1.What are the advantages of a house call practice?

The first, most obvious advantage is convenience to you. You don’t have to load the pet up and go and sit in a waiting room and burn up your valuable time. It is also easier with animals that don’t travel well like older dogs with arthritis, cats that don’t like riding in cars and waiting with dogs, and big dogs owned by people with small , nice cars. Also, Dr. Childs is able to see the animal in their home environment and detect potential health problems that may be overlooked in a clinic setting. The owners are also more relaxed in their home and can often remember questions and concerns that slip their mind in the more stressful clinic setting. We schedule a minimum of one hour per appointment including driving time. This means that we are a very low volume practice and can only see six to eight people a day. This also means that we get to know our clients and their pets very well, and we often become quite close.

2.How are emergencies handled?

Emergencies are the one thing that is difficult to deal with on a mobile basis. We are set up primarily as an out-patient and preventative health care clinic. If you have a true emergency, it is to your advantage to go to a stationary clinic near you that has much more extensive equipment and staff. We always recommend that our clients familiarize themselves with the location of a clinic near them in case of an emergency. Also, there are two night-time / weekend / holiday emergency clinics that operate in the area that the Mobile Veterinary Clinic services. These are The Nashville Pet Emergency Clinic on 12th Ave South (615) 383-2600, and The Pet Emergency Treatment Service in Cool Springs (615) 333-1212.

3.What if I need a service that you are not able to provide during a house call?

We do not carry x-ray equipment on the mobile unit, and we are not able to perform extensive laboratory services on a mobile basis either. We can provide these services through local clinics and laboratories. If you choose, we can work closely with the clinic of your choice and we freely share patient information with any clinic upon the request of the owner. In other words, if we can’t do it, we can get it done!

4.What are some of the services that you provide?

We perform all routine annual vaccinations, heartworm check and prevention, deworming for intestinal parasites, flea and tick control, spaying and neutering, dentals, and minor out-patient procedures and treatments. We are also called on frequently to perform quiet, in home euthanasia for terminal patients that the owners don’t want to take on that last trip to the vet. We can also take care of all the arrangements afterward, such as burial or cremation.

5.How long have you been doing this?

We saw our first patients on a mobile basis in December of 1986 and have been growing ever since! Dr. Childs graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine in June of 1984 and practiced in Clarksville, TN in a small animal practice for 2 years before starting this mobile practice.