We’re going to address this one directly because it comes up, and it should. A mobile veterinary visit costs more than a walk-in clinic appointment. There’s a house call fee on top of the service fees. If you’ve never used a mobile vet before, that difference can feel hard to justify.
So let’s actually talk about it. Not in a sales-pitch way. In a “here are the real numbers” way.
What You’re Paying For
A mobile veterinary practice has a fundamentally different cost structure than a traditional clinic. There’s no building rent, no waiting room staff, no front desk overhead, and no cost of maintaining a physical facility. Instead, you’re paying for a fully equipped hospital that drives to your house, a one-on-one appointment with zero competing patients, and the time it takes to travel to you and back.
At Trace Crossings Veterinary + Pet Wellness, we strive to keep our costs as low as possible and competitive with traditional brick and mortar clinics in our area. You’ll notice some things are cheaper than your current vet and a few things might be slightly more – our goal is to provide the best quality care that the most reasonable price we can. One way we do that is by charging a House Call Fee – usually $75 that covers things like gas for the van, travel time between appointments, and other overhead things that add up faster than you might think! The convenience of not having to load up into the car, stress out your pet, or sit in a waiting room because they are double booked all afternoon is worth something too.
What You’re Getting
Here’s what a typical mobile wellness visit includes that a traditional clinic visit does not:
- An appointment in your home, with no car ride, no carrier, and no waiting room stress for your pet
- A 45 minute appointment where the veterinarian is focused entirely on your pet, not bouncing between three rooms at a time
- Direct communication with Dr. Miller before, during, and after the visit
- A follow-up check-in after the appointment to make sure your pet is doing well
- The ability to have multiple pets seen in a single visit without additional travel fees
How the Membership Program Changes the Math
Our VIP Pet Membership is $950 annually per pet (currently at the Founders Rate – it will go up once we fill out the remaining spots!). Here is what that includes:
- Annual wellness exam ($180 value)
- Microchipping ($85 value)
- All house call fees waived ($75 per visit, for as many visits as you need)
- Quarterly nail trims ($135 value)
- 10 percent off all services and products
- Priority scheduling within 48 hours
A pet with average needs who comes in for a wellness exam plus two sick visits per year would see house call fees alone of $225. Add in the included wellness exam, microchipping, and nail trims, and you’re already at $625 in tangible value before the 10 percent service discount is applied. Members typically save more than $500 annually compared to fee-for-service rates.
Founding Member pricing of $950 is available to the first 50 households only. Once that threshold is reached, the annual rate increases to $1,200.
For Families Who Prefer Pay-As-You-Go
Membership is completely optional. Every patient at Trace Crossings Veterinary + Pet Wellness receives the same standard of care from Dr. Miller regardless of membership status. If you’d rather pay per visit and see how things go, that works. We’ll always be transparent about pricing before any service is performed.
Want to see if membership makes sense for your situation?
Reach out at (205) 509-1499 or visit Membership page to learn more and enroll.