Veterinary Housecalls: Pets are one of the family and they’re great companions to have around. However, if your pet is elderly, or becomes ill, the constant veterinary visits can become a chore. They’re expensive, impractical and can cause you and your pet a whole load of stress.

Recent changes to the way veterinary surgeries run means that lots of vets now offer house calls as part of their service.

The Benefits of Veterinary Housecalls

Veterinary housecalls have a ton of benefits for you and your pet, making life more comfortable, practical and affordable.

The Comfort of Your Pet

If your pet is ill, it may actually cause them pain to make repeated trips backwards and forwards to the vet.

If the vet can come to them for regular check-ups and medication administration, then your pet may get better a little faster, just because there’s less stress being put on their body from moving around.

Stress Free Visits

Some pets really hate the vet, just like people hate the dentist. This makes a trip to the vet stressful, especially when you add the factors of the new sights, smells and other pets in the waiting room that could be upsetting.

If the vet comes out to your home, then your pet doesn’t need to alter their routine at all. They’re in a place where they feel safe and secure.

This may even make trips to the vet more pleasant, as your pet may come to associate the vet with something positive.

Cost-Effective

All time with the vet is paid for. When you add the money that you’re using for actual medication to the extra costs of transportation – especially if your pet needs a lot of appointments – then it can become unaffordable. And transportation is something that your insurance just doesn’t cover.

If your vet isn’t close to your home or you need to use public transport, those costs can mount up, meaning your pet may have to suffer in other areas so you can afford their medical care.

House calls does add a little extra to the bill but come with the added bonus of practicality and will still save you money.

Travel Practicalities

If you have a pet with mobility issues, then travelling to and from the vet may cause a few issues. If you have a heavy dog, lifting them in and out of the car could be an ordeal, or if you’re using public transport, then it may be impossible to move your pet, depending on what the issue is.

Similarly, if you, yourself have issues with mobility, travel could prove impossible. This is where someone coming out to your home to administer veterinary treatment could come in really handy.

Strengthening Veterinary Relationships

Although your vet may not be your best friend, house calls help to develop a stronger relationship with a single vet that you trust, rather than being passed around the whole practice. This gives you peace of mind that they’re always going to do the best thing for your pet and allows you that mutual relationship where you feel you are able to call if anything ever goes wrong.

The Benefits of HouseCalls for Vets

Visiting your pet in their own environment isn’t just beneficial for the owners. Vets can also find it much easier to diagnose and treat a patient if they’ve seen them in their own home.

When you visit the vet, they will likely ask you a load of questions regarding your pet’s behaviours, eating habits, walks and even other pets in the household. However, as much as a concerned owner will always try to help as much as possible, there may be things missing out of the answers that the owner may not feel is relevant, but which could actually solve the case of the mystery disease.

Understand Stressers and Mystery Illnesses

Seeing a pet’s living space, including outdoor area could help to diagnose mystery illnesses due to eating plants or items in their back garden. The vet will also see the behaviours that your pet displays in their own environment to identify sources of stress or anxiety.

Help to Keep Owners Honest

Some owners as fairly embarrassed about their own habits and may tell a white lie regarding what happens at home to cover up that the reason that their pet is ill may be indirectly caused by them. Although an owner may mean well, they may hide things such as smoking, unclean pet cages or pet handling by small children.

If a vet walks into a house where something is clearly wrong and causing the pet to become ill, then they can inform the owner and keep an eye on the situation if they make regular visits. This improves animal welfare in general and not just when they’re sick.

How to Arrange a Housecall with Your Vet

While not all surgeries will be able to provide house calls, the majority are now shifting over to this type of service to cater to people and pets with disabilities and travel complications.

House calls are not usually booked for emergencies, but can be arranged in surgery time by calling your vet and asking for this adjustment. However, you must also be flexible with the timing on the day that you arrange your visit, as emergencies that come into the surgery will always take priority, especially if it’s a life or death situation.

Summary

Veterinary house calls are massively beneficial for owners, pets and vets alike. They can help with diagnosing issues much faster to get your pet the help they need and avoid long, arduous and expensive journeys to the vet.

If you’re concerned that travelling to the surgery will have a detrimental effect on the health of you or your pet, then give them a call to see if they’re able to accommodate a home visit.