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Keira Huang

When Saibi, a 15-year-old Maltese, began walking only in circles and was diagnosed with head tilt, his owner Candice Liu realised that the end was near.
After several torturous months during which her beloved pet became completely dependent on her for drinking, feeding and going to the toilet, Liu made the agonising decision to have him put down.
But she wanted her dog to spend his last days in familiar surroundings because animal clinics made him nervous and aggressive. Liu found her solution: Matthew Murdoch, one of a handful of veterinarians in the city who conduct house calls. He put Saibi to sleep in Liu's apartment earlier this year.
Video: The mobile vet in action

Murdoch finally set up his mobile vet service, Homevet, three months ago partly in response to the number of aged pets he was treating. "I've seen so many elderly animals. It's depressing to see them in and out of hospital," he says.
The 38-year-old vet also figured it would give him flexibility, allowing him to spend more time with his wife and their two toddlers.
Typically the British-trained vet sets out from his Sai Kung home at about 8.30am. Murdoch's silver sedan, where he stashes medication, an ultrasound machine, blood pressure meter and other equipment, serves as his clinic.
Having worked in veterinary clinics for 15 years - the past nine in Hong Kong - Murdoch thought there would be demand for a house-call service here because "many people don't walk their dogs that much".
Many pets are kept at home most of the time so they become nervous or aggressive when brought into a new environment such a clinic, which is filled with the smell of disinfectants and other panicked animals, he says.
Moreover, taking a dog to a hospital can be quite a journey for owners who don't have cars. Pets are not allowed on buses or trains, and some taxis refuse to take large dogs. So many people wind up taking a day off work to bring pets for treatment.
His assistant, Ashley Au, helps him communicate with Cantonese-speaking clients.

	We contact clients more often, and interact with them in a different way
After working in regular animal clinics, she finds the mobile operation a refreshing change: "This is new to me and more fun in a way. We contact clients more often, and interact with them in a different way."
However, David Gething, another vet providing a full-time house-call service, prefers to travel by himself.
The Australian set up his business in 2002, two years after moving to Hong Kong.
"It is a difficult service to provide well. You are basically on your own all the time," Gething says.
But he believes that the fewer the people present when an animal is being treated, the less stressed it is. Moreover, in visiting eight to 11 pets a day, he is able to spend close to an hour with each of them, unhurried. In clinics, vets usually only have about 15 minutes for a patient.
Gething and his wife also run an animal hospital, East Island, with an emergency service for when clients need help in the middle of the night.
Murdoch, however, is on call, 24/7. Although he slightly misses surgery, he says the house-call service "helps me get more of a feel of the animal when seeing it in its habitat".
Among his more memorable cases is Big Eyes, an elderly cat with kidney failure. When its owner Tam Wai-ting was given the diagnosis two years ago, he knew little could be done to cure his pet; it could only be kept alive using medication.
He found it frustrating to hear the same message - that the case was near hopeless - whenever he brought his pet in for treatment to ease its discomfort. "I get it," says Tam. "He is an 18-year-old cat. He doesn't need a stressful life."
Which is why Tam was impressed with the way Au and Murdoch handled Big Eyes, when the cat needed a transfusion of salt solution to replace fluid loss. Before sticking a needle into its back, Au comforted the cat, giving it a rub and an encouraging talk.
"This is what we need. Ashley ... treats them like children," Tam says.
Since then, Tam has become a loyal customer even though the fees can be higher than that of other veterinarians. And because Murdoch also conducts hi-tech consultations, Tam can take a photo or shoot a video whenever his four other cats have a problem and send the images to the vet for advice.
Candice Liu, too, values this service. At a conventional clinic, she must to make an appointment and pay fees. But with Murdoch, simple queries can be dealt with through instant messages and e-mail.
Driving is the vet's least favourite part of the job, however. "It's easy to get lost in Hong Kong. And when you are under a flyover, the GPS stops working," Murdoch says.
It has also taken some courage to leave a stable job for his current life on the road. While all his veterinarian friends think the service is a great idea, none were keen on taking it up themselves. "They support me. But most of them are, like, 'Good luck with it,'" he says.
But Murdoch doesn't regret it for a minute: "A house-call service is personal and rewarding in a different way."
keira.huang@scmp.comWatch the video report at scmp.com/mobilevet


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LIFE

House-call veterinarians set up mobile animal clinics

Matthew Murdoch

Left and top: Murdoch and his assistant Ashley Au.Photos: Jonathan Wong

Lifestyle

Family & Relationships

Dispensing care from their cars, mobile vetsare becoming the saviours of distressedanimals in the city, writes Keira Lu Huang


House-call veterinarians set up mobile animal clinics

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Dispensing care from their cars, mobile vetsare becoming the saviours of distressedanimals in the city, writes Keira Lu Huang

Dispensing care from their cars, mobile vetsare becoming the saviours of distressedanimals in the city, writes Keira Lu Huang