HOW MOBILE VET CLINICS DIFFER FROM TRADITIONAL VETS

If going to a veterinarian clinic has become troublesome or even traumatic for you and your pet, ditch tradition and call on a mobile vet to sort you out. Here’s everything you need to know about how they work.

In August, Hyundai Australia signalled it would give three small businesses a fighting chance by sharing its 2020 advertising budget with them. One of the SMBs to win the generous offer at the end of the competition was Vet2UrPet — a professional mobile vet in Townsville offering services to animals in the comfort of their own homes.

Here’s everything you should know about the mobile service keeping pets healthy.

How does a mobile vet operate?

Just like the name suggests, a mobile vet is essentially a doctor with a fitted out van making house calls for your beloved furry friend.

Vet2UrPet, for instance, started with one Hyundai iLoad Van and a passionate vet, Dr Nell Petraello. She saw the potential and yearning for house call vets and jumped on the opportunity to make things happen.

“I did not want to follow the poor example of what other mobile vets have done in the past and work out of a small vehicle with basically no diagnostic tools or fridge,” Dr  Petraello explained to Lifehacker Australia.

“So, I decided to fit out a van that would provide everything I needed to do my job properly, no different to a stationary clinic. With every last dollar of savings, I created a comfortable, well fitted out mobile van so I could start doing what I loved at client’s homes.”

In case your pet requires further care, Vet2UrPet can transfer them to their fully-functional hospital, treat them, and then transfer them back home to their owners if needed.

“It is against the Queensland Veterinary Board to do procedures at home, that is why we needed a base to work from,” Dr Petraello explained.

“It is more hygienic and safer for the animals/patients to do these bigger procedures in a controlled environment.”

Is it worth spending money on mobile vets? 

You can get a one-on-one consult with more time to get all your questions answered. Seeing pets in their natural environment can have many telltale signs for vets looking for that extra piece of information.

In some cases, house calls could also be safer for your furry friends prone to falling sick or having trouble adjusting to unfamiliar faces around them. It’s also the perfect option for those who are unable to drive, like seniors.

In other instances, they’re great for people with transport difficulties or those who have an immobile pet that is not easy to shuffle around from one place to another. In these situations, a mobile vet will offer convenience and get rid of any added stress.

Some mobile vets have very competitive rates, so it’s always best to check pricing with them first. Vet2UrPet, for example, only charge extra for travel, not the actual service.

What if there’s an emergency?

Although they’re not an ‘ambulance’ for animal emergencies, some mobile vets have enough tools to help out until the pet’s been transported to a clinic.

“We try our best to service our clients as well as emergencies, every day is different and it is good to know we have all the tools on hand if we do have an emergency that we need to get to asap,” Dr Petraello explained.

“For example, I was at a puppy vaccination house call when suddenly there was a dog that got hit by a car in front of me. That consult became an emergency very quickly, and luckily the dog survived.”

The biggest misconception

Unfortunately, there’s still a big misconception among people about mobile vets, and it’s a hurdle that professionals in the business are trying to overcome.

“Trying to make people (and even colleagues) understand that being mobile doesn’t mean you provide substandard service,” Dr Petraello said.

“It can be done properly and professionally, and that is what our focus has been since the beginning.”