Frequently Asked Questions

Written By Kristin Welch, DVM, DACVECC

How Does It Work?

  • Using your clinic’s DVM STAT portal, select a service, provide the case history, and upload diagnostics and imaging. Radiology and ultrasound can integrate with our PACS via a quick one-time setup, enabling seamless one-click image transfer.

    For ECC consults, you have two options:

    • Call the STAT line to speak with a board-certified criticalist immediately for unstable or time-sensitive cases

    • Submit a case online through your portal. If you choose online submission for ECC, a criticalist will call you within 15 minutes of submission

    For all other specialties:
    Cases are submitted online through your secure portal, just as described above.

    Want to see how fast and easy this is?
    Watch the short walkthrough video below to see exactly how to submit a case from your portal.

  • For ECC consults, you are connected directly with a board-certified criticalist by phone for real-time case guidance.

    For all other services, a board-certified specialist is matched to your case and reviews your submission promptly. We provide consultations 7 days a week, with reports returned in under 24 hours and often within a few hours, depending on service and STAT option selected. (Exact turnaround times are listed later in this FAQ.)

    Once your report is finalized, a secure communication chat opens at the bottom of the case record (accessed in your DVM STAT EMR portal). This functions like a private communication log for ongoing questions or to provide case updates.

    You can submit follow-up questions or clarifications at any time that is convenient for you. Messages in the private communication chat are delivered via email to the address selected when the case was submitted (most commonly your medical records email, with the option to include the individual doctor’s email). Your specialist can then respond when they are back on shift, allowing for flexible, asynchronous communication without requiring you to block out time in your busy schedule.

    If you prefer live discussion for clarification, you may request a phone call for surgery consults, oncology consults and ECC consults.

  • You receive a structured consultation report with diagnostic plans, treatment strategies, monitoring recommendations, and client communication guidance. Reports are delivered in both PDF and digital formats for immediate use in your medical record and easy sharing with your team.

    Teleconsult reports are designed to be practical and actionable, with clear next steps you can implement right away in your practice.

    Want to see the depth of our reports before you submit a case?
    You can view sample consultation reports for each specialty here.

  • Move forward with specialist-backed confidence while keeping the patient under your care and within your clinic. Your private communication chat window remains open for follow-up questions, and each consult includes one free brief follow-up within 21 days to support evolving cases or clarification needs.

    Many cases benefit from ongoing co-management, particularly in specialties such as dermatology, cardiology, neurology, oncology, and internal medicine. Your consulting specialist remains available to help guide next steps as the case evolves over time, allowing you to continue managing care locally with specialty-level support.

  • For urgent or unstable patients, DVM STAT offers 24/7 emergency teleconsultation support with board-certified veterinary criticalists.

    You can access this support in one of two ways:

    1. Call the STAT line first (real-time guidance)
    If the patient needs immediate attention, call the DVM STAT STAT line anytime. You will be connected directly with a board-certified criticalist for real-time case guidance over the phone. During the call, the criticalist will discuss patient status, triage, and next steps while reviewing available records and diagnostics.

    2. Submit an ECC teleconsult online
    Alternatively, you can submit an ECC teleconsult through your DVM STAT portal with your case history, diagnostics, and imaging. Once submitted, a criticalist will review your case and call you within 15 minutes to discuss the patient. This pathway still provides fast emergent support while ensuring the criticalist has all available information before the discussion.

    In either case, after the phone consult, you receive a detailed written teleconsultation report with assessment, recommendations, and guidance to support confident management throughout the course of hospitalization.

 

See How Fast and Easy Case Submission Is

Watch the short walkthrough video below to see exactly how to submit a case from your portal.

 

General Teleconsultation FAQ

  • Once you register for a free account, you will receive our full fee sheet. All consults are billed per case. There are no subscriptions, memberships, contracts, or minimums. Pricing varies by specialty and urgency (e.g., routine vs. STAT turnarounds).

    Invoices are sent monthly for consults completed in the prior billing period. Our goal is to keep teleconsultation accessible and affordable so more practices can offer specialty-level care without referral or transfer.

  • We offer flexible payment options to accommodate clinic billing workflows, including:

    • Credit card on file (billed monthly)

    • ACH payments

    • Check payments

    • Corporate billing with Net-30 terms

    A detailed invoice/receipt is provided with monthly billing.

  • Most clinics pass the consult fee to the client and add a professional fee to account for the veterinarian’s time preparing records and communicating results.
    Teleconsultation provides significant client savings compared to referral, while allowing the primary veterinarian to remain the clinician of record.

  • This varies by practice. Most clinics pass the consult cost to the client with an additional professional fee.

  • Submit what you have available, including case history, diagnostics, and imaging. If additional information is needed, your specialist will request it.

  • You do not need “perfect” records to submit a case. If something is missing, your specialist will request additional information.

    For all consults, please provide a chronological case summary, pertinent diagnostics and any treatments/medications (dose, frequency, duration).

    Clinical pictures of lesions and distribution are strongly recommended for dermatology consults.

    Patient videos (walking, neurologic examination, deficits) are strongly recommended for neurology consultations.

  • In many cases, teleconsultations are returned within minutes to hours. Guaranteed turnaround times by specialty are listed below.

    Radiology (radiographs, CT)
    Average ~4 hours | Guaranteed <24 hours

    Ultrasound & Echocardiogram
    Routine <24 hours | STAT: 8 AM–6 PM EST, 7 days/week

    Internal Medicine
    Routine <24 hours, 7 days/week | STAT: 8 AM–6 PM EST, Mon–Fri

    Emergency & Critical Care (ECC)
    STAT 24/7/365 | Call STAT line or submit online | Phone support + written report within 2 hours
    STAT available for any acute/unstable case (walk-ins, IM cases, anesthetic complications, and more)

    Cardiology
    Routine <24 hours, 7 days/week | STAT: 8 AM–6 PM EST, 7 days/week

    Oncology
    Routine <24 hours, 7 days/week | STAT: 8 AM–6 PM EST, 7 days/week | Phone consults by appointment

    Neurology
    Routine <24 hours, 7 days/week | STAT: 8 AM–6 PM EST, 7 days/week

    Dermatology
    Routine <24 hours, 7 days/week

    Surgery
    Routine <24 hours, 7 days/week

    Clinical Pathology
    Routine <24 hours, 7 days/week

  • You may request a specific specialist; however, this can delay turnaround times due to scheduling.


    To maintain fast response times, cases are assigned to the next available board-certified specialist within that service. All specialists follow standardized reporting guidelines, and we welcome feedback if you ever have concerns about a report.

  • For ECC, yes. Call the STAT line and select extension 1 to speak directly with the criticalist on call.


    For all other specialties, you can contact your consulting specialist directly via the email provided in the report signature for follow-up questions or via the private communication chat at the bottom of your patient’s DVM STAT record.

  • No. DVM STAT is veterinarian-to-veterinarian only.
    All client communication and care decisions remain with the attending veterinarian who holds the valid VCPR.

  • Video guidance is available for procedural support when appropriate.
    All consultations are submitted through our secure portal, with telephone consults available for ECC and select specialties such as oncology and surgery.

  • Your referring veterinarian can contact the consulting specialist directly using the email listed in the report signature. Please include the patient name and consulting specialist in the subject line.

  • Yes.
    Echocardiography guide
    Ultrasound guide

  • Yes. JPEG images are accepted, though DICOM is preferred.
    DICOM provides higher image quality and allows full manipulation for accurate interpretation. PACS integration is a one-time setup that typically takes under 10 minutes. Step-by-step setup guides and videos are available and IT support is available Monday-Friday 9AM-5PM EST.

  • DVM STAT is a veterinarian-to-veterinarian teleconsultation service. We work directly with licensed veterinarians who have an established veterinary-client-patient relationship (VCPR) with your pet. This ensures medical decisions are made safely, legally, and in the context of your pet’s full medical history and in-person care.

    If you are a pet owner and are interested in having a specialist involved in your pet’s care, we encourage you to ask your veterinarian if they work with DVM STAT. Many clinics use teleconsultations to access board-certified specialists while keeping your pet’s care local and coordinated with your primary care team.

    If your veterinarian does not yet use DVM STAT, they can learn more here or create a free account here.

  • Teleconsultation can be performed between a DVM STAT specialist and any licensed veterinarian with a valid veterinary-client-patient relationship.
    We provide teleconsultations across all US states and territories, Canada, and internationally.

  • We do not offer free trials. DVM STAT is a pay-per-consult service with no contracts or minimums.
    You are welcome to submit a single consult to see if we are a good fit.
    89% of our new accounts come from colleague referrals.

 

Specialty-Specific Teleconsult FAQs

Looking for more detailed, technical guidance? Each specialty below includes what types of cases are appropriate and what to submit. For deeper, step-by-step submission instructions and technical setup, an expanded FAQ is available inside the DVM STAT EMR after you log in.

 

Emergency & Critical Care (ECC)

DVM STAT ECC provides rapid, real-time support from board-certified Criticalists for unstable patients, complex cases, and urgent decision-making. You may call directly or submit medical records through the portal to receive a call within one hour.

  • ECC teleconsultations are appropriate for urgent decision-making and stabilization support, including:

    • Sick internal medicine patients

    • Unstable perioperative or anesthetic cases

    • Infectious or immune-mediated disease

    • Transfusion decisions and coagulopathy management

    • Respiratory distress

    • Neurologic emergencies

    • Any patient requiring rapid stabilization guidance

  • To optimize your ECC teleconsult, upload:

    • Relevant lab work

    • ECGs and monitoring parameters

    • POCUS/ultrasound images

    • Radiographs

  • Yes. Our Criticalists routinely provide real-time guidance, including:

    • Urinary catheterization

    • Pericardiocentesis

    • Thoracocentesis & abdominocentesis

    • Central line placement

    • Other stabilization and emergency procedures

  • You will receive a detailed written report summarizing recommendations, diagnostics, and stabilization/treatment plans after each phone consultation.

    Each follow-up phone consult will add an addendum to your report summarizing the new findings and recommendations.

  • STAT ECC (Phone Consults – 24/7/365)

    • Available 24/7/365

    • Call the STAT line for immediate, real-time phone guidance with a board-certified criticalist

    • A detailed written teleconsultation report is emailed within 2 hours after the phone consult

    ECC Teleconsults Submitted Through the Portal

    • Submit your ECC teleconsult through the DVM STAT portal

    • A board-certified criticalist will review your case and call you within 15 minutes of submission

    • A detailed written teleconsultation report is emailed after the phone consult

  • Yes. We strongly encourage continuity of care. Our criticalists want to support your team throughout the patient’s hospitalization as the case evolves.

    Even if you initially select a One Time ECC Consult, we can upgrade the consult to a 24-hour consult with a $50 upgrade fee, to ensure continuity of Criticalist support.

 

Internal Medicine

DVM STAT Internal Medicine provides expert support for complex, multisystem, or diagnostically challenging cases. Our IM specialists help you navigate diagnostic interpretation, treatment planning, and ongoing case management—all with collaborative communication tailored to your clinical questions.

  • Internal medicine cases are complex, often with multiple comorbid conditions. Or they may be medical mysteries where a second option is needed to help sort through the diagnostics to put it all together.

    Our Internal Medicine team will help

    • Sort out complex or unclear medical cases and provide clear step-by-step diagnostic and treatment plans.

    • Assimilate up to 3-6 months of records and diagnostics to leave no stone unturned.

    • Guide client communication and follow-up plans.

    • Ensure continuity of care for follow up and collaborative case co-management.

    • Chronological case summary

    • Pertinent lab work

    • Imaging

    • Current medications (dose and duration)

    • Your specific clinical questions so we can tailor the consult to your goals

  • You will receive a detailed written report by email, and our private communication chat feature allows direct communication with your IM specialist after the consult for follow-up questions. This communication is delivered via email allowing for convenient asynchronous communication.

    • Routine: <24 hours, 7 days a week

    • STAT: 8 AM–6 PM EST, Monday–Friday

 

Diagnostic Imaging (Radiograph, CT & Ultrasound)

DVM STAT Radiology provides timely, high-quality interpretation of radiographs, CT studies, and diagnostic ultrasound to support clinical decision-making and treatment planning.

    • Radiograph interpretation

    • CT interpretation

    • Ultrasound interpretation

    • DICOM image files (radiographs & ultrasound)

    • CT studies are submitted in a compressed Zip file

    • Case history & clinical progression

    • Specific clinical questions

    • For ultrasound review:

      • Cine loops (labeled)

      • Still images (labeled)

    • Radiographs: Average ~4 hours | Guaranteed <24 hours

    • CT (STAT): <24 hours

    • Ultrasound: Routine <24 hours | STAT <4 hours

 

Cardiology

DVM STAT Cardiology provides expert guidance for patients with murmurs, arrhythmias, respiratory signs, or suspected cardiopulmonary disease. Our team supports you with timely interpretation of imaging, ECGs, and diagnostics to inform safe anesthesia planning and real-time case management.

    • New or changing heart murmur

    • Cough or dyspnea

    • Suspected or confirmed arrhythmias

    • Pre-anesthetic cardiac screening

    • Cardiopulmonary changes on radiographs

    • Chronological case summary

    • Pertinent lab work

    • Blood pressure (method included)

    • Thoracic radiographs

    • ECG tracings

    • Current medications (dose and duration)

    • Routine: <24 hours, 7 days a week

    • STAT: 8 AM–6 PM EST, 7 days a week

 

Neurology

DVM STAT Neurology provides expert evaluation of neurologic patients when referral is not possible or when immediate guidance is needed.

  • DVM STAT provides neurology teleconsultations for neurologic cases when referral is not possible and for cases requiring timely neurologic guidance.

    For example, we commonly provide teleconsults for:

    • Seizure management and escalation protocols

    • Myelopathies

    • Paroxysmal events

    • Vestibular signs

    • Intracranial disease

    • Peripheral neuropathies

    • Patients with signs suggesting possible neurological disease

    • Videos of your neurologic examination (encouraged)

    • Lab work

    • Clinical data

    • Thorough review of your neurologic examination

    • Interpretation of submitted videos, lab work, and clinical data

    • A detailed written assessment with diagnostic and treatment recommendations

    • Routine: <24 hours, 7 days a week

    • STAT: 8 AM–6 PM EST, 7 days a week

 

Dermatology

DVM STAT Dermatology provides expert guidance for challenging skin and ear cases, including atopy, chronic otitis, recurrent infections, food allergies, and immune-mediated skin disease.

·       Learn more about Dermatology teleconsultations

    • Atopy

    • Chronic otitis

    • Recurrent infections

    • Food allergies

    • Immune-mediated skin disease

    • Medical history

    • Diagnostics

    • Clinical photos

    • Videos (if applicable)

    • Your case questions

    • Full case review

    • Detailed acute and long-term treatment recommendations

    • Continuity of care with the same dermatologist

    • One included recheck teleconsult within 21 days

  • Yes, one recheck consultation is included with every dermatology case within 21 days.

  • Absolutely. Our dermatology service provides ongoing guidance for chronic and multifactorial skin disease.

  • <24 hours for cases submitted Monday-Thursday. Cases submitted Friday-Sunday will be reported on Monday.

 

Oncology

DVM STAT Oncology provides prognostic and therapeutic guidance to support oncologic patients from initial diagnostics through treatment planning, with a focus on quality of life and collaborative co-management.

  • DVM STAT Oncology offers two teleconsultation options so you can choose the level of real-time interaction that best fits your case and workflow. Both options include in-depth oncologist review, practical treatment guidance, and collaborative co-management focused on patient quality of life.

    Written Oncology Teleconsultations (No Phone Call)
    Best for cases where you want detailed guidance without scheduling a live call.

    What’s included:

    • Prognostic and therapeutic guidance to support oncologic case management

    • One-on-one collaboration with an oncologist throughout all phases of care, from initial diagnostics to treatment

    • Detailed written case review for every teleconsult

    • Ongoing case support beyond the initial teleconsult

    • Personalized therapeutic options tailored to each patient

    • Quality-of-life–focused recommendations

    • Collaborative co-management whether you are awaiting referral or managing the case in-hospital

    Phone Oncology Teleconsultations (Scheduled Call + Written Report)
    Best for complex cases, nuanced decision-making, or when real-time discussion would be helpful.

    What’s included:

    • Scheduled phone call with an oncologist to review the case in real time

    • Detailed written teleconsultation report following the call

    • Personalized therapeutic recommendations

    • Quality-of-life–focused care planning

    • Collaborative co-management throughout the course of treatment

    • Select a time slot and complete the case request form

    • The oncology service confirms your appointment

    • At the scheduled time, the oncologist calls your clinic

    • A written teleconsultation report is provided at the conclusion of the consultation

    • New cancer diagnoses

    • Staging and treatment planning

    • Ongoing oncology case management

    • Chronological history

    • Current medications & any past chemotherapy treatments

    • Diagnostic results

    • Diagnostic imaging (if applicable)

    • Your oncology-specific questions

    • Detailed written teleconsultation report

    • Therapeutic guidance tailored to each patient

    • Quality-of-life–focused recommendations

    • Collaborative co-management

    • Phone teleconsultations available by appointment

    • Routine: <24 hours, 7 days a week

    • STAT: 8 AM–6 PM EST, 7 days a week

    • Phone consults: By appointment

 

Surgery

DVM STAT Surgery provides expert guidance for surgical planning, orthopedic cases, and post-operative management.

    • Pre-anesthetic surgical planning

    • Orthopedic case review

    • Soft tissue surgical cases

    • Post-operative complications

    • Post-operative recheck guidance

    • Chronological case history

    • Pertinent diagnostics

    • Diagnostic imaging

    • Current medications

    • Surgical or perioperative questions

    • Expert guidance for surgical planning and orthopedic cases

    • Support for post-operative monitoring and complication management

    • Collaborative support between surgery and ECC when needed

    • One included follow-up teleconsultation to help ensure recovery is on track

  • <24 hours, 7 days a week

 

Clinical Pathology

DVM STAT Clinical Pathology provides case-specific cytology interpretation to guide diagnosis and treatment decisions.

    • Cytology interpretation

    • Diagnostic clarification

    • Treatment guidance based on cytology findings

  • Digital cytology images (microscope + smartphone or imaging software). Images on 40X and 100X that are in-focus.

    • Case-specific cytology interpretations

    • Diagnostic and treatment recommendations

    • Rapid turnaround for decision support

  • <24 hours, 7 days a week

Kristin Welch, DVM, DACVECC
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