by Anne Miller | photo by Amanda Cribdon Photography –
I recall when my younger sister was born at home, over 50 years ago, delivered by our rural family doctor. By coming to our home, Dr. White could witness our situation, with excited siblings around, my aunt’s capable assistance, the spotless kitchen and my father’s need to return to work the next day. By assessing things as a whole, he could feel confident that my mother was calm and the baby would be well cared for. House calls today are rare. At least, for most families. If your family includes an animal, however, and you live on the Saanich Peninsula, you’re fortunate.
I recently met a veterinarian whose new business is established on a model of house calls for pets, small ruminants and poultry. Dr. John Pollock is new to Canada and the west and learned that, while most area vets offer euthanasia at home, he may be the only veterinarian to offer this unique, comprehensive service. He presents compelling reasons for doing so.
As an ambulatory veterinarian, John addresses some of the major needs that animal caregivers face. He notes, for instance, that many seniors, whose pets need care, are limited by lack of transportation or by living in apartments or community homes. John travels to them instead of having them trek to a vet’s office. He also visits those whose dogs or cats present challenges to vet office visits due to an animal’s fears or aggression or simply the difficulty in getting larger, older pets into cars and carriers. John averts such ordeals by creating a relaxed environment rather than one of turmoil.
Notably, because of the challenges and restrictions that Covid presents, pet owners cannot always accompany their pets on veterinarian visits. People greatly appreciate an at-home visit which allows owners to be present with their pets, interact with the doctor and minimize risks of exposure to Covid. Nonetheless, Dr. Pollock takes any Covid-related precautions required.
There is another important aspect of this model of care. By making house calls, John can take a holistic view of a situation within its context. In this way, he can see the obvious connections among the factors influencing the animal’s health issues and thus, he will address the presenting problem along with providing advice, other resources and complementary care as needed.
Finally, by recognizing this pet as a member of your family, John observes people’s appreciation as he cares for these loved animals in their home environments, especially valued during an at-home euthanasia. Faced with the inevitable reality of a pet’s death, both family and pet benefit from John’s care. This relaxed, family experience allows ample time, tears and support in dealing with this loss.
Domestic pets aren’t the only animals under John’s care. He is the only vet living on the Peninsula who makes house calls for issues dealing with sheep, goats and llamas and he is willing to care for exotic animals like pot-bellied pigs. Gradually, John is noticing a growing unmet need with backyard poultry. Increasingly, it seems, people want to raise their own chickens for eggs yet many are not sure about all that’s involved. That’s where John’s faith in continuing education kicks in. He informs and teaches. Having been a clinical teacher of veterinary students for 16 years, John will do an on-site, overall assessment of the situation, diagnose problems and offer consultations on how to treat the issues, parasites being one of the greatest threats. Better yet, John encourages a brief consultation with him so that would-be poultry farmers get started on the right foot.
John gains great personal satisfaction from meeting people in their own environments. Meeting people in their homes and on their land, and observing them with their animals, gives him much-needed information upon which to offer solutions to their animal problems. As a bonus, he gets to make acquaintances with like-minded people and spend his days outdoors. He feels this is where he belongs.
Find out more about Anne Miller, personal historian, at www.annemiller.ca or get in touch with her via email: anne@annemiller.ca.
