In-home Health Aid
Maintaining your pet's Health and Hygiene at home
Wonderful developments in veterinary medicine have made it possible to keep our pets in our lives for longer and provide them with treatment options for the management of acute and chronic medical conditions at home. But for many pets and pet parents, these tasks can be tough to accomplish alone and having the extra experienced hand can make all the difference for your pet’s immediate and long-term health.
With our In-home Health Aid services, we are here to assist you with your veterinarian’s recommended and prescribed home health care. Eden Pet Care will not provide medical assistance without medical-record information and/or direct approval from your veterinarian (excluding services such as administering medications with a prescription-label and hygiene services.)
Caregivers with clinical veterinary assistant/technician experience will be assigned to pets requiring home health and hygiene care. Through our support, we are committed to working within the scope of standard veterinary medicine based on our combined experience in the field, our continuing education from reputable veterinary sources, and (most importantly) your veterinarian’s directives and instructions.
We can also provide a written report and photo update to your veterinarian, upon request.
$25 - $75
per service
Estimated costs depend on numerous factors, including the medical care required, length of each visit, duration of treatment, number of team members needed, etc. Please contact Eden Pet Care to receive a quote.
Common Health and Hygiene procedures we can assist with:
HEALTH
- Medication administration (oral, ocular, ear, injectable). We can also teach pet parents tricks and tools to succeed on their own
- Vital-signs check (rectal temperature)
- Subcutaneous fluids
- Insulin injections
- Blood glucose monitoring
- Post-surgical recovery and rehab assistance (with vet involvement)
- Wound and injury management (post vet visit, with vet involvement)
- Urination and defecation support for post-neuro injury or surgery (at the direction of the veterinarian)
- Senior and hospice pet care support (alongside annual wellness exams with vet)
HYGIENE
- Health-related grooming (matted fur, potty path, paws, etc.)
- Ear cleanings (Maintenance or for veterinarian-diagnosed infections)
- Maintenance anal gland expressions (internal, vet-approved)
- Nail Trims (not suitable for all pets at home; may need prescribed sedatives)
- Teeth Brushing (minimum recommendation is every 3 days, ideally daily)
- Microchip scanning and registration check
Important Policy Notes
In order to ensure the safe and successful provision of medical care, Eden Pet Care will often utilize necessary and harmless handing techniques/tools for services that involve direct handling or contact with a pet. This may include a secured leash, a basket muzzle, treat distractions, or a towel/blanket wrap. Not only are these methods part of a Fear Free professional’s form of animal handling, but they also serve the important purpose of preventing a possible bite incident. It’s no surprise that some pets may want to tell a stranger not to handle or touch them in strange ways, and since they can’t do that with words, they may do it with their teeth. This does not make any pet a “bad” dog or cat. However, it does mean that Eden Pet Care will need to take precautions, ensure your pet gets the medical care it needs, and aim to reduce a pet’s stress. We want to promote positive associations with the process as much as possible. This important policy is still necessary for friendly pets and if a pet parent is helping with holding their pet.
One of Eden Pet Care’s purposes in providing In-home Health Aid services is to safely and effectively administer medical care to your pet with the goal of reducing the stress caused by the effort. Stress can worsen medical conditions or negatively impact the healing and recovery process. During these efforts, if Eden Pet Care determines that the physical handling of a pet causes a pet too much distress/discomfort and/or poses too great a bite risk, Eden Pet Care may have to discontinue the effort and will work with the pet parent to find another solution. This may involve a veterinary consultation, requesting sedatives from the veterinarian, or ultimately determining if a regular trip to the veterinarian will actually be the easiest and safest option for everyone (including your pet).
Lastly, these services are meant to be based on your veterinarian’s recent recommendations or specific instructions for your pet’s diagnosed condition or illness. As such, Eden Pet Care will not be able to assist with most homeopathic/naturopathic medicine or any owner-diagnosed conditions. Eden Pet Care will require a review of your pet’s medical records or direct communication from your veterinarian in order to participate in complex medical care at home, and to properly adhere to state regulations in assisting pet owners with their pet’s health care.
Eden Pet Care will not give medical advice, make medical claims/diagnoses about your pet, or alter/recommend/determine a course of treatment for your pet. However, Eden Pet Care may make suggestions and plans for the successful implementation of your veterinarian’s prescribed or recommended care in the home setting, and may provide general guidance on your pet’s home-husbandry care and overall wellness.