House Calls

What is a house call?

House call service means that I travel to your home and provide most (but perhaps not all) of the services I would provide in a hospital exam room. It’s not the same as having access to all the bells and whistles of a whole hospital, but in many cases it can be all a pet needs.

Most pets are less stressed after being spared the car ride to an unfamiliar place. With in-home vet visits, pets can experience their examinations, tests, and treatments with less anxiety and return to their routines faster.

What types of pets do you see?

I see exotic small mammals: rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, hamsters, chinchillas, ferrets, and hedgehogs

I see pet birds: parrots, pigeons, doves, budgies, cockatiels, canaries, finches, and pet chickens and ducks

I see reptiles: snakes, lizards, bearded dragons, geckos, chameleons, iguanas, turtles, and tortoises

I do not see: venomous animals, primates, pigs, goats, frogs, or wildlife/zoo animals

If you wonder if I can see your exotic pet, please ask. I probably do.

What is your house call service area?

I do house calls in these East Bay cities:
Alameda, Albany, Berkeley, El Cerrito, Emeryville, Kensington, Lafayette, Moraga, Oakland, Orinda, Piedmont, and Richmond.

If you live in a neighboring community, you are welcome to reach out and inquire.

What can you do during a house call?

I can perform a full physical exam, give routine vaccinations, give fluids to a mild to moderately dehydrated but otherwise stable pet, and prescribe medications. With most pets, I will also be able to take blood samples to send to the lab, as well as stool samples and some other lab tests. I have a portable X-ray system and can take X-ray images at the visit, if appropriate. I can treat a wound or skin infection, ear infections, or eye infections.

One of the most important aspects of my house call is that we will spend time together assessing your pet’s housing and general care, to help keep them healthy.

At the house call, if I determine your pet needs surgery, spay or neuter, dental work, or another procedure requiring sedation/anesthesia, we will schedule an appointment. I perform these procedures once a week at my surgery location in the East Bay.

What happens if my pet needs more than what you can carry into my living room?

I cannot perform an ultrasound, perform surgery, or hospitalize your pet in your home (e.g., IV fluids, monitoring equipment). Pets that need more than I can provide will need to go to a hospital.

If I know that’s the case just from your description over the phone or by email, then I will not recommend the house call, and get your pet to a hospital. However, if I determine at the time of my exam that things are more serious than we thought, we will then make arrangements to get your pet to a brick-and-mortar hospital.

How long is the visit?

In most cases, we will have approximately 40 minutes to an hour from the time I arrive until I need to be packed to leave, more time if you have scheduled for multiple pets. That is time all spent with you and your pet!

We will want to avoid delays and distractions, so best to have TVs and music off, busy kids (unless they are the most informed caregiver in the household!) in another room, and try not to take phone calls if possible.

If I need more time with your pet(s) I will do my best to accommodate you, however, since I will have multiple clients to travel to during the day, I need to avoid getting behind schedule.

Do I have a set time for my appointment?

I will provide an appointment time for my arrival, although sick patients earlier in the day or unexpected traffic can cause delays. Some days I will be running ahead of schedule! I will text you my actual ETA when I finish my previous appointment, unless you are the first visit of the day at 9:30am.

How do I pay?

I take checks, credit cards, Venmo®, Zelle®, and CareCredit®. I avoid taking cash payments. Please ask in advance if you hope to pay another way. Payment is expected at the end of the visit.

How often should my pet see a vet?

Because exotic pets are very good at hiding illness, even the most observant pet guardian may not be able to pick up on subtle changes that may in fact result in serious health issues. Checkups every six months can help us find problems before they create an emergency. At a six-month checkup, I will give a thorough physical exam, check weight, review any changes since the last visit, and review updates in care recommendations. Depending on your pet’s medical history and age, wellness lab screening might be recommended at the visit.

I have allergies…do you use scented soaps on anything?

I use unscented laundry detergent for all work clothing and towels. However, some of my veterinary cleaning products (required for killing bacteria and viruses) have a mild scent. I will keep use of these to a minimum within your home, but it may be present on hard surfaces like my carrying cases and instruments. Please let me know before the visit if you have sensitivities so I can take extra precautions or do some of my cleaning once I am out the door.

What about COVID?

I will be masked and expect my clients to be masked (nose and mouth). IF YOU OR ANYONE YOU KNOW HAS BEEN SICK OR DIAGNOSED WITH COVID, PLEASE LET ME KNOW IN ADVANCE.  

Will anyone be assisting you?

I may have a veterinary student (or a pre-vet student) assisting me on my appointments. Having a student with me helps me be more efficient, and also encourages these future vets to get hooked on our more unusual family members. The more vet students that become excited about working with exotic pets, the better for everyone.

What about RHDV (Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus)?

Rabbit guardians likely know about this extremely infectious and fatal rabbit disease. I and any assistants will be taking extra precautions, including wearing booties over our shoes, changing our clothing after seeing any rabbit patient, and performing extra cleaning of our carrying cases and equipment before and after entering/exiting any rabbit households. If your rabbit is ill, please let me know in advance so we can do our very best to prevent spreading the virus to other patients.

I vaccinate (or annual booster) rabbits with the RHDV vaccine!

Anything else I need to know?

I will send you an email with more details regarding the day of the visit. This will include additional tips for helping the visit go smoothly. I will also have some forms for you to fill out and send back to me - sending these back BEFORE the visit helps us spend more time on your pet while I’m there and less time trying to catch up on background information. 

Other important information about me and about our visit:

I am very sensitive to cigarette smoke. If there is a smoker in your house (now or in the past), I likely will not be able to come inside. Please let me know in advance if anyone in your household smokes - depending on the pet it might be possible to conduct the exam on a porch or deck. 

I will need to park nearby. Please try to have a parking spot available for me, for example, if you are able to park in the street and leave a driveway spot available for me, that is very helpful.

Many thanks!

Dr. Sip