Questions
Five, and two of them are about what I cannot do.
- What can you actually do at my house?
- Examinations, vaccinations, bloods and other samples, ear and skin problems, fluids for a dehydrated cat, most medications, quality of life assessments, and end of life care. What I cannot do is anything requiring a machine or a general anaesthetic: no X-rays, no ultrasound, no surgery, no dental cleaning, and nothing overnight. The full list of both is on the what-I-can-do page, because it is the honest question and it deserves a straight answer before I am on your doorstep.
- How far do you travel and what does it cost?
- Up to about 25 miles from Athens, in three bands: $35 within 8 miles, $55 out to 16, and $85 out to 25. Beyond that I will give you the name of somebody closer instead of driving an hour each way, which would cost you more than the visit. The travel fee is per visit rather than per animal, so a household with three cats pays it once.
- What if my animal needs surgery or an X-ray?
- Then they need a clinic, and I will tell you which one and ring ahead so you are not explaining it all again at a reception desk. I refer rather than compete — a housecall practice is a complement to a clinic and not a replacement for one, and pretending otherwise would be doing your animal a disservice.
- Do you handle emergencies?
- No. I am one person driving between scheduled visits, and if your animal is in trouble now the worst possible thing is waiting for me to finish somebody else's appointment. Go to an emergency hospital. That answer will not change, and it is why this website does not have an out-of-hours number on it.
- How do home euthanasia visits work?
- We talk on the phone first, unhurried. On the day, you choose the room and who is there. There is always sedation first, so there are twenty quiet minutes with a sleepy animal before anything else happens, and then it is quick and peaceful. I stay as long as you want afterwards and I arrange the cremation so that nobody in the house has to make that call.
This is a daytime, appointment-only practice with one veterinarian and no premises. Nothing on this site is an offer of emergency care.