HelloVet: Pet Care at Home

Your Pets Wellness on Wheels!

To learn more visit www.hellovetjax.com

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The idea for HelloVet, a high quality mobile veterinary service, first came to Dr. Erika Pitkat and her husband Frank during the pandemic. She explains how during that time they recognized people were concerned about dropping their pets off without their owners at brick and mortar veterinary hospitals. HelloVet opened in July of 2021 offering a solution: an at-home veterinary experience to relieve pet owners’ fears and create less stress for the animals themselves. 
     But even post-pandemic, the fact remains that many cats and dogs get panicked by riding in the car or visiting the vet at the office, and owners are thrilled by the idea that they can have HelloVet come to them. Busy parents with children, disabled and elderly people also benefit from the convenience of having their pets cared for at home.
     “Overall, people have been both receptive and appreciative to have less stressful vet visits in the comfort of their own home,” says Dr. Pitkat.


What Services 
Are Offered?
     The HelloVet mobile clinic is a state-of-the-art exam space where dogs and cats are treated by a professional staff and Veterinarian without ever having to leave home. With a hybrid approach, dogs and cats can also be seen inside the home if a visit to the mobile clinic is too stressful. This is especially beneficial to our feline friends.
     HelloVet offers a wide range of in-home services including wellness and sick exams, vaccinations, laboratory testing, allergy testing, microchipping, dermatology, nutrition, and pharmacy delivery services as well as superior hospice and end-of-life care. They also offer specialty services such as Cold Laser Therapy, which assists with wound healing, osteoarthritis, spinal injuries, and skin infections. Tele-health visits are also available after a veterinary-client-patient relationship has been established. Multi-pet appointments are also available. The goal is to accommodate each client’s needs with top-notch care for their furry companions.
     If your pet needs emergency services, advanced surgeries, dental cleanings or hospitalization, HelloVet has partnered with Pet Urgent Response And Emergency, Elite Veterinary Surgery of Florida and San Jose Beauclerc Animal Hospital. The process is fully integrated and guided by HelloVet’s staff so that patients may receive the care they need when they need it. HelloVet also partners with a certified dog trainer, pet sitting services, and an in home groomer.

What Happens At 
An Appointment?
     First, clients may call or go online at www.hellovetjax.com and complete their registration. The process is remote but personalized. “We are not corporate and proud of it!” says Dr. Pitkat. The receptionist then contacts the owner via email, phone or text to determine what type of appointment is needed, and in what area of Jacksonville / St Johns County the client resides.  The appointment is scheduled based on availability of both the owner and area of town HelloVet is operating.
     For the actual visit, Dr. Pitkat says they are flexible.  When the mobile clinic arrives, the client has the choice to either bring their pet out to the van, or Dr. Pitkat and her team will go into the home with all diagnostic equipment. Dr. Pitkat says the focus is always to make the pet more comfortable during what could be a stressful experience.  In every instance, their dedicated and compassionate staff is always ready to serve the client.
     Based on feedback from happy clients, HelloVet Pet Care At Home has already made a difference in countless pets' lives and their owners' lives. Dr. Pitkat says she loves to see the joy on their faces when they arrive at a client’s home to provide quality veterinary care without the usual stresses of transport, time, and energy.
     HelloVet hopes to grow in the future with a few more vans on the road in the next few years, as well as a separate specialty van for technician services such as vaccine administration, injections for allergies etc, fluid administration , nail trimming and basic grooming.

Fun Facts About 
Dr. Pitkat
     Dr. Erika Pitkat is a proud native of Jacksonville, Florida. She graduated from the University of Florida’s College of Veterinarian Medicine in 2004. She practiced small animal medicine in Washington DC,     Maryland, and Virginia Beach before returning to her home state in 2012. Approximately half of her career was spent exclusively working with cats, which hold a very special place in her heart. Dr. Pitkat strives to create a stress-free visit for every patient, treating each pet as if it were her own. She is comfortable with routine wellness care, internal medicine and advanced diagnostics, dental prophylaxis and oral surgery, and end of life care.
     A St. Johns resident for 11 years, Dr. Pitkat enjoys spending time with her husband, Frank, and their four children at home. Her five cats and dog have trained her to do their bidding. The family enjoys traveling in their Airstream any opportunity they can get. Dr. Pitkat is thrilled to service St. Johns and Jacksonville residents in their homes with HelloVet!