Veterinary House Calls

Pros and Cons of In-Home Veterinary Care for Your Pets

Animals of varying temperaments appropriately have varying responses to going to the vet. While few animals are what you’d call “Zen” about the experience, most will end up no worse for wear at the end of the day. They might wedge themselves down into a remarkably creative hiding place that you would have sworn they could never access, let alone fit into, howl like a sugar filled toddler who’s late for his nap during the car ride to the office, and fight and squirm impressively as the vet is attempting to examine them, but, when all is said and done, they’ll turn their backs on you for just the appropriate length of time to let the silent treatment sink in, and all will be forgiven.

However, there are some occasions, and some animals, in which this is not the case. If you have an animal who is fragile physically or emotionally, and the visit to the veterinary clinic is just too traumatic for them, or if getting your animal to the vet is a challenge due to transportation or other issues, there is another option: veterinary house calls. In-home care for your pets can provide a decrease in anxiety to your pet and an increase in convenience for you.

There are pros and cons to utilizing a vet who makes veterinary house calls, and I will attempt to break them down here in a comprehensive manner so that you can decide whether making an appointment for a house call doctor’s visit for your pet is the best decision for you and for your animal friend.

The benefits of making an appointment for a veterinary house call can be fairly significant. For many sick or high-strung animals, the experience of the trip to the vet is more than they can comfortably recover from. If your pet is so sick that you are contemplating his or her life expectancy, limiting the amount of time that they spend anxious or distressed can not only make the time they have left more comfortable, but a vet providing veterinary house calls may may actually prolong their life if the distress they experience being taken to the vet’s office is enough to exacerbate their symptoms.