March 14, 2020

Dear Ivens-Bronstein Friends,

As you have surely heard by now, SARS-CoV-2 virus, a coronavirus that causes the disease recently named COVID-19, has become a local as well as global epidemic. We, the doctors and staff at Ivens-Bronstein Veterinary Hospital, want to continue fulfilling our primary mission - to provide your pets with the same comprehensive health care we want for our own animals, while at the same time adhering to the veterinary oath to use our knowledge for the benefit of the public health. To this end, we must ensure we do not put the health of our clients and workers at risk during this pandemic. Public health authorities have instructed all Americans to practice “social distancing” for the foreseeable future, and we intend to fully participate in this disease mitigation strategy. Additionally, we have reviewed our infectious disease, sanitation, & disinfection protocols, and are now enacting these multiple times per day.

During this difficult time, we ask you to help everyone by following these guidelines:

1. Follow the advice of your physician. Stay home if your doctor has recommended it. If you are experiencing any symptoms of concern: fever, cough, shortness of breath, etc., please contact your primary care physician. If you have a scheduled appointment at our office, and you are experiencing any of these symptoms, please know that your health is our number one concern. We are happy to reschedule your appointment for a time when you are feeling better.

2. If you are sick, have someone else in the household care for your pet if possible. Although we do not at this time believe your pets are at any significant risk of illness from this virus, virus particles were isolated from a dog in Hong Kong. There is no evidence the dog was ill, or that he transmitted it to any other humans or animals. However, an infected person could get viral particles onto a pet, and the pet could transfer them to another individual who touches them. The most cautious approach for your pet is to keep them home. Follow the “Worms and Germs blog” from Ontario Veterinary College for updates. This is an infectious disease blog by Dr.Scott Weese, a veterinary internist and public health microbiologist at OVC. Information there will be more accurate than general news articles. https://www.wormsandgermsblog.com/

Some additional options we offer to provide extra protection:

• Our online pharmacy: for medications and food, which can be delivered to your door within 1 – 3 days. There is a VETSOURCE link on our website: https://www.ivensbronsteinvet.com If you need assistance placing an online order, call our office at 610-649-4242 and we will walk you through the process or even take your credit card information and place the order for you. If, due to high call volume, you have trouble reaching us, you can also send us an email: ivensvet@gmail.com and we can call you back ASAP.
• If desired, we can schedule a “low contact appointment." This may involve a staff member taking your pet from the car into the practice while you wait outside, or a veterinarian seeing your pet carside, depending on the specific situation. It might also mean you and your pet wait in your car until we call or text you that the exam room is open. Employees will be using all available protective barrier equipment and hygienic techniques as a matter of course. The specifics will depend on your pet and its needs. Please note, this is to reduce the chance of transmission from asymptomatic carriers . We still ask that anyone who is ill not come to the clinic!
  
  
• We are looking into the possibility of telemedicine consults. Certain types of “visits” that previously required an in-office exam may be able to be conducted via telephone or even FaceTime video chat. We are currently obtaining additional information from the regulatory authorities regarding best-practices recommendations and relaxation of existing rules during the public health emergency. Please know that most likely we will not be able to continue providing this service after the emergency is over, but for now, there may be new type of fee-for-service “visit” that is conducted via telecommunications rather than in-person. We will never charge clients a fee without prior notification and authorization, however.

We hope our community weathers this outbreak without major incident. For now, it is important that we minimize transmission to reduce the chance of infecting our area healthcare workers and our most vulnerable citizens.

Sincerely,

Ivens-Bronstein Veterinary Hospital & Staff