WE ARE OPEN FOR BUSINESS AS VETERINARY CLINICS ARE CONSIDERED ESSENTIAL IN MARYLAND.
We have implemented protocols, similar to those being adopted nationwide in veterinary practices, to allow us to continue offering hospital visits while minimizing the risk of potential COVID-19 exposure to our staff and clients. We will solicit your feedback and suggestions to help us improve the process as it develops. Please be patient and work with us as we all adapt to this new system.
Please make sure you bring your cat in a carrier and if you are bringing in more than one cat, please have each cat in a separate carrier.
Once you are parked in our lot, please call and let us know that you have arrived for your appointment. A staff member will come out to your car to get the carrier containing your cat and take it into the hospital. You will be required to remain in, or near your car, and accessible by phone for the remainder of the visit.
Once your cat is in the hospital, a technician will call you to take the medical history. The doctor will then perform the physical exam as usual. While in the exam room, we will still have you connected and on speaker phone so that you and the doctor can communicate in real time . This will hopefully be calming for both you and your cat. It will also allow us to ask further history questions if needed, and discuss exam findings as we proceed.
If we have identified any problems during the exam, we will recommend diagnostics or treatments that may be indicated, and formulate a plan. Before performing diagnostic tests, we will end the call so that we can focus on those procedures, and then call you back when finished to discuss results and next steps.
At the end of the visit, we will transfer you to a receptionist who will take your payment over the phone if you are paying by credit card. Credit cards are preferred but you are paying by cash or check, a staff member will come to your car to receive the payment. We will then bring your cat, a payment receipt (unless you prefer it to be emailed), and any food and medications, or cat toys(!) you have purchased out to your car.
This is definitely not the most satisfying way to practice medicine, but it is what we need to do right now to remain safe and open for business.
These are difficult days, but I think we can all take some measure of comfort in knowing that you will continue to be able to access necessary medical care for your cats, and we will work as hard as possible to be here to provide it.
We will continue to provide updates as the situation changes. As always, please don’t hesitate to call us or email with your questions, concerns, or updates about your cat’s health.
