We know there have been rising concerns regarding pet safety and COVID-19. There is absolutely no need to worry. To put your mind at ease, we’ve debunked some common myths, provided some useful resources, and outlined our approach to handling the current situation.
What does COVID-19 mean for my pet?
Your pet is not at risk of carrying COVID-19. The CDC has reported no COVID-19 cases in pets in the USA.
Do not abandon your pets out of fear of contracting COVID-19 from them or infecting them with COVID-19. If you contract COVID-19, you should restrict contact with your pets. Contact us if you need further advice.
Practice basic hygiene. Wash your hands with soap and water after handling or walking your pets. If you’d like to take extra precautions, you can wipe down your pet with disposable baby/dog wipes after their walks.
Resources
What are we doing to prepare?
We are taking CDC-outlined measures, to prevent any spread in our practice. This includes:
• We have revisited our policies regarding how we to clean our clinic. Our goal is to ensure a clean, safe, and sanitary environment, and our employees are exceeding the guidelines for cleanliness set in place by the CDC. • We've increased the frequency of our cleaning assignments, particularly in the restrooms, exam rooms and lobby. • We are wiping down our counters with disinfectant several times a day. • We have worked with our cleaning and sanitizing partner JANPRO to enhance our already rigorous safety and sanitation guidelines. • We are posting hand sanitizer at our front desk for your access. • We're providing our employees up-to-date information to keep them and their families informed, aware and protected throughout this situation.
• You will be informed if you were in contact with a team member diagnosed with COVID-19.
Alternative appointments
Town & Country West Veterinary Clinic will be open regular hours until further notice. We will encourage our clients to try to be here on time for their appointments. Our Doctors will try to not exceed the appointment times to prevent the conglomeration of clients in our lobby.
We know that some of you may end up quarantined or stuck at home sick. We still want to help you the best we can, so we have introduced some interim methods of treating your pets:
Patient Drop Off: Call and request an appointment to drop off your pet for routine checkups, follow-ups, yearly checkups, bloodwork, nail trimmings, anal glands expressions, fluids, etc. You could also wait in your car while we take care of your pet, simply call us once you are at the clinic and one of our staff members will come to you.?
If you believe you might be affected directly or indirectly, you could ask a friend or family member to bring your pet in for you.
All pets of quarantined people will have to be bathed before receiving medical care.
Telemedicine: For the next following weeks, we will offer Telemedicine appointments for those people not able to get to us. The client will call the front desk and will schedule a Telemedicine appointment. The client will pay the office visit price and at the time of the appointment, the Doctor will reach out to you via Whatsapp, Facetime or Google Duo (based on your preference).
Town & Country West Veterinary Clinic will only diagnose, treat, or prescribe medication to a User with respect to their pet if you have established a valid Veterinarian-Client-Patient Relationship (“VCPR”) under applicable law for the specific pet that is the subject of the VCPR Services. A valid VCPR cannot be established online, by email or over the telephone. The VCPR for the specific pet that is the subject of the Services must have been established within a reasonable time considering the specific condition of the pet but in no case more than a year prior to your provision of VCPR Services to the User on the Site. If you have not established a valid VCPR, we will not provide any services that require a VCPR.
Any service is possible with telemedicine as long as a VCPR is in place, and the attending veterinarian is comfortable assessing the patient remotely and feels able to exercise good clinical judgment to assist the patient. With this service, we are looking to offer advice on a health question regarding their pet, check-in for a follow-up after a previous office visit, or receive a clear answer on whether the pet needs to be seen in person-whether immediately, the following morning or in the next couple of weeks. The client must understand that certain medications will not be able to be prescribed without specific tests like bloodwork, fecal exams, ear examinations, cultures, skin scrapings, corneal exams, etc.
To schedule or switch an appointment, please give us a call at (770) 528-6363.
Please remember that the CDC has expressed that there is no reason to believe pets can transmit COVID-19. We know it’s a stressful time, but please believe that your pets are safe and that you are safe around your pets. Do not abandon your pets because of COVID-19. If you have any more questions, we ‘re here to help!
Stay healthy,
Oliver Carvajal, AIM, BBA, LREA
Practice Manager/ Marketing
Town & Country West Veterinary Clinic
1770 Powder Springs Rd. SW
Marietta, GA 30064
770-528-6363
Photo by Fusion Medical Animation on Unsplash