RADNOR — A local veterinarian now makes house calls after launching a new business, Your Visiting Veterinarian.
Radnor resident Dr. Lauren Renner said she launched Your Visiting Veterinarian in January, and she now travels the county visiting clients and their pets in their own homes to provide checkups and care. Renner said she got the idea after working in a veterinarian’s office for four years and seeing the issues that can arise from a vet visit.
“I just saw, repeatedly, a lot of clients and pets that I thought would benefit from a home visit for a variety of reasons,” she said. “I had clients who were mobility impaired and getting their pet to the vet was a challenge, same with mobility impaired pets, especially larger dogs who are aging and getting arthritis.”
Renner said her service is useful to people with pets that are stressed out by or scared of car rides.
“It’s a way to be able to go to them,” Renner said. “A lot of pets don’t do well in the car, so either they come to the vet and they’re already stressed and it’s hard to do an exam on them, or the owners don’t bring them to the vet because it’s too much.”
Renner added at-home visits are easier to manage for busy families and for the pets themselves.
“I get that people are busy and going to the vet is another thing to do,” she said. “Going into their homes, we’re able to take away the stress from the pet because they’re in their comfortable place, and it just make things a lot more convenient for the owners.”
Renner said she and her technicians carry all their equipment with them, and everything is done inside the home. The only things she can’t offer during at-home visits are surgery and X-rays.
Renner said a typical visit will begin with gaining the pet’s trust before moving to examinations.
“We want to make the pets feel like a friend has come to visit,” she said. “There’s no scary car ride. We take our time and enjoy being with them and get them to trust us. … The pets have been really responding well to that. We’re with new clients for about an hour. Things aren’t rushed.”
Renner said she recently visited a dog that needed to wear a muzzle when it was brought into the clinic, but she said it was so relaxed at home that it fell asleep in the middle of the appointment.
The atmosphere of at-home visits is very different, Renner added, which has allowed her to build relationships with clients.
“That’s been really fun,” she said. “Meeting the people has been really rewarding. When you’re welcomed into someone’s home, it takes on a much more personal experience and atmosphere. You really start to feel like your clients are friends and part of your family. It’s helpful, too, to see pets in their environment.”
In the months since Your Visiting Veterinarian opened for business, Renner said she’s been getting busier as her client base steadily grows.
“A lot of feedback is from people saying they didn’t realize this was an option,” Renner said. “One thing I’ve really, really enjoyed is just seeing the owner’s reaction to the experience. It’s been really rewarding. A lot of owners have said it’s such a different experience and so much better for their pet. They’re not stressed.”
More information can be found at visitingvetcare.com or by calling 740-899-5789.
