OTTAWA COUNTY, Mich. — Local veterinarians are adjusting their practices to screen for "emergent" needs, complying with an mandate that restricts non-essential animal care during the stay-at-home order.
"We are down to like five or six patients per day," said Dr. Lisa Meyer, owner of Georgetown Animal Hospital on Port Sheldon Street. "We're not scheduling routine surgeries."
Governor Whitmer issued the order halting non-essential veterinary care on March 30, encouraging facilities to practice telemedicine as much as possible amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
"While there is no evidence that pets can transmit COVID-19, we must take additional steps to promote social distancing,” Whitmer said in a statement. “If we want to flatten the curve and slow the spread of COVID-19, all Michiganders must do their part."
While some procedures can be put off, most work has some form immediate need for the animals, said Dr. Kelley Coll of the Chicago Drive Veterinary Clinic in Ottawa County. The clinic now sees around 10-12 patients each day.
"We still need puppies to finish the vaccine series, any animal due for rabies is a public health concern if we don't continue to vaccinate," Coll said. "We've discontinued boarding and grooming, but everything else we are looking at on a case-by-case basis," Coll said."
Patients are encouraged to call veterinary offices to discuss ailments with staff and determine if a visit is necessary, Meyer said.
"We've locked down the clinic, so clients call from their cars," Coll said. "We'll send a technician to take a phone history. Then they will go out and get the pet wearing protective gear. We try to limit contact with the owner as much as possible."
The mandate isn't desirable, but necessary to keep people healthy, Meyer said. "We're doing the best we can," she said. "We want to be there for them," she said.
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