Dear Pet Parent, Many of you have had the opportunity to utilize our curbside services during this time to provide necessary healthcare to your pets. In an effort to keep our team, and the clients and pets we serve, safe amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Coit Hedgcoxe Animal Hospital is excited to be launching a telemedicine platform. You can consult with Dr. Michalk for certain types of visits you might normally have had to make a trip to the vet for. We have selected TeleTails – downloadable from Google Play or the Apple App store – as our virtual platform. Our practice’s code to connect is COIT. What types of veterinary care might a virtual consultation be appropriate for? We recommend using the telemedicine option for:

• Skin conditions
• Some injuries
• Follow-up appointments

When you request a consultation through TeleTails, there will be a couple of brief triage questions to help ensure this is not an emergency. Once through the triage, you will be able to request a consult and submit a brief summary of the issue, along with pictures or video. The receptionist will contact you shortly after the request to schedule a time that Dr. Michalk will be available. Dr. Michalk will review your submission, and at your appointment time, you will enter your consult on the app. During Dr. Michalk’s video consult, she will request more information and may ask you to show her the pet’s skin, teeth, ability to walk, etc. to make treatment recommendations. If prescriptions are needed, she will order those up and get them ready for pick-up. She may recommend you drop the pet off for further diagnostics (bloodwork, x-rays, skin or ear cytologies), if needed. Our goal is to ALWAYS provide the highest level of care for your precious family members in the safest manner possible. A few other details:

• The consult fee will be the same as our regular exam fee ($59). If it is a post-surgical follow up, there will be no charge.
• Prescriptions, diagnostics, or treatments will be charged separately.
• The consult will be paid through the app at the time service is rendered, but any further treatments will be paid at the hospital upon pick-up.

As with anything new, we expect there to be a transition period where we may endure some technical difficulty, so we ask you to be patient with us as we expand our availability and try to provide a convenient and safe alternative to our traditional in-office visits. We welcome your feedback and look forward to seeing you on the big screen!!! All the best during this time, The Team at Coit Hedgecoxe Animal Hospital