Milverton-Wellesley Veterinary Services
COVID-19
Protocols and Updates
Current Situation
We are all aware of the far-reaching effects of the current COVID-19 public health crisis, and as a clinic we have been trying to adapt to the daily changes in order to keep our vets, staff and our valued clients safe while still providing good service to your farms. We would like to take this opportunity to provide some clarity on the various aspects of veterinary and farm business that are affected during this time. Please keep in mind that the situation is changing daily, and we will be keeping up with the government’s requirements to reduce the spread of this disease, so these things may be subject to change.
Key Topic
Clinic Practices
Veterinary Medicine as an “Essential Service”
As of March 24th, Ontario has required all non-essential businesses to close for at least 2 weeks. A list of “essential services” was distributed after this announcement, and both Agriculture and Veterinary Services were included as essentials. Milverton-Wellesley Veterinary Services will therefore be open and functioning, barring any drastic changes in the future as mandated by the government and public health.
Product Pick-up and Drop-offs
We are strongly recommending that you call ahead and place your order of drugs and product so that our staff can get it ready for you to minimize time spent in the clinic. Staff will either put your order outside or just inside the door. We encourage you to do this ahead of your herd health as well, if you are not already doing so.
If you are coming into the clinic spontaneously, we have the front reception area of the clinic taped off so you will not be able to go much further than the front door. We ask that for patience while our staff puts together your order for you. This is done in order to minimize how many people handle products in the clinic and to make sanitizing between clients easier.
As always, we offer drop-offs to your farm if that suits you best. We anticipate drop-offs to increase, and we strongly encourage you to place your orders early in the day so we can coordinate these drop-offs with the other farm calls being done during the day. This allows us to make the most efficient driving route for our vets who are doing the drop-offs.
Product Delays and Current Backorders
We have been assured by suppliers that any interruption in product availability is not due to the pandemic. However, clinics everywhere are experiencing increased demand for product, shortages in personal protective and sanitary equipment, and delays in delivery of products. Please bear with us as we try to accommodate your needs during this time. We are trying to be proactive in our inventory management so the interruption to your supply is minimal. We do NOT encourage stockpiling of products in the anticipation of a shortage, as it could create artificial product supply issues.
We realize this is an unprecedented situation and we do not know how long this period of restriction and uncertainty will go on for. If you have any questions about COVID-19 and how it affects your farm and veterinary needs, do not hesitate to contact the clinic and talk to any of our staff or vets. If stress or anxiety is affecting you, feel free to reach out to your veterinarian or other appropriate resources. Please stay safe and healthy, and we will see you on-farm soon!