Your pet and the COVID-19 Coronavirus

Caring for your pet during COVID-19 

Jurassic Vets is FULLY OPEN

during tier-2 restrictions

During Tier 2 restrictions, please follow our five Covid safety rules:

• We can't allow pet owners inside for now, so please be ready to chat to the vet at the front door before your pet comes indoors for their examination/treatment.
• Please wear a mask or face-shield when talking with us at the door
• Please tell us if you have Covid or Covid-like symptoms before you come to the practice
• Please use card payment only , not cash
• Please phone ahead for appointments, medicines or food collections so we can minimise queuing times

If your pet needs regular flea and worm treatment, and you would like to minimise social contact, why not sign up to our amazing Pet Health Club with VetsDeliver home delivery ? You can get your flea and worm medicines of choice posted directly to you, with a whole host of added benefits for your pet!

Frequently-asked Questions about pet care and Covid restrictions

Here are some answers to the questions we have been receiving recently:

Q: What should I do if I am sick / isolating, but my pet needs veterinary attention?

A: Phone us on 01395 208620 and tell us that you are sick or in isolation. Our vets will come up with a plan to care for your pet whilst minimising the risk of spread of COVID-19.

Q: How will you care for my pet if I am sick or isolating?

A: Our vets will discuss the situation with you on the phone . The plan we decide on may include some of the following options:

- Vets have been given extra flexibility for the rules on prescribing medicines during COVID-19, so our vet may decide that it is best to give your pet medicines without examining them. We can arrange to drop these medicines outside your home or have a non-isolated friend collect them for you.

- We may ask you to send photos of your pet by Facebook or email to help us decide what is wrong while avoiding contact. These should be in focus and brightly lit if possible.

- We may arrange a video examination of your pet if you have a suitable phone and internet link 

- If we need to examine your cat, we may ask you to leave them outside your house in a secure cat basket that we can collect and bring to the practice. We can also loan a cat basket if needed.

- If we need to examine your dog, we may ask you to leave your dog outside your house on a long lead while we wear protective gear to examine and treat your pet.

There are many different situations and our vets will work with you, using their initiative, to decide how best to approach each case.

Q: Can pets catch the COVID-19 coronavirus?

A: No, we don't believe so . Although one dog in Hong Kong tested weakly positive, there is no evidence that domestic pets can catch the virus and pass it on to humans.

Q: Can pets spread coronavirus?

A: Possibly – while they can't catch it, a pet living with an infected human could have virus particles on them , like a piece of clothing or furniture, so if you are sick or in isolation, your pet should avoid contact with people outside your household, too. This is why our staff will have to be extra-careful if we need to examine or treat your pet.

Q. What happens if your staff become unwell?

A: Our staff will have to isolate like anyone else. Thankfully we have a large, dedicated team and we expect to be able to carry on even if some people need to take time off.

Q. I am a member of your Pet Health Club, can I still get my pet's medicines?

A. We will not be dispensing Pet Health Club medications during the lockdown - instead, please contact us and we can easily arrange for your PHC medicines to be posted at no extra cost.

Q. Will your out-of-hours service still be available?

A: Yes, we will keep on providing 24/7 care for pets . Just like normal hours, you must tell us BEFORE booking an appointment if you have symptoms or are self-isolating. 

Q. I am low on work because of COVID-19 and am worried about what would happen if my pet got ill, what can I do?

A. There are three things we recommend:

1. Take out a good-quality pet insurance policy. This will turn an unpredictable cost of many hundreds of pounds into a predictable monthly cost you can plan for.

2. Join our Pet Health Club , which carries valuable discounts like 10% off consultations and 25% off emergency out-of-hours appointments to keep costs down.

3. If you have limited funds and your pet is unwell, let us know and we can plan a low-cost approach to treating your pet.

Q. Can I collect my pet's regular flea and worm medicines during the lockdown?

Unless your pet actually has an infestation, we recommend staying at home and minimising your contact with others rather than going out to get flea and worm medicines. Flea and worm medicines aren't essential so our staff can't risk infection by delivering these to you during lockdown - we need to keep our team healthy to care for pets who are seriously ill. If you  really   need to collect your flea and worm treatment during the lockdown, please contact us .