Pet fears put to rest with vet house calls
I girded myself for the struggle to stuff him into the cat carrier for the 15-minute trip to the animal clinic. Then I saw an ad for a veterinarian who makes house calls.
Would an in-home exam be less stressful for my fearful pet? Could I afford it?
Yes, to both questions.
The convenience and low hassle of vet house calls appeals not only to folks like me with stressed-out pets, but also to the elderly and disabled, those with young children or many pets, and owners facing a pet’s euthanasia who want a more peaceful setting than a bustling, impersonal clinic.
“We’ve come full circle for veterinary medicine ‘ the best of both worlds,” said Dr. Christine Foster of Gainesville, Va., who founded Companion Paws Mobile Veterinary Service 12 years ago.
Many mobile vets are women with children who want flexibility in their schedules, said Dr. Shannon Stanek, of Exton, Pa., president of the American Association of Housecall and Mobile Veterinarians, which has about 500 members and is growing.
A well-equipped mobile truck can offer a full range of services, depending on state regulations, which vary.
“We have members able to do orthopedic surgery and all that kind of stuff, but it depends on what you’ve got,” Stanek said.
Dr. Marisa Gerth of Critterfixer’s Mobile Veterinary Care, in Alexandria, Va., is the lucky vet who showed up to treat my middle-aged tabby. T.J. ‘ short for Thomas Jefferson ‘ eyed her warily.
It went well, mostly. Gerth did have to chase him into an upstairs bathroom and imprison him in a towel to get a listen with her stethoscope. But T.J. was only momentarily miffed. There was no bloodshed ‘ hers or his. She thought he had a cold, nothing serious. And she trimmed my other cat’s claws, at no charge.
Gerth, 39, has just finished her first year as a mobile vet. Earlier in her career, she spent several years in the Army, treating caisson horses used in military funerals, contraband-sniffing beagles, and first pets Socks and Buddy in the Clinton White House.
A second mortgage helped pay for her 24-foot, custom-built mobile clinic. The Animal Welfare League of Alexandria, Va., allows her to keep it there; in return, Gerth performs surgeries and other veterinary services for the shelter once a week at a discount.
She makes most house calls in her Toyota Highlander, which doesn’t have the truck’s parking issues. Her rates are competitive with other private practice veterinarians, but like other mobile vets she charges a trip fee ranging from $30 to $45, depending on distance. Many mobile vets give discounts for multiple pets in a household.
Gerth visits seven or so patients a day, and her workday can stretch long into the evening. “I have a hard time saying no,” she said. She likes the personal connection that comes with house calls.