Mobile Services
Starting in May of 2024, Companion Animal Hospital will be introducing a new pet care service called Mobile Services. This service provides house calls for small animal care to pet owners in Hammond and the surrounding communities.
Our compassionate veterinarians realize that some pets need to be treated within the comfort of their own home. Some clients may find that loading up their pet for a trip to the vet is just too difficult or too stressful. Some pets may not play nice with others and don’t respond well in a clinic environment. Or, sometimes a client is physically unable to come to the office. We understand such circumstances, and do our best to accommodate our clients who have limitations by offering mobile services by appointment.
Companion Animal Hospital is unique in that the vet’s office can be brought to you for a specific set of services. Our veterinarian can provide routine annual and wellness visits including preventive care such as heartworm treatments and administering vaccines right in your home. We also perform some mobile laboratory testing to assist in the diagnosis and treatment of sick animals.
Additionally, our mobile service can conduct an evaluation of declining senior pets or pets who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness. If you are questioning your pet’s quality of life, please review the Life Quality Assessment below and call us for more information about having your pet evaluated for palliative care and end of life care.
Life Quality Assessment
How Do You Know If It is Time? This is one of the most common questions we get asked. There are several criteria used in evaluating life quality and you should consider them carefully. We have passed the following information along to several of our clients and they have found it helpful during this very difficult time.
Is your pet eating? Basically, quality life involves eating or at least interest in food. An animal that is hungry has vitality that must be considered, though this is not the only consideration.
Is your pet comfortable? The pet should be free of debilitating pains, cramps, aches or even the psychological pain that comes from the development of incontinence in an animal who has been housebroken for an entire life.
Does the pet still enjoy favorite activities? The elderly pet does not necessarily need to continue chasing balls or jumping after discs, but he should enjoy sleeping comfortably, favorite resting spots, the company of family, etc. You know your pet better than any one and only you can truly answer these questions.
Dr. Alice Villalobos, a veterinarian who started a quality of life program for terminal pets, has published a scoring system for life quality called The HHHHHMM scale. The letters stand for: Hurt, Hunger, Hydration, Hygiene, Happiness, Mobility, and More Good Days than Bad.
