave a comment and share with us.