Changes when visiting the vet

[pigsDOfly]

I had to pop in to my vet this morning to pick up some medicine for my dog.

Knocked on the door, door was opened by the receptionist and I was invited in - normally have to wait outside if just picking up meds.

Such a relief to learn that we're now going to be allowed into the consulting rooms again when the vet is examining our pets, well at least at my vet we are.

My dog has been pretty unwell over the recent months and it's been really hard trying to talk to the vet over a not very good mobile line, doesn't help that I'm a bit deaf and they're talking to me from a room with a strong echo.

I had to keep asking them to repeat themselves and missed a lot of what they were telling me anyway, so would have to go over it with the nurse when she returned my dog to me.

A stressful situation for everyone vet, patient and owner, and the poor nurses who were back and forth, in my case, having to check things for me with the vet.

Great to see another sign that life is resuming some sort of normality.

Having said that I was really impressed with everyone working at my vets over the whole difficult time. Particularly as they were crazily busy, as apart from their own patients, they were covering for the three other smaller branches in their group that were shut during the whole period.

I've just got back from the vet, I had to wait outside in the pouring rain, they did lend me an umbrella though.
I was able to go inside at the other branch with a larger waiting room a couple of weeks ago .
It has been really difficult for everyone concerned, patients and staff so it would be great to get somewhere near back to normal again.

Still not allowed in my vets either and it is frustrating as I always have questions but then I end up forgetting when I only have a few min handover period!

Yes, a small waiting room would be a problem. The receptionist said that they were still having to limit how many people were allowed in and keeping everyone separate is still important.

I assume the size of the consulting rooms would also be an issue, so no one in with the vet if the room is too small.

It just felt so good to be able to do something normal this morning.

Hope you'll vet will be the same soon.

Not much fun having to stand in the rain while trying to discuss your poor animals symptoms with the vet.

@Aria20, I type up an update (ongoing condition being monitored) list of concerns and questions and hand it to the nurse that takes my dog in. Saves a lot of ‘could you just repeat that’ kind of conversations over poor mobile reception, although our vet has started coming out to chat to us anyway now. The vet says she really appreciates it and is able to scan it in so it’s all on his records as well and is useful as a guide to his progress/deterioration.

Our vet practice put something on FB yesterday which implied we might be allowed one person inside for consultations now, but as their website still says they do video consults - when they have confirmed to me they don’t and never have - I don’t completely trust it.

Seems like I'm lucky with my vet then.

It isn't easy trying to discuss your animals medical problems when you're standing in the street in the pouring rain.

I've rung up to ask questions when I've got home after a visit if there's anything I've missed.

PermanentlyDizzy That's such a good idea. Never even occurred to me.

I do sometimes write down a list of questions for my own reference but writing it up for the vet must be really helpful for them.

I shall definitely do that in the future if the consultations go back to no owners in the room.

I was at the vets (on a sunday, because my dog is a dickhead) a couple of weeks ago, and the lady in the next car was having to consent to euthanasia in the car park. Just awful for her. Can't wait til things normalise a bit.

Motorina Yes, it's been particularly awful for people who've had to sit in a car park and watch their beloved pets pts.

A lot of vets didn't even allow that, just took the animal while the owner waited outside.

My vet never stopped letting us in, or at least they’ve let me in since October when I started using them. It’s been a real reassurance

It makes the world of difference being with the vet when they examine them.

Ours have recently started letting you back in and having gone several times over the past year trying to have a conversation on the phone or outside in the car park was not great. I understand why they did it but from an owners point of view it was awful especially when your pet is really ill.

Not a critisicim of the vets but our experience over lockdown has been grim and still all appointments are without the owner although we can now wait in the waiting room.

We talk on the phone to the vet then dog is taken into the surgery, they have made decisions etc given injections and then phoned us to say what they have done after they have done it rather than discussing it with us first.

The communication has been poor throughout and the vet teams working in bubbles has meant that continuity of care has been impossible so different treatments for the same illness given to us by different vets. When this was on final end stage of life decisions it was very difficult.

Covid has certainly made vet care so much harder for all concerned.

PollyRoulson I think I'd be changing my vet if they behaved like yours has.

That all sounds appalling, and distressing, for you and very unprofessional of them.

I've only been with my current vet for a couple of years - changed from a vet I wasn't happy with. My dog was very unwell over much of the last lockdown and I really can't fault the level of care and treatment she's received.

My dog was pts in October and we where aloud In with her thankgod. Our vet told us during the first lockdown he was putting them to sleep in his garden of his own house next door so owners could be with them