To our valued clientele,
We wanted to reach out and provide you with an update for the recent COVID-19 pandemic that we all are facing.
First off, we feel that it is very important for you to know that, up to this point, the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) indicates that there is no known threat to your pet’s health. They do indicate that while appearing safe, it is recommended that if you are diagnosed with the virus, limiting contact with pets is advised as we are still learning about its effects on them.
We also want you to know that we are committed to keeping our office safe and healthy for all of our patients, clients, and staff. In light of growing concerns about the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, we are complying with governmental and organizational guidelines and would like you to be aware of the actions that we are taking. These changes are supported by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the Oregon Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA), and the Portland Veterinary Medical Association (PVMA).
Disinfection protocols:
- Our disinfection protocols have been revised to include the cleaning of all high traffic surfaces, including: door handles, countertops, transaction terminals, as well as any items (i.e. pens, etc.) that are exchanged between staff and clients. This will occur every two hours, at a minimum. All surfaces are disinfected with products recommended by the EPA and CDC.
- Any staff member that is feeling ill is asked to stay home until symptoms resolve.
- Our employees are instructed to follow proper sanitation protocols at regular intervals as put forth by the Center for Disease Control (CDC).
Scheduling adjustments:
- In accordance with mandates by the State of Oregon and the Governor’s office, we are suspending all non-essential surgical and dental procedures until June 15th. This is to preserve the valuable personal protection equipment (PPE) for our front-line healthcare workers that will bring us through this crisis. We will be rescheduling any procedures that had been scheduled to date.
- In the interest of pubic health, we respectfully ask you to only schedule appointments that you feel are essential and urgent at this time. Wellness exams and routine vaccine boosters can be safely postponed with minimal risk or harm to your pet.
- We ask that any of our clients that are feeling ill, please consider sending someone in your place to deliver your pet to us.
- We are offering concierge service for all necessary appointments to help to contribute to social distancing, which is absolutely critical during this time. We are happy to receive your pet at your vehicle when you arrive. You can simply call our office (503-648-2800) when you arrive and we will send out a team member. If you would rather drop your pet off to be picked up later in that day, you do have that option. We will efficiently examine your pet and call you with our findings, diagnosis, and treatment plan. Once agreed upon, the exam can be completed, financial transactions processed, and we can deliver your pet to you back at your vehicle. We feel that it is important to note that no financial information will be stored, and will be destroyed following the transaction.
We understand that this is a challenging shift from the protocols that we are used to, but we ask that everyone be flexible and respectful of efforts of everyone to do our part to be socially responsible. It is important for all of us. - We are working to provide a telemedicine service to our clients. The Oregon Veterinary Medical Examining Board has allowed us to treat patients remotely in certain circumstances. While this is a very new aspect of veterinary medicine, it may prove to be crucial to ensure the health of our pets with minor illnesses and to protect our community from preventable risks. Please monitor our website for updates on this evolving type of veterinary care.
Thank you for your cooperation during these challenging times. We are all in this together, and we are confident that we will emerge from this crisis stronger and wiser than we were before.
Sincerely,
The All About Cats team