We are aware that many of you are concerned about what you can do should your pet be injured or become unwell, how to access your pets medicine or whether or not your pets can catch Covid-19. Having listened to your concerns, we have introduced video consults, free medicines delivery, brought on board a swathe of safety measures and our surgeries are all open for your pets. We are, however, restricting our services to emergencies only in order to reduce travel and to honour the important social distancing.
Following the Government’s guidelines on what we can and can’t do with our pets in lockdown, we have been asked lots of questions about what this means for you and your pet. We have put together answers for our frequently asked questions and some helpful tips and advice on how you can help your pet continue to be happy and healthy over the next few weeks.
There have been a few reports of a dog, cats and some lions contracting a weak infection of coronavirus. There is evidence that in laboratory conditions cats may pass the virus between cats. However there is no absolutely no evidence of transmission of COVID-19 from a pet to a person. A recent statement from the British Veterinary Association (BVA) president Daniella Dos Santos confirms this, “There have been a tiny number of cases of Covid-19 in animals and in all cases, it is likely that the transmission was human to animal. There is no evidence that pets can pass Covid-19 to their owners.” The association also urges pet owners not to panic “It is very important that people don’t panic about their pets. There is no evidence that animals can pass the disease to humans”.
There is no need to give up or quarantine pets and we would urge owners not to panic. Pets can be a great source of comfort, and a daily dog walk will be a good thing for everyone’s physical and mental health.
Emphatically yes! If your cat is used to coming and going as they please, keeping them inside could be very stressful and may make them ill. If your cat is used to staying in then obviously keep them in and ensure they have access to their litter tray and that it is cleaned regularly.
We would however advise washing your hands thoroughly after contact with them or their bedding.
Our surgeries are open as usual, but with some additional measures in place to ensure the safety of you, your pets and our team. These measures will ensure your pets are still able to receive the veterinary treatment they need, whilst maintaining social distancing!
We remain open and offering a number of essential services but with some restrictions. If your pet is unwell, please call us and our team will advise if you should come in. We may ask you to remain outdoors whilst waiting, you will not be required to wear a mask although our staff will be. We also want to reassure you that we have a strict hygiene rota in place for all surfaces in the surgeries.
What should I do if I’m isolating and my pet needs to see a vet?
If you are self-isolating, please do not attend the surgery. Give us a call in the first instance and we will find the best way to help you and your pet.
In general, your pet will probably enjoy spending more quality time with you. There are however a few health conditions that are important to be aware of:
If you are worried about anything not covered here then please call us at the surgery. Although we are only seeing emergencies, we are certainly happy to help with any advice over the phone.
We are not currently carrying out routine booster vaccinations. This is because the risk to human health of spreading COVID-19 during vaccination visits is higher than the risk of an unvaccinated animal getting significantly sick. Do not worry, your pet will still have immunity from previous vaccinations given, but this will start to fade over a few months. The risk of your pet getting the diseases we vaccinate against is also lower currently with social distancing in place.
Once the lockdown procedures are relaxed, we can advise whether your pet can attend for a normal booster again or will need to restart their vaccination course.
The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has advised vets to suspend or delay neutering during the initial lockdown period which started on the 23rd of March. This should not create too many issues in the short term. We will keep you updated on how this situation progresses.
If your pet needs to be neutered in the meantime, for example if a male and female pet live together then let us know and we can assess the situation and help.
We recommend that kittens stay indoors until they are neutered at 5-6 months of age. This age might need to be prolonged slightly and should be ok in the majority of instances. Again, if worried, please call the surgery.
It is recommended that you do not stop any regular medications unless instructed – we are here to offer advice either be telephone or video consultations. We are not currently experiencing any medicines shortages.
We are endeavouring to hand deliver medicines if resources allow from certain surgeries. We are also posting out some medications. Please note that some post offices are closed so there might be a delay in medicines.
If you are a VIP client then your regular flea and worming medications will be posted out automatically. See below.
Yes, it is very important to continue your pet’s flea and wormer medications.
We understand that getting your pet’s flea and worming treatment during the lockdown is difficult and we have set up a service to help you as much as possible in this difficult time. It is possible for us to post them to you and at some surgeries we are hand delivering the medications when possible.
We will be posting all flea and worming treatments at our own cost automatically to our VIPs for the next three months(from mid-April).
We understand that getting your pet’s flea and worming treatment during the lockdown is difficult and we have set up a service to help you as much as possible in this difficult time. We will be posting all flea and worming treatments at our own cost automatically to our VIPs for the next three months(from mid-April).
We are also hopefully introducing free video consultations with our nursing team to discuss your preventative needs eg vaccines, neutering, diet, flea, tick, lungworm and worming treatments.
If you are not a member of our prestigious VIP plan, click here to find out more about our Healthcare Plan and how to register your pet.
Of course. It is important for your pet’s welfare to keep giving them attention, especially during this time of change and uncertainty. Companion animals have not been shown to carry COVID-19, but as it can survive on their fur, so it is advised that you wash your hands before and after touching them. This goes for other people’s pets too.
Key Links
BVA statement on cats and Covid-19
IDEXX Veterinary Laboratories – Update on COVID-19 and pets
Government advice for pet owners