Vets v COVID-19

Petplan Vet of The Year and owner of The Liverpool Vets, Danielle Greenberg, tells us what life under lockdown has meant for the pets of the city and those who care for them.

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CLOSED DOORS

17 March. I close the door to our clients. The beautiful waiting room I so carefully designed, and always full of chatter, barks, meows, ins and outs, is eerily still. A week later, Cleveland Square is deserted. We are the only people left working there.

To protect ourselves, we need to limit face to face contact, and so we turn the waiting room into the consultation room and put the examination table close to the door so owners can at least see what we are doing.

We have some PPE, and our wonderful clients donate more, as the groomers and beauticians shut their doors.

FOMITE FEAR

We worry that pets could carry the virus on their fur or on their carriers. No one has proved that they can, but we worry like everyone else about this invisible deadly virus and we disinfect over and over.

We are using up our PPE very quickly and Brett (Head Nurse) makes us some home sewn masks to supplement our stocks.

VIDEO CONSULTATIONS

I ran to Argos and bought a mobile phone. The streets were deserted, I think it was the day before lockdown. If our doors were closed, we were going to have to find new ways to communicate with our clients remotely.

At first it seemed surreal and almost fun: chatting with owners, helping them to navigate WhatsApp, seeing into people’s homes, diagnosing and arranging treatment to be collected at the clinic.

My 23 years’ experience was suddenly invaluable in a new way as I looked for clues as to what the problem might be, in brief wriggly seconds through the screen.

URGENT AND EMERGENCY ONLY

23 March. The Royal College announces that we must only see those pets for whom delaying treatment for four weeks could be fatal. Suddenly, picking out those pets from video calls becomes much more complex as knowing what might happen in over a month is not always clear.

Pets don’t know we have COVID-19 to deal with and they get sick just the same. We are faced with our first euthanasias where owners cannot hold their dying pets to say their last goodbye. It’s heartbreaking.

NEW PUPPIES DILEMMA

Suddenly we notice a big increase in people calling to ask about vaccinations for new puppies. Initially this is considered neither urgent or emergent. The vet community is split: travelling to collect puppies would not be considered necessary, but not vaccinating them could lead to an outbreak of Parvo, especially here in Liverpool.

We are also split between advising new owners to keep their puppies safe at home vs them missing their vital few weeks of socialisation, where they learn how to interact with the world.

As a team we decide to hold off initially, but when the advice comes through on 12 April that we can start again, we are literally inundated. To keep us all safe, we decide that I will vaccinate the puppies outside. Cleveland Square, which had been deserted for weeks, is suddenly lit up with little bundles of joy.

I go out with my mask, gloves and apron on to make sure these puppies are kept safe from a virus we actually have a vaccine for. I’m longing to hug and kiss them all, but I don’t.

EXHAUSTED

11 May. We are working with just a team of three. I’ve been picking up Brett and Charlotte (Client Care Manager) so they don’t need to take the train. For eight weeks we have worked like we have never worked before.

In an environment of fear and uncertainty we have striven to provide the highest standard of care possible for our pets and their families. Everything takes much longer than before: juggling video calls, PPE, the phone, holding animals and keeping up to date with ever changing guidelines and evolving expectations and frustrations.

17 May. We bring back two part time staff members and book some days off to rest.

LEADERSHIP

As a relatively new boss, this has been my biggest challenge. I need to keep both my team and our clients updated with lockdown regulations and how they affect poorly pets. I update our protocols in the clinic, on social media, on our website and then 10 days later, they are outdated and need renewing.

There are so many unknowns and grey areas. I’m programmed to do what’s in any animal’s best interest, but now that has to be overridden for human interest. I’ve got to keep myself briefed on the latest developments. I sit up late into the night watching webinars and on vet forums. I have to relay everything.

I need to support my team who are really tired. For the first time, I know I really do have to step up and lead.

LIVERPOOL’S BIG HEART

It’s not news to me that this city comes together like no other in the face of a challenge, but I’ve been overwhelmed with gestures of support, offers of help even from competing vet practices, gifts and such thoughtful messages that have lifted us time and again. I asked for a spare kennel and within hours we had more than we could fit into the clinic. Thank you.

Our clients established and new, have been so grateful for our care, understanding of the changes and so adaptable in how we do things. I’m always proud to be a Liverpudlian, but this has made me prouder than ever.

THE NEW NORMAL

So, as we roll into summer, what does the new normal look like for The Liverpool Vets?

1) Video consultations are here to stay – there’s so much we can do without you having to leave your home.
2) No entry – I’m afraid our doors will remain closed to clients until July at the earliest. We will take your pet from you at the door and communicate via mobile phones.
3) Vaccines for puppies, kittens and rabbits are back on track. For adults, please call the clinic or see the website for details.
4) Urgent and emergency cases will continue to take priority, and where safe to do so, other procedures may still be postponed.
5) Our opening hours will be Monday to Friday 9am–6pm. We will not be open on Saturday mornings except for emergency calls until the end of July.

For all the details please see the website: www.theliverpoolvets/corona

Despite all of these challenges, the level of care we provide will remain without compromise. It’s now more than ever that our depth of experience, has proved key in allowing our small clinic to continue to grow at this time.

We have also been incredibly fortunate to have stayed well throughout lockdown. We hope that you have been able to spend some unexpected extra quality time with your pets, and that you and your families remain safe and well as we navigate out of this unique situation and into summer.