Vet makes cat and dog house calls

DAN BENOIT

If you think house calls by a doctor are a thing of the past you’d be right – unless you’re a pet owner in Iqaluit.

Veterinarian Joanne L’Anglais can drop by your home to take care of your feline or canine friend. And the results are faster than waiting for the circuit vets to make their rounds.

“There are things that would go on being long untreated,” L’Anglais said on Monday, as she stroked her own cat, a 13-year-old orange tabby named Benson, who snuggled cozily on her lap.

A lot of animals were in pain unnecessarily waiting for the circuit vets, she said. “Waiting five months before you get treatment for an ear infection is horrendous.”

L’Anglais graduated from the University of Montreal in 1993 and has practiced pet medicine off and on for 13 years. She and her husband have been in Iqaluit for about a year.

L’Anglais started her practice, called Baffin Veterinary Services, in August, but she doesn’t have an office so she does home visits.

While she doesn’t perform surgery, she does offer basic veterinary care. Clients set up an appointment with L’Anglais for routine checkups, blood work and general care of their four-legged friends – namely dogs and cats, which are her specialty.

In the South, a lot of vets won’t do house calls, because it’s easier to examine an animal in an office with the proper equipment and a helping hand or two, she said. “Having access to support staff is ideal.”

But this won’t stop her from dropping into your home for a quick look under the hood of your furry feline or cuddly canine friend.

Her visiting hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday. She can make about six visits a day, she said.

Waiting time for results is a lot shorter than you could expect with the circuit veterinarian, she said. Take waiting for blood work results on your pooch or kitty, for example.

“Usually I’ll get the results within 24 to 48 hours.”

She wants pet owners to be aware of illnesses like distemper and Parvo virus and to take the necessary precautions, she said.

“With Parvo virus, all you have to do to get it is come into an area that’s been contaminated.

“Rabies as well, because there is rabies up here. It is a concern with foxes and wolves. I think vaccination is definitely a must.”

She says when she gives a vaccination, she also does a full examination of your pet.

She can, when necessary, put animals down.

If you’d like to reach Dr. L’Anglais for an appointment, her number is 975-1998.
“A lot of people still don’t realize I’m in town,” she said.