Meeting clients where they are: The power of in-home veterinary care

On this week’s episode of The Vet Blast Podcast presented by dvm360, our host Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, welcomed back special guest Michael Natale, LVT, to chat more about his latest business adventure, meeting clients where they are to treat their pets, and more. Throughout the episode, Natale also encourages listeners, if interested, to create an at-home service in their town and to do the research needed, including state laws and market research.

Below is a partial transcript, edited lightly for clarity.

Adam Christman, DVM, MBA: Share with us a little bit about your business and what you're doing where you're meeting clients, where they are at home.

Michael Natale, LVT: So I actually initially started the business solely just by myself, doing very minimal care, as far as like, anal glands, nail trims, I was big into education, and then fast forward a year after that, actually partnered with a veterinarian locally as well. We are now co-owners in the business, and we actually elevated care further and do a lot more, such as laser therapy in home, vaccines, we do cytopoint injections, and even end of life care.

So a lot of our clientele as well, is the older generation, but also those that I am close to in New York City, so those that work in New York City that maybe get home super late or just don't have the time to get to the vet. So that's really our clientele. Luckily, we're very fortunate that our clientele really cares about their pets, and they could do everything that you know they need to do, but our clients are just so grateful for being able to have us come to their homes to provide the best care as possible.

Christman: I love that, and I didn't think about that, especially since the era that you're in outside of Manhattan, clients that just can't make it home in time for appointments. That's got to be amazing. What's some of the feedback been when you're chatting with these pet owners?

Natale: They love it. They love that they don't have to rush home, rush to the vet. They love that they're able to have a vet or a vet tech come into their home, because some just can't drive anymore. Some are just really sick unfortunately. Some have kids also, and just dragging 4 kids and the crazy dog to the vet, it's just a lot for maybe the mom or the dad, so that helps them a lot. And they're really, really appreciative. They leave us great reviews. They always follow up with us, just saying how grateful they are for us, which is really rewarding from our end.

Christman: Yeah, so fulfilling. So if a technician is interested in doing something like this, what would be a piece of advice you would give them?

Natale: So definitely research state law. Of course, know your scope of practice and what you’re legally allowed to do. If you would love to do more, you could even consider partnering with a local veterinarian. Maybe that's something that you could do as well. And know your demographic, do your market research, see if there's any other businesses similar to that out there. And go for it. Don't be scared. Start small so that you can handle it, and who knows where it will grow.