The doctor is in... without the car ride. Dr. Halldorson only makes house calls. Why?

Benefits of House Calls for You and Your Pet

For many furry family members, especially cats, the car ride to the vet clinic can be a high stress event. For some this can mean being frightened enough to vomit, urinate or even lose bowel control in their carrier. For owners, getting them into the carrier in the first place can sometimes be a real challenge. (Don't we know it!) Other pets may be fine in the car but find the wait in a busy hospital setting a bit unnerving. House calls mean no car ride, no busy waiting room and less risk of exposure to diseases that fellow patients might be carrying. This can be more of a consideration for elderly pets, or those with weakened immune systems. Owners of pets that are aggressive with other animals face a whole other set of concerns and may find it easier to have their pet seen at home, avoiding potential conflict.

House calls also make it possible to spend more time with pets (and their people) and create the opportunity to see those animals in their home environment where they are often more relaxed and more "themselves". This extra time allows for a thorough assessment and in depth discussion of an owners concerns, a pet's problems and available treatment options. A peaceful home environment can be especially well suited to conducting comprehensive wellness visits, seeing to the needs of more fragile elderly pets and cancer patients, as well as examining and treating large dogs with mobility problems. Pets getting acupuncture for a variety of problems are often less stressed and more able to relax at home, in familiar surroundings.

Getting Ready For Your House Call

Wherever your dog or cat is comfortable, makes a great place for your pet’s exam. Sufficient space and good lighting help the exam run smoothly. Cats often do better and feel more secure in a smaller enclosed room for their examination. Most dogs are comfortable and relaxed on the floor and in many cases can have their acupuncture treatment on their favourite blanket or dog bed.

When needed, an exam table with a cushy, non slip mat and a towel are available for smaller pets. Flower Essences like Bach Flowers’ Rescue Remedy, or essential oils for dogs, can be provided to help create a calm environment. Having a collar or harness on your dog (with a leash if they are easily distracted) can help your pet’s exam and treatment be conducted quietly and efficiently. A handful of favourite treats also helps pass the time.

Life is often beyond our control, but where possible it is a good idea to try not to schedule visitors, tradesmen or busy household activities just before or during your appointment, so pets are able to stick to their regular routine.

What are the Limitations of House Calls?

Eclipse Alternative Veterinary Services is limited to the practice of acupuncture and alternative medicine for companion animals (dogs and cats). This means you will still need the services of your primary care veterinary hospital for conventional medicine, diagnostics (such as blood work, titre testing, x-rays and ultrasound) or in the event your pet requires surgery. Our goal is to work cooperatively with your regular veterinarian to help insure your pet receives the most comprehensive care tailored to his or her needs. Travel and set up time combined with longer visits means a house call veterinarian is able to see far fewer appointments each day, leading to less flexibility around scheduling appointments. These are also typically more expensive and can be booked fairly far in advance. A house call practice is also typically not equipped to handle emergencies.

In case of an emergency, clients are asked to contact their primary care veterinarian. If CURRENT clients do not already have a regular veterinarian (which is very rarely the case) they are able to call one of two full service conventional veterinary hospitals with which Eclipse Alternative Veterinary Services has referral agreements. These are:

Port Royal Animal Hospital in Annapolis Royal, NS at (902) 532-7387, OR

Cornwallis Veterinarians Ltd. in Kentville, NS at (902) 678-2731.

Just as many people use the services of their Family Doctor, a Chiropractor, Osteopath or Homeopath, and an Acupuncturist, we aim to be a vital part of the care team that provides your pets with a similar well rounded program for Health and Wellness.

a note about Medication Refills

We prescribe or recommend a wide variety of herbs, homeopathics, nutraceuticals and supplements. To keep client costs down, where possible, we arrange for clients to order certain products directly from suppliers online. For products we source for our clients, we usually try to arrange for herbs and  such to be dispensed in sufficient quantity to last between regularly scheduled appointments. Where only occasional visits occur, prescriptions and refills can generally be arranged within a couple of days.

We recommend clients not wait until they are running out of medications before contacting us, but request refills a week in advance of them being needed. We want you to receive your pet’s medications in a timely fashion. We don’t want to see you run out. On occasion, though, products on order can be unavoidably delayed during shipping, or may be on back order. Conventional prescription medications like antibiotics are usually arranged, by prescription, through your local pharmacy. As we don’t handle conventional pain medications, when needed, we refer clients and their furry family members to their regular veterinarian, keeping your care team fully in the loop.

What Areas are Covered By House Calls?

Dr Halldorson is available for appointments in Nova Scotia's Annapolis Valley from Wolfville to Digby. If you are uncertain as to whether you are within this range, please feel free to contact us to find out. We'd love to hear from you. Thanks to the unpredictability of Nova Scotia's maritime climate, "weather permitting" needs to be mentioned. Fortunately, there are relatively few occasions when appointments must be cancelled and rebooked, but when that becomes necessary we make every effort to do so in a timely fashion that suits your schedule.