Home examinations take place in the comfort of your home, wherever your pet feels most at ease—on the bed, in the yard, or even in your lap. In some cases, pets may feel more stressed when someone enters their home. For these pets, examinations can be performed outdoors in the yard or at a neutral location, such as a park.

Dr. Long does not see patients within her personal home.

Long Animal Wellness can perform many diagnostic services either in your home or through our administrative office. These include ear and skin cytology, blood glucose checks, fine needle aspirates of masses, and more.

When heartworm testing, 4Dx testing, or bloodwork is needed, we can collect samples in your home and submit them to our trusted laboratories. You will be contacted with the results.

For diagnostics such as ultrasounds, eye pressures, X-rays, CT scans, MRIs, and intraocular pressure measurements, referrals to local general or specialty practices can be arranged.

Long Animal Wellness maintains a small stock of commonly used medications. Any additional medications needed on an urgent basis can be prescribed through a local pharmacy, such as CVS. Non-urgent prescriptions can be purchased through our online pharmacy and delivered directly to your home.

If your pet requires a surgical procedure, it can be performed at one of our local general practice partner clinics or through referral to a specialty practice, depending on your pet’s specific needs.

We offer longer appointment times to accommodate pets with special handling needs, allowing us to move at a pace that helps them feel as comfortable as possible. We also use Fear Free techniques to ensure your pet has the best experience possible. For many anxious animals, situational calming medications—such as gabapentin or trazodone—may be helpful in reducing nervousness associated with veterinary care.

In some cases, pets may require full sedation. In these situations, it is best for this to be performed at a local general practice, where your pet can be closely monitored while under sedation. Please see our list of local clinics that we partner with.

Due to the nature of home veterinary care, there are limitations to what can be reasonably and safely performed in the home, including some advanced diagnostics, full sedation, and surgery.

We have met with several local general practice clinics in our city to explain our in-home care protocols and limitations. These partner practices have agreed to provide continued care for our patients when needed. If your pet requires evaluation at one of these clinics, they will be transferred as a patient to that practice so their medical needs can be appropriately addressed. Follow-up and general wellness care can then be resumed at home, with Long Animal Wellness when appropriate.

In-home veterinary care often costs more than in-clinic care because of the added time, travel, and personalized service involved. Some key reasons include:

• Travel time and expenses: The veterinarian travels to your home, which includes time on the road, fuel costs, vehicle maintenance, and insurance. This time is dedicated solely to your pet, unlike in a clinic where multiple patients are seen in one location.

• Longer, individualized appointments: In-home visits are typically longer and less rushed. This allows the veterinarian to move at your pet’s pace, answer questions thoroughly, and provide a calmer experience, especially for anxious or senior pets.

• Limited efficiency compared to a clinic: Veterinary clinics are set up to see many patients efficiently with shared staff, equipment, and space. In-home care requires the veterinarian to bring necessary supplies and work without the support systems available in a hospital setting.

• Convenience and reduced stress: You are paying for the convenience of care provided in your home and for the benefit of reduced stress for your pet—no car rides, waiting rooms, or unfamiliar environments.

• Specialized service model: In-home veterinary care is a concierge-style service focused on comfort, fear reduction, and personalized attention, which naturally carries a higher cost.

While in-home care may be more expensive, many pet owners find the comfort, convenience, and reduced stress for their pet to be well worth the investment.

If you believe your pet would benefit from in-home care but are experiencing financial hardship, please contact us directly.

Long Animal Wellness will travel anywhere within the upstate of South Carolina, provided the owner agrees to applicable travel fees.

We hope to expand our services to the Hendersonville, NC, and Asheville, NC regions in the future.

Long Animal Wellness primarily cares for dogs and cats. If you are seeking veterinary care for another species, please reach out to us directly and we’d be happy to discuss your needs.