From fur to feathers--she sees them all

A veterinary house call at one time wasn’t unusual. In fact, it was quite common throughout the United States when there were more farms. Now, a local veterinarian is bringing back the practice and making it convenient for pet owners to get medical care for their beloved animals.

“House call practices were really common because you know, people weren’t hauling their cows into clinics,” said Dr. Debbie Anello. “There also were a lot of dogs and cats on the farms, so they got looked at, too. It’s a little bit old school but it’s relatively new to this area now since we don’t have a lot of vets doing this exclusively.”

The Orland Park native is opening her “Heart to Home Veterinary Services” mobile practice this month servicing pets from Orland Park, Orland Hills, Tinley Park and Frankfort to Mokena, New Lenox, Lockport and Homer Glen. Depending on the demand, there could be other areas of service under consideration, as well.

Anello, who received her veterinary degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, was working at a local animal hospital until she decided to venture out on her own. She plans to continue to care for a variety of pets from dogs, cats, birds and bunnies to hamsters, guinea pigs, lizards and snakes. Her services can be offered inside someone’s home or inside Anello’s Ram ProMaster outfitted to comfortably examine and treat her patients.

“Not everyone wants people to come into their house—especially right now-- but they want the convenience of having somebody come to their house, so I am happy to be able to give them an option,” said Anello, who grew up in Orland Park and graduated from Carl Sandburg High School.

Anello said opening her own practice and traveling to patients’ location was something that’s been on her mind for quite some time. “I think part of the timing came from necessity right now. We had a lot of things change for us with Coronavirus, as did so many people,” she said. “I really feel like a lot of cases that felt the most rewarding to me in my practice were where I got to sit down and talk with the owners and got into the nitty gritty of what was going on with their pet. You don’t always get to do that. Now, I will.”

Anello, who is certified in low-stress handling and techniques, said she will have more time to investigate what is troubling the animal and try to solve the issue. “A lot of that takes follow-up and working closely with the owners and now I think the house call gives a unique opportunity that we can be more flexible with time,” she said. Anello also noted pets and their owners will have more time with the veterinarian. "For me, that is so rewarding."

It’s also about convenience. A busy schedule can limit the time owners have to drive their pet to a clinic and wait for their appointment. It also may be challenging to get a large animal in and out of their vehicle. In addition, some animals are extremely anxious about going into a veterinarian’s office.

Anello’s services inside the home or her mobile unit at this time will include examinations, vaccinations, administering medications, blood work, urinalysis, diet consultation, weight management, hospice care and tranquil in-home euthanasia. She is working with a lab to provide more extensive diagnostic testing, and looking at options so in the future she can provide additional services.

Fees are comparable to other veterinarians, noting she wanted to keep her prices competitive so people would be encouraged to not skip necessary blood work and exams thereby keeping their pets healthy. The biggest difference is the price owners are paying to come to their house.

For more information on services and to schedule an appointment, visit Heart to Home Veterinary Services or call (708) 522-9901.