10 Benefits of Using a Mobile Veterinarian
Pet parents want to give their dogs the best treatment that they can.
However, with our busy lives, they are also seeking more freedom and convenience when it comes to caring for their pet.
UPDATED: Originally published July 2014
For example, people more frequently order dog food and pet supplies online so they don’t have to spend the time driving to, and shopping at, the store.
Something that can make caring for your pet’s health more convenient is using a mobile veterinarian.
Mobile vet services are on the rise, especially in busy metropolitan areas around the country like Seattle.
Mobile veterinarians may also be present in more rural communities too though like Best Friends Mobile Veterinary Care in Cle Elum, WA.
Many small towns are surrounded by agricultural land with livestock.
Veterinarians often need to travel to treat these large animals and many have adapted their services to include treating pets in the home.
There are several reasons why you may want to consider using a mobile veterinarian if one is available to you.
10 Reasons to Use a Mobile Veterinarian
1) It’s more convenient
Mobile veterinarians come to you and examine your pet on a day, and at a time, that is convenient for you.
2) Your pet may be more comfortable
A mobile vet can examine your pet in the comfort of your own home where your pet is familiar with their surroundings.
3) A more relaxed experience for your pet
No wonder it isn’t unusual for your pet’s heartbeat to be high at the veterinarian’s.
Many pets hate care rides or start to shake as soon as you pull into the parking lot of the vet clinic.
Without the stress of a car ride, and prolonged nervous anticipation, your pet may be more relaxed during the examination.
When the vet can examine your pet in a more relaxed state, they can better determine your pet’s “normal” vitals.
4) It will save you time
Most people travel 30 to 60 minutes to see their veterinarian.
Mobile veterinarians come to you and examine your pet on a day, and at a time, that is convenient for you.
This can be especially helpful if you have a busy schedule or if your pet is unable to travel due to age, size, or health issues.
You save time because you don’t have to drive to and from the clinic and you may be able to schedule an appointment so the mobile vet shows up right when you get home from work.
5) It might be more cost-effective
Traditional veterinary clinics have a lot of overhead costs, like rent or mortgage, electricity, internet, phones, management staff, etc, that they have to factor into the fee that each patient pays.
Mobile veterinarians have a very low overhead.
That means a vet home visit cost is sometimes the same or lower than the amount you would pay at a veterinary clinic.
Some consider house calls a premium service though, and it cost the vet more time and money to travel to you, so the service is not always cheaper though.
Also, he cost of a vet home visit can vary depending on a number of factors, including the distance the vet has to travel, the length of the visit, and the services provided.
You may still come out ahead though considering your own fuel costs to drive to the vet clinic but be sure to compare costs beforehand if money is a factor in your decision.
6) More personalized care
Mobile veterinarians are able to spend more time with their patients, which can lead to more personalized care and attention.
7) You can remain with our pet
Ever since the great illness of a lifetime that shall not be named, most vet clinics stopped letting owners accompany their pets inside the building.
Mobile veterinarians come to your house so you will be present during the exam and can talk to the vet fact-to-face.
8) There are fewer distractions
A mobile veterinarian can focus solely on your pet, without the distractions of other animals and clients present in a traditional veterinary clinic.
You can also focus more on your pet and what the vet is telling you when there is not a lot of noise from other pets and people.
9) More flexible appointment times
Mobile veterinarians may offer flexible scheduling, including evening and weekend appointments.
10) Specialized services
Some mobile veterinarians specialize in specific areas of veterinary care, such as geriatric care, behavior consulting, and in-home euthanasia.
The 3 Highest Rated Mobile Vets in Seattle
The largest city near us is Seattle so you may have found this blog post by searching “mobile veterinary services Seattle.”
For that reason, I wanted to list a few of the most popular mobile veterinarians in Seattle.
The Vets – At Home Pet Care in Seattle
The Vets offers the full range of treatment options your pet needs, including wellness exams, sick care, diagnostics, and more.
They provide mobile veterinary services in Seattle, Queen Anne, Wedgwood, Fremont, Capitol Hill, West Woodland, High Point, North Beacon Hill, First Hill, Seattle, Magnolia, Crown Hill, Shoreline, Lake Forest Park, and more.
The Vets also has mobile veterinarians in 15 other major cities around the country.
Home Veterinary Services
Dr. Knasiak at Home Veterinary Services provides mobile veterinary care for dog and cat owners in Seattle, Renton, Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland, Issaquah, Sammamish, Newcastle, Kent, Auburn, Covington, Maple Valley, Burien, Tukwila and nearby areas.
Services include diagnostic testing and exams, vaccinations, wellness exams, quality of life assessments, and home euthanasia.
BetterVet
BetterVet seems to be the most technologically-advanced of these three Seattle mobile veterinarian services.
Their website says, “BetterVet is a full-service veterinary practice on wheels supported by a powerful digital platform.
Whether you need a quick video consultation or an in-home visit, it’s simple. Just open our BetterVet app or website, book an appointment, and we will come to you.”
BetterVet serves Seattle just east of the Redmond/Bellevue area and north-south from approximately Mill Creek to White Center.
BetterVet also has mobile veterinarians in 27 other major cities around the country.
Lap of Love
Yeah, I know I said 3 mobile veterinarians but Lap of Love deserves a special callout for it’s beyond excellent assistance with end-of-life pet care.
A few of my friends have used them and can’t sing their praises enough.
Lap of Love assists families and their pets in Seattle, Tacoma, and the surrounding areas with end-of-life care in the comfort of their home (they also offer “teleadvice” when needed in between home appointments).
Their experienced veterinarians provide compassionate care for your dog or cat, including in-home euthanasia and hospice.
Veterinary hospice specifically addresses comfort care and pain management for pets.
They assist families in the greater Seattle area.
Final Thoughts
Mobile veterinarian services are on the rise.
Some singular veterinarians have chosen to take their services on the road and there are some networks that serve several large metropolitan areas around the country.
If you have a mobile veterinarian in your area, it might be worth giving it a try to see how you like it.
There are many benefits to having a mobile veterinarian come to your home like convenience, reduced anxiety for your pet, and potentially a lower vet home visit cost.
Mobile veterinary services can be especially helpful during the difficult time of having to say goodbye to your pet.
About the Author
Hi, I’m Jessica. I’ve been studying the Dachshund breed since 2007, owned 3 of my own, and shared in the lives of thousands of others through their owner’s stories. When I’m not sharing what I know on this blog, you can find me hiking, camping, and traveling with my adventurous wiener dogs.
I would love to find a mobile vet for my two. Mauja gets really anxious when we get to the vet and it always makes examining her more difficult. Its always a plus when a vet can see your animal in their own environment.
I think mobile vets are great. I had never really thought of it until I heart about VetPronto.
Thanks so much for this post! I’ve located two mobile vets in Denver that sound great. I am definitely going to go this route when it is vaccination time – trips to the office are so hard for Ruby.
I had no idea they were less expensive, but it makes since because of the overhead. I wonder if there’s a mobile pet in my area.
Thanks for this post, Jessica!
I guess it depends on how many pets you have and the rate for an exam at your vet (and any multiple pet discounts). If I had 4 dogs I would call it worth it even if the price was the same so I didn’t have to wrangle all of the dogs to the vet 🙂
I didn’t find anything for Marysville but I know VetPronto is expanding. Maybe service will eventually be available up your way.
We loved our VetPronto visit but having Dr. Hur come for just one of our pets is 2x more than an office visit to our local vet. My local vet also gives me huge discounts for bringing in multiple pets- most vets do! I will likely splurge on VetPronto again because of the convenience and lack of stress. But a splurge is a splurge and I can never be sure I’ll have that extra money laying around.
My vet is not nice enoigh to give a discount for two dogs. Maybe iys because you have a boatload of pets 🙂
Our chiropractor/acupuncture vet did house calls. It was definitely convenient and not that much more expensive than office visits. She charged $30 for the visit/travel plus normal fee which was, well, normal.
My dog, when taken to the vet, gets very aggressive. I think mostly out of fear because she is in an unknown place. This is why I liked the idea of using a mobile vet clinic because it really would reduce stress, as you suggest second in this article. I liked your point that because they are in the comfort of their own home, they will be less stressed and the doctor can get a more accurate insight as to what is wrong with your animal. I would agree with this point, and would argue that because they are less stressed and able to get a more accurate diagnosis, they in the long run will be able to stay healthier. Thanks for these helpful tips!
These mobile vets are almost like the old west times when doctors made house calls all the time. As a disabled person with a service animal, I think I could totally get used to a mobile vet. There are tons of home delivery services these days. It is about time that veterinary services became a widely accepted mobile service.
You make a good point that mobile veterinary services are less stressful for my pets. He doesn’t like car rides very much so we have been thinking about having a vet come to us. This is is good so that he can be calm and have a visit where he won’t have an elevated heartrate.
I too work eight to five Monday through Friday and you are right that I don’t have enough time to take my dog to the vet if he did get sick or hurt. I love the idea of a mobile vet as you did mention that it brings convenience to myself and many others who don’t have the time to see a vet during normal business hours. I’ll for sure have to keep that in mind if my dog does ever hurt himself.
I like how you mentioned that mobile veterinarians come to your house on a day that’s convenient for you. My wife and I are wanting to get our dog checked on and we are wondering when we can get the animal in for a routine check-up. I’ll be sure to tell her that we should look for a mobile veterinarian in our area to come to check in on our dog when it’s convenient for us.