For the next several months we will not be accepting new clients.  Previous clients with new patients will still be welcomed.  We have had staffing crunches throughout the entire pandemic, however this summer, two of our veterinarians will be out for periods of time.  This will limit the number of consultation and surgical appointments available.  

There may be the need for last-minute schedule changes, so please be patient with our staff and we will try to meet all of your needs.  Annual exams may need to be pushed out for a few weeks so that we can accommodate any sick patients.  Hopefully, we will be at full  staff be the end of the summer and we will resume taking new patients at that time.

Finally some good news!  We seem to have survived this latest round of covid infections and as the number of cases diminishes, we will once again allow humans to accompany their cats into the office beginning Feb. 28.

Please call the office from the parking area when you arrive.  We still want to maintain uncrowded reception areas, so we will inform you when to come into the office.  One person per consultation will be allowed into the office.  That person should be vaccinated and masks MUST be worn at all times.

If you are picking up medications or food, please call from your vehicle and we will take your credit card info over the phone and bring the items out to meet you outdoors.

​Hopefully this is the beginning of a path back to normal, but we have been here before, so please check back in as the spring weather arrives.

From Dr Bob
It is with mixed emotions that I am announcing my retirement.  I will still be involved,  consulting with our great veterinary staff concerning individual patient care, and management decisions, but I will no longer be performing office visits and day to day Veterinary  care. After 45 years of practice (35 years of feline only), the pandemic, and personal health concerns, I can no longer meet the demands of daily practice.


Our offices will still provide the best in feline care through the capable talents of our Veterinary staff.  Our office staff (some of whom have been with me for most of the 35 years) will continue to provide answers to your questions, schedule appointments, and provide great nursing care for all of our patients.


The last few years have been especially challenging with the pandemic and a myriad of health issues.  It seems that every day brings a new physical challenge and it looks like the pandemic is here for the near future.  For these reasons I will be taking a step back and have more time to enjoy my personal interests.


I do want to thank the many clients that I have gotten to know in the last 35 years.  We have been through generations of wonderful feline companions.  I hope that by educating you about the care of your feline friends I have made your relationships better.


Good Health to All


Dr Bob
​

PANDEMIC RULES:


GET VACCINATED!


1. Due to staffing shortages, and frankly, dealing with 14 months of stress, we are closing our offices on all Saturdays beginning in June. Our Monday through Friday hours will remain the same. You will NOT be able to pick up medications or diets on Saturdays. This may be for the summer only, or may extend into the fall depending on staffing.


2. If you are picking up medication or diets, please try to prepay for these when you call to order them. When you arrive for pick-up, please call and we will meet you at our door.


3. MASKS MUST BE WORN AT ALL TIMES.  Curbside will still be available. If you have any respiratory symptoms we ask you to either use curbside or reschedule your consultation. We are limiting  visits to one human accompanying your cat.


4. When you arrive for an appointment, please call, and we will take your information and history over the phone. We will then instruct you when to come in, and escort you directly into one of our exam rooms. We ask you to stay in the exam rooms for the entire consultation and payment process. Once you are checked out, you will be escorted to the exit door.


5. Since these procedures to minimize congestion will still be more phone-intensive and time-consuming than normal, we ask you to continue to be patient with our staff. If you are unable to get through on the phone when you arrive for an appointment or supply pickup, please wait 2 minutes and then call back again. Someone will be with you as soon as they are able. Your visit may take a little longer than normal, so please allow enough time in your schedule to allow for delays.


6. Remember that this is still a world wide pandemic and rules may change over the next months to years. Please be patient. Our staff has worked very hard to still be available to care for your feline. We have had exposures, sickness, isolations, shut downs, and we still have to run a business in spite of all this.


7. GET VACCINATED!

Since many of us are now getting vaccinated, we are anticipating the day when humans will be allowed back into our offices.  We will not rush back into “business as usual”, but will institute a gradual transition back to owners with pets within our office.  The first step is to have all of our employees that want to be vaccinated do so, and have the appropriate wait time after the vaccination for full immunity.  


Next we will start to allow a limited number of owners to come into the office with their cats, ONLY if they have also been vaccinated.  If you are NOT vaccinated, then you will need to stay in your vehicle while we examine your cat.  We will probably restrict this to just  one human with each consult.  Clients picking up medication or supplies should pay when ordering or call when arriving, to pay over the phone, and we will meet you at the door with your items.  


  We will ask each client to call when arriving at the office for a consult,  and we will let you know when to come in. All clients will need to wear a mask while inside the office.  To minimize contact, you will be ushered into one of the exam rooms where history, exams, and vaccinations can  be performed. Some procedures and blood draws will be done in our treatment area, and we ask that you remain in the exam rooms while this occurs.  Checking out, making appointments,  and payment will also be done while in the exam rooms rather than at the “front desk”. Once all is complete, then we will usher you and your cat back outside.


We are not sure when we will be starting this new protocol, but when cases reduce, and everyone is vaccinated we will start this transition.

 
  As a cat owner, I know the stress of trying to convince your furry, clawed, anxious friend that the cat carrier is where he/she needs to be.  We all have tried everything from taking the carrier apart and/or turning it up on it's end. I know the stress of reaching into a cat carrier hoping you will be able to finish the day will all of your fingers and not making a trip to the emergency room.  Not mention the stress on the poor cat as we try to pour him/her out the carrier into an unknown environment.  This is where the Calm Carrier comes in. This awesome new sliding drawer carrier will significantly reduce travel related fear, anxiety and stress and is engineered and built to IATA Airline Standards.  Please take moment and check out the link below to get a better picture of this cool innovation along with the videos of use and assembly. 
https://www.jorvet.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/LITJ1527.pdf

We wanted to update our clients that our current protocols for office visits will remain as they are for the foreseeable future. That is, no one is allowed into the office except for very limited circumstances. Please call when you arrive at the office and we will take pertinent information and history over the phone. You will be instructed when and where to bring your carrier. If you are picking up medications or other supplies, please call when you arrive, and once you are checked out, the material will be brought outside. When we are done with our exams, we will be calling you, so please make sure we have the proper cell phone number and please remain available for the Doctors call.

We have had a few clients concerned that their cat may be more nervous without them, however, we have found most cats are calm, and seem more relaxed without their “stressed owners” adding to the exam process. We try to do our examinations and procedures as calmly and quickly as possible to decrease your cat’s stress.

Recently, a new cat carrier from Van Ness pet products called the Calm Cat Carrier has caught our attention. This carrier has an internal drawer system so a cat does not need to be touched to come out of the carrier. This seems like a great stress reducer for our patients. Check it out at Vannesspets.com.

​I hope everyone remains cautious and healthy. I have talked with several of our clients that have gone through Covid 19 and it is not something to take lightly. Wear your mask. Ask others to wear their mask properly. Be safe.