Fall 2021 Updates:
Thank you to everyone for making our re-opening to the public a success this summer. The gradual re-entry allowed time for our team to be fully vaccinated in July, and we have been enjoying seeing clients back in the hospital. Our team thanks you for understanding the importance of wearing your mask for all visits into the hospital, not entering if feeling unwell, and keeping the limit of 3-4 clients in the reception area. We appreciate all pre-orders, by phone or email, for food and medication refills. Our new area in reception for pre-order food pickups has been well-received!
The curbside check-in for appointments has been very successful. It started primarily as a safety measure for clients and staff but we quickly realized over the past year that our patients are much happier and less anxious overall when they can go directly to the exam or treatment room. Therefore, we decided this summer to continue to keep their visits as stress free as possible by having you call 780-481-5678 for check-in when you arrive. Additionally, this also means we have been continuing to maximize social distancing between clients, still keeping your safety a priority.
With the public health emergency measures announced September 15, our goal is to keep our doors open and for clients to still accompany their pets for in-hospital exam visits. In order to safely accomplish this, effective immediately we will now require clients attending their pet’s exam appointment to show proof of two COVID 19 vaccine doses. Our updated health screening is available on our website.
Appointments that we will be continuing to retrieve your pet from the front entrance will be routine bloodwork, nail trims, anal gland expressions and any exam appointments where clients still prefer or require curbside service.
Curbside pickup or home delivery for food and/or medications will continue to be available and our online store continues to offer direct home delivery.
Thank you again for your support,
Dr. Susan Lapointe
Updates for Public Re-entry June 27, 2021
Our team at Lessard Callingwood Veterinary Hospital will be re-introducing in-hospital appointments where you can accompany your pet. We miss seeing everyone in person and have been so grateful over the past year for everyone's patience and support. Thank you for your trust in our team.
We plan to be fully open mid-July. This timing will allow the majority of our team to have completed their second vaccine. Initially we will be keeping our doors closed to general entry.
Please call 780-481-5678 upon arrival for your pet's appointment and then we will check you in over the phone. We will briefly ask you some COVID health screening questions and require you to wear an appropriate facemask before entering.
Appointments that we will be prioritizing for you to accompany your pet in-hospital will be:
· urgent illness such as lethargy, vomiting, not eating, difficulty walking
· seniors with multiple health issues,
· puppy and kitten first visits
· lumps or bumps that may need testing
Appointments that we will be continuing to retrieve your pet from the front entrance for the next few weeks will be:
· routine bloodwork
· nail trims, anal gland expressions
· annual wellness and vaccine appointments for healthy pet
· non-urgent medical issues such as ear infections, skin rashes, diarrhea
· for any clients where there are concerns about their screening requirements
· for those clients who would prefer to continue curbside
Food and medication pickups will continue to be curbside for a few more weeks.
Thank you very much for your continued support as we move forward while ensuring the health of you and our veterinary care team.
Sincerely,
Susan Lapointe
Spring 2021 Newsletter
Spring is finally here, and we hope everyone is enjoying the warmer weather and the longer days. We definitely are, as it is making our curbside service easier! It is hard to believe this has been part of our daily routine for over a year now. We are so fortunate to have such a great team and wonderful clients that have allowed us to ensure your pets' well-being through the pandemic. We appreciate the welcome you have given to our newest team members over the last year. Thank you!
We will continue to have you wait in your vehicle for your pet's appointments for the immediate future. We need to ensure everyone's safety since we cannot properly physically distance from you while examining your pet. Just call our hospital upon arrival for your appointment and we will then check your pet in for their appointment. Hopefully, as the COVID vaccine program rolls out to the general population, we can adjust our protocols to accommodate more in-person visits in the future. Notably, our team members are thoroughly enjoying the extra cuddles and playtime with your pets, and your pets' have really figured out the routine. First, your pet is weighed and given a treat, then, they are taken to the exam room and are given another treat. Next, our veterinarians complete a nose to tail exam and continue to offer more treats. Your pets have us well-trained!
Some of your pets may need additional preventive care for the summer months, such as vaccine updates, deworming, flea/tick or heartworm treatments. The preventive care that may be required will depend on their age and their risk exposure at off-leash or river valley areas, daycare, camping, or travel outside of Alberta. Please call us at 780-481-5678, and we can review what is needed based on what they are at risk for. To check your pet's vaccine status and health reminders online, please log in to your Petly account. If you have not yet registered for your pet's account, please email our hospital, and we will send you a link for registration.
Thank you to everyone who is calling or emailing in your pre-orders for food and medications refills; it has made our service much more efficient. Our online store offers pet food, toys, & supplies, with direct home delivery, and has been very successful and well-received. We recommend ordering food or medication refills while you have at least a two week supply remaining. We are periodically experiencing supply issues for certain foods and/or medications, therefore, pre-ordering allows us time to review other options, if needed.
As a reminder, please do not pick up items or bring your pet to the hospital if you or an immediate household member is feeling unwell. Home delivery can always be arranged through our online store (food) or from our hospital (food &/or medications). If your pet has a health issue, please call us at 780-481-5678 and we will assess if we should utilize telemedicine to care for them or if we need to make arrangements for an in-hospital visit. We are here to ensure your pet's health!
Thank you again for your support, and we look forward to an enjoyable summer.
Dr. Susan Lapointe
Medical Director
COVID 19: Update November 8, 2020
Unfortunately, Alberta Health is reporting significant increases of active COVID-19 cases in the
Edmonton zone. In order not to overwhelm the healthcare system and hospitals there are new
public health measures to minimize the spread of this virus by encouraging people to limit their
contact with other people.
At this time, in order to do our part in reducing your contacts as well as our team members, we
are temporarily adjusting our protocols where clients will not accompany their pets in hospital.
This means:
password when you arrive.
accommodations.
If you, a household member or a close contact is experiencing any health symptoms, self-
isolating, COVID positive or awaiting testing results please call and talk to a team member so we
can determine if we:
still best to take precautions and avoid contact with your pet if you are ill or COVID positive. If
you must care for your pet then it is advised to wear a mask and wash hands before and after
close interactions. At this time there is no evidence that pets can pass on the COVID-19 virus
but it is still best to avoid having your pet in public if you are self-isolating.
Please continue to call ahead so we can get any food orders or prescription refills ready before
you arrive. Please note with the arrival of winter we may be asking you to come to the
vestibule to pick up your orders but if you do need assistance with orders please let us know!
We do provide prepayment via e-transfer or credit card and delivery directly from the hospital
to your home for food or medications. We also have our online store lcvh.clientvantage.ca for
pet food and supplies.
Thank you for your continued support and understanding.
Sincerely,
Dr. Susan Lapointe DVM
Medical Director
COVID-19: Update June 12, 2020
Our team at Lessard Callingwood Veterinary Hospital will be slowly introducing in-hospital appointments where you can accompany your pet. We miss seeing everyone in person and have been so grateful over the last several months for everyone’s patience and support. Thank you for your trust in our team while we have had an enjoyable time finding out your pet’s favorite treats, tricks and are surprised at how many like to play or just have a hug when they visit us.
We are proceeding cautiously in stages for clients to begin entering the hospital. For the safety of you and our team we have assessed each stage carefully to ensure we maximize social distancing and continue our enhanced disinfection protocols between patients. Certain team members will be working closely with clients and their pets, therefore there will be specific requirements from Alberta Health that everyone must follow.
Requirements for clients to enter the hospital:
⦁ Completion of COVID-19 health screening questions (click here for details)
⦁ Ensuring to wear an appropriate facemask before entering
⦁ Use of hand sanitizer (supplied) upon entering and leaving.
⦁ Following directions provided by a designated team member, you will be directed to an assigned exam room immediately upon arrival.
⦁ Only 1 family member (with the exception of compassionate care appointments) will be allowed to attend the appointment.
As we move through these stages, we will continue to have you call or text upon arrival for your appointment from your vehicle and then direct you accordingly. For everyone’s safety, in compliance with Alberta Health directives, we will be continuing to keep our doors closed to general entry at these initial stages.
For our first stage, appointments that we will be prioritizing for you to accompany your pet in-hospital will be urgent or extensive medical cases and these will be evaluated on case-by-case basis.
All other appointments will continue at this time as per our current COVID-19 protocols where we retrieve your pet from the vestibule or your car. This will also apply if there are any concerns with the client screening requirements or if you just feel safer continuing with social distancing.
Food and medications will continue to be delivered directly to your car.
We have restarted the reminder system and will be gradually catching up over the next few months.
Thank you very much for your continued support as we carefully move forward while ensuring the health of you and our veterinary care team. Additional stages will be forthcoming as we monitor the situation.
Sincerely,
Susan Lapointe
Medical Director
COVID-19: Update May 6, 2020
Thanks so much for everyone’s understanding and cooperation with the social distancing measures and patient care protocols. Your support and positive reviews have been well appreciated by our team!
Our online store was launched last week and has been well received. Please remember, you are still welcome to call or email our hospital directly to order food, medications or products for curbside pickup and payment at the hospital.
Over the next several weeks we will gradually be accepting appointments for routine exams, vaccines and bloodwork and will also resume our reminder program within the next few weeks. For your pet’s appointment, please continue to call us upon arrival and a team member will arrange retrieval of him/her at your vehicle or the front vestibule. Since your pets have also been social distancing, they are enthusiastic to visit us especially with our wide options of treats! We know these measures will be temporary and will continue to monitor the situation as our team works carefully to ensure everyone’s safety and health.
Please note, if your pet is in contact with a household member who is ill, diagnosed with COVID-19 or awaiting testing or are in self-isolation as per Alberta Health’s self-assessment please let us know. Our team then will decide if we can safely post-pone their visit, should be assessed with a telemedicine appointment or require a hospital appointment.
For those of you who have been working and/or staying at home, please keep in mind that once you start heading back to the work place, this can be a potentially stressful transition for your pet. Try to gradually resume your pet’s normal feeding and exercise routine prior to heading back to work. If possible, try to make sure you leave the house for gradually increasing periods of time so your pet learns to adjust to being on their own during the day again. If your pet is potentially showing any anxiety signs please contact us. We can help with advice, supplements, pheromone collars, sprays, and diffusers.
Our team at Lessard Callingwood Veterinary Hospital thanks you again for your continued support!
Sincerely,
Susan Lapointe
Medical Director
COVID-19: Update March 29, 2020
The Alberta Government has listed veterinary medicine as an essential service so we will fortunately be there to continue to provide excellence in veterinary care for our patients.
The whole team at Lessard Callingwood Veterinary appreciates everyone’s understanding and patience as we have had to adapt to the new and hopefully temporary social distancing measures. I am sure your pets are trying to figure out what has happened with all their new routines! We have been enjoying your pictures of working with pets from home.
We are excited to announce that we will be launching our new online store within the coming days! We will send an update with complete information on this new platform. Our team will continue to deliver food/medications to your car or arrange home delivery. We offer prepayment via e-transfer, and we also have a mobile debit/credit terminal to accept payment at your vehicle. To have your order ready just give us advance notice by phone or email.
Our hospital will be prioritizing appointments for those pets with health issues but we also will keep puppies, kittens and other high risk pets (due for rabies and go outdoors) vaccines updated. If your pet is doing well and needs ongoing prescriptions or medications for deworming/ tick prevention, we can currently refill those over the phone. Bookings for surgeries and dental procedures will be individually assessed on an ongoing basis. At this time there is a shortage of PPE (face masks, gloves) worldwide so we are limiting our use to ensure availability for the public health sector.
For your pet’s appointment, just call upon arrival and a team member will retrieve him/her at your vehicle or out in front of our hospital-just remind us what treats they like so we have them ready!
If your pet is in contact with a household member who is ill, diagnosed with COVID-19 (or awaiting testing), travelled by airline in the last 14 days or are in self-isolation as per Alberta Health please let us know. We can then decide if our team should post-pone their routine visits for a few weeks, or if we can assess and treat with a telemedicine appointment or if we need to make arrangements to examine them in hospital. We will work with you to provide the best care possible.
Any new updates about COVID-19 in pets?
Two dogs worldwide have been shown to carry the virus but they were not experiencing symptoms. One cat has now tested positive for COVID-19 and was also in a home with an owner that was already ill with COVID-19. Therefore it is still recommended that if you are experiencing potential symptoms of COVID-19 then if possible limit your contact with your pet including petting, snuggling, being kissed or licked and sharing food. If this is not possible, please wash hands before and after interaction with pets, wear a facemask and keep your pet indoors. The virus will stay on cloth items longer so removing bandanas is recommended. Again, we have not seen any cases of pet-human transmission but this is being closely monitored. If you’re worried about getting COVID-19, worry about your human contacts, not your pets. Keep pets away from high risk people, but otherwise, your risk is from exposure to people, not your pet.
Our vet care team thanks you for your continued support as we work together to ensure the best care for your pet.
Sincerely,
Susan Lapointe D.V.M.
Medical Director
COVID-19: A Public Health Emergency-March 18
Effective immediately, clients will no longer be permitted to enter Lessard Callingwood Veterinary Hospital. This is to ensure the the safety and health of other clients, their pets and our vet care team. We ask that you or a family member call us upon arrival for all appointments, food and prescription pick ups in order for our team to assist you further.
If you or a family member is ill, diagnosed with COVID-19 (or awaiting testing), travelled internationally in the last 14 days or are in self-isolation as per Alberta Health assessment, please let us know so our team can prepare for appropriate health and safety measures upon your arrival.
How we are planning for your pet’s health:
All week we have been developing protocols to ensure we have the best care available for your pet. The most obvious, of course, has been additional cleaning and sanitizing procedures of all areas, especially high traffic areas in the hospital.
Our team has been working diligently to ensure we have adequate inventory to meet your pet’s medical and dietary needs. We have started to reach out to several of our clients to renew prescriptions of essential medications, but if you have not yet been contacted, please contact the hospital by phone 780-481-5678 or email [email protected]
Our team will deliver food/medications to your car, and we have a delivery service that can deliver to your home. We offer prepayment via e-transfer, and we also have a mobile debit/credit terminal to accept payment at your vehicle. To allow our team to have your order ready to go please give us advance notice by phone or email.
Due to the recent announcements, from Alberta Health, our vet care team will be making further adjustments on how we will manage our patient care:
Can COVID-19 infect pets?
Currently, there is limited evidence that companion animals can be infected with SARS-Cov-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) and no evidence that pet dogs or cats can be a source of infection to other animals or humans. Only one dog in Hong Kong did have a weak positive to COVID-19 and was not exhibiting any symptoms and came from a household affected with the COVID-19 virus. There have been no other documented cases, but this is a rapidly evolving situation, and information will be updated as it becomes available.
In the meantime, if you and/or family members are experiencing potential symptoms of COVID-19 (coughing, sneezing, fever), the recommendations from WSAVA are to “limit your contact with your pet, including petting, snuggling, being kissed or licked and sharing food. If you must care for your pet or be around animals while you are sick, wash your hand before and after you interact with pets and wear a facemask.”
If your pet has potentially been exposed to someone with COVID-19 and requires medical attention for any reason, please call the hospital. Let us know of the situation so we can decide if your pet needs an exam and, if so, prepare an isolated area for examination and have the appropriate testing.
The current coronavirus vaccine in dogs is for the enteric (GI) form only. Since the new respiratory COVID-19 form is a distinctly different variant, there is no evidence it will provide any protection for COVID-19 and, therefore, not recommended to use.
Lessard Callingwood Veterinary Hospital thanks you in advance for your patience and understanding as we work together to ensure the best care for your pet.
Sincerely,
Dr. Susan Lapointe D.V.M.
Medical Director
Thank you to everyone for making our re-opening to the public a success this summer. The gradual re-entry allowed time for our team to be fully vaccinated in July, and we have been enjoying seeing clients back in the hospital. Our team thanks you for understanding the importance of wearing your mask for all visits into the hospital, not entering if feeling unwell, and keeping the limit of 3-4 clients in the reception area. We appreciate all pre-orders, by phone or email, for food and medication refills. Our new area in reception for pre-order food pickups has been well-received!
The curbside check-in for appointments has been very successful. It started primarily as a safety measure for clients and staff but we quickly realized over the past year that our patients are much happier and less anxious overall when they can go directly to the exam or treatment room. Therefore, we decided this summer to continue to keep their visits as stress free as possible by having you call 780-481-5678 for check-in when you arrive. Additionally, this also means we have been continuing to maximize social distancing between clients, still keeping your safety a priority.
With the public health emergency measures announced September 15, our goal is to keep our doors open and for clients to still accompany their pets for in-hospital exam visits. In order to safely accomplish this, effective immediately we will now require clients attending their pet’s exam appointment to show proof of two COVID 19 vaccine doses. Our updated health screening is available on our website.
Appointments that we will be continuing to retrieve your pet from the front entrance will be routine bloodwork, nail trims, anal gland expressions and any exam appointments where clients still prefer or require curbside service.
Curbside pickup or home delivery for food and/or medications will continue to be available and our online store continues to offer direct home delivery.
Thank you again for your support,
Dr. Susan Lapointe
Updates for Public Re-entry June 27, 2021
Our team at Lessard Callingwood Veterinary Hospital will be re-introducing in-hospital appointments where you can accompany your pet. We miss seeing everyone in person and have been so grateful over the past year for everyone's patience and support. Thank you for your trust in our team.
We plan to be fully open mid-July. This timing will allow the majority of our team to have completed their second vaccine. Initially we will be keeping our doors closed to general entry.
Please call 780-481-5678 upon arrival for your pet's appointment and then we will check you in over the phone. We will briefly ask you some COVID health screening questions and require you to wear an appropriate facemask before entering.
Appointments that we will be prioritizing for you to accompany your pet in-hospital will be:
· urgent illness such as lethargy, vomiting, not eating, difficulty walking
· seniors with multiple health issues,
· puppy and kitten first visits
· lumps or bumps that may need testing
Appointments that we will be continuing to retrieve your pet from the front entrance for the next few weeks will be:
· routine bloodwork
· nail trims, anal gland expressions
· annual wellness and vaccine appointments for healthy pet
· non-urgent medical issues such as ear infections, skin rashes, diarrhea
· for any clients where there are concerns about their screening requirements
· for those clients who would prefer to continue curbside
Food and medication pickups will continue to be curbside for a few more weeks.
Thank you very much for your continued support as we move forward while ensuring the health of you and our veterinary care team.
Sincerely,
Susan Lapointe
Spring 2021 Newsletter
Spring is finally here, and we hope everyone is enjoying the warmer weather and the longer days. We definitely are, as it is making our curbside service easier! It is hard to believe this has been part of our daily routine for over a year now. We are so fortunate to have such a great team and wonderful clients that have allowed us to ensure your pets' well-being through the pandemic. We appreciate the welcome you have given to our newest team members over the last year. Thank you!
We will continue to have you wait in your vehicle for your pet's appointments for the immediate future. We need to ensure everyone's safety since we cannot properly physically distance from you while examining your pet. Just call our hospital upon arrival for your appointment and we will then check your pet in for their appointment. Hopefully, as the COVID vaccine program rolls out to the general population, we can adjust our protocols to accommodate more in-person visits in the future. Notably, our team members are thoroughly enjoying the extra cuddles and playtime with your pets, and your pets' have really figured out the routine. First, your pet is weighed and given a treat, then, they are taken to the exam room and are given another treat. Next, our veterinarians complete a nose to tail exam and continue to offer more treats. Your pets have us well-trained!
Some of your pets may need additional preventive care for the summer months, such as vaccine updates, deworming, flea/tick or heartworm treatments. The preventive care that may be required will depend on their age and their risk exposure at off-leash or river valley areas, daycare, camping, or travel outside of Alberta. Please call us at 780-481-5678, and we can review what is needed based on what they are at risk for. To check your pet's vaccine status and health reminders online, please log in to your Petly account. If you have not yet registered for your pet's account, please email our hospital, and we will send you a link for registration.
Thank you to everyone who is calling or emailing in your pre-orders for food and medications refills; it has made our service much more efficient. Our online store offers pet food, toys, & supplies, with direct home delivery, and has been very successful and well-received. We recommend ordering food or medication refills while you have at least a two week supply remaining. We are periodically experiencing supply issues for certain foods and/or medications, therefore, pre-ordering allows us time to review other options, if needed.
As a reminder, please do not pick up items or bring your pet to the hospital if you or an immediate household member is feeling unwell. Home delivery can always be arranged through our online store (food) or from our hospital (food &/or medications). If your pet has a health issue, please call us at 780-481-5678 and we will assess if we should utilize telemedicine to care for them or if we need to make arrangements for an in-hospital visit. We are here to ensure your pet's health!
Thank you again for your support, and we look forward to an enjoyable summer.
Dr. Susan Lapointe
Medical Director
COVID 19: Update November 8, 2020
Unfortunately, Alberta Health is reporting significant increases of active COVID-19 cases in the
Edmonton zone. In order not to overwhelm the healthcare system and hospitals there are new
public health measures to minimize the spread of this virus by encouraging people to limit their
contact with other people.
At this time, in order to do our part in reducing your contacts as well as our team members, we
are temporarily adjusting our protocols where clients will not accompany their pets in hospital.
This means:
- You will still call us upon arrival at 780-481-5678 and after phone check-in we will
- We will call you after the appointment or if preferred we can utilize facetime audio or
password when you arrive.
- We are still able to schedule all appointments, surgeries and dental procedures
- We understand there may be special circumstances where it is important to be with
accommodations.
If you, a household member or a close contact is experiencing any health symptoms, self-
isolating, COVID positive or awaiting testing results please call and talk to a team member so we
can determine if we:
- should postpone any routine procedures
- or make arrangements for telemedicine
- or if your pet needs to be seen then we can plan appropriate precautions.
still best to take precautions and avoid contact with your pet if you are ill or COVID positive. If
you must care for your pet then it is advised to wear a mask and wash hands before and after
close interactions. At this time there is no evidence that pets can pass on the COVID-19 virus
but it is still best to avoid having your pet in public if you are self-isolating.
Please continue to call ahead so we can get any food orders or prescription refills ready before
you arrive. Please note with the arrival of winter we may be asking you to come to the
vestibule to pick up your orders but if you do need assistance with orders please let us know!
We do provide prepayment via e-transfer or credit card and delivery directly from the hospital
to your home for food or medications. We also have our online store lcvh.clientvantage.ca for
pet food and supplies.
Thank you for your continued support and understanding.
Sincerely,
Dr. Susan Lapointe DVM
Medical Director
COVID-19: Update June 12, 2020
Our team at Lessard Callingwood Veterinary Hospital will be slowly introducing in-hospital appointments where you can accompany your pet. We miss seeing everyone in person and have been so grateful over the last several months for everyone’s patience and support. Thank you for your trust in our team while we have had an enjoyable time finding out your pet’s favorite treats, tricks and are surprised at how many like to play or just have a hug when they visit us.
We are proceeding cautiously in stages for clients to begin entering the hospital. For the safety of you and our team we have assessed each stage carefully to ensure we maximize social distancing and continue our enhanced disinfection protocols between patients. Certain team members will be working closely with clients and their pets, therefore there will be specific requirements from Alberta Health that everyone must follow.
Requirements for clients to enter the hospital:
⦁ Completion of COVID-19 health screening questions (click here for details)
⦁ Ensuring to wear an appropriate facemask before entering
⦁ Use of hand sanitizer (supplied) upon entering and leaving.
⦁ Following directions provided by a designated team member, you will be directed to an assigned exam room immediately upon arrival.
⦁ Only 1 family member (with the exception of compassionate care appointments) will be allowed to attend the appointment.
As we move through these stages, we will continue to have you call or text upon arrival for your appointment from your vehicle and then direct you accordingly. For everyone’s safety, in compliance with Alberta Health directives, we will be continuing to keep our doors closed to general entry at these initial stages.
For our first stage, appointments that we will be prioritizing for you to accompany your pet in-hospital will be urgent or extensive medical cases and these will be evaluated on case-by-case basis.
All other appointments will continue at this time as per our current COVID-19 protocols where we retrieve your pet from the vestibule or your car. This will also apply if there are any concerns with the client screening requirements or if you just feel safer continuing with social distancing.
Food and medications will continue to be delivered directly to your car.
We have restarted the reminder system and will be gradually catching up over the next few months.
Thank you very much for your continued support as we carefully move forward while ensuring the health of you and our veterinary care team. Additional stages will be forthcoming as we monitor the situation.
Sincerely,
Susan Lapointe
Medical Director
COVID-19: Update May 6, 2020
Thanks so much for everyone’s understanding and cooperation with the social distancing measures and patient care protocols. Your support and positive reviews have been well appreciated by our team!
Our online store was launched last week and has been well received. Please remember, you are still welcome to call or email our hospital directly to order food, medications or products for curbside pickup and payment at the hospital.
Over the next several weeks we will gradually be accepting appointments for routine exams, vaccines and bloodwork and will also resume our reminder program within the next few weeks. For your pet’s appointment, please continue to call us upon arrival and a team member will arrange retrieval of him/her at your vehicle or the front vestibule. Since your pets have also been social distancing, they are enthusiastic to visit us especially with our wide options of treats! We know these measures will be temporary and will continue to monitor the situation as our team works carefully to ensure everyone’s safety and health.
Please note, if your pet is in contact with a household member who is ill, diagnosed with COVID-19 or awaiting testing or are in self-isolation as per Alberta Health’s self-assessment please let us know. Our team then will decide if we can safely post-pone their visit, should be assessed with a telemedicine appointment or require a hospital appointment.
For those of you who have been working and/or staying at home, please keep in mind that once you start heading back to the work place, this can be a potentially stressful transition for your pet. Try to gradually resume your pet’s normal feeding and exercise routine prior to heading back to work. If possible, try to make sure you leave the house for gradually increasing periods of time so your pet learns to adjust to being on their own during the day again. If your pet is potentially showing any anxiety signs please contact us. We can help with advice, supplements, pheromone collars, sprays, and diffusers.
Our team at Lessard Callingwood Veterinary Hospital thanks you again for your continued support!
Sincerely,
Susan Lapointe
Medical Director
COVID-19: Update March 29, 2020
The Alberta Government has listed veterinary medicine as an essential service so we will fortunately be there to continue to provide excellence in veterinary care for our patients.
The whole team at Lessard Callingwood Veterinary appreciates everyone’s understanding and patience as we have had to adapt to the new and hopefully temporary social distancing measures. I am sure your pets are trying to figure out what has happened with all their new routines! We have been enjoying your pictures of working with pets from home.
We are excited to announce that we will be launching our new online store within the coming days! We will send an update with complete information on this new platform. Our team will continue to deliver food/medications to your car or arrange home delivery. We offer prepayment via e-transfer, and we also have a mobile debit/credit terminal to accept payment at your vehicle. To have your order ready just give us advance notice by phone or email.
Our hospital will be prioritizing appointments for those pets with health issues but we also will keep puppies, kittens and other high risk pets (due for rabies and go outdoors) vaccines updated. If your pet is doing well and needs ongoing prescriptions or medications for deworming/ tick prevention, we can currently refill those over the phone. Bookings for surgeries and dental procedures will be individually assessed on an ongoing basis. At this time there is a shortage of PPE (face masks, gloves) worldwide so we are limiting our use to ensure availability for the public health sector.
For your pet’s appointment, just call upon arrival and a team member will retrieve him/her at your vehicle or out in front of our hospital-just remind us what treats they like so we have them ready!
If your pet is in contact with a household member who is ill, diagnosed with COVID-19 (or awaiting testing), travelled by airline in the last 14 days or are in self-isolation as per Alberta Health please let us know. We can then decide if our team should post-pone their routine visits for a few weeks, or if we can assess and treat with a telemedicine appointment or if we need to make arrangements to examine them in hospital. We will work with you to provide the best care possible.
Any new updates about COVID-19 in pets?
Two dogs worldwide have been shown to carry the virus but they were not experiencing symptoms. One cat has now tested positive for COVID-19 and was also in a home with an owner that was already ill with COVID-19. Therefore it is still recommended that if you are experiencing potential symptoms of COVID-19 then if possible limit your contact with your pet including petting, snuggling, being kissed or licked and sharing food. If this is not possible, please wash hands before and after interaction with pets, wear a facemask and keep your pet indoors. The virus will stay on cloth items longer so removing bandanas is recommended. Again, we have not seen any cases of pet-human transmission but this is being closely monitored. If you’re worried about getting COVID-19, worry about your human contacts, not your pets. Keep pets away from high risk people, but otherwise, your risk is from exposure to people, not your pet.
Our vet care team thanks you for your continued support as we work together to ensure the best care for your pet.
Sincerely,
Susan Lapointe D.V.M.
Medical Director
COVID-19: A Public Health Emergency-March 18
Effective immediately, clients will no longer be permitted to enter Lessard Callingwood Veterinary Hospital. This is to ensure the the safety and health of other clients, their pets and our vet care team. We ask that you or a family member call us upon arrival for all appointments, food and prescription pick ups in order for our team to assist you further.
If you or a family member is ill, diagnosed with COVID-19 (or awaiting testing), travelled internationally in the last 14 days or are in self-isolation as per Alberta Health assessment, please let us know so our team can prepare for appropriate health and safety measures upon your arrival.
How we are planning for your pet’s health:
All week we have been developing protocols to ensure we have the best care available for your pet. The most obvious, of course, has been additional cleaning and sanitizing procedures of all areas, especially high traffic areas in the hospital.
Our team has been working diligently to ensure we have adequate inventory to meet your pet’s medical and dietary needs. We have started to reach out to several of our clients to renew prescriptions of essential medications, but if you have not yet been contacted, please contact the hospital by phone 780-481-5678 or email [email protected]
Our team will deliver food/medications to your car, and we have a delivery service that can deliver to your home. We offer prepayment via e-transfer, and we also have a mobile debit/credit terminal to accept payment at your vehicle. To allow our team to have your order ready to go please give us advance notice by phone or email.
Due to the recent announcements, from Alberta Health, our vet care team will be making further adjustments on how we will manage our patient care:
- We are currently adjusting our schedule to focus on patients that need more urgent veterinary care.
- We are temporarily suspending our reminder service until routine appointments and procedures resume. You can access your pet’s vaccine and reminder information on our Petly portal. A registration email will be sent out to all clients not yet signed up. We need your current email address!
- Routine surgeries, dental procedures will be temporarily postponed. If you are unsure if your pet’s procedure should be postponed or have concerns, please contact the hospital and a veterinarian can assist you.
- If your pet is due for an exam and/or bloodwork and they are doing well, our veterinarians can extend your pet’s prescription.
- If your pet has a health issue, PLEASE CALL. For recurrent minor problems, our veterinarians may be able to renew a prescription without an exam.
- If your pet has a new health issue, please contact our team, and we will assess if they should be seen or if the doctor can assess them over telephone appointment (depending on the concern, then videos or pictures emailed to our hospital can help).
- If it is determined by an initial phone assessment that your pet needs to be seen by a veterinarian then; upon arrival, a vet care team member will retrieve your pet directly from you in the parking lot and bring him/her into the hospital. If you meet any of the self-isolation requirements or have any signs of illness please notify us in advance so our team member can be prepare with protective masks/gloves/lab coats.
- We have temporarily adjusted our hours as follows:
- Mon-Fri: 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
- Saturday: 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Can COVID-19 infect pets?
Currently, there is limited evidence that companion animals can be infected with SARS-Cov-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) and no evidence that pet dogs or cats can be a source of infection to other animals or humans. Only one dog in Hong Kong did have a weak positive to COVID-19 and was not exhibiting any symptoms and came from a household affected with the COVID-19 virus. There have been no other documented cases, but this is a rapidly evolving situation, and information will be updated as it becomes available.
In the meantime, if you and/or family members are experiencing potential symptoms of COVID-19 (coughing, sneezing, fever), the recommendations from WSAVA are to “limit your contact with your pet, including petting, snuggling, being kissed or licked and sharing food. If you must care for your pet or be around animals while you are sick, wash your hand before and after you interact with pets and wear a facemask.”
If your pet has potentially been exposed to someone with COVID-19 and requires medical attention for any reason, please call the hospital. Let us know of the situation so we can decide if your pet needs an exam and, if so, prepare an isolated area for examination and have the appropriate testing.
The current coronavirus vaccine in dogs is for the enteric (GI) form only. Since the new respiratory COVID-19 form is a distinctly different variant, there is no evidence it will provide any protection for COVID-19 and, therefore, not recommended to use.
Lessard Callingwood Veterinary Hospital thanks you in advance for your patience and understanding as we work together to ensure the best care for your pet.
Sincerely,
Dr. Susan Lapointe D.V.M.
Medical Director