• • • UPDATE TO THE NOTICE OF TEMPORARY CLOSURE AT LAKE HARRIET VETERINARY • • •
—March 19th, 2020 Update—

Dear Lake Harriet Veterinary clients and friends: We are sorry for the disruption our closing has had on your ability to care for your pets. We hear the worry in your voices and the fear in your emailed words as we try to address your needs. Several veterinarians have remote access and are working at home to triage your questions, and staff members at the clinic are preparing medication and food to be picked up.

There is much uncertainty about how long we will have limited services at Lake Harriet Veterinary. We thank you for the many kind comments we are receiving about our proactive steps to keep our staff, our families and your families safe. Fortunately there is still no good evidence that pets get sick from this disease. That said, it is hard for many to understand the potential seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our decision to close was based on national recommendations, after consultation with local human infectious disease doctors, and after hearing the advice of a personal friend who is an MD that worked in China during the outbreak. In order to contain the pandemic, it remains paramount that we touch as few shared surfaces (including pets) as possible.

Some clinics are offering “curbside service” to minimize the risk of spreading the disease. In our opinion there is still too much uncertainty in taking this approach. First of all many people (up to 13% of children) will carry this disease but never show signs of illness. Second, this virus can live on plastic, cardboard, and metal surfaces for up to 3 days, and possibly on your pet’s haircoat. This means that a person can have the disease, not show any signs, and potentially have their dog or cat act as a vector to anyone who touches or handles said pet. So while curbside service may serve the short term individual needs of that pet and owner, the math and data models tell us that this may continue the chain of infection and goes against social distancing principles. If curbside service is proven to be safe for all involved parties, we will resume the service at Lake Harriet Veterinary for surgery and urgent need medical concerns.  

* * * We plan to post daily updates on our Facebook page to keep everyone abreast of what is happening at the clinic. Please check the page to see the most updated information. * * *

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING FAQ:

What if I have an existing appointment or surgery already set up?
We are completely closed and all procedures and appointments are canceled until at least April 1st. Stay tuned for more updates from Lake Harriet Veterinary.

Where to go with a sick pet?
As of today these businesses will remain open and have the capacity to treat patients on a triage basis. We recommend you call ahead of time to confirm they are still open as conditions are changing without notice. Please do not go to any of these places with a non-urgent medical condition as you will not be seen.

Animal Emergency and Referral Center
aercmn.com
1163 Helmo Ave N
Oakdale, MN 55128
651-501-3766

Blue Pearl 
bluepearlvet.com
Eden Prairie Location
7717 Flying Cloud Drive
Eden Prairie, MN 55344
952-942-8272

Golden Valley Location
4708 Olson Memorial Hwy
Golden Valley, MN 55422
763-529-6560

University of Minnesota Veterinary Clinic 
vmc.umn.edu
612-626-8387

How do I get my pet’s medical records?
Please email us at recordslhv@gmail.com and include the email to be used. Please be patient as we expect many requests.  

What about my dog’s seasonal preventatives?
We will do our best to fulfill your flea and tick and heartworm preventatives please email us at rxlakehvet@gmail.com

How do I get prescriptions or prescription foods?
Please send your food or prescription request to:  rxlakehvet@gmail.com.
Please be specific and include the name of the medication, strength, quantity and amount requested. This will minimize errors and redundant communication.

Additionally, if you are receiving prescriptions from a different online pharmacy other than our online pharmacy, Covetrus, we will be transferring most prescriptions through our online store to improve efficiency and to ensure our clients are getting guaranteed products.

Between 8am–4pm Monday through Friday we will have limited staff on site to answer the phones and allow pickups. Please do not show up without confirming that we will be present. We are working on an online payment option to streamline operations.

If you already use our online pharmacy Vets First Choice please continue to use it. We will be watching for requests and grant them as quickly as we are able. https://lakeharrietvet.vetsfirstchoice.com/

Where and how can I get my pet’s vaccination needs met?
We understand the stress involved with not being able to complete your pet’s vaccination series on schedule as planned—especially if your pet is a puppy or a kitten. At this time we recommend keeping your pet away from public spaces such as dog parks and other community gathering areas where pets can socialize together.
Some vaccination clinics are available at surrounding Petco pet stores which are still open as of 3/19/2020. They should be able to accommodate these booster vaccines as they are needed before we can safely reopen.
Please see this link: Veterinary Services Provided by Petco: Quality Care for Your Pet

For general questions, please email: lhvfront@gmail.com

Will you provide any on-going care?
We have a skeleton crew of staff working remotely and onsite to help triage and answer questions over the phone, but no pets will be seen in the clinic. We are working on a schedule for veterinarians and triage nurses to help navigate some of your concerns over the phone. Among the more commonly asked questions that we are trying to address are:

  1. Will you be providing telemedicine?
  2. Can we drop off urine and fecal samples for testing?

We intend to email you at least weekly and will be posting Facebook updates daily. Again, we apologize for the inconvenience—we understand that these measures taken to protect the greater community of pets and humans require us all to make significant adjustments to our lives. May your pets bring you joy and hope in these challenging times.

Thank you, and wishing wellness to you all!

—Staff at Lake Harriet Veterinary

COVID-19 ALERT FOR PET OWNERS

At this time there is no evidence dogs, cats, or other household pets can spread COVID-19. To date, there have been no reports of pets becoming infected with COVID-19 in the U.S. The CDC is recommending that people who are sick with COVID-19 limit their contact with pets and other animals, just as they would restrict contact with other household members. As a precaution, we recommend having sufficient pet food and prescription medications on hand in case pet owners or their families need to stay home.