Emergency Veterinary Medicine during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Image by Jeanne Taylor

WRITTEN BY: SHANNON GRAHAM, DVM VETERINARY SPECIALT Y CARE

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to significant changes in our daily life, not excluding visits to the emergency veterinary hospital. Veterinary care is considered an essential service, so Veterinary Specialty Care has continued to be open 24/7 to provide emergency and specialty care for pets while making changes to keep the staff and clients as safe as possible. Both clients and veterinary staff have had to adjust to these significant and sometimes challenging changes during this pandemic.

Like many veterinary clinics around the country, we have implemented multiple policies to reduce the risk of Covid-19 spread, keep our clients and staff as safe as possible, and allow us to continue to serve the Lowcountry. We have adopted a “curbside service only” policy. No clients are permitted inside the hospital, with an exception for euthanasia. When a client arrives at our hospital, they wait in their car and call the posted phone number. The client is screened via a brief survey to evaluate the risk of Covid-19 exposure before the appropriate level of personal protective equipment (PPE) is determined for the triage technician to go to the car to bring the patient inside. The pet owner fills out an online client & patient intake form, and all of the communication for the remainder of the visit is completed via phone calls and other forms of telecommunication. All staff members must wear masks at all times and various levels of PPE as needed, and our staff must take their temperature at the start of each shift. We have established additional sanitation protocols for the hospital and guidelines for the staff to adhere while inside and outside of the hospital, including mandatory quarantine in certain situations.

I know that going to an emergency veterinary hospital is already very stressful for pet owners, especially during a global pandemic. It is difficult for the pet owners as they anxiously wait in their cars, unable to visit their hospitalized pets, and even receive upsetting news concerning their pet over the phone. In addition, many people have been affected financially by COVID-19, due to being furloughed or their place of work being temporarily closed. This financial strain and the additional fear of future job and financial instability can create overwhelming feelings of anxiety and stress for pet owners and affects how they are able to make decisions concerning their pet’s veterinary care. Veterinary Specialty care has made efforts to address and reduce these concerns by offering frequent updates while owners are waiting in their cars, providing photos and frequent updates about their hospitalized pets and presenting healthcare financing service options and variable levels of diagnostic & treatment estimates for their pet’s care.

“Telemedicine” and these protocols are new for the veterinary staff as well. We miss the personal interactions with our clients and the ability to see their reactions and non-verbal communication to gauge their understanding of their pet’s diagnosis and recommended treatment. As a veterinarian, it can be more difficult to gain the owner’s trust without ever meeting them in-person and to be unable to hug and comfort owners as they say good-bye to their beloved pet. There is also some reduction in efficiency and communication that occurs due to the staff adjusting to the new way of doing their job, technological difficulties like dropped calls, owners rushing to the hospital and forgetting their cell phone or phone charger at home, or delay in testing and treatment due to being unable to get in contact with owners due to cell phones being on silent or clients leaving the parking lot before speaking with the doctor. Emergency veterinary medicine is a rewarding but stressful and emotionally taxing profession, without the additional obstacles that are present during a global pandemic. There are staff shortages due to lack of childcare and staff being quarantined for potential COVID exposures or immunosuppression, an increase in overflow of cases from family veterinarians that have had to block out longer appointment times and reduce the cases they are able to see each day, and medication, PPE, and other product shortages from these supplies being prioritized for use in human healthcare. The staff has experienced situations of clients projecting their overwhelming feelings of stress and frustration that have been building during quarantine on them and coping with their own fear of potentially being exposed to COVID-19 while working and bringing it home to loved ones.

However, with these challenges, there have also been many positive things that I have noticed at our emergency hospital and in our community over the past couple of months. Overall, clients have been extremely patient, grateful for the hospital staying open through the pandemic, and understanding of the transition to telemedicine. Pet owners and pets are enjoying the increased quality of time at home together, and pets are also providing a necessary companionship during a time of social distancing. Pet owners are witnessing behaviors like itchy skin, intermittent limping, coughing, and increased water intake and urination that they are realizing are more frequent than they thought and seeking care for these issues. Owners are also picking up on subtle signs that may have gone unnoticed for a longer time, which helps lead to an earlier diagnosis, treatment, and often a better prognosis for their pets. There has also been an increase in animal fostering and adoption due to the extra time available at home to train and care for these animals.

As we continue to receive more updates from the CDC and government as well as recommendations from the AVMA regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, the policies that Veterinary Specialty Care have in place also continue to change. Our goal with these policies is to continue to serve the Charleston, and surrounding communities while providing the safest possible environment for our clients and staff members. While this pandemic continues to be a moving target, our goals and commitments to the community remain the same. I have provided some helpful tips if your pet requires a visit to our emergency hospital during the pandemic.

Helpful Tips When Visiting Veterinary Specialty Care:

1. Visit the hospital’s website to be familiar with what to expect upon arrival. It is helpful to fill out the online client and patient intake form before-hand to expedite the check-in process, but it can be completed upon arrival as well. 2. It is helpful to bring your pet’s medical records, especially during the evenings and weekend when your family veterinary clinic is closed. 3. If you are immunocompromised, sick, or have been around someone who is sick, please arrange for a healthy family member or friend to bring your pet to the hospital. 4. When you arrive at the hospital, stay in your car and call the hospital’s posted phone number and select the appropriate location. 5. A triage technician will come to your car to take your pet inside for the exam and duration of the visit. It is recommended that you are wearing a mask as well during this interaction. Your small pets must be in a carrier and the dogs will be secured with a slip lead for their walk into the hospital. 6. Be readily available by phone. It is recommended to have your ring on loud and have a charger with you, so you can receive phone calls from the veterinary staff to discuss your pet’s history, estimate, diagnostic tests, and treatments. 7. Please do not leave the parking lot without veterinary staff approval. Some visits are very quick and others may require time for diagnostic testing and treatments that will allow for time for you to leave to pick up lunch or run an errand. 8. Checkout will be performed over the phone. Paying via a debit or credit care is preferred, but cash is accepted. 9. Your pet will be brought back to your car with discharge instructions and any medications to go home. 10. Most importantly, please be patient and kind. The veterinary staff strives to provide the best care for your pet, while keeping you as safe as possible during this pandemic. ■