A vet who knows your pet over time.
In-home visits for checkups, ongoing concerns, and the kind of care that builds a real picture of your pet — where they actually live.
The care your pet needs, in the place they feel safest.
We cover the full range of primary veterinary care — without the clinic. Your pet stays calm, your schedule stays intact, and your vet builds genuine familiarity with your animal over time.
Wellness exams
Annual and bi-annual wellness visits covering full physical examination, preventive health discussion, and care planning tailored to your pet’s age and history.
Vaccinations & preventives
Core and lifestyle vaccines, flea and tick prevention, heartworm testing and prevention — scheduled to your pet’s specific risk profile.
Lab work & diagnostics
Blood panels, urinalysis, and diagnostics ordered when clinically indicated, with results reviewed with you directly.
Chronic condition management
Ongoing support for arthritis, diabetes, thyroid disease, allergies, and other long-term conditions.
Dental assessment
Oral health evaluation at every visit, plus home-care guidance and referral for cleanings or procedures when needed.
Behaviour & nutrition
Diet review, weight management, and behavioural observations grounded in your pet's actual home environment.
Different stages,
different focus.
Many medical changes begin gradually and are easy to miss. What we pay attention to — and what you might notice — shifts meaningfully across life stages.
Puppy & young
0-2 years
Early life moves quickly. Eating habits, behaviour, digestion, and routines are still taking shape.
What you might notice
- Changes in appetite or digestion
- Chewing, scratching, or skin sensitivity
- Unusual energy highs or lows
What we watch
- Growth and joint development
- Skin, digestion, and immune response
- Breed-specific risk factors
Visits often focus on
- Exams and vaccinations
- Parasite prevention and nutrition
- Early behavioural guidance
Adult
2-8 years
Adult dogs often seem steady, which is why small changes in energy, weight, skin, or behaviour can be easy to dismiss.
What you might notice
- Itching, licking, or recurring skin issues
- Gradual weight gain or loss
- Changes in coat or energy level
What we watch
- Weight and body condition
- Recurring conditions and patterns
- Dental health and oral disease
Visits often focus on
- Routine exams
- Baseline lab work when appropriate
- Managing recurring conditions
Senior
8+ years
Later years shift the focus toward staying ahead of discomfort, maintaining stability, and adjusting as needs change.
What you might notice
- Hesitation with movement or stamina
- Appetite or weight changes
- Confusion or disorientation at times
What we watch
- Pain and mobility
- Organ function and lab trends
- Chronic conditions and comfort
Visits often focus on
- Regular lab monitoring
- Mobility and comfort care
- Quality of life conversations
Kitten & young
0-1 year
Early life in cats can look simple once they settle in, but eating habits, litter use, and behaviour are still forming.
What you might notice
- Inconsistent appetite or digestion
- Sensitivity to food or environment
- Developing litter box habits
What we watch
- Growth and development
- Digestive or respiratory concerns
- Behavioural baseline
Visits often focus on
- Exams and vaccinations
- Parasite prevention and feeding
- Adjusting care as they mature
Adult
1-10 years
Adult cats often appear unchanged for years. Small shifts in weight, grooming, behaviour, or litter habits matter.
What you might notice
- Reduced activity or shorter play
- Changes in grooming or coat condition
- Increased thirst or litter changes
What we watch
- Weight and body condition
- Dental health and oral discomfort
- Early kidney and thyroid markers
Visits often focus on
- Routine exams
- Baseline lab work when appropriate
- Dental monitoring and referral
Senior
10+ years
Older cats tend to change quietly, so regular visits help maintain comfort and adapt the home routine.
What you might notice
- Weight loss, even with good appetite
- Reluctance to jump or move
- Vocalising more at night
What we watch
- Kidney and metabolic function
- Pain and mobility
- Hyperthyroidism and hypertension
Visits often focus on
- Managing ongoing conditions
- Regular lab monitoring
- Comfort and quality of life
The same vet, visit after visit.
Most in-home vets rotate. Ours don’t. The continuity is the point — a vet who knows your pet’s history doesn’t have to start from scratch every time something changes.
Once your pet is no longer being seen for the first time, visits work differently. There is already a sense of what is normal, what has changed, and what has been tried before.
First visit: the whole picture
A thorough intake: full history, current health status, home environment, and your pet’s temperament.
Ongoing: care that accumulates
Each visit builds on the last. Changes are noticed earlier. Context is not lost between appointments.
Between visits: direct access to your vet
Questions after a visit or a new concern mid-week can go to someone who already knows the case.
A consistent team, not a rotation.
In most cases you'll see the same veterinarian visit after visit. Your pet isn't meeting someone new every time — they're building a relationship with someone who knows them.
Dr. James Liu, DVM
Ojai & Ventura
UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine graduate. Leads primary care at Aluna with an attentive approach to longitudinal care.
Dr. Teresa Schumacher, DVM
Ojai & Ventura
Background in emergency and critical care. Oversees clinical standards across all Aluna services and sees patients directly when urgent or complex cases arise.
Clear from the first call.
Full examination, preventive care discussion, vaccinations if due, and a written health summary.
- Full physical exam
- Vaccines if due
- Parasite prevention review
- Written care summary
- Direct vet follow-up line
Assessment and treatment for a specific concern — new symptoms, worsening condition, or follow-up on an ongoing issue.
- Focused clinical assessment
- Medications on-site where possible
- Lab orders if indicated
- Written notes and follow-up plan
For pets new to Aluna. Longer appointment — thorough history, baseline records, and care planning from scratch.
- Full history intake
- Baseline health assessment
- Custom care plan
- Medical record setup
Care that stays with you.
In-home primary care across Ventura, Ojai, and Santa Barbara. Start a wellness visit request and meet your Aluna veterinarian.
Common Questions
What to know before starting an in-home wellness visit request.
Can I request a visit just for vaccinations?
Yes. Vaccinations can often be handled during the visit. We still use that time to review history, examine your pet, and make sure vaccines fit their age, lifestyle, and current health. If anything else comes up, we can usually address it or guide next steps.
How soon can I request a visit?
Because primary care is scheduled, non-urgent care, visits are usually arranged in advance rather than same-day. If something needs to be seen sooner, we’ll let you know whether urgent care or a clinic setting would be more appropriate.
Do I need to switch from my current veterinarian?
No. We can work alongside your existing veterinarian or serve as your primary point of care, depending on what you need. Some people continue with their regular clinic and use Aluna in a more complementary way.
Can you receive records from my current vet?
Yes. We can request records from your previous or referring veterinarian so we have a clearer picture of your pet’s history. Records are helpful, especially for ongoing conditions or recent diagnostics, but they don’t need to delay scheduling.
Do you handle ongoing conditions or just one-time visits?
Both. Some visits are for a single concern, while others continue over time — allergies, chronic skin or ear issues, digestion changes, weight changes, medication review, or age-related conditions. The level of follow-up depends on what’s going on.
Can you do exams and lab work at home?
Yes. Many routine exams and lab samples can be done during a home visit, including common screening and follow-up testing. If something requires additional diagnostics or procedures, we’ll explain that clearly and guide next steps.
Can you prescribe medications?
Yes. If medication is appropriate, we can prescribe or renew it as part of your pet’s care — including short-term treatment, ongoing medication review, or adjustments depending on how your pet responds.
What if I'm not sure whether something is wrong?
That’s a common reason people reach out. Many concerns begin as small changes — appetite, behaviour, weight, digestion, mobility, or energy. A home visit gives us room to look at those patterns in context and decide whether they need attention now, monitoring, or a different next step.
Do I need to commit to ongoing visits?
No. There’s no required schedule or package. Some people book one visit at a time, while others continue because it’s helpful to have the same veterinarian following their pet over time. We’ll recommend follow-up when it makes medical sense.
What happens after the first visit?
That depends on what we find. Some pets only need that visit and routine follow-up later on. Others may need additional testing, a treatment plan, or a recheck. Before the visit ends, we’ll explain what we’re seeing and what the next step should be.
Are follow-up visits priced differently?
Yes. Follow-up visits are often more focused than an initial visit, so they may be structured differently. The exact cost depends on what needs to be rechecked or followed up. We’ll let you know what to expect ahead of time.
Can I reach out after the visit?
Yes. If something changes or you’re unsure whether a symptom needs attention, you can reach out. We can help guide whether it makes sense to monitor, schedule a follow-up, or consider urgent care.
How do I know if this is primary or urgent care?
Primary care is for scheduled, non-urgent needs — checkups, vaccines, recurring issues, early changes, and concerns that need follow-through. Urgent care is more appropriate when symptoms are sudden, more severe, or changing quickly. If you’re unsure, we can help guide you.
Is urgent care different if my pet is already under primary care?
Yes. When your pet has already been seen, urgent visits are often more straightforward — your veterinarian knows their history and what’s normal. That can avoid repeating the initial evaluation and may affect how the visit is structured.
Is this a replacement for a full-service clinic?
Not entirely. Many routine, chronic, and early-stage concerns can begin at home, but some pets still need a clinic or hospital for imaging, procedures, surgery, or more intensive care. This is a different way of delivering veterinary care — not a substitute for everything a hospital does.