Things to Consider Before Booking an In-Home Euthanasia Visit During COVID-19

• Whether or not you need to be with your pet during his/her final moments.  We know everybody wants to be beside their pet during this difficult time, but that might not be so ideal with the risks of COVID-19.  Different clinics are taking different precautions during this pandemic, which may include not letting anybody, or only one owner,  in the building. Please understand that as difficult as it is, they are doing this for everyone’s safety. Depending on your family’s individual circumstances, we may recommend that this is a more appropriate scenario for your family.
  
• Our staff is seeing patients regularly.  Although we are taking every precaution possible, there is always the risk that we have come into contact with the coronavirus and can potentially spread it to your family.
  
• The health of you and your family members in the home must be taken into account.  If any of you are immunocompromised in any way, you are more vulnerable to the risks involved with a home visit.
  

Measures We Are Taking to Help Keep You Safe

• We are complying with government social distancing/stay at home orders outside of our work commitments.
• We are providing you with necessary paperwork to be filled out and sent back to us before the appointment.  This will limit the number of objects being handled and exchanged between us, as well as the time spent in your home.
• We are screening every family we visit beforehand to determine if they are at a higher risk of carrying the coronavirus.  We will not go into a home where someone has traveled outside of the country in the past two weeks, where someone is showing symptoms of the coronavirus, or where someone has come into contact with someone who has tested positive for the coronavirus.
•  We are washing and disinfecting our hands regularly.  The veterinarian will wash her hands before and after the home visit as long as there is access to soap and water.  If not, she will have hand sanitizer on hand that can be used as well.
• Our veterinarian will be wearing a mask for the entirety of the home visit.
• Our veterinarian will be changing her clothes between each home visit.
• We are limiting the number of supplies coming into your home, and everything will be in a plastic or washable bag for easy cleaning.  Things that we don’t have multiples of, such as clippers, will be thoroughly disinfected between every visit.
• We are limiting the number of appointments we will see each day.  This gives us more time to make sure that anything coming into your home has been cleaned and disinfected thoroughly beforehand.
• We have purchased more supplies, such as soft stretchers and blankets, so that we can ensure that each one has time to be washed and dried after each use.
• We will adhere to the physical distancing recommendation of 6 feet whenever possible.  When the veterinarian is not working on your pet, she will step away so that your family can be with him/her as much as possible during the appointment.  For instance, once the sedative injection is given, it usually takes 5-10 minutes for your pet to drift off to sleep. Your family will be able to feed a special treat and/or comfort your pet during this time while the veterinarian stays a safe distance away.  We may have to ask you to step away from your pet at different moments, but we will always give you as much time as you need with them between those moments.
• We are refraining from giving hugs and handshakes.  As much as we would love to be able to comfort you during this time, we need to respect the risks that come with the coronavirus.
• When possible, we prefer to be paid by e-transfer.  Again, this is to limit the number of objects that are being touched and exchanged.
• If at any point we feel that we may have become exposed to the coronavirus, we will have to cancel your appointment.  We will give you as much notice as possible if this is the case.

Measures That You Can Take to Help Keep Us Safe

• Comply to government quarantine, social distancing and stay at home orders.
• Practice handwashing, surface cleaning, and other health recommendations from the government.
• Answer screening questions honestly.  The only way we can continue to provide this much needed service is if we all stay healthy.  The health of our community is everybody’s responsibility.
• If your pet is stable and can remain comfortable on medications, consider holding off on euthanasia until stay at home orders are lifted.  Most veterinary clinics are still dispensing medications for their patients, and your regular veterinarian that is familiar with your pet’s case may suggest specific medications to help keep him/her comfortable for a bit longer.
• Fill out all necessary paperwork and email it back to us before the appointment to limit the number of objects being handled and transferred between us.
• Limit the number of people present for the euthanasia.  Those that are comfortable with saying their goodbyes beforehand should do so.
• Choose to have the euthanasia performed outside (weather and species permitting).
• Provide the veterinarian with access to a handwashing station with soap before and after the appointment when possible.
• If the euthanasia can’t be performed outside, open doors and turn on taps around your home for the veterinarian.
• Give the veterinarian space to handle your pet when she needs it.  For example, after your pet passes away she will want to check a reflex near your pet’s eye, and listen to his/her heart to confirm that he/she has passed away.  We ask that you step away briefly at this time so that she can do so, and then you will be allowed as much time as you need with your pet once she has confirmed that he/she has passed away.
• We ask that you dispose of any non-clinical waste to limit the number of things leaving your home with us.
• Pay by e-transfer when possible to limit the handling and exchange of objects.
• Notify us to cancel your appointment as soon as possible if you or anyone in your family has reason to believe that they have been exposed to the coronavirus.  There will be no penalty for this type of cancellation.

Our Main Objectives During the COVID-19 Pandemic

• To keep all humans involved safe.  This includes our clients and staff, their families, and ultimately all members of our community.
  
• To be able to help as many pets and their families as possible during this time that already has so many challenges.
  
• To make the euthanasia process as stress-free of an experience as possible for your pet while still following safety precautions.
  

We appreciate your patience and understanding during these unprecedented times.  We ask that you consider your individual circumstances objectively when deciding whether or not a home visit is suitable and safe for you and your family members.  We hope that despite having to take all of the above precautions, that we are still able to provide your beloved pet with the loving, dignified, and compassionate euthanasia that he/she deserves.  Please contact us if you have any further questions.​

For up-to-date information on COVID-19 and current provincial government recommendations, please visit: https://www.ontario.ca/page/2019-novel-coronavirus