Lessons Learned From the Pandemic

It’s no surprise that veterinary workers faced new challenges when the coronavirus pandemic began. Those difficulties included more than just the need for social distancing, and the solutions needed to overcome them have changed how many professionals in the field are approaching the way they treat patients and work with clients. One of the largest problems veterinary practices have faced is an increasing number of patients even while staff shortages and safety measures limited how many animals could be seen in a day. Emily Ione-Kinney, a veterinary technician in emergency and critical care at Mountain West Veterinary Specialists, attributed the shift to more people working remotely. “There’s been an increase in early recognition of chronic illness since owners are at home and watching their pets more closely,” Ione-Kinney said. "General practices are often fully booked as a result, which in turn leads to people bringing animals to the ER for situations that don’t require immediate care.” Some veterinary medical professionals have turned to telemedicine to keep up with the increased workload. By identifying which patients are in need of urgent care and which are not, doctors can see more patients and use their time more wisely. Dr. Kara Tassone, a veterinarian at Mountain West Veterinary Specialists and past president of the Utah Veterinary Medical Association, has seen the benefits firsthand. “It’s much easier to triage multiple patients at a time without running back and forth to exam rooms,” she said. “We can accommodate more patients per doctor at one time.” However, communication became more challenging with the pandemic, and telemedicine can’t help with that. “Without face-to-face conversation,” said Tassone, “Clients have a hard time trusting a new veterinarian and facility. It’s already difficult for people to trust a doctor who is not the one they normally see. Adding the inability to come into the building and see the faces of those who take your pet dramatically increases their stress.” That, in turn, often leads to staff taking the brunt of people’s frustration. Ione-Kinney noted that while many clients showed veterinary workers patience and generosity, others were less than understanding.

Dr. Kara Tassone. Photo courtesy of Tassone. Dr. Isaac Bott. Photo by McKay Jensen.

“Over the last 20 months, veterinary medicine as a whole has seen the best and worst of clients,” she said. “We’ve

been pushed to our breaking point, with caseloads increasing exponentially and clients demanding more of veterinary staff while offering less understanding about wait times, critical cases, or staff shortages.” Tassone noticed frustrations boiling over toward staff members. However, the rise in patient numbers and the urgency with which many pet owners brought in their animals for care highlighted for her just how important veterinary care workers are. “The pandemic has solidified for me that many people find the care we offer to their animals is essential,” Tassone said. “I wondered when this all started if people would only have animals seen for very

urgent issues and put off minor things, but it seems to have been the opposite.” She added that many veterinary workers are feeling both relief and stress over how much they’re needed. Dr. Isaac Bott, veterinarian and owner of Mountain West Animal Hospital, has also had time to reflect on how veterinarians fit into society after a first-hand experience with COVID-19. “The pandemic certainly has changed my perspective,” Bott said. “I became very ill, and for a while, I wasn’t sure what the outcome would be. The virus ravaged my body and caused damage to my heart that still hasn’t fully resolved. My energy levels have slowly come back over the past year, little by little.”

The experience made Bott slow down, consider his own mortality, and find a new appreciation for the veterinary community. “So many veterinarians reached out to me when we were shut down,” Bott said. “Neighboring clinics adjusted their schedule to be able to see our patients and clients. It reemphasized to me the fact that there is no industry more dedicated to its cause than ours … Care for the animals. Care for the people. Care for yourself. It’s that simple.” • By: Ethan Brightbill

“There’s been an increase in early recognition of chronic illness since owners are at home and watching their pets more closely. General practices are often fully booked as a result, which in turn leads to people bringing animals to the ER for situations that don’t require immediate care.” — Emily Ione-Kinney

Emily Ione-Kinney. Photo courtesy of Ione-Kinne.