There comes a time when our animals are so sick we just do not want to put them through the trauma of going to the vet, whether it is for maintenance or euthanasia. I had heard about home hospice care for animals, but really did not know a vet that would come routinely to care for a terminally ill animal. And then I heard about Veterinarian Jennifer Hall.
Doctor Hall is a May, 2008, graduate of Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. She is both a large animal vet, as well as a vet for the smaller, domestic animal companions. Before attending Tufts, she served five years active duty in the Coast Guard, leaving with the rank of Lieutenant. She is married and has a seven year old daughter who loves horses, Disney Princesses, as well as her two Standard Poodles and two Ocicats.
Dr. Hall is a Connecticut native and has lived in Old Lyme for the past ten years. She covers both Middlesex and New London Counties. She really likes being able to evaluate an animal in its own environment as they seem to be more relaxed when they are on their own turf, especially cats (not all cats like travel and change as mine do). Of course, one would expect a house call for their horse or cow. If a large animal needed surgery or intensive care in a hospital, Dr. Hall has maintained a good relationship at Tufts. In interviewing her, I learned that she actually likes working with large and/or farm animals, as well as cats and dogs.
While in college, she received the Frank Zak Award for Food Animal Medicine. Dr. Zak was a food animal/farm vet who was part of the Veterinary Scholarship Trust of New England, which is a non profit organization that provides aid to residents of New England who are pursuing a career in veterinary medicine. Food animal medicine refers to animals that are currently or traditionally used for food, such as cattle (for both beef and dairy), goats, sheep, pigs, etc.
Food animals are subject to more stringent regulations concerning veterinary care - for example certain drugs are prohibited from use in food animals, if they are known to cause problems for people that may consume meat or milk from animals treated with those drugs. There is a lot more to taking care of farm animals than there is in taking care of our pets.
She also enjoys the flexibility a mobile practice allows for. Even though she cannot see the same number of appointments each day because of travel, she is able to make her own schedule during the course of a day. She tries to keep her scheduled appointments between 8 am and 5 pm but can be flexible. And even though she does not usually see routine appointments on the weekends, she is available for emergencies. Most of her appointments are in Middlesex County and southern New London county.
The most interesting aspect of the mobile vet, is the ability to provide hospice care for a beloved pet. Right now I have a terminally ill older kitty with cancer. In general, he is a fraidy cat and I hate putting him in a carrier and transporting him to the vet for a check up. It stresses him out terribly, and I cannot bear the thought of how scared he will be if he is at the vet’s office when it is time to say goodbye to him. Hospice care and home euthanasia makes so much sense to me.
Dr. Hall’s goal with home hospice care is to get the owner comfortable with at-home treatments and to educate them about their pet’s quality of life, so they can make the best decision when it is time to let their pet go. Each case is different and she will come up with a treatment plan and visit schedule. Although at home euthanasia is definitely not the favorite part of her job, she believes that it is very important that pets be allowed to pass in the comfort of their own home, surrounded by familiar things and people. She feels it is a privilege to offer this service to our animal companions, as they are allowed to pass with dignity and in the arms of those they love. Everything is easier for our pets if we are with them. And it is about them and not us.
So the question becomes, what is the cost difference between going to a vet clinic and having a vet clinic come to you? It is pretty obvious that the mobile vet appointment will need to be a certain percentage higher in order to cover travel expenses and the time that is lost in between appointments. But the return on this investment is, of course, less stress for the animal (and for you), an exam that also includes a more natural observation of the animal in familiar surroundings, and often a more extensive visit with the vet. Dr. Hall’s visits are rarely less than thirty minutes, and more often than not, they end up being around an hour. Because she feels it is important to get to know both owner and animal, she will discount her professional time charge for all routine first appointments.
Mobile vets can play a large part in our community life and it can certainly be very helpful when it comes to an owner who cannot drive for whatever reason. Just knowing that there is emergency vet care available for their pet, brings a certain amount of comfort. I know that when I was a child, my mother did not have her own car, and when I was sick the doctor actually came to our house! He also gave shots of penicillin instead of oral pills. But now that is letting people know how very old I really am!
For more information on Dr. Hall and her Mobile Vet Practice, log on to www.CoastalValleyVet.com or give her a call at 860-867-6367.
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