• • • UPDATE ON BUSINESS AT LAKE HARRIET VETERINARY • • •
—May 15, 2020 Update—

Dear Lake Harriet Veterinary clients and friends:

☞ FOR EXISTING APPOINTMENTS ONLY

Click here for Curbside Appointment Form


We are happy to report that Lake Harriet Veterinary has re-opened for partial service for existing clients Monday–Friday, 8am–5pm. Our current focus is on meeting the needs of sick pets, and those due for their annual exams and associated needs (vaccines, heartworm testing, etc). We have a limited group of employees on site working with your pets as we try to maintain social distancing recommendations within the building. We are anticipating a much higher volume of calls after this email, so please try to avoid calling on Monday mornings or Friday afternoons if it is possible for your needs or requests to wait.

We will continue to comply with restrictions placed on our industry by the State of Minnesota. As a result, we will not be able to accommodate routine technician appointments like nail trims and anal glands. Additionally, due to our limited availability, we are unable to accept new clients at this time.

 

Appointments:

All veterinary services will be provided “curb side,” meaning your pet will be brought in to the clinic while you stay in the car. Cats will only be retrieved if they are in a carrier of some kind, and dogs must be leashed to a collar that will not slip off. When you arrive for your appointment please call 612-822-1545 to let us know you have arrived. Please be patient if we do not answer right away as we have limited staff available to pick up the phones.

☞ FOR EXISTING APPOINTMENTS ONLY

Click here for Curbside Appointment Form


One of our team members will retrieve your pet on the sidewalk and bring it into an exam room. We encourage you to wear a mask while handing off your pet. Clients are not permitted in the building except for euthanasia appointments. We will call you and review the physical exam and treatment recommendations. The call may come from a blocked number as doctors and staff are using personal cell phones to free up our clinic phone lines. Please stay at the clinic and wait for your pet unless the doctor says you can leave. Payment will be collected over the phone while we complete the medical treatments, and then your pet will be brought back out with any medications or written instructions. Please call us to schedule your appointment or if you have questions.

Thank you for your understanding and patience—we look forward to seeing you!

Update on surgery:

We hope to restart surgery for more urgent cases in mid May. We will be contacting the owners with the highest priority needs in the next 2 weeks as we form the schedule. These high priorities include surgeries to remove cancer and to remedy issues that may contribute to life threatening disease if not addressed. Please be patient as we work our way through this list and know that we have your pet’s best interest in mind.

On Friday, March 20th, Governor Walz signed an Executive Order mandating that all elective surgery be postponed indefinitely (see below). The goal is to preserve Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as gloves, gowns and masks. Below is the verbiage from the Executive Order:

“Elective surgeries and procedures must be postponed indefinitely beginning at 5:00 pm on March 23. The executive order clarifies that a non-essential surgery or procedure is defined as a surgery or procedure that can be delayed without undue risk to the current or future health of a patient. Surgeries and procedures that prevent loss of life, permanent dysfunction of an organ or extremity, or risk of metastasis or progression of staging for non-COVID-19 patients should not be postponed under this order.”

Heartworm prevention and flea and tick medications:

Now more than ever we ask you to support your local independently-owned small businesses. Please consider buying your pets’ Heartgard (heartworm prevention) and Frontline Gold or Nexgard (flea and tick prevention) directly from Lake Harriet Veterinary. We are competitively priced and have listed our prices below for comparison:

Heartworm prevention: We recommend year-round (12 doses) prevention. 

  • A 12 month supply of Heartgard is $63 for a dog 1-25 lbs, $86 for a 26-50 lb dog, and $99 for a dog between 51-100 lbs.

Flea and Tick prevention:

  • A 6 month supply of Nexgard (oral medication) is $93 for a dog 4-10 lbs, $95 for a 10.1-24 lb dog, and $100 for any dog over 24 lbs.
  • A 12 month supply of Nexgard (oral medication) is $186 for a dog 4-10 lbs, $190 for a 10.1-24 lb dog, and $200 for any dog over 24 lbs.
  • An 8 month supply of Frontline Gold (topical medication) is $86 for a dog 5-22lbs, $88 for a 23-44lb dog, and $90 for a dog 45-88lbs.

 

General COVID animal recommendations:

  • If you yourself are sick with a respiratory illness, please do not bring your animal to the veterinarian. If possible, call us to set up a phone consult or have someone else bring the patient to the clinic. If this is not possible, please call us for advice.
  • Pet owners should adopt good hygiene practices (including hand washing before and after being around or handling animals, their food, or supplies, as well as avoiding kissing them) and should maintain a clean and hygienic household environment.
  • People who are sick should restrict contact with animals. If there are any changes in the health condition of the pets, please seek advice from a veterinarian as soon as possible.

It is important to know that there is currently no evidence that pet animals can be a source of COVID-19 for humans or that this virus can cause the disease in dogs. Pet owners should always maintain good hygiene practices, and under no circumstances should they abandon their pets.

If you are COVID-19 positive, these are the pet handling recommendations: Owners are advised to separate themselves from the rest of their family, including using a separate bathroom if there is one (this is for human protection), and have another member of the family care for the pet(s) within the household. Pets should not move out of the household unless absolutely necessary. If a single individual needs to care for their pet, or for someone with a service animal, that individual should minimize contact and practice good hygiene for themselves and for the pet (copious washing of hands before and after interactions, including handling of bedding, bowls, etc). If a COVID-19 positive individual is no longer able to care for their pet, they should contact their local public health department for direction and assistance.

For general questions, please call 612-822-1545 or email: lhvfront@gmail.com

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.