Home check up
40 minutes$95
- Nose to tail examination on your floor or sofa
- Weighed on our portable scale
- Time for every question
Vet visits at home, where your pet is calmest
Housecall Vets brings check ups, vaccinations and gentle end of life care to your home, for dogs, cats and rabbits who find the car and the waiting room hard. Every visit is booked for 40 minutes, so nobody is rushed. We have no clinic or hospital, so emergencies always go straight to your nearest emergency vet.
40 minfor every home visit
12 milesaround the west of the city
2 vetsand one nurse, by car
Emergency? Do not wait for a home visit. If your pet is struggling to breathe, has collapsed, is bleeding heavily, is fitting or has eaten something poisonous, phone your nearest emergency vet clinic and go there now. We have no hospital and do not come out to emergencies.
Home visits and what they cost
Prices cover the visit itself. Medicines, vaccines and tests are added, and each one is explained and priced before it is given.
Vaccination visit
40 minutes$110
- A health check before any vaccine
- Record updated on the spot
- Next due date written in your pet's record
Senior pet review (example reviews)
60 minutes$140
- Mobility, teeth, weight and comfort
- Blood sample taken at home if needed
- A written plan for the months ahead
Extra pet, same visit
per animal$45
- Any pet in the same household
- Checked during the same visit
- Vaccines priced on top
A visit called off before 18:00 the day before costs nothing. Fees are paid to the vet at the end of the visit.
Where the car goes, and the travel fee
One travel fee per address, however many pets live there.
| Zone | Roughly | Travel fee |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 1 | The west of the city, within 4 miles | Included |
| Zone 2 | 4 to 8 miles, including the river villages | $15 |
| Zone 3 | 8 to 12 miles, the hill farms and the new estates | $30 |
| Further out | Ring before requesting a visit | Quoted on request |
We see dogs, cats, rabbits and guinea pigs. Reptiles, birds and other exotic pets are better seen at a clinic with specialist equipment, and we will suggest one.
Why some pets are better seen at home
Cats that cry the whole way in the car, dogs that shake in a waiting room, rabbits that stop eating after a journey: for these animals, a visit at home gives a truer picture and a calmer patient. We examine them on their own bed, their own rug or the sofa they are not supposed to sit on.
Home visits also suit owners without a car, people caring for a new baby or an elderly parent, and households with several pets who would otherwise need several trips. Where an animal needs an X ray, surgery or a stay in hospital, we arrange it with a local clinic and send your pet's history ahead.
- Seen on their own bed or sofa
- No car journey, no waiting room
- Hospital care arranged with a local clinic
How a home visit unfolds
You send a request
Choose the visit, tell us about your pet and suggest a day.
A nurse rings you
We agree a time, ask about your pet and check where to park.
A call on the way
The vet phones about ten minutes before arriving.
The visit itself
Forty minutes on the floor or the sofa, with treats only if you say yes.
Notes left with you
Medicines, a written summary and the next due date before we go.
Saying goodbye at home, without hurry
When the time comes, many families would rather their pet's last moments were at home, in a familiar place, with the people and animals they know. Ring us and talk it through first; there is no form for this. We will listen, answer every question, and help you think about whether now is the right time or whether there are still good days to have.
On the day, the vet explains each step before it happens. Your pet is given a sedative first, so they settle into a deep, relaxed sleep in your arms or on their bed, and only then is the final injection given. You choose the room or the garden, and who is there. Afterwards we can take your pet into our care for cremation, with or without ashes returned, or talk you through burial at home where local rules allow it.
- Arranged by phone, never through the form
- Sedation first, always
- Visit from $295, with aftercare priced before the day
A day on the rounds
Pets and homes shown with their families' agreement.
Written after the car pulled away (example reviews)
Our cat hides under the bed at the sight of a carrier. The vet sat on the floor, waited, and examined him on the landing without a single hiss. His vaccinations are finally up to date.
Three elderly dogs and no car. One visit, one travel fee, and a plan for each of them written out at the kitchen table.
When it was time for our old collie, the vet came on a Saturday morning. Nothing was rushed, every step was explained, and he fell asleep in the garden with his head in our laps. We will always be grateful for that morning.
Before you book a home visit
What should we do in an emergency?
Phone your nearest emergency vet clinic and take your pet there straight away. We have no hospital and cannot reach an emergency as quickly as you can reach a clinic. Save that clinic's number in your phone today, before you need it.
Which pets do you see at home?
Dogs, cats, rabbits and guinea pigs. Reptiles, birds and other exotic pets are better seen by a vet with specialist equipment, and we are glad to suggest one.
What happens if my pet needs surgery or an X ray?
We arrange it with a local clinic, send your pet's history ahead and stay in touch with you. Many follow up checks can then happen back at home.
How do we get ready for the visit?
Keep cats in one room with the door shut from the night before, have a lead ready for dogs, and note any medicines your pet takes. A quiet room and somewhere to park help too.
How do we arrange an end of life visit?
Please ring rather than using the form, so we can talk it through properly. We usually come within a day or two, sometimes sooner, and before the day we explain every step, the cost and the choices for afterwards.
When are fees paid?
At the end of the visit, directly to the vet. Any medicine or test is explained and priced before it is given.
Request a home visit
Use this form for check ups, vaccinations and senior reviews. A nurse will ring you to agree a time, or suggest another day if the rounds are full. For end of life care, please phone us instead, so we can talk.
- Not for emergencies: phone your nearest emergency clinic
- A visit is fixed only when the nurse confirms it
- Fees are paid to the vet at the visit
Reaching the vets
There is no clinic to walk into: the vets work from two cars and a small office where the phone is answered.
Contact
Home visits across the west of the city and the villages within 12 miles; there is no clinic building to visit
Visiting hours
| Monday to Friday | 08:30 to 18:00 |
| Saturday | 09:00 to 13:00 |
| Sunday | No routine visits |
| Emergencies, at any hour | Your nearest emergency vet clinic |
When we are closed
Outside these hours, phone your nearest emergency vet clinic. For questions that can wait, leave a message and the nurse will ring you back the next working morning.