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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Original poster

Is anyone allowed into vets with their pet?

135 replies

freedomontheway · 27/05/2021 15:18

My elderly pooch is slowing down somewhat. She has a slight mitral valve prolapse and I'm guessing it's worsening. She's not uncomfortable as such just struggling on walks a little.
My vets has a blanket ban on owners going in with their pets to the surgery due to Covid
They explain that they don't have adequate ventilation in the room.
I've asked what they will do about this and they don't seem to have a plan except to keep owners out for the foreseeable future.
What are other people's vets doing?

OP posts:
Bebecomeback · 27/05/2021 16:16

Ah @sunshineandshowers21 I'm so sorry for your loss. That sounds tough.
We've used 2 vets recently. One was a tricky handover on the pavement of a busy road surrounded by other patients and passing shoppers. We had a telephone consultation before hand and a chat on the pavement afterwards whilst dog wrangling and struggling to hear. Altogether difficult.
Last appointment at a different vet was in their car park. We still couldn't go in but the quiet carpark helped.

ZaraCarmichaelshighheels · 27/05/2021 16:17

How long is this ridiculous situation of consultation in car parks going to continue?

wetotter · 27/05/2021 16:17

My vet has a 'no humans' rule.

My friend who is a vet says she has the same rule at her practice, but will let people in if a pet is to be put to sleep

Woollff · 27/05/2021 16:18

At my current vet, you are allowed in with your pet. There is an examination room with a glass window. You stand looking through the window while your pet is examined. There is a small gap at the bottom through which you talk.

My old cat was admitted to a veterinary hospital during the first lockdown. The vet came outside to talk. Sadly she was put to sleep after a few days and two people were allowed in with her and the vet/nurse.

DelbertGrady · 27/05/2021 16:21

I've been to the vets a lot over the last few months. At our practice, we either knock on the door or phone to let them know we've arrived and then wait in the car or outside the door until it's our turn to see a vet or nurse. Each time I've been, I've been allowed to accompany whichever pet it is with the appointment into the consulting room.

giraffelonglegs · 27/05/2021 16:22

Our vets now allow you to go into the room with the dog thank goodness.

I can't imagine how awful it must be to have to hand over your loved pet to be PTS and not be there 😔

Original poster
freedomontheway · 27/05/2021 16:23

This thread has really saddened me and I'm not usually overly emotional.
I am so sorry that so many are experiencing similar.
I have worked throughout the pandemic with homeless people and those with mental health issues. I've seen my dentist and had to have half an hour of drilling. I actually had covid at the time ( clearly didn't know) and no one contracted it from me
Why are vets any more special than me or my dentist?
My little old dog would get herself too anxious if I handed her over in the car park.
My question today to the vets is 'so what are you going to do constructively to keep us all safe and allow the customer in with their pet?' and they couldn't answer.
My practice is apparently owned by CVS who say each practice manager has to decide what they can do. The vets say they are instructed to keep owners out.
Who to believe

OP posts:
WowIlikereallyhateyou · 27/05/2021 16:27

We have to wait outside and vet takes animals inside. My dog hasn’t been for some time because he would freak out if I didn’t come in with him. I really think it is getting silly now, especially if people are willing to wear PPE, i just don’t see a problem with going straight into the consultation room. I even understand no waiting room, but not being able to be with your pet, at this stage in the pandemic is bonkers!

DogInATent · 27/05/2021 17:13

Ours has been letting us in for a few weeks now. Not sure if there's a once-person only rule or not.

Anotherhill · 27/05/2021 18:35

We’re seeing one person per pet, and we’ve ale ways allowed one person in for euthanasia’s. Vets don’t do it because they think they’re more special than anyone else, but it’s not always possible to have on full PPE in certain situations, and it’s impossible for the team to be socially distanced. Hence if one person gets Covid, the practice would probably have to close. We don’t have enough clinical staff to have separate teams.
If it’s any consolation, we’ve become experts in getting down on the floor with the dogs, timing treats so they’re completely oblivious to injections, and they’re getting lots of love and excitement. Even for the nervous dogs, often they’re better without their owner present, and being held by professionals mean we can get examinations done so much more effectively and efficiently.
Bear in mind though, with all the anti et talk at the moment, that our consultation capacity was about a third of that in normal times due to the longer time needed for all the phone calls to owners, and needed double the clinical staff, so we have probably taken a massive financial hit.

Keepyourdistance000 · 27/05/2021 18:41

My vets is a large local independent group and still aren't allowing anyone in, although apparently one of their surgeries is now doing so - so hopefully the other surgeries should do too once restrictions are lifted.

Other vets in the area are letting in clients, and I can see that my vets are probably going to lose lots of clients to them soon unless they too start allowing in clients.

Floralnomad · 27/05/2021 19:00

Our vet has been letting one person per pet in for months now . You ring the bell or phone when you arrive and they come and call you from the car park . Can’t fault them .

CMSdividend · 27/05/2021 19:06

Ours is normal except waiting outside until appointment time. Obviously masked when inside but vet was absolutely fine with being in close proximity when attending to the pet as well as OH.
Where I work, owners are allowed back in now to view their pet in the chapel of rest and then wait for their ashes.

sunshineandshowers21 · 27/05/2021 19:09

@picklemewalnuts @Bebecomeback thank you! i understand why vets are being cautious but it seems a little over the top to still not let people inside the building if they’re distancing and wearing masks. my vets is in a busy retail park so i had to stand outside in floods of tears discussing the options over the phone whilst dozens of people sat in their cars or walked by. i had to go into the room by myself whilst he was put to sleep with no one to comfort me as my partner had to wait outside in the car park. absolutely horrible experience and i pray things soon get back to normal so that nobody else has to go through that.

dementedpixie · 27/05/2021 19:13

We are now allowed into the waiting room - 1 person per pet; but aren't allowed into the consultation room

aliloandabanana · 27/05/2021 19:17

Does anyone know why vets are still doing this? It's ridiculous given that we can get our hair cut, have beauty treatments etc. My cat was so stressed by being taken off by someone he didn't know into a place he didn't know, without me, that I just wouldn't take him again. I have no idea to what extent they examined him or anything and they couldn't ask me additional questions so I'm not convinced the consultation/examination was as thorough as it would normally be.

BiteyShark · 27/05/2021 19:23

The emergency vets last bank holiday made us hand him over in the car park and then phoned me.

My usual vet late last year started to let one person into the examination room. I think they briefly stopped that when cases rose in January but then relaxed it again.

It was so hard for both us and the dog to hand him over as he is terrified.

I can't imagine how hard it must have been for anyone having their pet PTS and not being with them SadThanks

Original poster
freedomontheway · 27/05/2021 19:54

Does anyone know why vets are still doing this
I very much doubt it
It would interesting if a vet could come here and tell us but I guess that isn't going to happen
Given the money made from pet owners I'd really like to know why, in 16 months, vets have not adapted their surgeries to have adequate ventilation

OP posts:
feelinggeriatric · 27/05/2021 20:16

My vet came inside my house to put my cat to sleep in Jan. I can't believe there are some vets still not allowing people in, the only time we were stopped was during the first lockdown while they sorted out mitigation measures

Darklane · 27/05/2021 20:30

I use two vets. One where my old ones have been going for years & one has been on meds there for years, bought online with their prescription, so I still go. But I’ve recently been using a new one that has opened much closer to our village with my younger ones. They have completely different policies about this .
The old one you have to wait I. Your car in the car park, text a number got say you’ve arrived. Sometimes you wait ages for a reply to say they acknowledge your arrival. Eventually a nurse comes out to collect your pet, you have to wait in the car. The vet will ring your mobile( they assume everyone has one!) to tell you their findings & the treatment they recommend. The nurse comes back your pet & a card machine to pay. Then you have to go collect any medicines from a window. It’s a complete hassle. You never get to see the vet or discuss anything before the consultation. My dogs are not happy with being taken away.
The newer vet I’ve begun to use is completely different....I was pleasant surprised. You ring up, are given an appointment the same day, unheard of at the old one except for emergencies. You go & can go in the waiting room. If anyone else is there you are asked to keep apart as much as possible. You can go into the surgery with your pet & discuss things with the vet just like old times. You just have to wear a mask & use hand sanitizer on entering the premises. They’re cheaper than the old one too!

Darklane · 27/05/2021 20:35

Sorry for the typing/spelling errors . When WILL this site get an edit facility? Hmm

JeanClaudeVanDammit · 27/05/2021 20:47

DH was allowed in with our cat when he was put to sleep. When the cat had been in previously for a procedure I had to hand him over and have all conversations in reception.

Anotherhill · 27/05/2021 21:32

OP - I did explain upthread

villainousbroodmare · 27/05/2021 21:52

Interesting thing clients may not realise: the actual examination and treatment of your animal is so much easier without you. Every animal is held by a trained person who is not nervous/ emotional/ gripping them like death and filling them with panic. The car park, the steps, the rain, the yelling into cars, the loose collar which is liable to come off over the dog's head, the staggering into the building with a huge dog in your arms, the phone communication - all a huge painful nuisance. But the actual procedures? So much easier. And the more anxious the animal, the better it is when handled efficiently and confidently by veterinary staff.

Fiftiesfresh · 27/05/2021 21:54

We stand outside, vet comes out to talk/collect pet, then either vet or nurse returns the pet when done.

No nurses clinics, no home visits.

The waiting room is a fair size, and there are several consulting rooms. I do feel that by now they could be letting in one person at a time. Its not easy listening to fairly complicated advice/collecting meds etc in the pouring rain as we did on tuesday, especially when the surgery is next to a very noisy main road. They had a gazebo earlier on, but this has now disappeared.