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Original poster

Are your vets allowing clients in yet?

55 replies

amieejust · 18/08/2020 22:07

Just wondering really. Our vets are still consulting in the surgery car parks and will be for some time yet.

I think the only exception is for pts.

Consulting outside is working quite well IMO but not sure if it will still work once the colder days and dark evenings set in.

OP posts:

SmileTolerantly · 19/08/2020 07:57

Our vet let me in with Dcat (wearing a mask) no problem. They don’t have a carpark so couldn’t consult outside.

CormoranStrike · 19/08/2020 08:04

Garden appointments for us too, but they have installed shelters outside for clients to wait while patients are treated

Zebrahooves · 19/08/2020 08:14

We had a routine appointment and they took my dog inside, but we had to hand her over outside.

TeaLibrary · 19/08/2020 08:19

My vet has been really proactive and brilliant when dealing with two of my poorly cats over the last few weeks both of whom had to be hospitalised.

Jodri · 19/08/2020 08:27

This is just small animal vets, large/farm animal vets have been out and about like normal (business as usual all through lockdown).

I thought veterinary surgeries in England, if all PPE is worn, are exempt from track and trace. This exemption does not apply in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland because management of Covid is devolved.

Cosyjimjamsforautumn · 19/08/2020 08:32

I took my cat in for its annual booster last week. Vet, vet nurse and i wore masks. All fine.

HazelBite · 19/08/2020 08:33

Our vet is very organised. All their staff are parking at the local sports club to increase the car park space for clients to wait in their cars.
You have a different mobile no. to call when you arrive, and a pergola in the car park for consultations in the rain etc.
I can't see it altering any time soon.
(have had to visit 5 times during lockdown!)

userxx · 19/08/2020 08:36

@Nearlyoldenoughtowearpurple That's really good to hear, thanks for that.

m0therofdragons · 19/08/2020 08:45

No, I took dpup for vaccines yesterday and had to stand in the car park talking to the vet for 15 minutes while she went through all the puppy ownership stuff and asked about dpup, all the time I was holding a very wriggly dpup. Then had another 5 minute chat in car park after she’d taken him inside for vaccines and check up, again holding the wriggle monster while she told me his heart was strong etc.

DCat was put down 2 months ago and I paid extra for them to come to the house. I couldn’t bear the thought of handing her over on the doorstep. It was going to be in the garden but rules changed that day so it could be in the house with vet and nurse in ppe. Receptionist had said only one adult could be there when it happened but vet encouraged dc to stay.
Tbh, life was feeling fairly normal until we went to the vet.

JoeCalFuckingZaghe · 19/08/2020 08:56

As of a couple of weeks ago nope. Collected dog from outside and took him in, which is very very traumatic as he’s a nervous dog. Last time he had broken his dew claw and we could hear him yelping and howling from inside. I know they weren’t hurting him but it’s his go to when he’s trapped or scared. I understand they need to but I really hope it doesn’t go on for much longer.

BarbaraofSeville · 19/08/2020 09:15

I've been to two vet practices recently, the one I use for my own cats, and the one the rescue I foster for has an account with.

My own vets ask you to wait in the carpark until it's your turn and then you wear a mask and bring your pet into the practice for a consultation in the normal way.

The rescue's vets take the pet inside for the consultation then return to chat in the car park, but I've only done vaccinations and neutering with them, so not had to have discussion during examination 'how long has this gone on' sort of stuff.

Requinblanc · 19/08/2020 09:21

Went last week and based in London. I had to hand-over the cat to the receptionist at the entrance door while I stayed outside. The vet called me on my mobile to discuss the cat once she had seen it. Then I was briefly allowed into reception where they have screens for the receptionists to pay and was given the cat back. It was all very quick and efficient.

TheoriginalLEM · 19/08/2020 10:58

Jocal i think your dog would gave howled and screamed regardless, he would also have been removed to the treatment area for professional restraint if the dew claw needed pulling. So would be no different under normal circumstances.

Owners often say their pets are better with them , they really really arent. Im a nurse anddeal with nervous pets all the time. With their owners they hide behind legs, climb over shoulders etc. If im the person holding i become their 'auntie' ill sit on the floor and they generally squash up to me for cuddles, allowing me to restrain them safely for whatever needs doing.

Petronas · 19/08/2020 11:04

No still picking up the dog from the car park. Dog had quite complicated paw issue, had to be seen about 30 times over lockdown. Each time dog got more and more anxious. Had to stop referring to the vet and have a code name as dog started to hide under furniture when we were going...the whole thing was quite awful for him.

Hollywhiskey · 19/08/2020 15:22

I took one of mine in to be put down. The vet took the carrier off me in the car park and returned me an empty carrier a short while later.

spiderlight · 19/08/2020 15:27

No. We've been back and forth umpteen times recently, including yesterday - the vet comes out to talk to us at the front of the surgery, then takes our dog in to examine him without us. He's been good as gold about it - I think he actually plays up less for her than he does when we go in with him!

Petronas · 19/08/2020 15:55

@Hollywhiskey

I took one of mine in to be put down. The vet took the carrier off me in the car park and returned me an empty carrier a short while later.

So sorry, that must have been really hard.

Varjakpaw · 19/08/2020 16:17

Ours started doing one person in last week. Appointments were taking ages because all the chat that would normally happen during had to be done before and/or after. I haven’t been to try it out yet though.

sueelleker · 19/08/2020 17:21

Mine take the animal in, but the owner has to stay outside.

MsAwesomeDragon · 19/08/2020 17:25

Ours come and collect the pet from the car park. You ring when you get there and someone comes out as soon as they can. I've been twice this week, and it works quite well, although it's not pleasant being given bad news in the car park 😢

Original poster

amieejust · 19/08/2020 17:50

At the moment it's working quite well with my vets but I don't know how if it will still work ok when autumn and winter set in, especially evening appointments.

Hopefully they'll start allowing limited numbers of clients in by then but I think it's going to last for as long as social distancing is in effect.

OP posts:

Medievalist · 19/08/2020 18:31

Vets today for an op - drop off and pick up in the car park.

Petronas · 19/08/2020 20:16

I don't agree that it's working well - it's better than nothing but the consultations that we have had I have not been able to observe and fill in the details - which contributed to delay in diagnosis - even the Vet said to me they really did not feel comfortable with this approach. I own a sensitive dog - who does not play up in my presence - he takes comfort and has decreased anxiety when I am with him. I can read him, his reactions etc when I am with the vet we converse about his reactions pretty much in the same way I chat to a doctor about my kids. As I said - better than nothing - but for a complicated pet or condition - it's not a close second.

user1471453601 · 19/08/2020 20:24

We had our darling, much loved girl PTS last week (cardiomyopathy) and she had to go in alone while DD and her partner stayed in the car park.

It isn't the car park think that's making me cry.

It doesn't matter where your dog is seen, they will soon be back with you

Babyroobs · 19/08/2020 20:28

Took my dog to the vets today and the vet took her off me in the car park and then brought her back out to me afterwards. Paid by card on the phone later.

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