Questions About A House Call Vet
A House Call Vet was founded in 1997 by Dr. Stefanie Lipton and has remained a local, woman-owned, small business since its founding. Dr. Lipton obtained a Master of Science degree in Psychology with a focus on Animal Behavior. Her background in understanding dog and cat behavior, as it relates to the human-animal relationship, distinguishes her from other mobile vets.
As an at-home vet, Dr. Lipton educates her clients regarding the importance of understanding a dog and cat’s “evolutionary physiology and behavior” when approaching preventative medicine, nutrition, and disease treatment. Clients of A House Call Vet will typically receive between 1–2 hours of consultation and examination time at their initial appointment.
As Hippocrates once stated, “All disease begins in the gut.” This is the foundation of the medicine we practice at A House Call Vet. We recognize that nutrition is the single most important aspect of preventative medicine as it is nutrition that allows our bodies to properly function.
It is for this reason that a substantial amount of time is spent during your appointment discussing nutrition in relation to the physiology of your pet and explaining why most pet foods are damaging to the health of dogs and cats. Even some that are “prescriptive”. Feeding less processed foods to cats, as obligate desert carnivores, and dogs, who have nutritionally co-evolved with humans, is the foundation to a healthier outcome and lower veterinary costs.
A House Call Vet also believes that a holistic approach to your pet’s healthcare is paramount. We utilize both Eastern and Western medicine in our practice; this includes acupuncture, shiatsu, Chinese herbal medicine, and a nutritional consultation.
Eastern medicine compliments traditional, Western practices by considering a patient’s environment and seeing them as a holistic entity affected by the seasons, weather, emotional state, and their health issues. A core function of our practice is providing this holistic approach to pet healthcare.
We provide treatment for both cats and dogs.
No, we come to you! Our practice prioritizes convenience, comfort, and comprehensive consultations for our clients. A House Call Vet functions on the belief that a vet visit doesn’t have to be stressful or scary and can be done from the comfort of your own home. Most services can be performed in the home, with the exception of major surgeries and radiographs. We collaborate with local animal hospitals and specialists to coordinate optimal care for your pet.
At the moment, A House Call Vet travels to and operates in the following cities and towns:
- Acton
- Andover
- Arlington
- Bedford
- Belmont
- Billerica
- Boston
- Brookline
- Burlington
- Cambridge
- Canton
- Carlisle
- Chelmsford
- Concord
- Dedham
- Dover
- Framingham
- Hudson
- Lexington
- Lincoln
- Lynnfield
- Maynard
- Medford
- Melrose
- Milton
- Natick
- Needham
- Newton
- North Reading
- Quincy
- Reading
- Somerville
- Stoneham
- Stow
- Sudbury
- Tewksbury
- Wakefield
- Waltham
- Watertown
- Wayland
- Wellesley
- Weston
- Westwood
- Wilmington
- Winchester
- Woburn
If you do not see your city or town on this list, Dr. Lipton, on occasion, may be able to assist you, depending on your location. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out using our Contact Form.
Absolutely! House calls and in-home veterinary care are ideal for anxious cats. Most of our feline patients are scared and/or fractious when traveling to a hospital. Nothing fun happens at a hospital—cats learn this lesson early on. Cats fare better when treated at home. 90% of cats are successfully treated, with less stress, at home. About 9% require oral sedatives prior to our arrival. 1% require in-home injectable sedation.
We currently offer the following services:
- In-Home Wellness & Preventative Exams
- In-Home Orthopedic & Neurological Exams
- In-Home Sick Pet Care & Diagnostic Exams
- Vaccinations
- Behavioral Assessments & Consultations
- Nutritional Assessments & Consultations
- Puppy & Kitten Examinations
- Laboratory Diagnostics
- Parasite & Tick Illness Testing
- Feline Dental Cleanings
- Domestic Travel Certifications
- Orthopedic Examinations
- Neurological Examinations
- Allergen & Dermatology Assessments
- Nutritional Assessment & Consultations
- Acupuncture & Chinese Herbal Medicine
- In-Home Hospice Care
- In-Home, Gentle Euthanasia
- Cremation
For more details and information, you can check out our Services tab in the top menu bar.
We currently offer emergency services to existing patients and emergency euthanasia services depending on each case’s specific circumstances.
Many of our clients text us directly to notify us of a health concern with their pet. Often, those concerns can be easily managed through a phone consultation or through sending photos and videos. Instead of communicating with a receptionist or technician, our doctors will respond to you directly. This is similar to human Concierge Medicine without the expensive “membership” fee. We provide this service because we know how upsetting it can be when your pet is sick and you need guidance. We love our patients as though they were our own. We want to alleviate their discomfort as much as you do.
We currently only offer in-home feline neutering. All other neutering and spaying surgeries must be done in an animal hospital setting under general anesthesia.
Below are instructions on how to prepare for your appointment.
We appreciate your consideration in advance.
General Guidelines:
- We recognize that your time is valuable and we understand that pet parents are extremely busy. Our appointment time is limited, so we ask that you turn off your television and telephone during our appointment. We appreciate your undivided attention.
- Please do not schedule other workmen or cleaning services during our reserved time. If you have landscapers who are scheduled for the day, please schedule your vet visit for another day and time.
- Please refrain from running loud appliances. Cats and dogs are hypersensitive to loud noises and our goal is to minimize any stressful events by eliminating excessively noisy activities.
For Cat Appointments:
Many of our feline patients are shy, nervous, or fractious cats. Our goal is to prevent and/or reduce stress. The longer we are chasing or wrangling your cat, the more agitated and scared they will become. This fear builds over a very short period of time. To prevent this from occurring, we have outlined our suggestions for the best possible appointment:
- Close all bedroom doors so that our patients don’t run and hide under beds or furniture.
- Have your cat waiting for us in an empty bathroom. Small bathrooms are ideal. Litter boxes, toilet plungers, and any loose items on counters—especially breakables—should be removed.
- Please have a clean, bath-sized towel ready for use at the time of the appointment. Understand that the towel may become soiled, so offering your best luxury towels is not recommended. During our examination, we will employ behavioral techniques that are known to reduce fear and anxiety in cats. One such technique involves swaddling your cat in a towel which allows them to feel comforted and more secure. Towels also carry our scents as well as the scents of their environment; your cat will accept a towel that smells familiar to them as opposed to one of ours. It is for this reason that we request that the towels provided be clean, not recently used by any family member, and should not be a towel that your cat typically lies upon, unless it is newly washed.
- PLEASE ENSURE THAT ALL WINDOWS ARE FULLY CLOSED.
- Once your cat is waiting in your bathroom, please close the door to ensure that they are unable to leave, even if they begin to cry. As difficult as it is to hear your cat vocalizing, we find that it is harder and more stressful for them to be chased around the house. If you are unable to get your cat inside a closed bathroom, please block off any gaps beneath your furniture so they are unable to hide underneath.
- While we examine your cat in the bathroom, please refrain from making noise outside the door. This includes, vacuuming, doing household chores, loudly closing doors, banging items, etc.
For Dog Appointments:
We try to endear ourselves to our canine patients by greeting them and letting them know we are not a threat. The vast majority of our patients accept our treatment during their appointments. For those dogs that are known to growl at strangers or have a history of biting people, we ask that you follow the following guidelines:
- For those dogs that are known to growl at strangers or have a history of biting people, we ask that you please notify us of their behaviour prior to scheduling your appointment so that we can make accommodations. We don’t judge your dog as being aggressive. We understand that any such behaviors are based in fear.
- If you have a muzzle for your dog, we will ask you to have it available and may ask you to place it on them either at or just prior to the time of the appointment. This is to protect both you and our associates.
- On occasion, rather than utilizing a muzzle, we may use a large towel or blanket to cover your dog’s face. Please have these ready for the appointment prior to our arrival.
Our fees can vary depending upon the driving time, mileage, and the services chosen by our clients. In-home care doesn’t mean that your pet’s treatment will be more expensive. In fact, many of our clients find that our mobile services are more affordable than traditional, in-clinic treatment.
In general, our physical exam/consultation is $145 and takes approximately 1–2 hours for the appointment.
For multiple pets being seen together, you will only be charged a single driving fee. For 3 or more pets being seen at once, we offer discounts on exams and vaccines.
The answer to this is a little complicated. Pet insurance works differently than traditional human health insurance; with pet insurance, you pay for the services out of pocket and then submit a request for reimbursement to your pet insurance provider. Any documentation that your pet insurance company requires will already be available to you. However, we do not recommend purchasing pet insurance to our clients as it is our belief that pet insurance companies are not in the business of doing what is in your pet’s best interest. In our experience, pet insurance companies look for ways to decline reimbursements by stating that health-related problems found on exams and lab testing are due to pre-existing conditions, even when these results are found to be independent of pre-existing conditions by veterinarians. As a result, our clients are forced to spend money on expensive insurance programs without the insurance companies fulfilling their promises and responsibilities.
You can read more about pet insurance on our blog, HERE.
Please contact A House Call Vet if you would like a prescription refill:
General Pet Related Questions
Nutrition is the foundation of your pet’s health. It is our belief that cats and dogs should be fed according to their evolutionary physiology.
Cats:
Cats are strict, obligate carnivores. They did not evolve a sophisticated pancreas as is seen in humans and therefore do not tolerate kibbled food which is primarily comprised of ultra-processed carbohydrates. Our practice has noted that cats who primarily consume dry food have poorer long-term outcomes than their wet food eating counterparts. Additionally, the vast majority of “hair ball” vomiters are not truly vomiting due to hair balls. Cats vomit these “hair balls” due to pancreatitis and inflammatory bowel disease, which is precipitated by a chronic diet of processed carbohydrates and the bioaccumulation of “forever chemicals”, also known as PFAS, that are ubiquitous in high amounts within kibbled food.
We can discuss further nutritional options during your appointment, including which canned foods are best for your cat. The best canned foods do not contain added carbohydrates.
Dogs:
Dogs are omnivores and have co-evolved with humans for many millennia. Our ancestors fed their companion and working dogs the same foods that we eat—with a few exceptions*. Kibbled food is antithetical to the physiology of any mammal. It is more processed than most human food and can contain toxic forever chemicals (PFAS) and carcinogens. Our practice recommends fresher foods that your dog will love and will be more cost effective in the long term. Fresh food diets ensure better health and longevity for your dog—and lower veterinary costs.
You can read a more detailed nutritional guide, including easy recipes, for your pet on our blog HERE.
For more information on the health hazards of kibbled food, please refer to the following links:
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/nov/02/pet-food-contamination-forever-chemicals
https://pfasproject.com/2022/11/04/most-us-pet-food-contaminated-with-forever-chemicals-study-finds/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23916186/
* Dogs should never consume onions (or related vegetables like garlic, shallots, leeks, and chives), raisins or grapes, and dark chocolate.
We highly recommend vaccinations for all animals in order to protect them from serious but preventable diseases such as Rabies, Lyme disease, Leptospirosis, Distemper/Parvo, Kennel Cough, etc. Some of these diseases can prove to be fatal, so taking precautions and preventative measures to protect your pet is crucial. It is important to keep your pet up to date on vaccinations as well as other preventative treatments such as heartworm, flea, and tick prevention. Practicing preventative medicine is the key to keeping your pet happy and healthy.
Because our physical examinations allow us to observe your pet’s natural environment, we can tailor our vaccination recommendations according to your pet's needs and lifestyle. While we strongly advocate for vaccines, we may decide to break-up traditional vaccine protocols in puppies and kittens, or in immune-compromised patients so that the immune system isn’t overwhelmed at once. Vaccination protocols can vary depending on your pet’s breed, age, vaccine history, and state regulations.
Pets will typically require annual boosters in order to ensure maximum protection and establish proper immunity. Dogs and cats receiving their first immunizations will typically require a series of vaccines, several weeks apart.
Acupuncture is the practice of inserting needles into specific points on the body to achieve a desirable healing effect. We believe that employing both Eastern and Western medicinal practices is the best way to ensure your pet’s health, wellbeing, and comfort. Acupuncture has been proven to be effective in treating a variety of ailments, including osteoarthritis, pain, nausea, neurologic disease (including disc disease), endocrine disease, muscle wasting, and other disorders.
No, this is not normal. Cats and dogs, when in discomfort, try to sleep off their pain. Inflammation and pain can take an enormous toll on any geriatric animal.
There are ways of treating this inflammation and pain. We utilize a variety of treatments including medication, acupuncture, and new monthly monoclonal antibody therapies. With monoclonal antibody therapy in particular, we see animals playing and exhibiting their true behavior for the first time in years, sometimes even in more than a decade. Once their pain is obstructed, we see their authentic behavior manifest.
The decision to say goodbye to one’s pet is never easy. Knowing when it’s time can be difficult and making the decision is often accompanied by grief and uncertainty. Dr. Lipton provides counseling to pet parents regarding the signs to look for that may signal it is time to make this final and loving commitment to your dog or cat.
In general, patients that are, “resting comfortably” are actually “suffering in silence”. Dogs and cats that experience pain and nausea will typically try to “sleep off” the pain. They don’t often express pain as humans do. Crying and moaning are incredibly rare, so it can be quite difficult to discern what your cat or dog is actually experiencing.
Dr. Lipton is uniquely qualified to guide you through understanding your pet’s behavior in relation to pain as she holds a Master’s in Psychology with a focus in Animal Behavior. This, in combination with over 30 years of experience in working with hospice patients, makes her highly qualified to make pain and nausea assessments in dogs and cats.
When it is time to say goodbye, we prioritize treating our patients with compassion and care to make their final moments as peaceful as possible.
At home euthanasia allows you to say goodbye in a space that is familiar and comforting for your pet and your family. The procedure is relaxed and intimate without the stress of having your pet travel to a hospital. We ensure that your pet’s final moments are calm and painless and spent surrounded by the people they love. Whether they are curled up in your lap, in their bed, or on their favorite chair, your pet’s comfort is paramount.
All patients receive anesthesia prior to euthanasia so that they are relieved of pain and feel euphoric prior to going under deep anesthesia. This ensures they are not stressed by the procedure. Once they are anesthetized, they are given a second form of anesthesia which typically works within seconds.
Final arrangements for cremation or burial can be discussed according to what works best for your family. We currently utilize Aquamation as a form of cremation. Aquamation is a more environmentally friendly option to traditional cremation.
