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COVID-19 PANDEMIC

COVID-19 FAQ 
Updated 8th May, 2022

COVID-19 - How does this affect my vet appointments?

We would like to reassure our wonderful Vogue Vets & Wellness friends and family that we will continue to provide our usual comprehensive services to the pets of Perth.


** We’re Here for you when Your pets need us! 

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To help ensure the safety of our team and clients, we ask that you wear a mask while visiting us and continue to socially distance where possible.  To assist with this, we continue to allow one client per family in the building for consultations to allow for social distancing.

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Please do not present to the practice if you or a household member have cold or flu symptoms, or have tested positive for Covid-19.  **Please call us for advice first**

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We also prefer contactless payments where possible.  Unfortunately, the supply chain issues are still affecting supplies and we suggest that you call ahead for all medicine and food orders, so that we may have them ready for you to collect at the first opportunity.

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To enable us to be here to treat your pets when you need us, we need to ensure the safety of our team.  Therefore, we continue to implement the following:

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  • If you or a household member have cold or flu symptoms, are self-isolating, or have tested positive for Covid-19, please do not come into our clinic and please call us instead

    • We have protocols in place to safely handle pets that have come from COVID-19 or self-isolating households.

    • If your pet must be seen urgently, please call our reception so we can go through your options.

  • Please complete the Pre Vet Visit Questionnaire before your appointment: 

  • Please have your consent form or pre visit questionnaire filled out in advance of your visit.​  We can offer a video conference for the consult if you prefer.

  • We practice an extremely high level of hand hygiene and utilise hand sanitisers throughout our clinic, and our premises are disinfected regularly throughout the day

  • To avoid needing to wait (potentially outside), please phone ahead for all prescription, food or preventatives. We do request that these payments are made over the phone at the time of ordering. We will arrange a time for you to collect your goods to minimize your exposure to other people and to minimize your waiting times. 

  • Some supplies have suffered back-order times in recent weeks. If your pet is on a special diet or regular medications, it may be wise to ensure you have 2-4 weeks’ worth of your pet’s medications and prescription food at home. Call us well in advance if you are running low and we will endeavour to help make sure you never run out!

  • We currently prefer contactless payments and discourage all clients from using cash.

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We know that these measures will seem impersonal to those of you that are used to our normal ways, but we now need to be mindful of the more vulnerable members of our community and play what part we can in protecting them.  We will always look after you, and if you are a client of ours, then you are part of our big family.

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Thank you to you all. We are so lucky to have an amazing community that supports each other and we wish you all the best navigating these times.

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We are doing everything we can to be able to continue providing ongoing care for your beloved pets.  This situation has rapidly evolved, and we continue to monitor it daily. We advise that we may need to make further changes as the situation develops, and we thank everyone for your cooperation and understanding.

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We are 100% here for you and your pets during this stressful time, and urge you to contact us with any questions or concerns you may have

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MORE FAQ'S

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What can I do to keep my pets safe from COVID-19?

  • Keep pets away from people infected with COVID-19.  Close contact with pets may lead to infection of the pet, although pets infected with Covid-19 may or may not get sick.

  • The symptoms of Covid-19 in pets include fever, coughing, lethargy, shortness of breath, sneezing, runny nose, eye discharge or vomiting and diarrhoea.  Severe illness in pets is rare.

  • Confine pets of infected people to limit the spread. We know that there is a very low risk of pets being nonclinical carriers of certain bacterial and fungal diseases in the same way as other surfaces such as door handles, keyboards and benchtops, but it is not yet clear whether this is the case for viruses such as Covid-19

  • Follow good hygiene practices at all times, especially hand washing before and after interacting with pets.

What do I do if I am in quarantine or self-isolation and my pet is unwell?

  • If you are in quarantine, do not break quarantine to bring your pet to us even if your pet is unwell. By doing this you will put your veterinarian and staff at risk of infection.  Ring us first and ask for advice.  If your pet needs to be seen, we will be able to work with you to ensure your pet will receive the care they need, while keeping our staff safe from COVID-19 infection and therefore remaining able to assist other clients and their pets.  If you have booked a house call, please advise us you are under quarantine before we arrive.

Can I use hand sanitizer on my pets?

  • No, please do not use hand sanitizer on your pets. Chemical disinfectants can be harmful to pets and should be rinsed off immediately if they get onto your pets' fur.  Please call us for further advice if you have any concerns

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References:

Centres for Disease Control & Prevention https://bit.ly/39zC7Na

The Mayo Clinic https://mayocl.in/3KO8NQ0

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How We Can Help

CONSULTATIONS

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  • If you have been confirmed as coronavirus positive, or have been to a location considered to be at risk of coronavirus infection within the last 14 days:

    •  reschedule non urgent consults for after the end of your 14 day self-isolation period or until after you have a confirmed negative COVID-19 test result

    • have a friend/family member/pet taxi service drop your pet off for a consult

      • we will require written consent to examination and treatment (via e-mail or sms) and the invoice will require payment over the phone at the time of discharge. 

  • If the consult is a condition that does not necessarily require examination, or if you are concerned about leaving the house for a consultation,  then call us and you may be given the option of an online consult (through a private and secure online consultation room).  This is NOT appropriate for many medical consultations, as nothing can replace a physical examination for diagnosis of medical and surgical conditions. However, if you feel an online consultation may be an option for your pet (for general advice and non urgent issues only), then call us and our staff can advise you whether or not it is appropriate. If you are advised that a physical examination is required, then please be understanding of this as we will always advise you as to what is best for your pet - their health and well-being is our priority.

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MEDICATIONS AND PET FOOD SUPPLIES

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  • Given that a large number of items are imported from overseas (for example Hill's, Royal Canin, and many medications), and given that we are simply unable to predict how our supply chains may become affected over the coming weeks/months, you may wish to consider stocking up on essential pet medications and foods, so that you have sufficient supplies for several weeks.

  • We will continue to order from our suppliers Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. 

    • We will do our best to keep you updated if supply shortages do occur. 

    • Please ensure we have your orders before 9.30am on the day of ordering, so that we may endeavour to provide you with your supply the same day (subject to stock availability). 

  • For your convenience, please call ahead for repeat medicines, food or worming, pay over the phone, and then we can arrange to have them ready for you without the need to wait once you arrive. 

    • If you call us from the car, we will happily bring the products out to you

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**Remember, we are here to help you so if you have any concerns about how we can help treat your pet, just give us a call and we will do our best to find a solution.  Please do NOT come into the practice if you are unwell, have potentially been in close contact with someone who may have coronavirus because we can only help you and the remainder of our clients if we ourselves are well enough to be at work and not self-isolated at home.** 

Emergency Plans for Your Pets

Emergencies often happen without warning.  For this reason, it is a good idea to have an emergency plan set aside for your pets as well as your other family members so that you're not caught off guard.  So, what sort of items should you consider having in your disaster kit?

Basic Supplies

  • Food, water and treats (including dishes) for two weeks (dogs up to 60kg: 4 litres of water per day; cats: 1 litre/day)

  • Medications (with dose and frequency) and medical records (include vet contact info), plus pet photos with names and written descriptions of your pets (in a Ziploc bag)

  • Dogs: waste bags; cats: small cat litter box, litter, scoop, garbage bags; exotics: bedding, extra water bottle, hiding box, extra hay

  • Dog leads, harness, muzzle; consider having a cat harness and lead

  • Sturdy pet carriers for each pet (consider exercise pen for dogs)

  • Toys to help entertain and lower stress (dogs: Kong, ball, treat ball; cats: feather wand, catnip toys)

  • Towels/blankets

  • Other supplies: can opener, spoon/scoop, pet first-aid kit, disinfectant for pet mess clean up, paper towels, rope, duct tape, Sharpie marker, cable ties

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*PET FIRST-AID KITS ARE AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE IN CLINIC - CALL US TODAY TO PURCHASE

(while stocks last)

6323 2916 

More Helpful Tips

  • Record your pet's microchip/tatto and license numbers.  Store this information with their medical records.

  • Label all containers with pet names and your contact information - things can go missing in an emergency

  • List the number and type of pets that should be present on the property

  • As many items as possible should be packed in ready-to-go bins or backpacks.  Mark storage bins with pet names and your contact information in case items are separated at an evacuation centre.

  • You should have an emergency plan for all animals and move challenging animals such as farm animals, birds, aquarium fish or exotic animals as soon as possible.

  • If you have animals who cannot be moved in an immediate evacuation, such as aquarium fish or farm animals, create a sign describing the animals left on the property with your name and contact information.  Prepare this now and keep tape with it so it is ready to affix to your door to alert rescue officials.

  • While in storage, rotate pet food and water every three months, replace medications as advised by your vet.

What are We doing to protect You?

Following recent media concerns surrounding the novel Coronavirus and its impact on our community, I would like to reassure you that we share the global concerns over the spread of the virus and its impact on public health. We are taking all necessary measures to protect our employees, clients, patients and suppliers to ensure we mitigate the impact of the virus on our practices.  

These are uncertain times.  While it is likely that many of those with coughs and sniffles are suffering from regular colds and flu viruses, the threat of the new virus on a population with no immunity remains, largely for the elderly and those whose immune system are already weakened by other issues. 

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As a precaution, therefore, we are following the Government guidelines.

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To summarize: 

  • Employees who have been contact traced as being at risk, or who are living with people considered at risks are to self-isolate until they have had a negative COVID-19 test result and receive medical clearance prior to returning to work 

  • Employees to report if any member of their family, or guests staying with them, has contracted the virus or are recovering from it, or has symptoms consistent with the virus. 

  • Employees report to management, if they are showing any signs of flu-like symptoms, and to contact their doctor to discuss the necessity for self-isolation at home to prevent the spread of the virus 

  • Employees to wash hands frequently with soap and water 

  • Hospital grade hygiene practices continue to be part of our daily routine as per normal, with increased frequency of disinfection for commonly used surfaces such as door handles, bench tops, pens and phones etc.  

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On the customer front, we request that if you have been unwell with flu-like symptoms, have been at any high risk locations (through media notifications or contact tracing) or had contact with any suspected individuals infected with Coronavirus, that you reschedule all routine visits such as nail clipping and vaccinations until after 14 days from the potential exposure or symptoms.  If, during this period, your pet is unwell and you believe it cannot wait, please call us to discuss a variety of ways in which we can still provide veterinary care to your pet without you personally bringing them in. 

We are here to help, but please remember that we are only able to help your pets if we ourselves are well and not in self-isolation.  Unfortunately, our industry is not one that can work from home, so to assist us in being able to continue to help our patients, please follow the guidelines above to protect both us, our families, and the rest of our valued clients. 

Up-to-date health information can be obtained from https://www.health.gov.au/  

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We will continue to review the situation and follow advice from public health organisations so that we can work to reduce the risk and spread of infection within our community.   Should you have any concerns please feel free to reach out to us at: reception@voguevets.com.au  

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Other resources for you to keep up to date:

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