Why Do Pet Parents Use Mobile Veterinary Services?

Why Do Pet Parents Use Mobile Veterinary Services? 

For pet owners, a simple trip to the vet is easier said than done. Often, these trips are accompanied by one-sided games of hide-and-seek or tag, some light begging, and a few minutes of ineffective bribery. In fact, by the time pet owners manage to get their pets to the vet, they may feel as though they need medical attention themselves. 

Fortunately, there’s another solution—mobile veterinary services. 

By bringing veterinary services directly to the owner’s home, mobile vets take the hassle out of regular vet visits. But that’s not the only benefit they bring to the (exam) table. Keep reading to learn more about why pet parents are choosing mobile veterinary services for their furry friends.

The Convenience of Bringing Vet to Pet

Mobile veterinary services have made it more convenient for pet parents to provide their fur babies with essential healthcare by bringing the vet directly to their front doors. This is particularly beneficial for pet parents who:  

• Work like a dog – For pet owners with careers that require working long or odd hours, finding time to take their pet to the vet can be a challenge. Because mobile veterinary service providers create their own hours and schedules, they can better cater to the specific needs of their clients—a benefit that busy pet owners are more than willing to pay extra for. 
• Live off the beaten path – No matter where you live, mobile vets can provide quality healthcare services. For owners, this means eliminating the need to drive long distances or sit in traffic with a cat who wants to make it very clear they’re unhappy in their carrier. For mobile veterinarians, it means a significantly larger client base. 
• Own a menagerie – Pet parents who own multiple pets can benefit from mobile veterinary providers who can examine each of their animals on the same day. This means multi-pet households don’t need to corral all their animals into the car in a chaotic recreation of Noah’s Arc, or make multiple trips to the vet within the same month (an easy way to lose both time and sanity). 
• Struggle with mobility – Pet owners with limited mobility, as well as pets with limited mobility, can nevertheless receive essential healthcare services through mobile veterinarians despite being home-bound. 

Reducing Stress, Increasing Smiles

Many pets experience Scooby Doo levels of fear when it comes to traveling to the vet. This can be due to a number of factors, including: 

• Experiencing motion sickness or anxiety while in the car 
• Feeling threatened by unfamiliar animals in the veterinary waiting room 
• Being handled in sensitive areas (such as their groin, ears, or paws) during exams

By offering mobile veterinary services, you can help reduce vet visit fear by eliminating the need for anxious pets to travel in the car or sit in a waiting room filled with strange smells, sounds, and animals. Plus, with mobile services, parents of anxious pets can also experience reduced levels of stress, increasing the likelihood they’ll schedule regular vet appointments. 

In fact, one study found that 52% of cats in the U.S. aren’t taken to regular veterinary exams because their owners believe they hate the experience.

Although mobile veterinarians still need to handle their pet patients in order to examine them, performing the exam in the comfort of the pet’s home, alongside their trusted owner, can significantly reduce stress.

And less stress doesn’t merely mean more tail wags, nuzzles, and puppy kisses. A 2010 study found that dogs who frequently experience fear and anxiety show increased occurrences of skin disorders and significantly shortened lifespans (particularly in the case of dogs who exhibit a fear of strangers). 

By creating a safe and comfortable environment for veterinary care through mobile veterinary services, you can help improve and extend the life of your four-legged patients, while also bringing some much needed relief to their two-legged counterparts. (And that’s certainly cause for a Scooby Snack.) 

Better Results for Better Healthcare 

When dogs and cats experience stress from going to a traditional veterinary clinic, their bodies leap into fight-or-flight mode. This means: 

• Heart rate and blood pressure spike 
• Temperature rises
• Breathing quickens 

When this occurs, it becomes impossible for vets to accurately measure a pet’s typical vital signs and determine their overall health and well-being. 

For cats in particular, excess stress can also lead to high blood glucose levels. This makes it difficult for veterinarians to diagnose instances of feline diabetes—an increasingly common condition in cats that, if left untreated, can lead to nerve damage, muscle weakness, and even death.  

In the comfort and familiarity of their own homes, pets are more relaxed. This means, as a mobile vet, you can obtain accurate measurements of a pet’s health, thereby providing more effective medical care.

Choose Wag’n Tails to Serve Every Pet in Need of a Vet

Whether it’s the convenience of having several pets examined at once, the ease of knowing their fur babies are relaxed, or the relief of not having to chase their cat around in an endless game of tag, pet parents are choosing mobile veterinary services to provide their loved ones with essential, preventative healthcare. 

As a veterinarian, you can take advantage of this increasingly popular option, and break into the mobile market by purchasing or leasing a state-of-the-art veterinary vehicle from Wag’n Tails. With nearly 50 years of experience in the pet service industry, Wag’n Tails is an invaluable resource for veterinarians looking to better serve their patients, increase their earnings, and control their schedule. 

Drive into the future of pet health and wellness, with Wag’n Tails. Contact us today for more information. 

 

Sources: 

AAHA. Bayer-AAFP study breaks down why 52 percent of cat owners avoid regular vet visits. https://www.aaha.org/publications/newstat/articles/2013-07/bayer-aafp-study-explains-why-52-percent-of-cat-owners-avoid-vet-visits/

ScienceDirect. The effects of fear and anxiety on health and lifespan in pet dogs. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159110001243#:~:text=Stress%20responses%20are%20related%20to,increased%20disease%20frequency%20and%20severity.

Cat Friendly Homes. Diabetes. https://catfriendly.com/feline-diseases/diabetes/