At the Vets

[Larbear]

At the start of all the shut downs due to COVID, the place where I take my kitties wasn’t letting people in and would come out to your car to get the pets. Things all around me now are opened up again (shops etc) but yet the place where I bring my kitties is still not allowing people to come in with their pets.

My question, is this what other people are experiencing as well? Or are most people able to go back in with their pets? Yes I get the situation about COVID and all that but I’m genuinely curious.

[Zu_Zu]

[B]* still curbside only at my vets … two different vets

• was ok at one vet …no so much at other vet

** much depends on tech skills … and whether they listen

Good Luck Ӣ continues to be a difficult/ worrisome process with both young and senior pets ~ IMHO [/B]

[dressagetraks]

My vet clinic lets people in. Masks are worn. They request only one person per animal/group of animals and only six in the lobby (which is very large, easily distanced for six). They are a four-vet practice with the big clinic for the small animal stuff, but they also do large animal by appointment.

[Larbear]

Ok thanks. I hate not being in there with my kitties. I usually am present when they do blood etc. It’s not that I don’t trust them but I like to be there with them.

[Lunabear1988]

No people in at any vets I’ve been to here in CO. My eye doctor is 2 clients at one time (separate rooms.) The eye doctor was telling me it’s because of the restrictions of sq footage and all that. I think a lot of vets are just avoiding the extra stress from allowing people in.

[DawgLady]

Here in NC, I cannot go into the vet’s office still.

[Sobriska]

In Florida and I am allowed in

[Knubbsy]

In MD and NJ for general clinics and specialized hospitals, I have been waiting in the car. Nothing really changed for the internist and sports med vet other than I get to sit in my car and not have to listen to other peoples’ phone conversations like I would in the waiting room while she’s getting treatment. I can set up my office in my car and be pretty content, someone whose dog gets PT before mine brings a camp chair and a book and parks it under a tree.

[HenryisBlaisin]

The last time I was at my vet (NC), in July, you had to call from your car when you got there and wait there for them to come get you, and they took me and my cat straight to the exam room, no waiting in the lobby at all. After we were done, the tech took the payment, so we never met another client inside and never had contact with the office staff in person. When I went to pick up meds, they did not let me come in; you could pay over the phone or with cash/check but you couldn’t get out of your car–I was fine with that. When I had to have my cat euthanized, I was allowed to spend as much time with him as I wanted before, and I paid before as well, so when it was over I could leave when I was ready–I thought they handled it very well.

BUT that was for a sick visit…for routine stuff (vaccines, blood draws, nail trims etc.) I think they still take the animal inside by itself. I use the mobile vet that comes to my work for vaccines, heart worm meds and that stuff, though, so I’m not positive.

[Alex_and_Bodie_s_Mom]

Here in south central KS, we’re allowed in - at least, at my vet. It’s been that way for several months now. With my cats, though, unless it’s something I really need to be there for, I prefer to drop off and pick up after work - my oldest cat is getting dropped off for subQ’s and an antibiotic injection today, in fact (apparently NOW is the time to stress Mum out by getting an upper respiratory infection on top of kidney disease).

But as cases climb, that may change. My county still has relatively low numbers, but you never know.

[candyappy]

My vet only allows one person in at a time and only 1 person in with the animal being seen. No mask required.

[pony4me]

We have two vets, and we have been to both recently. Neither allows anyone in with the pet, except for euthanasia, where both my husband and I were allowed in. The norm at both is to park, phone the receptionist, put on a mask and wait for a staff member to come take the pet in. Once the pet is inside, all communication is by phone. For med refills, they have a box outside the front door. Your order meds, pay over the phone, and pick them up from the box. We live in Tennessee. Both vets expect this to be in place for the remainder of this calendar year at least.

[DakotaTA]

In Ocala, FL. I had 2 cats euthanized in August and I was allowed in with them. The vet & tech had on masks, but I was so upset I didn’t even think about one and they didn’t mention it. I lost my 19-year-old to renal failure and a 4-year-old to a brain lesion.

First of this month I got a new kitten and I had to stay in the car while they did her blood work and immunizations. They met me at the door to get her in her crate (and my credit card) and then brought her back to their door. The vet called me while they had Ziva in the treatment room and talked over her findings.

[Louise]

We are allowed in, appointments scheduled far enough apart so that there are only a couple of people in the waiting room, and masks are required. I’m in Western New York, where the Covid infection rate is at around 1%

[TheHotSensitiveType]

At the two different vet offices I have used recently, you call the receptionist, and the tech comes out to talk to you before taking the pet into the clinic. My vet has always taken excellent care of our pets and continues to do so whether it was the normal model of going in or what it is now.

The office sent out a mass e-mail having to address the fact that some clients were being verbally abusive to staff. No one likes how things are right now but taking out frustrations on staff is not going to fix anything, except the client needing to find a new vet!

[Larbear]

@DakotaTA

In Ocala, FL. I had 2 cats euthanized in August and I was allowed in with them. The vet & tech had on masks, but I was so upset I didn’t even think about one and they didn’t mention it. I lost my 19-year-old to renal failure and a 4-year-old to a brain lesion.

First of this month I got a new kitten and I had to stay in the car while they did her blood work and immunizations. They met me at the door to get her in her crate (and my credit card) and then brought her back to their door. The vet called me while they had Ziva in the treatment room and talked over her findings.

Aww, I’m so sorry about the loss of your 2 cats

[DakotaTA]

@Larbear

Aww, I’m so sorry about the loss of your 2 cats

Thanks. 2020 has been a total s**t show. I can only hope this year gets over eventually. It’s been one thing after another. I expected to lose the old girl, but the young one was a total shock. She went from healthy to euthanasia in about 5 days, although thinking back there were signs leading up to the diagnosis.

Attached cat tax. She has 6 toes on each front foot. Meet Ziva. Obviously well worn cat tree!

[ATTACH=JSON]{“data-align”:“none”,“data-size”:“medium”,“data-attachmentid”:10757806}[/ATTACH]

[Chall]

Perspective: I have to get a Covid test before seeing any doctor (for humans). Theoretically my vet should demanding a test on me if I wanted to go in person with my pet.
(Hypothetical as I am currently pet-less)

[cayuse]

I’ve been to the vets a lot this year. Probably 10 times. Curbside pickup and delivery only and they plan on keeping it this way. I have an appointment this morning for my elderly cat’s bloodwork and I asked them about it and was told they have no plans to change this routine. When our other cat was PTS last month I was not allowed in for his exam but when we made the decision it was his time, I was allowed to enter the facility to say goodbye. Emergency vet clinic operating the same way. This is in New Hampshire.

[dressagetraks]

@Chall

Perspective: I have to get a Covid test before seeing any doctor (for humans). Theoretically my vet should demanding a test on me if I wanted to go in person with my pet.
(Hypothetical as I am currently pet-less)

I just had my routine annual physical a month ago. Wondered if they would cancel it, but they didn’t. No test was required. They did have a questionnaire of about 15 questions, they took temp (at the lobby and later in the exam room), and required masks, but no mention at any point, including the “confirm your appointment” text a few days prior, of tests being required. The lobby had some chairs removed, but those chairs remaining I would say were 80% full. They were doing a good business that day, and nobody (judging from temps, questions, and the fact that they were waiting in the lobby instead of whisked straight back) was there for COVID suspicions or symptoms. Perfectly routine appointment. The only different thing from last year besides the above precautions was that the doc himself during the exam ran through about 10 questions which obviously were geared toward pinpointing depression. That had never happened in any previous appointment with him. I can understand this year being more mentally stressful for many people, though, so good idea to ask everyone.

I just called the clinic again yesterday to make an appointment with the nurse. On my routine blood work, he suggested throwing in a thyroid panel just because I’ve never had one. Lo and behold, that was the outstanding abnormality on the test. Well out of whack, although I’m not having symptoms except for being cold, but I’m always cold. Anyway, we discussed this on email, and he wanted to do another test in a month to rule out lab hiccup before we consider thyroid replacement. Since it’s been nearly a month, I called to get an appointment just for a blood draw. They don’t have specific lab personnel there; you make an appointment with the nurse, though I won’t have to see the doc. The receptionist did ask if I had any COVID symptoms. She compressed that to one instead of the 15 question version; I’m sure I’ll get the 15 questions with temp again when I enter the building. But again, no mention at all of a COVID test being required, and no hesitation on scheduling.