Important! Please read entire post.
Last week, I posted some precautions that we would implement to minimize the risk of transmission of the COVID-19 virus from person to person at our facility. The safety of our staff and clients at this time is my primary concern. This past week we have been identifying and disinfecting touch points more frequently to minimize chance of transmission. We also have been trying to minimize the traffic in the front waiting area as much as possible. My goal is to continue to provide you with the healthcare your pet needs while providing a safe enviornment. I urge you that if you are feeling ill in any way, have recently returned from abroad or an area where there has been confirmed cases of COVID-19 that you stay home and not put others at risk. In our area, there have been no positive cases yet so risk of exposure is currently still low, but, by implementing these precautions we can be steps ahead of the potential cases that have not yet been tested. At this time there is still no evidence that pets can contract or spread the COVID-19 virus.
These initial precautions were a good start, but after discussion and as the cases of COVID-19 increase in the province, I have decided to implement additional measures to minimize person to person contact.
1: Keeping appointments booked to minimize multiple people in the front area at once and assigning staff members to you in order to reduce the number staff being in contact. As well, utilizing our Room 3 (compassion room) to place minor appointments such as parasitic screening and Technician appointments to minimize mingling in the front office.
2: Keeping clients and pets in the exam rooms while waiting for lab results and medications etc… and if the front office has other clients present we will be doing check-out in the room using our mobile payment processor so you can leave the room and the clinic in a short manner minimizing contact.
3: We encourage calling ahead if you need food and medication refills so we can have them ready for you when you arrive. We also can offer curb side pickup and payment via e-transfer or credit card when you order on the phone or with the mobile terminal in the parking lot upon pick-up. Prepaid orders can be picked up from a table set up in the front entrance or be set outside with your pets name on it if you request. Using the Myvetstore is the easiest way to order, pay and pick-up all your needs. The link can be found on our website. Currently our supplier is backlogged with orders. Usually, we can order and have product the next day. Last week we ordered food on Monday and did not receive it until Friday so make sure you have at least a one week supply when you order. At the moment our food supply is good with only a few missing items but we are currently still waiting for some medications which were ordered early last week and our back-order list continues to grow.
4: If you do not wish to enter the clinic we can have a staff member receive your pet in the parking lot and can take a history on the phone of any concerns you have and we will return your pet to your car and payment can be made via e-transfer, credit card over the phone or the mobile payment terminal which will be wiped with Lysol after each use. Just phone the clinic (519)542-9588 when you arrive and we can arrange this service for you.
5: Finally, over the next few weeks we will be implementing more practice of telemedicine to reduce the number of cases coming in which I am familiar with such as chronic conditions that I have seen before. We will be using email for photo transmission of the problem area if necessary. Call the clinic first 519-542-9588 and speak with one of our trained staff who will speak with me and I will determine if I can prescribe medications or if the problem should be seen again.
We are living in unprecedented times and adjustment is a learning experience. If you are receiving this email and you have not liked our Facebook page I urge you to do so as we can be more efficient with new announcements and closures with this method. At this point I feel we can provide you, your pet and our staff with a safe enviornment and can continue to provide the healthcare needed by your pet. Also, we encourage you to book appointments online using our website or the mobile APP where you can see all your reminder dates. All of the links are located at robinsonvet.ca and hopefully this will free up staff members for additional tasks. It’s real-time booking giving you the most options for an appointment that’s right for your schedule. We are currently booking into the week of April 6 so please do not wait until the last minute. I hope to make some videos in the next few days and put them on our Youtube channel to highlight how to use the APP and website to book appointments online.
Thank you for your patience and for being such awesome clients and we look forward to seeing you and your furry family member soon. Keep healthy.
Dr. Brent Robinson
