Vets are offering curbside service
Pet clinics taking steps to protect staff, pet owners during outbreak
ATLANTA — Rita Harrell pulled into the Avondale Veterinary Hospital parking lot last week with her 8-week-old chocolate Labrador retriever, Tally, in tow.
A vet technician, dressed in full protective gear, came out to Harrell’s car to get the puppy for her routine shots.
Next, Harrell had a phone consultation with the veterinarian, and soon Tally was bounding back out for the ride home.
Like several other veterinarian clinics and hospitals in metro Atlanta, Avondale is taking precautions to protect staffers and their human clients from the coronavirus by doing parking lot drop-offs and pickups and phone consultations.
“This was very different, but I felt the precautions were needed and I still got her taken care of, which is important,” Harrell said. “I just appreciate that they were still willing to stay open.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the best way to limit getting sick with COVID-19 is to avoid coming in contact with people who might have the virus. They advise people to practice social distancing, which advocates a 6-foot space from each other, and frequent hand-washing.
“We’re trying to strike the balance between helping animals and being good citizens to keep this virus from spreading,” said Dr. Stacy Stacy with the Avondale Veterinary Hospital, which usually sees between 30 and 50 pets a day.
Currently, the clinic is not doing some procedures like nail trims or anal gland expressions. And next week, there are plans to stop elective procedures like spaying or neutering, although they will still do vaccines.
“Honestly, people are just super thankful we’re open,” she said.
Stacy also works in an emergency hospital in Gwinnett County. She said they were slammed last weekend because some clinics are limiting hours or closing for now.
Animal health organizations and health officials said there’s no evidence at this point to indicate pets can get sick with the coronavirus, or that it can be transmitted from pets to humans or vice versa.
When an owner comes into a clinic, though, it can put the staff and other owners at risk. Vet clinics and hospitals are busy places.
Some vets may consider rescheduling elective veterinary procedures or doing telemedicine conferences or phone consultations with owners with whom they already have a relationship.
If nonessential businesses here are ordered to close as they have been in some other states, the state and national veterinary medical associations are advocating that veterinary practices be designated as essential and allowed to remain open.
BluePearl Specialty and Emergency Pet Hospital in Sandy Springs, Ga., is also doing curbside check-in and discharge.
Owners wait in their cars while pets are treated and as doctors communicate by telephone.
“The pets still need to be seen, so our doors will remain open, but we are taking protective measures to make sure everyone is safe,” said Barbara Schick, director of field operations for the Southeast region.
At times, the situation may call for a face-to-face conversation. When that happens, doctors and staffers make sure to follow social distancing guidelines — in the parking lot.
Unfortunately, even a pandemic can’t stop some necessary — and dreaded — procedures such as euthanasia.
Stacy has done euthanasia in a person’s car or if they want to come inside, the office is letting one pet owner accompany the pet.
Dr. Lauren Cassady is the owner of Heron’s Crossing In-Home Pet Euthanasia.
With the spread of COVID-19, Cassady takes extra precautions, including donning shoe covers, a surgical mask and gloves and changing clothes between each appointment.
She also takes payments over the phone. She no longer carries her “favorite doctor’s bag,” opting instead to use a hardcover plastic pencil case that can be easily sanitized.