NOVA Mobile Vet: Northern Virginia's Animal Hospital on Wheels

Got a sick pet? Dr. Eric Cryan of Lorton's NOVA Mobile Vet will drive straight to your home in his Ford F450. The truck is decked out with the latest in animal care medical technology and the practice offers a full range of veterinary services. 

"I don't mind the driving," said Cryan to Patch. "Most of the time you're just going from one appointment to another, and we structure the day so that I'm not driving in rush hour traffic." 

The office, 8390 Terminal Road (suite E), opened in 2011, and 90 percent of the appointments are in the truck. 

"It's all about convenience, and people in this area are busy," said Cryan, who works six days a week, from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. "Most of my customers come from around the beltway, in Lorton, Burke, Springfield and Woodbridge. 

The truck is packed with equipment and can cover nearly every service that can be found at your regular vet office, including:

• Digital X-rays
• In-house blood work
• Microscopic analysis
• Wellness visits
• Sick visits
• Dentistry
• Surgery

"We cover just about everything," said Cryan. "Yesterday I performed an ovarian hysterectomy on a 250-pound mastiff."  

Cryan, 38, lives in Springfield with his wife, two kids, dog and two cats. He was raised in Burke and graduated from the prestigious Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. He has a degree in biology from the University of Virginia and received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine. 

Cryan spent six years practicing medicine at McLean Animal Hospital, and three-and-a-half years at an office in Connecticut. 

"The plan was always to open my own practice. And business is good. Down the road I'd like to get another truck," he said. "Animals always seemed innocent to me, you know? Even if they're aggressive or scared they're vulnerable, and I've always wanted to help them out."  

It costs about $200 to fill up the 50-gallon gas tank, which is why a $55 travel fee is added to house calls. The fee is waived if four or more neighbors arrange to have their pets visit the truck. 

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