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This Vet Makes House Calls

For the most part, Whiskers2Tails is a one-woman show. 

No, it won't be appearing on stage any time soon. It's a mobile veterinary clinic run by Aimee Heidt, who is the veterinarian, receptionist, marketer and custodian. 

But for the Epstein family, Heidt is first and foremost a godsend. Chessie, their 20-year-old long-haired calico cat, was diagnosed with end-stage renal disease, or kidney failure. The treatment, subcutaneous fluids, requires frequent and semi-technical care.

"We never thought this cat would be treatable because she couldn't go back and forth to the vets," said owner Phylys Epstein, "Although she's a wonderful kitty at home, she's hostile at the vets."

Top: Calico cat Chessie. Above: Whiskers2Tails mobile clinic(Photo: photos provided)

Leaving the house, traveling in the car and just being in the vet's office put a lot of strain on the cat. Phylys' husband, Randy, attempted to administer the treatment at home, but that didn't consistently work. Finally, their veterinarian recommended Heidt, who has treated Chessie on a bi-weekly basis for several months and helped to give Chessie a healthier life. 

Stories like Chessie's are all too familiar to Heidt and in part why she started Whiskers2Tails last fall. She's worked as a veterinarian in the Capital Region since 2003 and knew that there was a need for more mobile services for cats and dogs. 

"I kept seeing more and more [stressed out] animals coming in to see me," Heidt said. 

While she was working at Battenkill Veterinary, people would call all the time looking for someone to come out to their home. While Heidt could try to refer them to other veterinarians she didn't have the capability to go and treat the animals where they were. With Whiskers2Tails, she serves people within a 15-mile radius around her home in Ballston Spa, though she makes a few exceptions when she can. Beyond the cost of treatment, she charges anywhere from $20-50 for travel, depending on how far the client is from her home-base. 

Mobile clinics increased in popularity several years ago. There are a few in the Capital Region besides Whiskers2Tails, including Capital District Mobile Veterinary Services, For Pet's Sake Mobile Services and Adirondack Mobile Veterinary Service.

According to the American Association of Housecall Veterinarians, at-home appointments can be more effective as veterinarians "can better evaluate behavior and conditions which may be caused or aggravated by their environment." 

House calls aren't necessarily new in the veterinary industry, especially for bovine, equine and poultry veterinary specialists. But the mobile clinic model is still relatively new.  

Many of Heidt's clients are disabled or retired and might not be able to drive, which can make getting their pets to the vet even more of a struggle. But she also has clients who have needy pets, a family and a full-time job and don't have time to take their pets to the vets several times a week. 

"Everybody likes things [delivered] to their house. I don't like grocery shopping. So I can just order it and it shows up at my door. That's the mentality that people have right now," Heidt said. 

The Whiskers2Tails vehicle is 28 feet long and is equipped with everything needed for check-ups, vaccinations, dental care and surgeries (spays, neuters, growth removals, etc). Somehow there's room for all that plus a bathroom, a small desk and over a dozen cupboards for storage (all which lock so they won't fly open when Heidt goes from appointment to appointment). 

It's quite the operation; though the appointments don't always take place in the mobile clinic. If the animal is not comfortable getting out of the house or if the owner isn't able to transport them to the vehicle, Heidt meets them wherever they are, sometimes in the home and sometimes not. 

"I've done appointments on front lawns," Heidt said. 

Epstein said Heidt's expertise and level of attention have made all the difference. Heidt, who sticks to treating cats and dogs, is Fear Free certified, which means she's been trained to look for, listen to, understand and respond to an animal's fear or anxiety.

"She's just very patient and seems to understand Chessie's needs as well as ours," Epstein said. 

Whenever Chessie is prescribed a new medication or whenever there are any changes, Heidt is right there for a second opinion or to further explain the medication. She's also caught health issues that the Epsteins might not have noticed, like a potassium deficiency and an arrhythmia. 

Beyond the convenience factor, at-home euthanasia is one other benefit to the mobile clinic model like Whiskers2Tails. 

Gary Kleppel, a biology professor at UAlbany and owner of Longfield Farm in Knox, usually opts for house calls for his sheep, rather than his border collies. As a trained biologist and ecology expert, he mainly takes care of his livestock himself and has a veterinarian come to visit the farm once a year or so for vaccines. 

Most of the time, he finds that his dogs don't mind going to the veterinarian's office. But when one border collie slipped three discs and became partly paralyzed, he felt a house call was the way to go and had a veterinarian come out. On the farm, border collies aren't only pets, they're partners, said Kleppel, working together every day to herd the sheep and poultry.

"We were heartbroken. Just moving was hard for him," Kleppel said. An at-home euthanasia was the most peaceful— and merciful — option, for both the family and the dog. 

It's an option that the Epsteins have already decided upon. Heidt will also be the one to euthanize Chessie right in the Epstein's home. 

"It's a godsend," Epstein said, "She'll never have to go back to the vet again."

For more information on Whiskers2Tails, visit whiskers2tails.Com.

Categories: Life and Arts

Mobile Animal Wellness Clinic Brings Services To Families Without Access To A Veterinarian

The Ontario SPCA and Humane Society's Mobile Animal Wellness Services clinic is parked at the fire station in Capreol, Ont. The unit travels to different locations in Greater Sudbury and holds animal wellness days for families without access to veterinary services. (Erika Chorostil/CBC News)

A new mobile animal wellness clinic has been moving around Greater Sudbury this summer, providing veterinary services to families without the means to take their animal to a local veterinarian.

The Ontario SPCA and Humane Society has partnered with Greater Sudbury Animal Services, and earlier this summer they launched their Mobile Animal Wellness Clinic.

The mobile vet clinic travels to a different location each month for its Animal Wellness Days. Through pre-booked appointments, the clinic provides general wellness examinations and vaccinations for cats and dogs and, when necessary and requested by a family, end-of-life care.

The appointments are reserved for those who receive government subsidies or have an Indigenous status card, and do not have a relationship with a local veterinarian.

"We're trying to move [the unit] around the city and cover all our geographical locations where our services might be needed — so, the Flour Mill, New Sudbury, and we're working on a south end location to try and make it accessible to anybody," said Hope Lumbis, manager of the SPCA's Mobile Animal Wellness Services.

Hope Lumbis is manager of the SPCA's Mobile Animal Wellness Services. (Erika Chorostil/CBC News)

Lumbis said the wellness days take place over two to three days, and at a recent event in August, they were able to help 25 to 30 pets a day between 8 a.M. And 4 p.M.

She added the number of pets has increased since the pandemic, but veterinarian numbers haven't changed or diminished in some areas, meaning some families haven't been able to access veterinary care.

"It definitely is a big problem not only here, but around the country, to be able to access vets in a timely manner to make sure [pets] have those boosters in a designated amount of time to be able to be protected against the diseases around town," explained Lumbis.

Some families can't access veterinary care due to high demand or the inability to travel; others can't afford the service due to various circumstances.

Lumbis said the mobile wellness clinic gives qualifying families a chance to give their pets the care they need in a more accessible manner.

"We had quite a few at our last event, people that I don't think would have been able to provide veterinary care for their pets without having the unit there, whether it was people coming with their cats in a carrier in shopping carts or on scooters that didn't have the means to be able to go to a local veterinarian, and had to make the choice between feeding themselves or their pets."

She said the wellness days have made a difference in the community and they hope they can keep holding the events over the next few months.

"We kind of knew that this was needed around the city but you never know how it's going to be received or how it's going to go, and I think people have taken it really positively, and I think it's helped a lot of us kind of change our perspective on things too, especially the last event, as far as how we work with people in the city and what we can bring to them," Lumbis explained.

"So it's just been a really positive experience and it makes you kind of feel good at the end of the day to be able to help out."

The next Mobile Wellness Days event is set for Sept. 14 to 16 at Morel Park in Sudbury.

Lumbis said they're planning October dates to be at a location in the city's south end and more dates may be scheduled for November, depending on the weather. The unit will wrap up appointments by the end of the year.

When not holding wellness days in Sudbury, the mobile unit is parked in the Capreol fire station.

Veterinarians and workers with Greater Sudbury Animal Services perform spay and neuter surgeries on cats and kittens inside the Mobile Animal Wellness Clinic in Capreol. (Erika Chorostil/CBC News)

At the fire station, the unit performs up to 25 spay and neuter surgeries once a week on cats and kittens that are up for adoption.

"A lot of our animals that we're doing right now are from the local SPCA. We work with the city shelter and a lot of other rescues in Sudbury and also northern areas that don't have access to veterinarians at a high volume, so we have some that come as far as Timmins or Kirkland Lake," said Lumbis. 

The Mobile Animal Wellness Services Unit started in 2019 from money established from Pet Valu's Companions for Change grant. Lumbis said the unit was previously in eastern Ontario before making its way to Sudbury at the start of summer.

Lumbis said the City of Greater Sudbury has been supportive of the SPCA, giving them access to the Capreol fire station to park the mobile unit and working with the organization to find locations for them to hold the wellness days.

"During surgery days, we have a city shelter worker that comes and helps us. They've offered a bunch of employees as well for the event days to help with something as simple as carrying around carriers or helping the public out, so they've been a great support to us to offer whatever resources we need."

Lumbis added they currently rely on the work of one to two veterinarians for the surgery and wellness days, either locally or from southern Ontario, who travel to work. She said they hope to expand their service days to help more people and pets, but would need more veterinarians to help them with the clinic.

 "Our goal would be to be able to support, as best as we can, shelters, rescues and people who just don't have the means to be able to bring their pets in."

Humane Animal Rescue, AHN Mobile Clinic Partnership Helping Those In Need And Their Pets

PITTSBURGH — Having access to affordable healthcare can be difficult for people and their pets.

A new mobile clinic launched as a one-stop visit providing care for people and their furry companions.

Devon Washington and his pitbull, Prince, had a busy morning. Prince is the first patient to arrive to the Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh and Allegheny Health Network mobile clinic M.O.V.E.S (Medical – Outreach – Veterinary – Essential – Support).

"I don't have a job right now. All we really do is walk around and sleep in a shelter," said Washington.

During his visit, Prince is being examined. He's getting vaccines and antibiotics for a sore on his leg. The care is provided for no charge.

Dr. Ariella Samson is assistant executive director of veterinary care and shelter operations for the Humane Animal Rescue of Pittsburgh.

"This is all about helping people and their pets where they're at. We know that access to care is a major issue in this city, whether that be healthcare for humans and vet care for pets," said Samson.

"I got a lift from a worker that goes to the shelter. After I got here, everyone has been friendly…Very nice," said Washington.

The clinics will mobilize underserved neighborhoods to help people and their pets.

Samson says there are serious health benefits associated with pets.

"Owning a dog or cat actually correlated to lower risk of heart disease, lower risk of high blood pressure, " said Samson.

Washington appreciates the free healthcare for his closest companion.

"I know that all my friends and people have left me… I might be 22, but my dog has always stuck by me," said Washington.

The humane mobile clinic is funded through private donations. Organizers are planning to provide the clinics twice a month in underserved communities throughout the City of Pittsburgh.

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