With essentially a medical office on wheels, Lisa McIntyre of Naperville has since May offered in-home animal care to much of the Chicago suburbs.

For many of her customers, both human and animal, The Welcome Waggin’ mobile vet service results in a significantly less stressful checkup — something for which McIntyre also is grateful.

During one such recent appointment, McIntyre visited Luke, 6-year-old Weimerana who could not have been less concerned as the doctor listened to his heart rate.

“He would never do this in a vet’s office,” marveled owner Susie Halford as she watched the checkup in the living room of her Glen Ellyn house. “I can’t even take him in anymore.”

The idea for Welcome Waggin’ came in the spring when McIntyre, practicing at a veterinary clinic at the time, started to make house calls for friends who had become fed up with the struggle of bringing their pet in to her office.

“It seems like the need grew,” she said.

As word spread, McIntyre realized there was enough of an interest to allow her to go into full-time home care. Now she estimates she has between 50 and 75 clients.

Halford and her dog, Luke, were among the first to take advantage of the house calls. Before that, visits to the vet were so arduous that he had to be sedated.

“When he goes into the vet he turns into a bucking bronco,” McIntyre said. “Trying to restrain him, it ends up being an anesthetic affair.”

The visits became so expensive — $300 to $400 each time — that Halford would combine all dog care appointments into one annual session.

But with the house calls, the impassive Luke can get more regular checkups on his health. Ultimately, it is that kind of intimate attention that leads McIntyre to prefer the care.

By going into the home environment, she can gain valuable insight into the animals habits: what it is being fed — or conversely — what it is eating that it shouldn’t be.

And the stress-free environment has its medicinal benefits as well. Cats, especially indoor ones, don’t take to stress well, McIntyre said, and the exertion can leave some felines with a racing heart, complicating the examination.

“I don’t know if it is stress induced or if the animal has a serious medical condition,” she said.

And compared with working full time in a clinic, operating the mobile service can also be less stressful for her, the mother of three young boys will admit.

The Welcome Waggin’ offers a full range of veterinary services. Working out of a mini-van that is stocked like an animal’s Walgreens, McIntyre said she is as capable as any vet’s office.

“Most things — other than X-rays and surgery — we can do,” she said.

In such instances that require advanced equipment, such as spays and neuterings, McIntyre relies on a referral network of clinics and offices throughout the region.

One of the more often requested services McIntyre has performed has been euthanasia for older animals. She’s found many owners would prefer to spend the final moments with their pet in a familiar place, rather than in a vet’s office.

McIntyre recalled one such appointment for an elderly dog earlier this month. She conducted the procedure on the front lawn, under the warm summer sun.

“The whole thing was very peaceful for the dog and the owner,” she said. “It’s helpful for the grieving process.”