Frequently Asked Questions
“Amazing! Super kind, super attentive, super informative, very well priced, and so convenient! I highly recommend them!”
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Answers to Your Questions
So what’s the concept?
Baystate Mobile Veterinary Services is a veterinary exam room “on wheels.”
Is this a franchise or corporately owned practice?
No, Baystate Mobile Veterinary Services is privately owned and was funded by Dr. Carolyn Selavka in 2008. It was incorporated in 2009.
How does it work?
You call to make an appointment, and on the designated day and time, we come to your home! We are currently booking appointments 6-8 weeks ahead of time.
What are your hours of operation?
We generally book appointments between 9 am and 5 pm Monday through Thursday and alternating Saturdays.
What kind of care are you capable of providing?
Baystate Mobile Veterinary Services is able to provide almost everything a “regular” veterinary clinic can do, including: annual wellness visits, vaccines, sick pet exams, microchip implantation, and of course, hospice and end-of-life care.
What geographic area do you cover?
Is care really expensive?
Our prices are comparable to most local veterinary practices with the one addition of a “travel charge,” which is charged per trip to your home. Prices range from $47-$96, depending on the distance from our home office.
Do you have a “brick and mortar practice” that I could come to instead?
Yes, we take office appointments! We have a business office located at #6 Main Street (suite 2A). Opposed to our mobile services, making an office appointment does not include a travel fee.
What forms of payment are accepted?
Do you do billing or have a payment plan?
Who are your current clients?
We have a wide variety ranging from elderly or handicapped pet owners with the inability to drive to young active families with multiple children and pets and professional dog and cat breeders!
What do I need to have returned to you prior to my first appointment?
Ideally, history of vaccinations (specifically rabies vaccination) and any pertinent major medical history. We are a judgment-free zone, and if you are unable to locate these items, we do our best to come up with a plan to “start fresh.”
What are the practice’s views on hospice and end of life care?
It’s a case-by-case basis, but we believe in doing our best to help you and your families make humane yet practical decisions for your furry family based on your pets’ quality of life and relationship with the family. When decision time comes, we do our very best to support you and accommodate your schedule to the best of our ability.
So what happens after my pet is “gone”?
We work with a very reputable and responsive crematorium based out of Rhode Island. Final Gift offers both communal and private cremations (where remains are returned to you). They also offer a wide variety of other aftercare services that can be arranged directly through them, should you choose to be more involved with the final care of your furry family members.
Do you respond to after-hours emergency calls?
Unfortunately, we are no longer able to respond to after-hours emergency calls. We understand that emergencies do happen, but we simply cannot provide this service any longer. We have tried our best over the years.
As you may know, we are a very small practice and can only do so much. Our staff all have families, pets, and personal obligations of their own and can no longer make themselves available overnight and on weekends.
To maintain balance and continue to put forth our most caring effort when we do see or speak with you, we have made the difficult decision to recommend the 24-hour facilities around our area to provide the attention your pet deserves (much like our human medical counterparts). We simply need to rest too.
While reaching out to a practice for an emergency, you should never wait for someone to answer. If you experience an emergency, please call the practice to seek help right away.
We regret any inconvenience, but we believe this will be the best medical decision for your furry family when a crisis arises.