What mobile vets can, and can't, do at home
A well-equipped mobile vet carries most of a consult room in the car: stethoscope and standard exam kit, vaccines, microchips, blood-collection gear, common medications. Here's what's realistic at your kitchen table, and what genuinely needs a clinic.
Updated August 2026
Done routinely at home
- Health checks and consults: full physical exams, senior checks, weight and dental checks, new-pet checks
- Vaccinations: full dog and cat schedules (details and prices)
- Microchipping and council registration paperwork
- Blood, urine and other samples: collected at home, run at a lab, results by phone
- Minor treatments: wound care, ear and skin problems, abscesses, minor infections, anal glands, nail trims
- Chronic condition management: arthritis, kidney disease, thyroid, diabetes reviews and medication adjustments
- Senior and palliative care: comfort-focused plans at home (palliative guide)
- End-of-life care: gentle at-home euthanasia (the full guides)
- Certificates: many can do fit-to-fly and travel paperwork; confirm when booking
Want a vet to come to you?
Tell us where you are and what you need. We'll match you with a home visit vet who covers your area and email you their introduction. Reply to it and they'll call you. No obligation.
Needs a clinic
- Surgery of any kind, desexing included: general anaesthesia needs monitored equipment and a sterile theatre
- X-rays and most imaging: some mobile vets carry portable ultrasound, but radiology is clinic territory
- Emergency and trauma care: see when a mobile vet is not the answer
- Hospitalisation: IV fluids beyond a single visit, oxygen, overnight monitoring
- Dental work under anaesthesia: scale-and-polish and extractions are surgical procedures
The handover is normal
Good mobile vets work hand-in-glove with local clinics, diagnosing at home, referring in for surgery or imaging, then managing recovery back at home. Using a mobile vet doesn't mean leaving clinic care behind; it means the clinic is reserved for what only a clinic can do.
A word on house-call equipment
Kit varies between providers: solo vets with a station wagon at one end, fitted-out vans with portable ultrasound at the other. If your pet's problem might need more than an exam (say, a lump to investigate), mention it when booking so the vet brings the right gear or books the right follow-up from the start.
Common questions
Can a mobile vet prescribe medication?
Yes. Mobile vets are fully registered vets. Many carry common medications to dispense on the spot; otherwise they prescribe for pickup at a pharmacy or clinic.
Can they desex my pet at home?
No. Desexing is surgery under general anaesthesia, and no reputable vet does that outside a clinic. A mobile vet can do the pre-surgical check and post-op care at home, either side of a clinic procedure.
What about a lump, limp or upset stomach: home or clinic?
All three are ideal home-visit starters: the vet examines, treats what's treatable, and escalates only if imaging or surgery is on the cards. Starting at home is rarely a wasted step for a stable pet.
Not sure if your problem is home-visit-shaped?
Describe it in an enquiry, get matched with a home visit vet and tell you straight whether home or clinic is the right first stop.