C19 virus. What are the protocols for your veterinarian visits ?

jcat

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That's the same procedure we have in this part of Germany.
The only exceptions I've learned of were two dogs that unfortunately had to be euthanized. In both cases the owners were permitted to go inside and stay with their pets.

Just speaking from my experience working at a shelter and taking residents, strays and pets being boarded to vets, some animals are actually more cooperative when their owners aren't with them during exams. :dunno:
 

Jcatbird

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I have three scheduled next week in one day. I need to be catching the Clowder up on wellness checks. I have to wit in the car and will not know anything unless they contact me or until the exams are over! These were all rescues and I have a great many to get updated since we could not get an appointment before now. My part Bengals are a big worry since one of the vets is nervous with them. I am hoping that as we progress through the Clowder, some adjustments may come into play. I managed to convince my daughter’s doctor to let me in during surgical
Procedures but getting in with my kitties probably won’t happen. Short of getting hired on.......
It’s going to be a long hot summer here in the south. Masks and gloves are still the routine for me. Whatever it takes to keep the kitties healthy.
 

Sarabismom

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I’m in northern NJ and it’s the same process here. Today is Augustus’ first vet visit for his vaccinations. I’m worried about him going alone but he is so young I doubt he will even remember it. Sarabi will be due for her annual exam but I will probably hold off until At least one of us can go in with her because she gets so much anxiety.
 

Purr-fect

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I guess I should start by saying I’m in Los Angeles county with about ten million other people. I have an appointment coming up Friday and I’m not happy about the way they’re doing it. I am instructed to park, call them, and someone will come out and gets my cat and take him inside. I stay in my car and talk on the phone for the examination.

I’m having a hard time with this. My little guy gets badly stressed out. I want to be with him.

What are your experiences/thoughts ?
Thats pretty much how we had to do it when we took greg to the vets. As restrictions start to ease, you could probably come into the
Clinic. But if he needs treatment now, you cant wait.

We could only talk to the vet by phone. But she was very helpful and I dont think his treatment was compromised because of the covid restrictions.
 

She's a witch

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Thank you for your reply. I think my kitty Peko has worms. I saw one “peeking out” a couple times, so I want to have him treated. I worry because he’s not comfortable with strangers, even at home.
Can you arrange with them that you’ll bring a stool sample for them to examine and give you a medicine to apply at home? Given the circumstances, I imagine they’d do it.
 

betsygee

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I guess I should start by saying I’m in Los Angeles county with about ten million other people. I have an appointment coming up Friday and I’m not happy about the way they’re doing it. I am instructed to park, call them, and someone will come out and gets my cat and take him inside. I stay in my car and talk on the phone for the examination.

I’m having a hard time with this. My little guy gets badly stressed out. I want to be with him.

What are your experiences/thoughts ?
I'm on the California central coast. Same routine here. One of our cats was so sick in April we sadly had to have him euthanized. They made an exception to their 'no people inside' rule and let both me and my spouse go in to be with him while they put him to sleep :sigh: which I appreciated very much.

I don't like not being able to go in for exams and tests but that's the way it is right now. The vets have to keep themselves and their staff safe.
 

gilmargl

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I live in Germany, and I wonder why things are more strict when I take a cat to the vet, than when I go to my GP, supermarket, fitness studio or hairdresser. Although one vet I visited recently, does allow one person plus animal into the building at a time. The door between the waiting room and the examination room remains open and a chair placed in the doorway for the animal owner to sit. He or she can watch the procedure and hold a normal conversation with the vet and technician. It worked alright for me and my cat, though I missed being shown her teeth. :)
 

fionasmom

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I have held off on cats so far and will probably try to do so until something can safely open up...given that no one has an emergency. The dog is a different story as his condition is not that stable.

Glad to hear that some vets were allowing owners in for euthanasia. I believe that under those circumstances some safe protocol could be arranged.
 

Kieka

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I live in Germany, and I wonder why things are more strict when I take a cat to the vet,
I know here, my vet is a small one vet practice. She told me that she is taking every precaution to make sure she doesn't get sick because too many lives depend on her being healthy enough to care for the cats. She is keeping things very strict because as a health care professional she understands the severity of things and isn't prone to media spins.
 

goingpostal

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My visit today went well, although it was weird not being there for exams. I bring in my dogs, cats and ferrets, my vet is almost three hours away so it's a whole circus. I worry about my older dog who is super hyper and my Bengal who is very... sharp but apparently everyone behaved themselves. It was a shots year and most of the animals needed bloodwork so we were there awhile but that's pretty normal. A tech came out to grab each pet and we stayed in the car, at the end the vet called and then came out and chatted with us for awhile.
 

gilmargl

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I know here, my vet is a small one vet practice. She told me that she is taking every precaution to make sure she doesn't get sick because too many lives depend on her being healthy enough to care for the cats. She is keeping things very strict because as a health care professional she understands the severity of things and isn't prone to media spins.
That's fair enough. My GP (also a one-woman practice) and her staff are extremely concerned - not about getting the virus themselves - but about passing it on to elderly patients, who are far more at risk than they are. The medical staff will not be tested until they show symptoms, which, even if they get the infection, is not always the case. Hopefully, a vaccine will soon be found - they will be the first to volunteer to test it!
At the surgery, people are still arriving without masks. Dementia patients can't understand why they have to wear this thing which makes it difficult to breathe. They get very upset and hysterical. But the staff are being as understanding and helpful as possible, and this does sometimes mean bending the rules to keep patients calm.
 

Sarabismom

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The medical staff will not be tested until they show symptoms, which, even if they get the infection, is not always the case.
I work in the Emergency Room in a large hospital that was hit hard with COVID and I recently got tested for the antibodies and was positive... I didn’t have any of the typical symptoms except loss of smell, but I also had a raging sinus infection and it was before they announced loss of smell as a symptom. I also had a low grade fever and really severe eye pain preceding the sinus infection. The scary thing about the virus is that the presentation varies SO MUCH.
 

CatLover49

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I guess I should start by saying I’m in Los Angeles county with about ten million other people. I have an appointment coming up Friday and I’m not happy about the way they’re doing it. I am instructed to park, call them, and someone will come out and gets my cat and take him inside. I stay in my car and talk on the phone for the examination.

I’m having a hard time with this. My little guy gets badly stressed out. I want to be with him.

What are your experiences/thoughts ?
Im in Reidsville NC
And thats the protocol here also
And no I didn't like it..And I know my Snowball didn't
 

daftcat75

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I live in Germany, and I wonder why things are more strict when I take a cat to the vet, than when I go to my GP, supermarket, fitness studio or hairdresser. Although one vet I visited recently, does allow one person plus animal into the building at a time. The door between the waiting room and the examination room remains open and a chair placed in the doorway for the animal owner to sit. He or she can watch the procedure and hold a normal conversation with the vet and technician. It worked alright for me and my cat, though I missed being shown her teeth. :)
I am in San Jose, CA where they still haven't opened hair studios yet. But they have allowed dog groomers to open. 🤔 Another month and it may come to that. 😹
 

Tobermory

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I took Lily in this morning. I called from the parking lot, and the vet tech came out, wrote down some info, and took Lily into the clinic and directly into an exam room so she didn’t have to be around other animals. Before he examined her, the vet came out and reviewed several things with me. I had also typed up a one-page info sheet about her symptoms, her changed behaviors, background on her litter box use, what and how much I feed her, and the supplements she’s getting. We talked through my written summary, too.

After he examined her, he came back out and spent about 20 minutes going over her condition and next steps. Then the vet tech brought Lily out and off we went. I called when I got home and paid with a credit card. As much as I would have preferred to be in the room when he examined her, it worked out well. I was so relieved it went smoothly. Lily’s got some old age stuff going on, but nothing critical at this point.

And here’s the funny thing: Lily is usually horrible when I take her to the vet, growling and hissing and occasionally trying to bite. But when the vet tech brought her back to me this morning, she said, “She was so sweet! She purred and head butted me and was really good.” So apparently she’s a brat only when I’m in the room with her!

kittypa kittypa , I hope your fever has come down and you’re doing okay.
 

jcat

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And here’s the funny thing: Lily is usually horrible when I take her to the vet, growling and hissing and occasionally trying to bite. But when the vet tech brought her back to me this morning, she said, “She was so sweet! She purred and head butted me and was really good.” So apparently she’s a brat only when I’m in the room with her!
I've seen that fairly often. There are a number of people who board their cat or dog at the shelter for a day or so in order for a staff member to take the pet for a routine exam, shots, dental cleaning, grooming, etc.. It's not that the owner hates going, but that the pet is better behaved. They're usually also better about taking meds. Maybe they figure they can't get anywhere by throwing a temper tantrum? For decades, my parents used to schedule their dogs' and cat's routine stuff for when I was visiting. It got so the vet hospital would ask when I was coming from Germany so they could schedule appointments in advance. :lol: My sister did the honors if I couldn't come.
 

Tobermory

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I've seen that fairly often. There are a number of people who board their cat or dog at the shelter for a day or so in order for a staff member to take the pet for a routine exam, shots, dental cleaning, grooming, etc.. It's not that the owner hates going, but that the pet is better behaved. They're usually also better about taking meds. Maybe they figure they can't get anywhere by throwing a temper tantrum? For decades, my parents used to schedule their dogs' and cat's routine stuff for when I was visiting. It got so the vet hospital would ask when I was coming from Germany so they could schedule appointments in advance. :lol: My sister did the honors if I couldn't come.
Who knew? It did make me feel better about not being in the room. And it suggests that when she goes to the vet in the future and I’m allowed in the room, perhaps I should wait until the exam is through!
 
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