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By Jana Mathia
Gazette Reporter 

Traveling Tails providing in-home veterinary care in greater Pullman area

 
Dr. Shannon Merry

Dr. Shannon Merry examines Kava, a golden retriever puppy. Dr. Merry provides in-home veterinary care through Traveling Tails, serving Pullman and surrounding areas within a half-hour drive.

After years in a traditional veterinary clinic setting, Dr. Shannon Merry is now providing the same services sitting on living room floors in homes around the Palouse and loving it.

"I am exceptionally happy doing this," said Dr. Merry who now works from the homes of her clients instead of an office.

Dr. Merry started Traveling Tails in October, 2018. She said it was scary to quit her job at Alpine Animal Clinic in Pullman and start her own business, but everyone around her comments on how happy she is now.

The dogs and cats she treats also seem to be more pleased.

"All the pets (at the clinic) were so anxious, it was hard to do a thorough exam on them," Dr. Merry noted.

Presence of other animals, smells and car rides caused many of the patients at the clinic to be anxious, which often led to aggression or the animal being tensed up, neither of which made for an easy treatment.

Dr. Merry arranged special times for cats so there would be no dogs to stress them out, but she has yet to find a cat that likes car rides.

Before starting Traveling Tails, Dr. Merry would do home visits for euthanasia. She thought that role would be the main part of Traveling Tails, but she is running the whole gambit of services as she was at the clinic.

"I've been surprised by how incredibly varied it has been," she said.

Some patients have mobility issues―whether it be the pet or owner―others are puppies with developing immune systems and owners who do not want to take them where sick dogs are.

Also thankful for her services are parents with little children who do not have to worry about transporting kids and pets to a clinic.

In addition to being where the animal is less stressed, Dr. Merry spends more time with each animal. Visits are one hour to one-and-a-half hours per animal, even in multiple pet homes.

"We can just cover so much more than a 20 minute appointment otherwise," she said.

By being in homes and with the extent of time, Dr. Merry gets to really see the bond between the owners and their pets.

"It's pretty humbling to get to work with that," she said.

The clients who have never experienced a comprehensive full exam are surprised by the amount of time spent with the animal and discussing their needs.

Being in-home also helps Dr. Merry understand the pet's environment so she is better able to make suggestions to improve the animal's well-being, such as the placement of toys, food dishes or aids to assist with mobility.

Dr. Merry provides care to clients within 30 minutes from Pullman. While she never had a reason to get out and drive back roads before, she does now.

"I've really gotten to see a lot of country," she said.

The vast majority of visits she flies solo. For those handful of tasks―such as feline blood draws―that require two sets of hands, she has four former co-workers she can call on. Each has their own full time job, but are available at different times to help.

"Most appointments it's just me."

End of life care is still an important part of her job, beyond euthanasia. Some visits are just talking about the pet's quality of life and helping owners understand how the pet is doing and when it is the right time to let go.

"It is sad, but at the same time it is a very kind and brave and caring thing we can do for a pet when they're struggling," Dr. Merry said. She is pretty humbled and honored to help families at that point and foster the relationship they have with their pets.

Dr. Merry only sees dogs and cats. Exotic pets she refers to WSU.

She also noted she is not set up for emergencies and living rooms are not the place to handle emergency care. Through her website, she has an online pharmacy to order pet medication and food.

While veterinary care is a stressful profession, Dr. Merry has found sitting on the living room floor with her patients is also much more enjoyable for her and them.

For a full list of her services, check her website: http://www.merrytravelingtails.com

Author Bio

Jana Mathia, Reporter

Author photo

Jana Mathia is a reporter at the Whitman County Gazette.

 

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