Do you have a pet living in your home during the coronavirus pandemic? If you are living with a pet or pets at this time, you probably also have a veterinarian. If your pet is healthy, you may not have had to visit your veterinarian during the stay-at-home, but there’s a good chance you know whether your veterinary clinic is open or not. If it’s open, you probably know that its protocols must certainly have changed during the pandemic, for the health and safety of its staff and its clients, like you.
To find out how their clinics and their clients are adjusting to pandemic protocols, I asked veterinarians some specific questions about the changes they’ve chosen to make and how those changes are working for their clinics, for their clients, and for the pets under their care.
Ruth L. Heller, DVM (Pennsylvania)
Your clinic—what new protocols has your practice instituted to protect staff and clients from the coronavirus?
No clients allowed in the hospital except for end-of-life or very aggressive, and when we need the owner present to handle animals—in those cases, the owners must be masked and gloved. Call upon arrival and a masked/gloved staff member will bring the animal in or bring meds/food out. Pay over the phone or staff will bring in the payment.
What is your local authority allowing you to do/not do?
No elective procedures or non-essential appointments.
How did you inform your clients of the new protocols?
Announced on the hospital’s Facebook page, a big sign on the door, clients are told when they call to schedule or order meds. Next reminder cards to go out will also contain the information.
How are your clients doing in complying with the new rules?
LOL.
Actually, surprisingly well for the most part, although we have had a few try to follow my staff members into the hospital. A couple of people have simply walked in and been ordered immediately back out.
We are playing a form of bingo involving this—one of the squares is clients tailgating in the parking lot. Not so far!
How is your business doing during the stay-at-home order?
A bit slower than usual for this time of year, obviously. This is heartworm test/renewal season and we aren’t supposed to be doing the testing, so are just renewing and will catch the tests later. No wellness exams or routine blood work. New puppies/kittens can be seen, so there is that, at least. Busy with sick animals, sadly.
Photo by Marianne Mongeon Wilder
Lori Leah Monet, DVM (Colorado)
We don’t allow clients in except for end-of-life also. We are doing some surgeries that should not be postponed. We had three attack-by-dog calls last Monday and two other calls. (Evidently, social distancing increases dog fights because no one owns a six-foot leash.) Also tumors, pyometras, breast cancers, other lacerations, and foreign bodies.
Adult pets don’t go in exam rooms, which is good for the cleaning crew . . . less work. We see adult pets in the treatment room. Puppies and kittens are at risk without vaccines and must be seen, so not using the exam rooms as often lowers their risk in the clinic because no other animals are being seen in that area.
Our issue is that people don’t understand urgent or emergent care. At first, they insisted that nail trims and checking growths that had been there for months were urgent.
Also, we are a walk-in facility and clients are getting angry that we allow only one pet in at a time, so they have to wait in their cars. We give an approximate time; they think it should be an exact appointment. First come, first served. Medications and food are delivered to the car.
The bad part for me is not being able to ask questions directly. This increases the time we see the patient—thus the wait time—because of lack of or confusing communication. For example, vomiting. When? What color? What consistency? How long? What does the animal do before, during, after?
Threats from clients to “go elsewhere,” as if other vets aren’t just as tight or more so. About 20% of vets in our area are closed or on short hours.
Summer Storm Kingery, DVM (North Carolina)
Your clinic—what new protocols has your practice instituted to protect staff and clients from the coronavirus?
Curbside since early March. We were early adopters. We wear PPE to collect patients from vehicles—gloves/masks. We use our leashes, which are sanitized, and we wipe down crates with products rated for coronavirus. We reuse PPE, sanitizing between patients for gloves and each day for masks. We use a mobile credit card machine and clean it between each client. We also sanitize the door and areas used for exams between pets. We are making exceptions for euthanasias.
What is your local authority allowing you to do/not do?
We are an essential business. We are being encouraged to stick to necessary procedures, which—with endemic rabies, parvo, distemper, FELV, lepto—includes vaccines.
How did you inform your clients of the new protocols?
We have posted on our website, our social media, our doors. When people call us, we inform them, and when we confirm appointments, we remind people.
How are your clients doing in complying with the new rules?
95% great and appreciative. A few complaints. We have ended our relationship with a client over unreasonable expectations during this pandemic. Many clients tell us how much they appreciate that we are taking action. The biggest concern expressed is whether their pets will be treated as well in their absence. I think that fades when I get on the phone and am so effusive about how amazing their pet is. Also pictures of shy anxious dogs sitting in my lap looking happy and relaxed help a lot.
How is your business doing during the stay-at-home order?
Mixed. Far fewer visits, but those coming in are very sick. Financially, we are dependent on those very sick cases right now and that makes me nervous and sad. It means there isn’t much leeway for cutting costs. There never is, but right now I haven’t taken any income home in two months, and we did have to reduce our staff by half. I’m wearing every hat imaginable right now—reception, kennel cleaner, assistant, tech, janitor, manager. Also, every free moment is focused on trying to figure out how to survive COVID. I adore my clients. I enjoy talking to them, seeing their videos, hearing their stories . . . and these protocols rob us of those interactions. Additionally, it is much more difficult to explain complex issues without visuals. There’s a lot of heart in this profession and, as usual, we are wearing it on our sleeves to help our patients and our clients.
What’s your veterinary clinic doing differently to protect you, your pets, and their clinic staff during the pandemic? If you don’t know, check the clinic’s Facebook page or website, or call to ask. What’s considered essential care and what’s not? Have hours changed? Should you go in for regular shots? Don’t wait for an emergency to find out if and how your veterinarian can help you. Get that information now, ahead of time, so you’ll have it when you need it!
