If your cat or dog hates going to the vet, you can save your pet and yourself a lot of trauma with an in-home veterinary house-call service. Dr. Hillary Hart has been providing high-quality home veterinary care since 2012 and frequently goes well beyond the call of duty.
Home visits are ideal for pets that are anxious or have “white-coat syndrome.” They also are helpful for senior citizens, people who are unable to drive to a clinic, clients with multiple pets, large senior dogs that can no longer get into vehicles, or just for convenience. Specializing in preventive care, vaccinations, treatment of illness, and diagnostic labs (dogs only), Dr. Hart also provides end-of-life care, effective pain management, and in-home euthanasia.
Covering mid- to south Pinellas County, Dr. Hart treats dogs and cats. Should a condition present itself in which a patient requires services such as imaging or surgery, Dr. Hart refers pet parents to a full-service animal hospital.
Maintaining Dignity of Life, Palliative Care and In-Home Euthanasia
Another facet of Dr. Hart’s practice is helping a loving pet parent sort through the difficult decisions that arise when a cherished animal is suffering and needs help.
She works with pet parents to discuss measures such as pain management and other supportive care. When the time finally arrives, she strives to create the most peaceful, painless, and loving transition possible in the home. Family is encouraged to be present.
As one grateful customer, Bob Sebesta, reports: “Last night, Dr. Hart helped us put our 14-year-old Bichon to rest. As any pet owner knows, that is one of the most difficult moments you will experience in your life. Dr. Hart was calm, gentle and compassionate, and we could not have asked for a more peaceful passing.”
A New Partner in Life as Well as Business
Dr. Hart married Tom Goergen last year, and he has become an invaluable member of the practice. “As my partner, Tom assists on appointments and is my driver,” she says. “My patients respond to his love and compassion, and they feel very secure and calm in his arms.”
Encountering Life-and-Death Situations
On many occasions, Dr. Hart has made home visits for which the client thought was a minor illness but turned out to be more serious. In one case, for example, she recognized the pet had pyometra, a uterine infection. “Vets have a saying to ‘never let the sun set on a pyometra’ as sepsis can set in, and it becomes life-threatening,” she says. “We obtained an expedited appointment with a full-service vet who performed surgery and saved the dog’s life.”
On another occasion, a new client requested an exam for her dog. The client suspected diabetes, but Dr. Hart recognized a more serious condition. The client was on a fixed income, and Dr. Hart reached out to Safe Paws Rescue (SPR) for help. A SPR volunteer drove the pet to a full-service animal hospital, where the dog was diagnosed with advanced cancer. SPR generously paid the medical expenses for the dog (www.safepawsrescue.com). SPR shelters discarded and abused animals and finds foster families until they can be adopted. They are in great need for foster homes for dogs and will pay all expenses.
As another happy customer reports: “Never in my life have I met a veterinarian with such a love for animals and their well-being. Dr. Hart not only went above and beyond for our fur baby Vladamir, but for our entire household. She is the absolute best with phenomenal prices for house calls. I highly recommend her to anyone who loves their pets.”
For more information, call Vet with Hart at (727) 698-4425; visit VetWithHart.com; or write to Dr. Hart at [email protected].
