WHAT TO EXPECT
Finding the right veterinarian matters. At Tobias Veterinary Services, you can expect exceptional medical care paired with thoughtful, compassionate service—for both you and your pet.
​
Our mission is simple: to provide the highest quality veterinary care and owner education, all within the comfort of your home.
​
Your pet's visit will include a complete physical exam from nose to tail! We will weigh your pet, collect blood, urine or stool if necessary, and administer any appropriate vaccinations based on your pet's lifestyle.
​
If you have a dog or cat that gets very scared or anxious at the vet’s, to the point where they are hard to hold still, aggressive, or will try to bite, please let our staff know ahead of time. We can often call medications in to a pharmacy prior to your visit that can be given to your pet to help ease the anxiety that they may experience during a veterinary exam. Our goal is to provide top-notch health care in the home, which sometimes includes making sure your pet is relaxed before we even arrive.
DOGS
When we come to visit you and your dog, we prefer to work somewhere that is contained, and that has good lighting. We are happy to be in your home, on your porch, or out in your yard (as long as there is a fence; we don’t want to have your dog get away from us!). We always handle dogs on leashes, and prefer to use our slip lead leashes to make sure that our canine patients do not back out of collars or harnesses, which happens more than you think. We encourage you to be present with your pet, as most dogs do better if they can hear and see their owner in the room. It is important for you to be relaxed while we are there, so that your dog can relax, too! If we are coming for an annual visit, or for a visit for a sick pet that has vomiting or diarrhea, dogs are always super grateful if you save a fecal sample for us prior to the visit. If we are seeing more than one dog in your home, we would like to see only one at a time, with the other(s) on leashes or contained in another room, for the safety of both the dogs and humans in the room.
CATS
Kitty cats need to be contained in a bathroom, ideally, 15 minutes prior to our arrival at your house. Sometimes offices or rooms without any beds, couches or recliners will also work, but those rooms need to also be open and free of hiding places. Cats have a sixth sense about us, so even if we have never been to your house before, they know who we are and are convinced that we have nefarious intentions! They will run away and hide under a bed before you can say “meow!”. When we arrive, one of our staff will go into the room with your cat first, so that we can keep it from running out the door when you and the doctor subsequently enter the room. Even if you have somewhat small bathrooms, we much prefer to be in there with your kitty because if a cat gets too stressed out, we need to be able to let it go to give it a break. If we are seeing more than one cat at your home, we would like them to be in separate rooms, but do understand if there is a space or logistical reason that they cannot be separated.
Before your appointment
We are happy to contact your pet's previous veterinarian for vaccine records and medical history, but it's also a good idea to provide us with a list (or general idea) of past major illnesses, surgeries, and recurrent health issues.
Take Note
Jot down your pet's elimination habits and any recent physical changes like weight gain/loss, limping, tenderness in specific areas when touched or picked up, unusual bumps or lumps, and hair loss.
​
Keep track of small shifts in your pet's behavior along with any diet changes. Is your cat overgrooming? Is your dog pacing at night? Are they suddenly not eating their normal food? Are you refilling their water bowl more often? Sometimes the most seemingly insignificant things speak volumes to our veterinarians!
Catch your Cat
We are proud of our feline-friendly veterinary care and do our best to keep cats as calm as possible using fear-free and low-stress handling techniques. We do ask that you sequester your cat(s) in a bathroom or laundry room prior to our arrival. Extracting cats from underneath furniture in a bedroom or living room or from on top of kitchen cabinets is stressful for everyone involved! We can call or text you 15 minutes before our arrival if needed.
Leash your Dog
Your dog's appointment can take place in your family room, kitchen, porch, or backyard! We do ask that your dog be leashed regardless of where the visit takes place to avoid having to "catch them," which increases their stress.
1
Sedation
We understand that even home visits can be frightening to some of our patients. We strive to work with all of our patients with kindness and compassion. However, should a pet appear to be harmful to itself or harmful to our staff, sedation will be recommended.
2
Referrals
Based on findings, our veterinarians may need to refer you to a veterinary specialist, a veterinarian who has completed advanced studies in areas of medicine such as internal medicine, ophthalmology, or surgery.
3
Hospitalization
If your pet must undergo a procedure that requires hospitalization or general anesthesia, we will provide a list of area hospitals that we believe excel in patient care.