In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, particularly since the government advice on Monday 23rd that we should all stay at home, veterinary practices in the UK have had to dramatically change how we operate. It is essential that we keep face to face contact with clients to an absolute minimum for everyone’s safety.
Over the past few weeks you will have noticed some changes in how we are operating at Love Street, including the facility to assess patients and prescribe medications remotely over the phone or video. The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and the British Veterinary Association have released the following statement:
“Our aim is for veterinary professionals to be able to carry out essential work for public health or animal health and welfare over a rolling two-month time period”.
This means that we can see and treat cases that are likely to pose a welfare issue now or within the next two months. The BVA have advised that where we judge it necessary, we can perform vaccinations.
My dog needs it’s booster now, what do I do? The guidelines from the vaccination manufacturers suggest we can give a booster up to 15 months apart i.e. if your pet’s booster was due in March, we still have a 3 month window until June to get it done. We will therefore NOT be going ahead with routine boosters at present to prevent high footfall to the practice. We are currently prioritising dogs that are approaching 15 month deadline and will be contacting those clients to make arrangements for a booster - if it is safe to do so. If your dog is due a rabies vaccination we can also go ahead with this to keep travel certification up to date. Note that rabies vaccination is not required as a core booster in the UK, just if the dog/cat is going overseas,
What about my cat? If your cat lives indoors, the risk is low enough that we do not deem these vaccinations essential at present. If your cat goes outdoors or has contact with outdoor cats we can go ahead with vaccinations. The 15 month window as per dogs applies here too.
What about my new puppy/kitten? As these young animals are naive and higher risk we can go ahead with primary vaccinations for these pets. You can contact the practice to arrange an appointment. We are observing social distancing so we will collect your pet from outside and have you wait in the car or outside while we examine and vaccinate inside. It would be very helpful if all puppies and kittens can be brought in a pet carrier so we can disinfect it.
Is my pet at risk without it’s booster? As we our following vaccination protocol and carrying out vaccines where essential we are aiming for there to be no increased risks to your pets. Fortunately because most responsible pet owners have their animals vaccinated, the diseases we vaccinate against have become much less common as there are less infected dogs and cats in the population. However some diseases, especially leptospirosis in dogs, can be contracted from rats, farm animals and contaminated water. We would advise taking some precautions such as preventing your dog from swimming in water that may be accessed by cows and sheep, and not allowing your dog to drink from standing water or puddles where possible.
Myself/someone in the household is self isolating with COVID-19 symptoms. In these circumstances we can’t see your pet for vaccinations until the self isolation period is over. When restrictions are lifted, please be assured we will be working very hard to get vaccinations back up to date for all animals who need it!
If you are eligible to make an appointment for a vaccination, please contact the practice on 0141 889 3010. If you have any other queries regarding vaccinations, please email us on info@lovestreetvets.com or via the form on the Get in Touch page.