We’ll look after them

Since the beginning of the pandemic, many small animal vets adopted a “no clients in the building” policy.

To begin with, we didn’t like it. Everything took longer, we ran back and forth between practice and car park, history taking was stilted, the practice phone lines were jammed and we often ended up running around to find the mysterious client who had arrived, but was nowhere to be found.

Making things easier

Gradually, we adjusted and refined the car park consult. Instead of leaving a nurse holding a dog indefinitely while I discussed options with the owner, I usually managed to formulate a provisional plan from the history alone, before even taking the pet into the practice to reduce the yo-yoing somewhat.

I adopted my consulting technique depending on the weather, too. In the height of summer, keeping animals waiting for too long in the car was a real concern and I would often take the pet into the air-conditioned consulting room, examine, give treatment and dispense all the medication before returning it to the owner to keep it as cool as possible, for as long as possible.

Are you experienced?

Our regular clients, who have visited several times over the duration of lockdown, are now quite used to the system, and it can be easy to forget that many clients will have not yet experienced the COVID vet consult.

While it now feels quite normal to us to consult in the car park, some clients are still surprised and quite worried at the thought of leaving their pet to enter the practice without them.

Not a problem

In the majority of cases, however, this concern is unfounded. On the whole, I’ve found that pets are much more relaxed without their owners present – once you get them in the door, that is.

Many dogs will put the brakes on as soon as they are led towards the ominous practice door and away from the comfort of their owners, but as soon as the they cross the threshold, the majority forget their momentary fear and bound up the corridor towards the consult room.

The change in behaviour can be mostly attributed to them picking up on any anxiety the owners may have, and without that, most will happily allow me to thoroughly examine them unassisted. In many cases, I can vaccinate or jab them with the necessary treatment without needing an extra pair of hands, too.

Of their own volition

I have found the same with cats as well. Owners have a habit of plonking the carrier on the table and proceeding to immediately try to pull the cowering kitty out of the tiny door while loudly complaining that it hates the basket.

COVID consults mean that the room is peacefully quiet, and I can open the door and wait 30 seconds for the cat to have a sniff and venture out on to the table by choice, rather than the unceremonious dragging.

While most are inquisitive enough to come out themselves, I will remove the top of the carrier for those that are reluctant and generally complete the exam with the cat still sat in the bottom section. It sounds simple, but by just giving them a little extra time during lockdown, I have single-handedly examined and injected cats marked previously as “CARE”.

Reassurance

I regularly reassure owners that their pets will be absolutely fine without them for 15 minutes and that “we’ll look after them”, but I’m not sure they always believe me. We’re here to help your animals, and I can honestly say most of them are much calmer without you.

While I can’t wait for life to return to normal (if we can even remember what normal is), I don’t mind if the pets come into the practice without their owners for a little longer.