The Housecall Veterinarian's Manual Author:Carin A. Smith DVM The Housecall Veterinarians' Manual is a business guide for veterinarians who operate a housecall service -- a business where they go to pet owner's homes to perform requested veterinary services. The Manual offers a wide array of choices to accommodate many styles of practice. — If you're a new business owner you want t... more »o know how to get clients, how to set up a home office, how to arrange your schedule, and what to charge. We explain how other housecall DVMs manage to restrain pets without help, and how to coordinate with a full-service hospital for those procedures that can't be done at the client's home.
Experienced practitioners will learn how other housecall DVMs run their practices, and how they handle some of the situations that are unique to a housecall practice. We'll discuss hiring help, optimizing your schedule, and determining your insurance needs. We'll save you money by reminding you of often-overlooked tax deductions, and give you tips on purchasing a computer and software.
The Housecall Veterinarian's Manual is the result of interviews with housecall veterinarians all over the country. Their experiences were combined with extensive research about small business to bring you everything you need to know in one book.
The housecall practitioner comes in several varieties. Which will you choose? The typical housecall veterinarian carries supplies in a vehicle but performs work on pets in their homes. Some housecall veterinarians spend all their time on housecalls and refer any complicated cases to a full- service hospital; some may lease space in a clinic in which they perform in-hospital procedures (such as surgery) themselves; others work out of a "base" clinic and conduct housecalls only part of the time.
A mobile practitioner travels to the client's home, but performs work in a mobile "clinic," usually a form of motor home converted into an exam room/laboratory. The large animal practitioner usually drives a pickup or large vehicle with refrigerator, running water, supplies and equipment in a self- contained unit.
Both housecall and mobile practitioners can work part time or full time. They can work either as employees or can be self-employed. This manual is directed mainly at the self-employed housecall practitioner with an office in the home. However, the information here is equally useful for the DVM with a primary hospital who wants to start housecalls, for the mobile veterinarian who has a "clinic on wheels," or for the large animal mobile practitioner.
A variety of ideas are presented in the workbook; use the ones you like and keep the rest in the back of your mind for the future. There is not one "right" way to run your housecall practice, but you will be better prepared if you have a bank of ideas to handle any situation that might arise.« less