Thursday, March 21, 2019

House Calls.

House Calls


I'm going to try to highlight some of the services and events that Crawford Dog and Cat Hospital offers to the pets and their owners in Nassau County and Queens in a series of blog posts.  Today, House Calls.

I have been making house calls on Long Island since 1990. Originally it was all I did, but as the practice grew, I had hospitals that needed my attention.  Now, we are back to a single location and the staff at Crawford Dog and Cat Hospital are on the road almost every day, visiting our patients in the comfort of their own homes.

Who makes house calls?

Many practices claim that they make house calls, but just try to get an appointment.  That's when you'll find out that the one doctor that does go out for home visits is available on alternate Mondays when the moon is full.  At Crawford Dog and Cat Hospital, Drs. Niesenbaum and Waters are on the road most weekdays.  We are fortunate that Dr. Wu is available to hold down the fort back at the office so that one of us can usually sneak out.  Now, that doesn't mean that we are available for emergency calls, we just can't always fit those in.  However, if you do have an emergency, John and Hector will jump in our ambulance for pet transport and bring your pet to us.  We can almost always accommodate an emergency pick up.  Our technicians, Kim, Miriam, and Ellie are also on the road, doing blood draws, nail trims and laser therapy along with other outpatient services.

Who uses our house call service?

Lot's of people prefer to have us come to the home to help with their pet's veterinary care.  Many of our senior owners have difficulty transporting their pets to our office.  People with multiple pets will often find it easier to have us come out and see everyone in one visit, rather that ferrying pets back and forth to the office.  Cats especially appreciate not being put in a carrier for transport and prefer the comfort of their own couch for veterinary visits. Older pets have difficulty getting into the car and are more comfortable in their own beds at home.

What services are available in the home?

Our doctors can perform most outpatient services in the comfort of your home.  Examinations, vaccinations, blood tests, physical therapy, and even needle biopsies and skin cytologies can be done without a trip into the office.  Dr. Waters has a special gift when working with anxious pets as she is fear free certified and has a whole bag of tricks to put you and your pet at ease.  And of course, when the discussion turns to end of life care, our staff can offer palliative care programs to keep your pet comfortable until it is time for them to part.  We offer compassionate euthanasia services at home so that you don't have the stress of taking your pet out of the home for that final trip to the vet.  We can make whatever arraignments that you want for care of the body, including holding your pet for burial, individual cremation with the remains returned to you, or group cremation. 

How do you schedule a house call?



That's the easy part.  You can call our office at 516 746-1566. Or, request a house call by using our on line form.  Someone will get back to you to confirm the appointment. So, if the stress or inconvenience of a trip to the vet is keeping you from making sure that your furry friend is healthy, give a house call a try.  Remember, keep the light on for us.