Taking a pet to the veterinarian looks different in the age of COVID-19.
Country Pet Hospital and Alpine Veterinary Clinic manager Gurpal Brar said the thing that most differs from visits before the pandemic is requiring the customer to wait outside while their pet is seen by staff.
“We have the receptionist go out front, get information and a brief history, discuss eating habits and levels of activity, symptoms and vaccine records, then bring the pet in for an exam,” Brar said.
After examining the pet, the doctor will go outside and talk directly with owners.
One hurdle involved with treating animals this way, Brar said, is that pet owners aren’t present during examinations and visits to give extra details that might be pertinent to the situation.
Brar said the little bits of information pet owners spontaneously offer during a regular, non-distanced visit can sometimes be important, but can go overlooked with owners now asked to wait outside.
Steele Canyon Veterinary Clinic office manager Lindsay West said they follow a similar procedure — intake at the storefront — but said they also have some patients hand off their animals without any interaction.
“We do have some clients who are immunocompromised and for those patients we offer a large kennel where they can pass off their animal without having someone come to their car. Basically, they leave the animal there, still in side of their car and answer all the questions by phone,” West said. Having to euthanize a pet is another hurdle as pet owners want to spend those last few moments together but aren’t able to do while also remaining distanced from veterinary staff members.
Brar said the only workaround they sometimes employ at the two Alpine facilities he manages is to treat the animal at a window where owners remain separated by glass but technically are present for the procedure.
Steele Canyon Veterinary Clinic staff has one room that opens directly to the exterior where they are able to perform euthanasia treatments while isolated from the rest of the facility, West said. However, she too cautioned that everything feels more removed.
She also said they have been busier since many shelters were cleared of adoptable animals when San Diegans first were asked to remain at home as much as possible.
“We’re seeing more patients than usual. They cleared the shelters when COVID hit because everyone was at home so that perpetuated the flow, also some of our emergency rooms are closing in the middle of the night.
Everyone is busy but we have to keep things clean. We’re really cautious, one technician per pet, keeping things in line.
She said taking on extra cleaning wasn’t especially hard because “in our industry, we deal a lot with messes and germs and hair so we’re constantly cleaning”.
Looking ahead, West said they will continue to streamline their intake process and will likely stagger appointments differently when distancing eventually lifts so there are fewer people passing through the office when clients are again able to come into the facility.
