House calls

I initially started this blog to provide my clients with some information to help them care for their pets. But I think I need to talk a little about what I do and what makes Doorstep, and other house call practices, unique.

The name of my practice is a perfect description of what I do. I come to your door and provide veterinary services in your home. I like to think it is a great melding of modern medicine and old fashioned service and care. So much of what we do daily as vets is essentially outpatient care. And it is based on trained hands, ears, eyes and mind. And I can take those with me wherever I go. I do carry a small amount of equipment with me because sometimes we may need to collect samples to look more thoroughly into your pets internal health with blood, urine or fecal tests. Most of the time pets are so patient and tolerant that we can collect these samples with a minimum of fuss.

People often ask me, why would I want a house call vet? And there are some advantages and disadvantages to the choice. Here are some of the reasons to choose a house call vet.

Stress of the vet visit: Many animals experience a certain level of stress from the trip to the veterinary clinic. And often times this stress is low level and short term and so not a cause for concern. But there are some animals that are profoundly disturbed either by the car ride or the vet clinic itself. These animals may shake uncontrollably, become aggressive or fractious, urinate or defecate on themselves or in the carrier, and continue to show abnormal behavior for hours or even days after the visit. These animals may benefit from having their vet come to them. It eliminates the car ride and the often overwhelming sensory input of the vet clinic. By coming to the home I can take some time to get the pet used to my presence, take frequent breaks during the course of the exam for some relaxation and immediately allow animals to retreat to a safe place as soon as I am done. Now, inevitably there may be a time when we need to have the animal in the hospital so it may be of benefit to work on calming your pets fears about trips to the clinic. But in the meantime we can be sure that your pet stays healthy at home.

Mobility issues: These may be on the part of the pet or the owner. Cat carriers and walkers are not a good combination. Nor are tall jumps into the backs of SUV's for large arthritic dogs. By having me come to you, both you and your pet are relieved of the difficulty of travel to and from the vet hospital.

Our crazy, modern lives: I talk about house call visits being old fashioned care. But in our crazy over-scheduled lives getting to the vet hospital can sometimes seem like just one more thing to add to our day. This can be especially true for families with young or multiple children who are trying to balance not only their own schedules but nap/meal/activity schedules for their children. When the I come to you, you can continue with your day right up until the I arrive. And if you have children, your kids can continue to play in a safe comfortable environment freeing up your attention for the visit. Veterinary clinics are by necessity full of great (and not so great things) for your kids to get into. This can make the trip itself exhausting and distracting for the parents limiting their ability to communicate with the doctor. And distraction on the part of both parent and vet could lead to questions going unanswered and misunderstandings about recommendations and options.

Personal attention: And the final benefit of a house call visit is the unique personal attention that you get from this process. Does your pet have behavior problems that you have been struggling with? By coming to your home, I can get a very good picture of the environment that your pet lives in helping to guide my recommendations. House calls are often a longer interaction as well allowing us to truly discuss all of the issues that you are facing with your pet, not just the specific issue that you called about that day.

Now there are some limitations to house calls as well.

Cost: House calls are time consuming. Not only must I travel to your home and then on to my next appointment, but I always spend much more time with each patient. A typical visit in the clinic lasted about 10-15 minutes. Maybe a little more for sick pets. And in the clinic I could simultaneously juggle multiple patients. Unless you have multiple pets I can only be in one place at a time. This limits the number of patients that I can see in a single day. So there is an additional cost associated with the house call. This is quoted as a house call or travel fee and is in addition to the physical exam fee and any other costs associated with the visit. The cost of this fee will depend on your geographic location.

No specialized equipment: Because I do not own a mobile hospital I do not have the equipment to provide radiographs, anesthesia, surgery or hospitalization. So things like broken bones, swallowed balls, dentistry and seriously ill pets will still need to be sent to a traditional hospital. Some mobile vets do have these specialized vans and can provide surgery, radiographs and dentistry in your driveway. Hospitalization will probably still need to be referred to another hospital.

No emergency: For most mobile vets, including me, it just isn't possible to provide much in the way of emergency care. In most cases, a true emergency is going to require the use of some of that specialized equipment anyway. And I may be too far away to be useful as well. This is especially true in our urban area where emergency hospitals are probably closer and fully equipped. I also need to take some time off to take care of myself and my family. I do still want to know if there is a problem and will work hard to maintain communication w

ith you and the veterinary clinic where you have taken your pet.

Practicing house call medicine is a very different experience than traditional small animal practice. It is much more personal with a stronger bond between myself, my patients and their owners. I love that spending the extra time with my clients allows us to become a team looking out for the best interests of the pets. I love seeing the animals relaxed and happy in their comfortable environments.