The Veterinarian’s Essential House-Call Tool Kit

The variety of animal wound care products and instruments in a veterinarian’s arsenal is almost endless, and from that there are a few that they must take with them wherever they go. Diagnosing and treating animals is a complex business often carried out in the patient’s home, and the tools needed by these vets must be present to get the best possible picture of the animal’s health.

If you’re feeling curious about what vets are carrying around in their begs, we promise curiosity won’t end up killing the cat this time ‘round. Read on and find out what vets arm themselves with when they come to visit.

House call kits vs in-house equipment

Right off the bat, it’s important to note that veterinarians who do house calls are going to be very far from their in-house diagnostic tools. X-rays in particular are crucial for vets to determine what’s going on in the places they cannot see. As you would already know, hauling an entire x-ray setup to each home isn’t feasible. And, unfortunately, vets haven’t developed superhuman x-ray vision.

For this reason, veterinarians must take everything that will allow them to make educated guesses and diagnoses. They will then suggest that the animal is brought into the clinic if they need to take a closer look.

Euthanasia and Vaccination Tools

One of the most common reasons a vet will come to an animal’s home is to euthanise or vaccinate. Both benefit from the animal being in a comfortable environment, and both procedures are non-invasive, so there’s not a lot of specialist equipment required.

All a vet needs for a routine vaccination is a vaccination gun, along with the appropriate dosage of the required vaccine. It’s a simple procedure, and being in the comfort of their own home can keep animals relaxed when the vaccine is administered.

On the other hand, euthanasia often requires the presence of a veterinary technician alongside several other pieces of equipment.

Diagnosis and Treatment Tools

There are multiple tools used in the basic diagnosis and treatment of animals. While some of them are a bit too hefty to bring along to their patients’ homes, most of them can fit neatly into a tool bag.

Stethoscope

Human and animal medicine varies only in the physiology of the patient, and both have a heart and lungs that need monitoring. You’ll rarely catch a vet without a stethoscope adorning their neck.

Suture Kit

In case your animal has been injured and cannot be transported, vets will often come equipped with an emergency suture kit. This includes sutures, surgical needles, pet-safe disinfectant, and even a sterile scalpel should they need it.

Portable Ultrasound

Sometimes veterinarians need to bypass all that fur and muscle to get a really good look at what’s going on inside the animal. Using a portable ultrasound allows them to do so.

Ethical Agents are New Zealand’s expert suppliers of veterinary equipment online

If there is one thing to take away from this article, it is that the basic toolkit of a veterinarian will vary according to what they are doing. Diagnostics, euthanasia, or even grooming-focused house calls will feature different tools, which is why being straightforward with a veterinarian is essential when booking a house call.

At Ethical Agents, we supply veterinary supplies online to vet clinics all over the country, taking pride in our ethical sourcing and dedication to innovation. Browse our range of high-quality veterinary supplies today!