Meet Dr. Michaela Yelle, Owner of At the Farm Mobile Veterinary Services, Grass Valley, CA
Dr. Yelle, also known as Dr. Michaela to most of her clients, grew up in the rural community of Wilton, CA, 90 miles south of Grass Valley.
Raised on a ranch, she developed a love of animals early in life, having raised sheep, dogs, cats and horses, including her own Arabian horse from a young age.
A graduate of UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Yelle focused on large animal medicine in school and gained in-house experience in the Large Animal ICU at the UC Davis Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital as well as with several solo practitioners before opening her own practice.
An avid rider, Dr. Michaela enjoys trail riding, horse camping and hiking when she’s not birthing a lamb, vaccinating a dog or trimming hooves somewhere across the greater Grass Valley area and surrounding communities.
Recently, I had the chance to meet Dr. Michaela and share her story.
1. What are some common reasons why people need and choose mobile vet services?
There are many reasons why people choose mobile vet services. Some are unwilling to travel (mostly due to the size of their pet), or they may fear vet aggression. Their pet may have behavioral issues, or they may have more than one animal who needs to be seen at one time. I also offer at-home euthanasia for those who need this service for their animals.For dogs and cats, I provide vaccines, heartworm and tick-borne disease screening, microchipping, nail trims, wound care and hospice care. I carry a limited supply of flea/tick and heartworm prevention on the truck. If there’s a specific product desired, I can script it out for you to fill at your convenience at an online pharmacy.
2. I see your specialty is large animal medicine. Can you talk about your own personal journey with animals and how that’s inspired you to get involved in caring for animals as diverse as horses, pigs, sheep and cows to alpacas, llamas and, of course, dogs and cats?
I grew up on a ranch with horses, dogs, cats and sheep and fell in love with horses and animals in general. I had my own horse born on our property at the age of 10 (I was a young mother!), and she passed on about 3 years ago. It’s been weird not having a horse in my life, but luckily I still have my dog and cat.What I admire and respect about animals is that they never lie. Horses, in particular, astound me with their trust in us and the fact that we can do dentals on them with standing sedation. Try that on a dog and see how it goes! Pigs can be tough patients due to their intelligence and lung volume. I need to get myself some earplug earrings for those appointments! Llamas and alpacas can be tricky as they can kick at any angle, but they can be good herd protectors. Cows are fierce mothers who can be so self-sufficient. But for my safety, I need a chute to examine them.
3. What else do Nevada County pet owners need to know about your practice? Any ancillary services you care to mention, such as teeth cleaning, pain management and microchipping?
Dog dentals do need anesthesia to be done completely, so I cannot provide that service. I can draw blood for testing, but it takes about a week to get results back as I have to send it out. I do not have radiographic equipment so if there’s an internal concern, your best bet is to take your pet into a clinic or emergency vet.One other thing to know about me and my practice is that it’s all me. I do not have any employees or help; so, when you call, you’ll always get me. The con is when I’m working you’re going to get my voicemail. Please have patience, but know that I try to get back to everyone within 24 hours.
4. Any tips you can give pet owners who must deal with euthanasia and end-of-life services for their animals?
As for end-of-life care, my advice is this: please call if you have questions! You are in the driver’s seat and you know your pet the best. I’m happy to help you navigate this journey, but I’ve had more than one patient bemoan that they felt they didn’t go about it the right way the last time they lost a pet, and I really want to try to prevent my clients from feeling that way. Currently, I do not offer after-death services, but I can provide hospice care and in-home euthanasia service, as well as an ear to listen.
5. On a brighter note, care to share any fun or inspiring day-in-the-life-of-a-mobile vet animal stories from the field? Maybe things you’ve witnessed or experienced during your mobile visits?
I’ve seen some pretty amazing things. The intimacy of being invited into a client’s home is an honor I don’t take for granted, and it can provide a lot more information than just seeing an animal in the office. In-home care also allows me to have a potentially closer relationship with my patients, as they sometimes don’t realize it’s a vet appointment until the thermometer or needle comes out, and they can often forget and forgive before the visit is over!One of my favorite memories recently was when I had four different euthanasia appointments in one day (NOT the norm), and I ended up diagnosing treatable problems in all of these patients without having to euthanize one of them! I felt like superwoman!Just today, I had an appointment where I saw one dog for his yearly exam, treated a week-old lamb for an injury, vaccinated seven goats and trimmed a pig’s hooves! It was a lot of work, but it was obvious the client loves her animals and I kid you not, one goat hugged her and closed his eyes in bliss as she pet him. The trust and bond was clear to see and really is a daily pleasure in my job.
If you’d like to contact Dr. Michaela, you can reach her at 530.268.5723 or visit atthefarmvet.com for more information.