****UPDATE – 14th April 2020 ****
Following further guidance from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and British Veterinary Association over the bank holiday weekend, we are now allowed to do some of the work that we have been putting off for the past three weeks.
Specifically this includes:-
- Puppy and kitten vaccinations
- Rabbit vaccinations
- Dog boosters
- Rabies vaccinations where necessary to maintain period of cover
- Cat neutering.
Some of the procedures that we are having to continue to post-pone:
- Dog neutering
- Cat flea injections
- 6 monthly health and wellness checks
- New rabies vaccinations
However, this is not business as usual. We have to maintain social distancing. This means we will have to continue to not allow the public into the consulting room with their pets, which sadly includes euthanasia. The Kelty surgery will remain closed until at least the 4th of May.
We are continuing to deliver medication on Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings free of charge to the KY11, KY12 and KY4 postcodes.
We will keep these lists under review as the situation develops. Our priority is to serve animal welfare while protecting our clients, staff, and the wider public from Covid-19. We really appreciate everyone’s cooperation in this which has been incredible so far.
****UPDATE – 10th April 2020****
Like most British businesses, and all veterinary surgeries, Vetrica has had to make significant changes to our working practices, and I wanted to detail them for you in case you need to get in touch.
Our regulator is the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, and we have to take their guidance when making arrangements to reorganise our services. Our guiding principle is one of animal welfare first, but we have to balance this with the public health regulations as they are, and the protection of our clients and staff.
1. The surgery is open, but please don’t come unannounced.
Please call us first and we will discuss whether we need to see you. The surgery door is locked at all times, and if you come to the surgery without an appointment we may not be able to see you.
We are still open for pet food sales, and are offering free delivery to the KY11, KY12 and KY4 postcodes.
2. We have unfortunately stopped all procedures not involving an animal that has a problem now.
This includes:
- Vaccinations
- Neuter surgery
- 6 month checks
- Flea injections
- Nail clipping
This obviously has an impact on the Vetrica Health Plans. If your dog or cat is due treatments under the plan, we are arranging to supply the medications involved without seeing the animals. Unfortunately, in the case of cats, this will mean supplying a spot-on medication rather than the injection. Hopefully, we will be able to revert to using the injection in 6 month’s time when the next one is due.
3. We are no longer able to conduct face-to-face consultations.
The good news is that if you feel your pet needs to be seen for a problem occurring now, we are able to do that. The procedure is for you to make an appointment in the usual way. When you arrive at the surgery, please call us on the phone to alert the reception staff that you have arrived. Someone will come out and collect your pet from the car park and take it into the surgery to be examined and treated. The vet will call you on the phone to discuss the history and treatment, and payment will be taken by card over the phone also. We are not accepting cash or cheque payments at this time.
Sadly, this also includes euthanasia, and it is with great regret that we are no longer able to allow you to be with your pet under these circumstances.
In all cases, please arrive on time, but not too early. If you are late, we may not be able to see you.
4. We are delivering medication in most cases.
This is to reduce the number of people coming to the surgery, and to support the government’s policy of requiring people to stay at home as much as possible.
If your pet needs continuing medication, please order this in the usual way, this is preferably by phone. Medication will be delivered in the evenings on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
5. We are not accepting new clients or second opinion cases.
In order to best serve animal welfare, medication and treatments should be prescribed by a veterinary surgeon that is familiar with the patient. Second opinions involve unique challenges which we cannot meet at this time of lock-down. In certain very specific cases (such as following the purchase of a new puppy for example), we are able to dispense medications where we haven’t seen the patient before, but these cases will be the exception rather than the rule.
6. We understand that you may be having financial difficulty.
Many people are in financial difficulty at this time. Our principle of animal welfare first continues to apply, so if your account with us is in good standing, we will always see your pets if clinical need dictates it. We will do our best to alleviate the suffering of your pets within your budget.
7. We have temporarily closed the Kelty surgery.
We reluctantly have had to close the Kelty surgery for the duration of the government restrictions. If you usually attend the Kelty surgery, you are still able to come to the Rosyth surgery.
8. We have changed our opening times.
Our current opening hours for our Rosyth clinic as of Monday 13th April are 9am – 5pm Monday – Friday. As the situation develops , we may have to adjust these hours further. We will revert to our normal opening hours at both branches as soon as circumstances permit.