TELUS Health brings virtual veterinary care to cats and dogs in Ontario with MyPet

Approximately 75 per cent of pet telemedicine appointments can be treated solely through virtual care, without stepping into a clinic

Pet papa with his furry friend

TORONTO, April 04, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, TELUS Health announced the Ontario launch of TELUS Health MyPet, a virtual pet care platform bringing experienced local veterinarians together with dog and cat owners to provide care for a range of health issues, from nutritional management and parasite control to behavioural challenges and prescription of certain medications, all through an easy-to-use smartphone app. Developed on the heels of our fastest growing, highest customer rated virtual care service – TELUS Health MyCare – the TELUS Health MyPet platform is designed to ensure pet owners have access to the support they need, including those who live in remote areas, or whose pets don’t travel well in vehicles.

“Patient-centric, high-quality virtual care should be available to all members of our family, including our beloved dogs and cats,” said Juggy Sihota, Chief Growth Officer, TELUS Health. “Bringing TELUS Health MyPet to Ontario is yet another example of how we are leveraging our world-leading technology to not only empower people around the world to take a proactive role in their own health and that of their family members – even the furry ones, but also how we are supporting thousands of health care professionals, like veterinarians, with flexibility to address the increasing demand for their time.”

According to a 2021 Ontario Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA) survey of pet owners, nearly 75 per cent of telemedicine appointments can be treated solely through virtual care, without a trip to the clinic. While it isn’t intended to replace in-person physical exams, vaccinations or tests, TELUS Health MyPet is a complementary platform available to support dog and cat owners in Ontario with preventative health care and non-urgent medical interventions.

Virtual support for non-emergent situations is also a convenient way for owners to get information and support while avoiding long wait times and avoiding the extra expense and stress sometimes associated with in-person care. With TELUS Health MyPet, consultation notes can be accessed within the app and medical records can be shared with a regular family veterinarian to ensure continuity of care. This is especially important for example with newly-adopted cats transitioning to their ‘forever’ homes – according to Humane Canada, Toronto has the highest number of cat adoptions of any city in the country.

As evidenced by the successful launch in B.C. in August 2022, brick-and-mortar veterinary clinics that want to better triage patient appointments can also use the TELUS Health MyPet virtual care service as part of their regular practice. By routing non-urgent cases to the virtual veterinary care team, it helps to alleviate some of the burden veterinarians are facing and allows them to focus more of their attention on the efficient treatment of dogs and cats requiring hands-on care.

“The reality right now in clinical veterinarian practice is that we simply don’t have the time we once did to consult with our clients in great depth, and with the overall shortage of veterinarians across the country, brick-and-mortar clinics are under continual strain to provide services,” said Ko Arman, Lead Veterinarian, TELUS Health MyPet. “By offering non-emergent cases the care they need through a virtual platform, we can reduce some of the stress on clinics and help provide some much-needed flexibility and time management support which will ultimately provide vets more balance between work and home life.”

The TELUS Health MyPet app is free to download for iOS and Android smartphones, and consultations with Ontario-based veterinarians are charged on a per-session basis. The platform has seen an incredible response from pet owners and veterinarians alike following the inaugural launch in western Canada; plans to expand to other provinces throughout the year are underway. In Ontario, all veterinarians working through TELUS Health MyPet are affiliated with Toronto-based Pet Telemedicine Veterinary Care.

As part of this launch, Trupanion, the leader in medical insurance for cats and dogs in Canada, is also waiving enrollment fees for TELUS Health MyPet users when they subscribe to a Trupanion policy, offering pet parents the broadest medical insurance coverage with unlimited payouts for the life of their four-legged family members.

Visit TELUS Health MyPet at the Canadian Pet Expo
Dog and cat owners from across the Greater Toronto Area are invited to learn more about TELUS Health MyPet at the Canadian Pet Expo, taking place April 7-8-9 at the International Centre in Mississauga (6900 Airport Road, Mississauga, ON). Canada’s largest indoor family pet festival, CPE opens its doors so that you may explore the world of responsible pet companionship with interactive displays, entertainment and more. Visit TELUS Health MyPet at Booth 913.

About Trupanion
Trupanion is the leader in medical insurance for cats and dogs in Canada with over 740,000 pets enrolled throughout Canada, the United States and Australia. The company was founded in Canada in 2000, and for over two decades Trupanion has given pet parents peace of mind so they can focus on their pet’s recovery, not financial stress. Trupanion is committed to providing pet parents with the highest value in pet medical insurance with unlimited payouts for the life of their pets. Trupanion is the only provider with the technology to pay veterinarians directly in seconds at the time of checkout. Headquartered in Seattle, WA., Trupanion is listed on NASDAQ under the symbol “TRUP”.

Trupanion policies are underwritten in Canada by Omega General Insurance Company and sold and administered by its wholly-owned subsidiary Canada Pet Health Insurance Services, Inc. dba Trupanion, and, in the United States, by its wholly-owned insurance entity American Pet Insurance Company. Trupanion Australia is a partnership between Trupanion and Hollard Insurance Company. For more information, please visit trupanion.com/canada.

About TELUS Health
TELUS Health is a global health care leader serving people in more than 160 countries delivering both digital innovation and clinical services to improve total physical, mental and financial health and wellbeing across the full spectrum of primary and preventative care. By leveraging the power of technology to deliver connected solutions and services both in-person and virtually, TELUS Health is improving access to care and revolutionizing the flow of information while facilitating collaboration, efficiency, and productivity for physicians, pharmacists, health authorities, allied health care professionals, insurers, employers and people globally, progressing its vision of transforming health care and empowering people to live healthier lives.

Our clinical team is composed of renowned and passionate health professionals around the world delivering best-in-class people-centric care to hundreds of thousands of employers, professionals and their families.

For more information please visit: www.telushealth.com.

For media inquiries, please contact:
Jill Yetman
TELUS Public Relations
416-992-2639
jill.yetman@telus.com   

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8dd0dc0d-adb4-459f-961b-a438553cdf3f