Essential Services During COVID-19
Lakeview Animal Hospital is an essential service and remains open to serve your pets. To protect our clients and our team members, we have significantly changed how we are practicing, and are complying with guidelines released by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association.
Hours and Access to Animal Care Clinic
We have significantly shortened our hours and are not allowing client access into Lakeview Animal Hospital. It is very important that you call ahead to ensure that we are able to see your pet.
The same is true for orders (food, medications, etc.): Please call ahead to ensure that we have your order ready and waiting when you arrive.
Curb-Side (Parking Lot) Dropoff and Pickup
We are practicing “curb-side” dropoff / pickup from our parking lot.
Appointments: When you arrive for your appointment, stay in your car and call the clinic. We will send a team member out to get your pet. See Appointments below.
Orders: If you are picking up an order, please stay in your car and call the clinic. We will send a team member to your car with your order. See Orders and Delivery below.
Orders and Delivery
If you require food, medications or other orders, do not come to the clinic. Please contact us to place your order. Once it is ready, we will contact you and you can choose to pick it up curb-side at the clinic, or we can deliver it to your house for free.
Appointments
In-Clinic Appointments
In-Clinic Appointments are being seen but are limited to only your pet. Once a team member has picked up your pet from your car, one of our veterinarians will perform a full examination and a team member will call you to get a history and to inform you of our findings and recommendations. Once the appointment is complete, your pet will be returned to your car by one of our team members.
Virtual Appointments
Virtual appointments are now available via our virtual veterinary health care (telemedicine) platform. Virtual appointments allow us to assess your pet remotely and make recommendations. Should we recommend your pet be seen in-clinic, the in-clinic appointment is included as part of the virtual appointment at no additional cost. Learn more about virtual appointments on our Virtual Veterinary Health Care Service page.
Routine Care
Routine care includes all veterinary services that are non-urgent in nature. If you believe your pet has an urgent medical condition, please immediately contact us.
Annual Health Exams
All annual health exams are being shifted to our virtual veterinary health care (telemedicine) service. See our Virtual Veterinary Health Care Service page for details.
Vaccinations
Urgent Vaccinations
Urgent vaccinations are continuing to be performed on schedule. Urgent vaccinations include rabies vaccination (as required by law), annual vaccinations where your pet is at significant if not vaccinated on schedule (e.g. some pets are at high risk for leptospirosis and should not be late with their vaccination), and puppy and kitten vaccinations.
Non-Urgent Vaccinations
Annual vaccinations, other than those considered urgent, are being postponed (unless we are seeing your pet in-clinic for urgent vaccinations or other reasons). Don’t worry: Non-urgent vaccinations have a safety margin and can be safely postponed for a few months. We still recommend your annual health examination be done on schedule via our Virtual Veterinary Health Care Service.
Heartworm and Parasite Testing
Heartworm and Tick Disease Testing
For pets that have received their heartworm and tick disease testing and their preventative medications in the previous year, we are postponing heartworm and tick disease testing until we return to routine appointments. Note that your heartworm and tick disease testing is still required as soon as possible. However to ensure that your pet is protected, we will dispense heartworm and tick prevention medication before testing on your pet has been done.
Please contact us and we will recommend and prepare heartworm and tick prevention medications for your pet.
Fecal Parasite Testing
We strongly recommend annual fecal parasite testing. This is simple to do: Obtain a fresh fecal sample and drop it off at the clinic within a few hours. We will take care of the rest! If we find parasites, we will be able to prescribe appropriate treatment to keep your pet and your family healthy and safe.
Surgery
Spays and Neuters
Unless there is a medical need for your pet to be spayed or neutered during the COVID-19 pandemic, we will postpone their surgery until we are again seeing routine appointments.
Other Surgery
Non-urgent surgery, such as lump removals, will be postponed until we are again seeing routine appointments. Urgent surgery (as deemed by one of our veterinarians) will be considered on a case-by-case basis, and may be postponed with appropriate medical treatment, performed in-clinic, or referred to a specialist clinic.
Dental Procedures
All dental procedures are being postponed unless they are deemed by our veterinarians to be urgent (e.g. a fractured tooth). As with urgent surgeries, urgent dental procedures will be considered on a case-by-case basis, and may be postponed with appropriate medical treatment, performed in-clinic, or referred to a specialist clinic.
Grooming
All grooming appointments are being postponed until we have returned to seeing routine appointments.
Non-Routine Care
Non-routine care continues at Lakeview Animal Hospital. If you are concerned about your pet, please contact us. Based on the situation, we will recommend either a virtual appointment or an in-clinic appointment. Remember: Do not come to the clinic without calling first.
Emergencies
Emergencies are non-routine and will been seen. Emergency veterinary clinics also remain open during the COVID-19 pandemic (however hours may vary).
If your pet is experiencing an emergency, call us or call an emergency clinic immediately and before coming to the clinic. Contact information, including for our local emergency clinics, can be found on our Contact Us page.
This Too Shall Pass
These are scary and difficult times. Thank you for working with us help to keep our clients and team members safe while allowing us to continue to provide care for your pets. We sincerely wish you all the best and hope you keep safe, healthy and happy. Give your pet some extra love during this time – it will not only make them feel better, you will feel better too 🙂