Lazy 5 Veterinary clients and community,
As we begin our COVID-19 stay at home for NC from March 31 -April 30 (current dates), we want you to know Lazy 5 Veterinary Hospital is committed to still providing you quality veterinary care for your pets and curbside service to keep you safe as well as our staff. We are considered an essential business and plan to keep the following hours to care for your precious pets. Monday – Friday 7:30 a.m. – 6 p.m., last doctor visit at 5 p.m. and Saturday from 7:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., last doctor visit at 11:30 a.m. For medications, refills and food, we will be happy to provide curbside service and pay over the phone to reduce human contact. Our pharmacy staff is working hard to keep a good stock of medications and food for your pet as many on-line companies are delayed on shipping or having back orders. We are still able to care for your pet in the boarding area if the need arises, but we are not doing playdates to limit social contact. We are asked by the North Carolina Veterinary Medical Board to perform exams, procedures, surgeries and services that are essential for pets as well as public health. This includes vaccines/exams for puppies/kittens, other vaccines of public health concern, sick animals, patients receiving continued medical care/therapies, follow up visits, and any emergencies.
Non-essential visits that can be postponed for a month should be delayed for the reduction of human contact and protection of our community from spreading the COVID-19 virus. I will list some more specific guidelines at the bottom of this post to help you determine if your pet needs to be seen, but you can find these on AVMA website as well. There are always special circumstances you may not be able to determine, so please call our hospital at 704-636-1100 so our staff can assist you.
During this time, we are doing the following to help with client and staff protection:
- A two-team approach, which allows us to make sure a team is available in case another team member(s) become sick.
- Our staff is committed to social distancing when not working and not coming to work if feeling sick.
- We are also conserving PPE equipment within our hospital to allow more for human hospitals. We will use PPE equipment in cases of high-risk clients to protect you or if clients have been sick. Other circumstances may indicate the need as well.
- We do ask clients that have been sick or any known potential for COVID-19 exposure to please send another person with your pet for us to examine. We will be happy to communicate with you on the phone.
- We ask all clients PLEASE STAY IN YOUR VEHICLES. We are social distancing within our hospital and ask you to as well in the parking lot, this is for everyone’s safety. We will speak to you at a distance and come get your pets from your vehicle. You can also call us at 704-636-1100 when you arrive or on the way so we know to expect you.
- Please communicate with our staff as to any special circumstances for your pet or yourself as protecting each other is our utmost priority.
Thanks for all your support for our hospital and staff during this challenging time! As a small business that loves caring for our community pets, we certainly appreciate it! Any questions, please call our hospital at 704-636-1100, or use the online form here, so our staff can assist you.
Rebekah Julian, DVM
Covid-19 Guidelines but not limited to what is essential for pet health/public health:
- Puppy and kitten vaccines/exams, they need to stay on schedule
- Rabies and Lepto vaccines are a public health concern and need to be kept up to date.
- Internal and external parasite prevention- ticks, fleas and intestinal worms are all a public health concern so we do not want you waiting to get medications or preventions as this is a season of parasites.
- Mosquitos are also out in full force right now and a cause for heartworm disease in dogs and cats, if you have a current veterinary client patient relationship with us, please call us to get medication to last your pet through the stay at home period.
- Follow up visits from being sick, having surgery or the patient is receiving constant medical therapy need to continue to come for treatment/visits.
- Injections or therapies that are weekly or due during this time frame for the pet’s health.
- If your pet has open sores, wounds, masses, infections on the skin, ears or other extremities that are causing them pain.
- Sores or problems with the mouth that are limiting their ability to eat.
Below are indications of emergencies but again not limited to other possibilities (also found on AVMA website):
- Severe bleeding or bleeding that doesn’t stop within 5 minutes.
- Choking, difficulty breathing or non-stop coughing and gagging.
- Bleeding from the mouth, nose, rectum, coughing up blood or blood in urine.
- Inability to urinate or pass feces (stool), or obvious pain associated with urinating or passing stool.
- Conditions or injuries with your pet’s eyes.
- You suspect or know your pet has eaten something poisonous (such as antifreeze, xylitol, chocolate, rodent poison, other medications or plants), or your pet has eaten chicken bones, other foreign objects.
- Pregnant dogs or cats needing medical attention or having difficulty with the birthing process.
- Seizures and/or staggering.
- Fractured bones, hit by car, bite wounds, severe lameness, or inability to move legs or walk.
- Obvious signs of pain or anxiety that is persistent.
- Heat stress or heatstroke.
- Persistent or severe vomiting or diarrhea- more than 2 episodes in 24 hour period, or either of these combined with obvious illness or any of the other problems listed here.
- Refusal to eat or drink for 24 hours or more.
- Unconsciousness or extreme lethargy that is very unusual for the pet.
Again, we are HERE if you have any concerns for your pet’s health, please call us at 704-636-1100 so we can assist.
Thanks for allowing us to care for your precious pets in our community and your continued commitment to help support our staff and hospital!
Rebekah Julian, DVM
