The Visiting Vet - Services
Overview



When Dr. Rice arrives, expect to sit and talk with her about your animals' health, diet, behavior and environment for up to three hours. During this time, she will discuss nutrition, the pros and cons of vaccination, behavior concerns, and emotional and environmental impact on the animals health. As a holistic/integrative veterinarian, Dr. Rice will try to address the whole patient, meaning that she will look beyond any specific problem of the day, and try to determine what else may be happening in the animal's body, as well as external factors in the environment.

lf you have any specific concerns or questions regarding your pet(s), please have them written, so that we can avoid the, "Oh, I meant to ask" after Dr. Rice has left. During this discussion time, we ask that you allow your pet to have the run of his/her normal area. This allows your pet to become familiar with the sights, sounds, smells of Dr. Rice and her bags and equipment. After the discussion, she will give a comprehensive physical exam. This exam includes: eyes, mouth, teeth & gums, nose & throat, ears, heart, lungs, abdomen, urogenital system, gastrointestinal system, anal sacs, legs & paws, coat & skin, neurological assessment, gut and immune system.

She uses no restraint, and often performs this exam on the couch or floor. lt will help if you inform the office if your animal has difficulty or fear of being touched, or if there is a previous history of difficulty with a veterinarian.

ln addition, a fecal sample is requested. This sample needs to be no more than 24 hours old, refrigerated, in an airtight container, and labeled with the animals' name. Dr. Rice will take the sample with her, and examine it under a microscope at her office. lf you have a time conflict, or need to be gone to another commitment close to your scheduled appointment time, please call the office so that we may reschedule at a more convenient time.

Because of the nature of "Visiting Vet" work, please understand that Dr. Rice may have days when due to traffic concerns, weather, or an "emergency" your appointment time may need to be moved forward or backward in order to best serve all of her patients' needs. We will make every attempt to do this as infrequently as possible. For this reason, if you have a cell phone number, we ask that you share this with the office.