Wednesday, May 14, 2008

The House Call Veterinarian: The "Cat's Pajamas"

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As you  know, my cats vehemently detest any kind of car ride, no matter how brief. In addition to  their raucous vocalizations which  communicate  their total displeasure, they often accompany these songs by furiously scratching inside their carriers, orchestrating the cacophony with what they consider to be their percussion section. Definitely not on my "hit parade" this Mewsik can affect a driver extremely negatively.

So you will understand the relief I felt several years ago when the Florida Wild Veterinary Hospital's  flyer arrived in our mail announcing the opening of a local mobile veterinary practice.

I was immediately impressed by the attractive  and upbeat young veterinarian upon her first visit to our home to meet our cats. Using both alternative and traditional methods of treatment, Dr. Erin Holder has that "special" touch and purrsonality which communicates her deep love of animals. 

Even though my cat Trouble, who dashes under the bed when he hears her van pull into my driveway, eventually comes out to greet her as he responds to her soothing voice and gentle purrsonality. While he is not enamored by any veterinarian, I am sure he has a soft spot in his heart for her.

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Dr. Holder's visits are not only a convenient and less stressful means of receiving routine and follow up care for our cats, they are also educational and enjoyable for me when she shares some of her more fascinating anecdotes about some of her "exotic" patients. I always enjoy the time I get to spend with her.

House call veterinarians don't  replace the need for a full-service clinic, but for these occasional visits, they sure are the "cat's meow."

Have you ever had experience with a veterinarian who makes house calls? Leave a comment and share your thoughts about this option.

4 comments:

Vicki said...

If one of my animals needs vet care, I usually take them into the clinic. But once a year, my Vet comes to my house and gives all of my animals their yearly shots. It doesn't take very long and it sure beats having to haul horses into a van and take them there. And it is a lot less traumatic for my dogs too.

AG said...

It sure would be nice to have a service like that. With the amount of animals I have though, I think having all them getting over excited would create chaos for all of everyone in the house. It is easier for me to take them out to the vets office.

Anonymous said...

Isn't that great? Trouble looks a bit unhappy in that first pic, but I'm sure YOU'RE happy that you didn't have to stress him out with a ride. This is a much-much-MUCH-needed service we have a universal need for -- for our cats and ourselves, too!

Way back in the day, I've read that doctors used to make house calls for human patients. That would be a good thing to return to, too!

Anonymous said...

Here in England,we have a real struggle to get our vets to make a house call and it costs a fortune too.But it's worth every penny as our Walter and Jozef get so very stressed out in cat boxes and the car and the waiting room (so do we) Anyway,a new vet came out on Thursday to do their vaccination boosters,I'm not convinced at 7 years old they still need them yearly, but as we are lucky enough to live in a cat friendly place and they go outside, we daren't take the chance.They were little terrors, Jo turned into an octo-puss, Walt into an amoeba,my sis Bab and I were past ourselves ....I saw on the bottom of his notes 'They are both competely wild ..... and their cats are too'
ha ha haaaaaaa
Ruth