Important COVID-19 update; please read.

Donview Uncategorised

To all our wonderful Clients, 

Our thoughts are with you, your families and love ones as we all try to navigate these difficult times. We have so appreciated your support and co-operation as we have introduced social distancing measures at the practice to protect our team and you, our clients. 

Following guidance from the British Veterinary Association and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons; our governing body. We have now been instructed to not undertake routine appointments. This is a) to ensure we can still have staff available to care for your pets when they are unwell b) to reduce the spread of coronavirus by reducing the number of clients coming in and c) to ensure we have vets to focus on food production (farm work). Routine appointments are things such as vaccinations, neuterings and appointments that are not essential to ensure the health and welfare of your pet. Vaccinations can generally go overdue by 3 months; please call us for guidance, but we would appreciate advice calls such as this in a few weeks once things are a bit quieter for us.

In line with government guidance we have now put in place strict social distancing measures at our practice to keep you and our teams safe, secure the best care for your pets and help reduce the transmission of the coronavirus. 

Following the guidance, we will not be allowing any clients to enter our practice premises. This policy has been advised to be followed by all vets. This decision has not been taken lightly, but we feel it is an essential and now required step to safeguard our team so that continuity of service to you is maintained. This measure will also reduce risk to our clients, especially the vulnerable and those in higher risk categories. You can still collect medications, and these will be brought out to you. Please call us when you arrive at the practice. Bear with us as our phones are very busy at the moment. We have already started a telephone consultation service and are hoping to launch a full Telemedicine service soon. Please bear in mind the following additional measures we have taken.

– We will ask you to keep 2 meters between you and any of our team members or any other clients 
– We may start to talk to you and examine your pet outside first. 
– We may decide to only bring your pet in the consult room and ask you to wait outside. We will call you during or at the end of the examination. 
– We will ask you to pay by card only and we may even ask you to pay over the phone prior to your visit. 
– If you are ill or self-isolating, you should not visit the practice. Call us so we can find the best solution for your pet. 

We would ask for your patience, your co-operation and help as we try to make these measures work. With your help we can be here for you and your pets as and when you need us through this pandemic.

Halfpenny animal sanctuary are offering to deliver medications for your pets! – repost from their Facebook page.

Donview Automated

Post by Halfpenny-Farm Animal Sanctuary


I know there will be a lot of people, especially the elderly, who are having to self isolate.

Halfpenny farm is offering to collect any pet medications needed in Kintore from Donview vets and to deliver them to the person who needs them.
We can only do this for medications from Donview vets and only deliver to people in Kintore, as Mike can collect them on his way home from work and drop them off through your letterbox or at your gate.


If you need help, please message us on the halfpenny page or call us on 07737653402, also let Donview know we are collecting them so they can have them ready for us.


Remember, Donview needs 24 hours notice to have your pet’s meds ready for you.


Thanks,


Louise.


More info @ https://ift.tt/2x0fFcR
Automated post from Donview Veterinary Centre – https://ift.tt/1U9Ovl8
March 16, 2020 at 07:29AM

* Temporary closure of Kintore branch *

Donview Uncategorised

Due to a number of staff not able to make it to work at the moment we have decided it is best to concentrate our efforts to care for your pets at Inverurie and to temporarily close the Kintore branch from 11:00 am on Friday. Things are continuing as normal at Inverurie so if you need an appointment please feel free to give us a call on 01467 621429.

COVID UPDATE

Donview Uncategorised

We would like to reassure all of our clients that we remain committed to providing care to all of our patients. Due to the changed government guidance last night, there may be changes in practice team availability. Please continue to monitor our social media for any further announcements, but please do contact us if your animal(s) requires veterinary care. We also ask you to support our team who are working very hard at a challenging time to ensure the animals entrusted to our care are looked after throughout the coming weeks.

Can we also please remind clients the importance of keeping our team healthy; please do not attend the surgery if you have any signs associated with Coronavirus; please call us. Please can we ask anyone coming in for an appointment to let us know when you have arrived and wait in your car. Please, to limit the risk of spread can we ask pets to only bring one owner in with them.

COVID UPDATE

Donview Uncategorised

We realise this is a worrying time for all our clients, and we ask that you help us to reduce the risk to our visitors and the practice so that we can continue to care for your pets. 

•If you or anyone in your immediate family/household are unwell or showing symptoms that could be attributable to the Coronavirus, we respectfully ask you NOT to visit the at the moment; pets can act as fomites and carry the virus on them (there is no evidence pets can get the disease themselves), so to protect our clients, staff and their families and to ensure our staff can still be there for your pets, we have procedures and control measures in place to reduce the risk to them.

•Please make sure you use the hand sanitisers available when you visit the practice. Frequent hand washing is one of the most effective measures we can all take to protect ourselves and each other. 

•Should you wish to minimise your time around other people, you can wait in your car, call us from the car park to let us know you are here, we will call you in the practice once the vet is ready to see you. 

To reduce the number of people in the waiting room we ask that each pet is accompanied by one person where possible.

•We would like to avoid cash payments wherever possible so please bring you bank card for payment. 

•It is possible we may be able to help your pet without you bringing them in for an appointment. If you are unsure whether a visit is necessary please call us to discuss. 

As the current situation is rapidly changing, we will keep you updated with any changes as they occur. 

COVID UPDATE

Donview Uncategorised

If you think your pet needs to be seen by one of our team, but you maybe at risk of COVID-19 virus infection, or are self isolating, please contact the practice and we can discuss the best option for your pet to ensure they get the right care.

COVID UPDATES – Coronavirus in Pets?

Donview Uncategorised

We have had many phone calls over the past few days asking if pets are at risk from the coronavirus, here are answers to some common questions regarding the virus and pets.

Do animals get coronaviruses?

Coronaviruses are very common in animals and there are many different strains (types) which are different from COVID-19. In general, they normally cause problems like coughing or diarrhoea that are relatively mild.


Do animals get COVID-19?


There have been no confirmed COVID-19 infections in animals. Some coronaviruses are zoonotic which means they can jump from one species to another, for example human to animal or the reverse. There is some suggestion that COVID-19 originated from animals(bats) but this is not yet confirmed. COVID-19 seems to spread from human to human, not animals.


How do animals contribute to the spread of COVID-19?


At the moment we don’t think animals play a significant role in the spread of COVID-19. However, if a person with COVID-19 is in contact with an animal they could potentially spread the virus to another person via the virus being on the coat of the animal. In this situation the animal is a fomite (something that can transfer a virus from one person to another without them having to meet).


Can I get COVID-19 from my pet?


No, but if they have been in touch with someone infected with COVID-19 then there is a slight risk. Make sure you wash your hands before and after feeding/playing with your pet and avoid kissing, licking or sharing food with them


Can animals be vaccinated?


No, we have some vaccines for other types of animal coronaviruses but they are not useful when thinking about COVID-19.

Lucky Jack saved from a deadly human medicine

Donview Uncategorised

Jack, a one-year-old sprocker, was rushed to Donview Veterinary Centre in Inverurie after eating a box of human anti-inflammatory pain killers called naproxen.

Naproxen, a common medicine that can be bought without prescription to reduce inflammation and pain, is highly toxic to both dogs and cats.

Even eating one of the tablets could potentially have proved fatal or caused acute kidney failure and gastrointestinal ulcers for the pup.

Jack stole the tablets, which had been stored in a ground-level cupboard at his owner Mark Anderson’s home in Aberdeen.

Mr Anderson rang Donview Vets to ask for advice before being advised to bring his much-loved pet to the practice.

The veterinary team induced vomiting and gave him ​liquid charcoal to absorb any toxic fluids in his stomach.

​Jack was also hospitalised and given intra-venous fluids for 24 hours to prevent damage to his kidneys, and sent home with medications to protect his stomach from ulceration.

Mr Anderson, who has owned Jack since he was a puppy, found the ripped up naproxen box and chewed up tablets when he returned home from work at Aberdeen Airport.

He said: “They were in a box under a unit in the kitchen, but Jack is a scavenger so he managed to get in and steal them. Being so young, he has a habit of chewing everything. I found fragments of the tablets on the floor and quickly Googled to check the dangers and then rang the vets.

Donview Vets, Inverurie, Thursday 27rd February 2020
Pictured is Jack the Spaniel with onwer Mark Anderson and Vet Charlie Carnochan
Pictured Left to Right is Charlie Carnochan and Mark Anderson
Picture by Euan Duff / Abermedia
“He knew he had done wrong and was in trouble as he was looking sorry for himself.

“The tablets perhaps weren’t in the best place and we’ll be more vigilant now about what’s at ground level as Jack is so energetic and curious.”

Donview Vets clinical director Charlie Carnochan added: “It was a happy outcome for Jack, but it could have been worse.

“Jack’s owner was quick off the mark to speak to us about it so we were able to take advice from the Veterinary Poisons Information Service and act swiftly.

“We always recommend that medication, including veterinary treatments, is kept out of reach of pets and that owners contact their vets at the earliest opportunity for advice and guidance.”