Dr. Kiva and Dr. Kara are still assisting families during this challenging time.  We have been monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic and are using updates and guidelines from the CDC, AVMA, and other reputable sources to determine how we should proceed.  We will keep our website updated to convey how we are operating to fit within those guidelines. 

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Updated on 1/4/21:

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As we continue to visit families, we are taking the following precautions to ensure the safety of both your family and ours.

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·       We are asking families to provide knowledge of any increased risk prior to scheduling a home visit, including, but not limited to: coughing, sneezing, fever, or contact with someone who was infected by COVID-19, so we can discuss alternate arrangements.

·        If we should become ill or be aware of exposure to ourselves, we will immediately cease providing our services and recommend you have a secondary emergency means to request euthanasia if we need to cancel your appointment unexpectedly.

·       We will try to maintain a six foot distance as much as reasonably possible but still allow you time and space to be close to your beloved companion.  Unfortunately, this will also mean that we will not be able to give you a hug or handshake which usually means so much to us and the families we serve.

·       We will arrive at your home wearing a mask and recommend (but do not require) that you wear a mask or cloth covering the mouth and nose (current CDC guidelines recommend the wearing of cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain).

·       We encourage an outdoor location for the appointment if the weather allows.

·       We are disinfecting our hands and equipment between appointments and ask that you wash your hands before and after our visit and clean any surfaces that we can in contact with.

·       We offer contactless payment by emailed invoice before the visit upon request versus check, cash, or credit card at time of visit.

 

We recognize that there is an inherent risk with all types of social contact and we understand that many people want to avoid that risk. We have some level of inevitable risk of exposure, just as the general public does, due to our families, other clients we visit, and activities of daily living such as grocery shopping.  If you are interested in learning about options for keeping your pet as comfortable as possible until the risk of COVID-19 lessens, we recommend that you contact your rDVM for palliative care options or consider an unattended euthanasia, in which the doctor gently and lovingly euthanizes your pet without any owners present.

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