That’s how it felt to Erin McCarthy when it came time to drag her cat and puppy to the veterinarian. So she jumped on a growing trend among veterinarians and called the vet to her.<\/em><\/p>\n House calls are a growing trend among the country’s 85,000 veterinarians, said Dr. Bonnie Beaver, a professor at Texas A&M University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and director of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists.<\/em><\/p>\n It’s been a life-saver for McCarthy, whose cat Duke was so afraid of the vet he had to be tranquilized to get there. When he was joined by a Shih Tzu puppy, Pooch, they found a vet who makes house calls, Elisabetta Coletti. McCarthy has made liberal use of text-messaging when a house call isn’t necessary<\/span><\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n “When Pooch ate a peppermint patty last week, she was there with instant advice that got us through the night,” said McCarthy, a teacher in Brooklyn, N.Y.”<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n \nText messaging? <\/p>\n While that is a very nice touch, not all veterinarians have or want that capability, but I could see it as a subscription service that some pet owners would gladly pay for with a wellness pet program.<\/p>\n I know I would.<\/p>\n Are you offering house call services? <\/p>\n If not, are your pet owners looking for someone else who does?<\/p>\n It’s a good question to ask.<\/p>\n Linda <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" As you have long been aware, house call services are becoming more popular with pet owners, willing to pay more for the convenience and personal service a veterinary house call can provide. VetLocator’s house call directory is a very popular destination for pet owners, and while we don’t survey owners on why they are seeking a house call, we can say housecalls are getting more popular here. I came across an article in The Hearld News on a house call veterinarian in New York who is doing many things right, for her market. I suspect … Continue reading
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