Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Ashley Passuello, a veterinary assistant with Range Animal Hospital in Ironwood, demonstrates the clinic's curbside procedure, using Dr. Stephanie Holloway's dog Chai, a border collie mix.
By CHARITY SMITH
Ironwood - When Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced last week limitations on veterinarian services during the COVID-19 pandemic, Range Animal Hospital had already switched over to offering strictly curbside services.
"We had already been anticipating it and so at least two weeks ahead of the executive order, we had already been limiting client interaction and maintaining social distancing," said Dr. Stephanie Holloway, DVM. "We are not having clients come into the building. Except under extreme circumstances."
With curbside service, pet owners call the clinic to make an appointment and answer question by the receptionist. When they arrive for their appointment and a clinic staff member will then put on a mask and gloves and go pick up the patient from the owner's car. After the doctor examines the pet, she will call owner and let them know her findings and discuss how they wish to proceed. When the vet is done with the patient, payment is collected over the phone and the patient is returned to the owner's car.
The order, which took effect on April 2, encourages veterinarians to prohibit all "non-essential" veterinary procedures, and requests veterinary staff to minimize their use of personal protective equipment as much as possible, so that it is available for health care workers.
"We are working every day to make sure our health care workers have the supplies they need to fight COVID-19," said Whitmer. "We must all continue to work together to secure more personal protective equipment so we can slow the spread of the virus. Michiganders are tough, and if we all work together, we can protect as many people as possible."
While the decision to do a specific procedure is left up to the veterinarian, the governor's order approved procedures that are: necessary to preserve the life of an animal, to treat serious pain that threatens the health and safety of an animal, to euthanize an animal, or to treat or prevent the transmission of any infectious disease that can be transmitted between animals and human beings.
Range Animal clinic is still doing most medical procedures, but has reduced the amount and frequency of spay and neuter procedures during the COVID crisis and according to Holloway.
She said it is important to note that COVID-19 is not in the list of infectious diseases that can be transmitted to humans from animals. The most prevalent diseases that are transmitted from animals to humans is rabies and leptoserosis.
"I am hearing that there are some pets being abandoned because of concerns that there pets have been exposed to COVID-19 and could possibly give it to a human," said Holloway. "There have been only four animals that have tested positive among thousands of cases nationally. If you are sick, limit your interaction with your pet. Quarantine your pet. Take some precautions, but please don't abandon your pets."
