HANCOCK COUNTY — Animals aren’t at high risk of getting COVID-19. But the pet health industry, like so many others, is not immune to the disease.
Veterinarians in Hancock County continue providing what the state considers an essential service while adapting to the call for social distancing. They’ve suspended elective procedures, and for necessary appointments they pick up pets in the parking lot while their owners wait in their vehicles during the exam. Meanwhile, Greenfield-based Elanco Animal Health has teamed up with a company on an opportunity for veterinarians to treat pets via a telemedicine platform.
Dr. Beth Frank, a veterinarian with New Palestine Veterinary Clinic, said the practice has worked to limit exposure between staff and clients by shifting to a curbside model of doing business. When clients arrive, they call the office from the parking lot and then a staff member picks up the pet at the front door. The clinic does make exceptions for end-of-life situations, however.
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Click here to purchase photos from this galleryFrank said the switch has resulted in needing more front-end staff to help with answering phones and making calls.
“Life is definitely a little bit different here than normal,” she said.
The clinic is also limiting its services to more urgent matters, like sick and injured pets, along with vaccines for diseases like rabies and vaccines for puppies and kittens.
New Palestine Veterinary Clinic has also cut back on surgeries so staff doesn’t have to use as much personal protective equipment, which is becoming a precious commodity in the fight against COVID-19.
“We’re trying not to utilize masks and things that can be diverted to human health care,” Frank said.
That also goes for drugs used in both animal and human health care, she continued, along with oxygen.
The clinic has been able to rely on an online telemedicine platform as well, which allows for video calls, Frank said.
Tom Dock, director of communications for Noah’s Animal Hospitals, which has a location in Greenfield, said the company uses a telemedicine platform called Airvet. Pet owners can download a mobile app through the platform and communicate with a veterinarian via videoconferencing.
“It gives the doctor an opportunity to see what you’re seeing, see what’s happening in real time,” Dock said.
Like New Palestine Veterinary Clinic, Noah’s Animal Hospitals are also doing pickups in parking lots, while allowing owners inside for end-of-life situations.
Many pet owners have found it difficult to not be in exam rooms alongside their pets, Dock said.
“Pets are like children to a large number of people,” he said. “They’re part of the family.”
Noah’s Animal Hospitals have also canceled elective procedures for the time being, including neutering, spaying and dental cleanings. They’re limiting use of surgical masks, gowns and gloves as well.
“If we’re not ordering or replacing those, more can get out to our human counterparts,” Dock said.
Dr. Bob Barnes, a veterinarian with Mt. Comfort Animal Hospital, has reduced the facility’s hours and ceased many procedures until the end of the COVID-19 quarantine. Pet owners are still allowed in the hospital, he continued, adding he and his colleagues maintain social distancing as much as possible while also cleaning and disinfecting more often.
Barnes said he’s received concerns from customers about their pets getting COVID-19, especially at the beginning of the pandemic. It’s not impossible, as a tiger tested positive for the disease at the Bronx Zoo earlier this month. A few weeks later, two cats in New York state became the first U.S. pets to test positive for the virus. But Barnes doesn’t see it becoming a widespread issue.
“I would think by and large, domestic dogs and cats are not going to come down with COVID-19,” he said.
Greenfield-based Elanco and VetNOW are collaborating on providing veterinarians access to a telemedicine platform. Veterinarians in the U.S. and Canada enrolling in VetNOW can access the platform for free for the first two months, Elanco announced in a news release.
“The practice of veterinary medicine is changing, and COVID-19 is catalyzing that change,” said Jeff Simmons, Elanco president and CEO, in the release. “Clinics need that innovation right now, but it must be able to help their practices long-term.”
VetNOW’s platform allows veterinarians and veterinary clinics to offer virtual follow-ups, prescriptions and urgent care in real-time video or chat. General practice veterinarians can also connect with specialists throughtout the world in fields like critical care, oncology, neurology and cardiology.
Dr. Apryle Horbal, VetNOW’s founding CEO and an equine veterinary dental specialist, said in the news release that the platform has seen a dramatic increase in demand since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
