The COVID-19 Survival Guide for Every Veterinary Practice
As you may have heard, these are unprecedented times. Even as restrictions will begin to lift around the country, we urge you to remain cautious and to respect the uncertainty many continue to feel.
It’s never too late to implement some positive changes around your practice. Let’s get started!
Take your practice curb side
Enforce a pet only policy and keep clients in the car (just roll the window down)
Work from home
If your software allows for remote work, keep some, or all, staff at home
Switch to telehealth appointments so patients still get the care they need
Hit the road
Pack it up and treat patients on house calls instead
Hygiene, hygiene, hygiene
- Encourage basic and precautionary hygiene
- Set out additional hand sanitizer containers
- Post informational notices around the practice
Prepare for patients with sick pet parents
- Wear PPE at all times and bathe patients at intake
- If hospitalizing, use isolation wards and restrict visitors
Avoid sharing stationary and handling cash
Limit in-person payment
- Enable digital signatures
- Venmo and PayPal are great alternatives
Be as paperless as possible
- Make digital copies of paperwork and send to clients in advance
- Use electronic SOAPs and EMRs to avoid physical notes and paperwork
Social distance like a champ
- Implement alternative check-in, scheduling, and payment methods
- Rotate staff to reduce people in the office
- Implement pet pick up and drop off in the parking lot
- Stay open for essential appointments only
Additional safety measures
Your staff is risking their health coming into work and clients know it. If a patient requires additional precautions, it’s OK to charge for it
Accommodate extenuating circumstances
Help pets, gain client trust, and keep the team working? Check.
- Home visits
- Prescription delivery
- Medical boarding
- Medical grooming
- Virtual training and behavior appointments
Take it online
If you’re offering virtual appointments, make sure to charge accordingly
Flexible policies
- Help your team feel safe with an amended sick leave policy
- Prepare for the worst. Set protocols in case of a sick client or team member
Gear up
- Provide disposable receptacles
- Wear extra PPE around patients with sick pet parents
Boost that team spirit
- Check in on team members to make sure they’re feeling OK
- Have fun with team bonding activities, either virtual or from a distance
Keep it consistent
Any content, any platform. Make sure your clients hear from you regularly
Keep it varied
Social media, texting, email, even snail mail. There are tons of inexpensive platforms out there. Get out there and start communicating
Keep it reassuring
Emotions run high with so much uncertainty. Check in, get them the facts, give some at-home pet tips, and serve a bit of comic relief. Just hearing from you shows you care
Keep it informative
COVID-19
You’re the expert, so clients naturally turn to you for advice. Focus on what you know and link clients to reputable sources
Office 411
All the changes around the practice are for the clients, so tell them what’s happening.
Update them on policy changes and any additional services
Looking for veterinary software to shoulder some of the burden?
Instead of working double time adapting with what you got, switch to a platform built to accommodate any situation. Rhaspody helps you take on COVID-19 with built-in telehealth, all-digital documents, and more. We’ll keep the practice running so your focus is on the pet care.
