jews d
in
the
H
e can sense her presence before she even
knocks on the door. Happy-go-lucky
Sawyer, a fluffy, 11-year-old Cavachon
excitedly greets Dr. Orit Szwarcman at the front
entrance of his Huntington Woods home.
Barking and tail wagging are par for the course
for the longtime veterinarian who traded office
hours for life on the road more than two decades
ago and never looked back. She started her busi-
ness called Home Vet 25 years ago.
“I was working in clinics and I decided after my
third daughter was born to have a home business,”
Dr. Szwarcman says. “It was unusual then for a vet
to make house calls, but there are definitely more
people doing it now.”
One of those people is Dr. Andrea Switch, who
owns a similar business, Veterinary House Calls in
West Bloomfield. Like Dr. Szwarcman, she, too, is
“able to treat animals in the comfort and conve-
‘Home Vets’
Make House Calls
Local veterinarians go door to door providing healthcare for pets.
ROBIN SCHWARTZ CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Dr. Orit Szwarcman with Sawyer
Dr. Andrea Switch with Norman
To make an appointment, contact:
Dr. Szwarcman at home-vet.com or (248) 542-6622
and Dr. Switch at vethousecallsmi.com or (248) 254-1724
nience of their own home … minimizing physical
discomfort and alleviating added emotional stress,”
according to her website.
Home vets can provide a wide range of services
from simple wellness checkups to blood work, vac-
cines, hospice care and more. For surgery or more
extensive procedures, they partner with area veteri-
nary hospitals.
Back at the front door, Dr. Szwarcman gives
Sawyer a pat on the head and steps into the house.
She’s been treating the dog for more than a decade,
since he was just a pup, and he seems glad to see
her.
“Keeping a new puppy home for a doctor visit
seemed so much easier,” recalls Sawyer’s owner,
Cheryl Stern, about her decision to try a home vet.
“Orit gave great advice about how to handle the
puppy and how to train him.
“Orit is a very bright doctor and she truly loves
animals,” Stern continues. “She has very natural
and logical solutions to most problems. She is gen-
tle and kind. She treats my dog, and I’m sure every
patient, as if they were her own pet.”
ISRAEL TO DETROIT
Dr. Szwarcman was born in Israel and raised
32
September 14 • 2017
jn
in Brussels, Belgium. She worked as a veteri-
narian in Belgium and France before moving
to the United States in 1985. Love ultimately
brought her to Detroit. She met her husband,
Mark Selitsky, on an airplane while traveling
between Israel and Brussels. They got married
and decided to raise a family in his hometown.
But, Orit’s other lifelong love is cats and dogs.
She’s been treating them for 37 years and has
three cats and two dogs of her own.
“I love meeting the pets,” she says. “I have the
best job in the world. Every day is new and sur-
prising in some way. It keeps you on your toes.”
Dr. Szwarcman points out her service is
especially convenient for animals that are
injured or don’t like to travel, people who are
homebound and families with young children.
She works with an assistant, Shelly Lang, and
takes appointments every Monday, Tuesday,
Thursday and Friday. She treats dogs and cats
of all sizes and breeds, but not exotic animals.
“I think some things can be diagnosed better
in the home — where an animal is most com-
fortable,” she says. “What I really like about my
job, it’s more personal. I get to know the pets
and the people, and it’s an opportunity to help
the animals and their human counterparts.”
CHILDHOOD INSPIRATION
Dr. Switch says she dreamed of becoming a
vet as far back as she can remember. She was
inspired by Dr. Danny Kovan, a veterinarian,
neighbor and her father’s best friend.
“From the time I was 3, I used to climb over
the fence and go to his house. He would bring
puppies and kittens home from the hospital,
and I would play with them,” she says. “I just
saw this quiet, calm, loving, compassionate
man. I was probably 6 years old when I final-
ized my career choice.”
Dr. Switch is a graduate of Michigan State
University. She began as a vet in 1984 and started
her mobile veterinary business when she was
raising her children. Initially, she only treated
pets belonging to friends, family members and
neighbors, but she loved the job so much she
made it her full-time career. Today, 15 years later,
she has thousands of four-legged patients and a
staff including five techs and assistants.
“I just love being in the house with the animal,
especially if the animal has orthopedic or behav-
ioral problems,” she says. “Often, I see things the
owners can modify to make a difference.”
Once, she recalls using an old skateboard
ramp and artificial turf to help a family build
a walkway when their dog developed a neuro-
muscular disorder. The ramp enabled the dog
to more easily get into and out of the house.
Dr. Switch is also passionate about nurturing
the next generation of aspiring veterinarians.
She regularly mentors middle and high school
students and allows them to shadow her on
the job.
“I love my profession,” she says. “I feel like I’m
being of service and making a huge difference
in the people’s lives and the animals’ lives.” •