Vet Clinics in the Time of COVID: We have been here all along.
Veterinary clinics, deemed essential services, have remained open during the COVID pandemic. Business, of course, has not been as usual. We, like everyone else, have been trying to manage the whirlwind of constant change.
On April 3rd, we were mandated to provide only urgent care. This created some issues, as most vet offices in Ontario are general practices (ie: NOT urgent care facilities). As such, much like your GP’s office, we are designed for wellness visits, routine procedures and the like.
While we do manage emergencies, we do not have an ICU (with continuous overnight staff). Add COVID into the mix – with reduced hours, less staff, and longer appointment times – and the ability to manage critical cases becomes even more limited.
At first, with no daycare, we relied a lot on telemedicine with technicians onsite. This went about as well as one would expect with an 8-month old and a 2.5-year old at home (insert latest Zoom meme here).
Then, when a shared schedule with my husband (also an essential worker) was sorted, we transitioned to “drive-up” appointments while maintaining locked doors[1]. Pets are collected from the vehicle from staff wearing PPE, and owners are communicated with over the phone.
Visits to the vet clinic look very different today. For the most part … they take longer!
The May 14th announcement from the provincial government allowed us to return to routine care. Let me tell you, that after the last few months, a day filled with new puppy and kitten appointments was more than welcomed!
As we continue to wade through the backlog of vaccine, wellness and elective surgery appointments, I imagine we are facing some of the same challenges as dentists, optometrists, chiropractors and physiotherapists.
We are small, local businesses with governing bodies to guide us, but we must proceed with our own clinical judgement. What is best for our staff? What is best for our clients and patients? And what do we need to do to ensure our business survives?
We are incredibly lucky to have been able to continue providing veterinary care to this amazing community, even though what that looks like has changed several times over the last few months.
What the new normal will look like, we all, of course, have yet to see. In the meantime, I will continue to snuggle every fluffy friend I see and try my best to comfort and support pet parents remotely on the phone.
For further reading:
Social distancing in vet clinic.mp4
Coronavirus: Ontario outlines what can restart for Stage 1 of reopening province beginning Tuesday