While veterinary practices and clinics were only open for emergencies during Level 5 of lockdown, restrictions have been relaxed with new guidelines in place for Level 4.
What most pet parents don’t know is that you can now take your pet to the vet, even if it isn’t an emergency.
“So, any issues you may have been postponing, or have put off over the last couple of months due to the heavy lockdown restrictions, can now be attended to,” explained Dr Guy Fyvie, Hill’s Pet Nutrition veterinary advisor.
He said this includes all non-emergency cases such as vaccinations, sterilisations, routine check-ups, and dental treatments.
In addition to The South African Veterinary Council (SAVC) outlining the Level 4 guidelines in detail on their website, Fyvie highlighted some of the important points for pet parents to take note of:
• Phone your vet ahead of time and schedule an appointment for your pet. Walk-ins, with the exception of emergencies, will not be allowed during this time.
• An employee from the veterinary practice will fetch your pets from the car and take them inside for their appointment. You will need to remain in your car, unless otherwise requested by the vet. The car, or parking area, is now the waiting area.
• Both employees and pet parents need to wear a properly fitting mask at all times.
• A distance of at least 1,5m needs to be adhered to at all times.
• Payments need to be made electronically.
Some pet parents may still be wary to leave their homes during this time, and that’s understandable,” noted Fyvie.
“It goes without saying though that prevention is always better than cure. It’s much less stressful to take your dog or cat for their yearly check-up or routine treatment now, even during Level 4, versus them having to go through scary treatments in the future that will ultimately require a lot more vet visits and may be costly.”
Tempting as it may be for a pet parent to self-diagnose or treat their pet at home and avoid a vet visit, this isn’t ideal.
“There is a lot of misinformation on the internet, and looking at your pet’s symptoms in isolation can be dangerous. The experience of a veterinarian allows for a holistic and comprehensive approach that can never be replaced.”
As long as pet parents are careful and adhere to the Covid-19 safety guidelines, these are processes that can be managed effectively with very little disruption to both the pet parents and pets’ lives.
