Dear Mobile Pet Vet Family,
As your trusted veterinary care provider, we are dedicated to ensuring the health and safety of all of your family members (both 4-legged and 2). We are closely following the ongoing developments regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and are following guidance from the AVMA, CDC and Maryland Veterinary Medical Association. Maryland has stated that Veterinary clinics are considered essential and as such has allowed for the continuation of our business in order to treat our patients.
We are providing house call services while most local veterinarians are doing something called curbside visits at their hospitals. This means that at veterinary clinics you bring your pet to the clinic and wait in the car. The staff at the clinic takes your pet inside and you wait in the car. This means that you may not see the veterinarian in person. We are happy to be able to provide visits in our mobile van that allow in person discussion about your pet’s needs and any findings from their examination by the veterinarian. We ask that all pet owners wear a mask and practice social distancing during our visit so that our in person visits remain safe for all of us. We cannot allow owners into our van but we often leave our van open (for dog visits… we protect our cat patients by closing the door) or we see dog patients outside the van, if your dog is more comfortable that way. If owners are more comfortable with phone conversations in this unprecedented time, we are happy to communicate however you are most comfortable.
We have instituted some new protocols to limit the exposure and protect our clients and staff. As of yesterday, we started the following procedures:
- If you or a family member is sick, even if the signs are mild, if you have been quarantined after travel or have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, please reschedule your appointment.
- If your appointment is for an urgent issue, we will attempt to provide medical care, where possible, through telemedicine or make recommendations for further care. Please note that telemedicine is only available to current clients with whom a valid veterinary/client/patient relationship (VCPR) exists.
- Every effort will be made to treat existing patients through telemedicine and other avenues as necessary for any family affected by the virus.
- Canine appointments will be performed in our van, outside or if necessary on a screened in porch or garage with outside access to the space.
- Cat appointments will be seen in the van or in some cases in a garage or other space not within the main house.
- We will be asking about clinical history, concerns and questions via phone prior to our appointment, again in an effort to limit person-to-person contact.
- We will be trying to keep the 6-foot distance between clients and staff that has been recommended. – We realize that this is awkward
We are lucky that prior to this pandemic we already had the infrastructure to provide many services that may be extremely helpful to our clients in this current climate. Some of these include:
- Medication and pet food home delivery via mail, online store and courier service
- Telemedicine where appropriate – either through text, Face Time, pictures or video
- Examinations performed outside or in our mobile van where possible
- Close relationships with clients and knowledge about each patient– helping us to determine how best to treat each case
We are open to implementing other alternative methods to help our patients and clients should they become necessary. These challenges to our business practice are unprecedented and we will need to be flexible as we learn the best way to take care of our patients while protecting owners and staff at the same time.
Please be assured that we remain dedicated to the health of your pet(s) and will continue to provide the high level of care you have come to expect from us. Thank you for entrusting our practice with the care of your furry family and for working with us as we overcome challenges together.
Please do not hesitate to call, text or email us with any questions or concerns.
In Health,
Dr. B and Robin
