There are a lot of reasons why taking your pet to the vet can be stressful, but Good Karma Mobile Veterinary Therapy takes away many of those problems by coming to treat your pet in your home.
Does your big dog have a hard time getting in and out of the car? Does your cat detest being put in a carrier? Is your current vet’s office closed by the time you can get there after work? Do you have a lot of pets that require multiple appointments? Or, maybe, you just don’t like pet fur all over your car?
The husband-and-wife team of Dr. Sharly and Dr. Jacky Saleep, both of whom are Doctors of Veterinary Medicine (DVMs), will see your cat or dog in your home, relieving a lot of the stress a trip to the vet can cause.
The doctors say their practice is “fear-free,” focusing on ensuring that your pet or pets are as comfortable as possible and taking as long as needed to ensure that your fur babies have a positive experience.
“We are completely mobile and do everything in the pet’s house,” Dr. Jacky says. “We never rush and it’s always fun to see pets in their home environments.”Â
Dr. Jacky is a Miami native who moved to Australia to attend veterinary school at the University of Sydney. From there, she had the opportunity to travel to other countries as part of her studies and, in her final year of vet school, she met Dr. Sharly in Egypt.
He is the son of a large-animal veterinarian in Egypt, where Dr. Sharly grew up. Both Dr. Sharly and his father completed their education in veterinary medicine at Assiut University in Asyut, Egypt. Dr. Sharly graduated with honors in 2010.
He then spent three years working with his father, caring for large animals, such as camels, buffalo, donkeys, cows, sheep, goats, rabbits and turkeys. When he wanted to do more surgeries and work more with smaller animals, Dr. Sharly moved to Hurghada, Egypt.
That’s where he met Dr. Jacky, who was studying abroad, before she graduated from vet school in 2017.
“We almost missed each other,” she laughs, explaining that a paperwork error put her in the same clinic with him for just one week. If the mistake hadn’t been made, they would never have even crossed paths.
The pair got married in Las Vegas in 2018 and moved to Miami. But, in 2020, they decided to come to Wesley Chapel to raise their family. At the time, both were working for corporate veterinary medicine companies.
The doctors have two daughters, ages four and three, and a one-year-old son. They also have two Italian greyhounds, two cats, fish and a dozen chickens.
“Our daughter was diagnosed with autism and needed 30 or 40 hours a week of therapy,” explains Dr. Jacky. But. at that time, their schedules were dictated by a corporation and were not flexible, so they knew they needed to do something different.
Opening their own practice together was something they had talked about for a long time, especially because Dr. Jacky wanted to use her broad range of skills, including in animal acupuncture and laser therapy, which weren’t part of her former practice.
The pair launched Good Karma together in June 2023.Â
Today, their mobile vet service offers wellness exams, vaccines, laser therapy, acupuncture and treatments for allergies and other common ailments, such as ear infections.
Dr. Jacky says laser therapy is really good for healing, especially for older pets dealing with chronic pain, since the laser penetrates and works at a cellular level. She also offers both traditional acupuncture and laser acupuncture.
While the vets mostly treat dogs and cats, they occasionally do treat exotic pets and also offer acupuncture for horses.
They say their services are perfect for someone who has a lot of pets, who can’t travel, or who is short on time. They even offer some after-hours and weekend appointments, and everything they do is designed to help keep your pet or pets calm and comfortable.
“Let’s say the cat wants to be in the closet,” says Dr. Sharly. “We can actually do the appointment in the closet. I’ve seen cats in bathrooms, too.”
The doctors don’t do surgeries, dental cleanings or handle emergencies, but there are ways they can help if your pet experiences something that causes you to worry.
“Emergencies tend to happen at the worst times,” says Dr. Sharly. “But, our business hours are until 8 p.m., so if you get home from work and your pet is sick, you can call us and we will answer the phone.”Â
If they are able to see the pet, they can examine and stabilize it before sending it to an emergency facility, if necessary. But, even if they can’t get to the pet, they know the patient and its history, so they can provide guidance and recommendations in an urgent situation.
Dr. Jacky adds, “We really get to know our pet patients because we’re going into their homes. It’s not like a corporate environment where we’re seeing dozens of pets and sometimes can’t remember them.”
Another service offered by the Good Karma vets is euthanasia.Â
Dr. Jacky says that when you reach a point where there’s nothing else that can be done for your pet, Good Karma can come to your home so your pet will be home and comfortable during his or her last moments.
“It’s an honor to serve families in this way,” says Dr. Jacky. “It’s actually okay for the pets. They get ice cream or treats, get good medicine and then go to sleep. But, a (big part) of euthanasia is actually taking care of the family.”
She says most pets in this case have lived a long, happy life, and she has helped many families get through their grief.Â
(Photo provided by Good Karma Veterinary Therapy)Â
Krissy and Matt Hem live in Meadow Pointe and are pet parents to Gunnar, an 8-year-old Greater Swiss Mountain Dog, also known as a “Swissy.”
Since Gunnar weighs more than 100 pounds, he has been having some hip problems as he ages, so Krissy started searching for laser therapy for him.
As a nurse anesthetist, Krissy works long hours at the hospital and can’t always get to a vet’s office while they’re open, so she loves that Good Karma comes to her once she gets home from work.
“They combine the best of both worlds — with both conventional and eastern medicine,” says Krissy, who worked as a veterinary technician before starting her career in caring for people. “I feel like the care is more thorough than a typical veterinary office, and they always call and check on him.”
Krissy and Matt plan to get a puppy soon, and when they do, they will have Good Karma come to their home to check on their new pup. She really likes that she won’t have to take a new puppy, with its vulnerable immune system, into a clinic where it could pick something up from someone else’s sick pet.
“I’m probably a little biased, but as someone who has worked in medicine for both people and animals, I really appreciate the thoroughness and especially the compassion they show.”
To set up an appointment with Good Karma Veterinary Therapy, pet owners can call or text (813) 291-3570, email GoodKarmaVeterinaryTherapy@gmail.com, or fill out a form to send a message at GoodKarmaVeterinaryTherapy.com.
