Animal Medical Clinic on Georgia (AMC)

COVID-19 RESPONSE

Effective immediately, our hours have been changed to the following:

Animal Medical Hospital, West Vancouver: 

Appointments and Rx/food pickups 9 am – 5 pm on Mon/Tues/Thurs/Fri

Open Saturdays 9 am - 1 pm for Rx/food pickups

Closed Wednesdays & Sundays.

Animal Medical Clinic on West Georgia Street:

Appointments and Rx/food pickups 11 am – 5 pm on Mondays

Appointments and Rx/food pickups 11 am – 9 pm on Thursdays

11-5 pm on Tuesdays and Fridays for Rx/food pickups

Appointments and Rx/food pickups 9-5 pm Saturday 

Closed Wednesdays & Sundays.

ILLNESS:

Do not come to either clinic if you have a fever, cough, any signs of a cold or the flu, or any respiratory signs.

• If your pet is sick and needs care and you (or anyone in your home) have respiratory symptoms, we require that you send them with a friend or family member who has not been exposed to you. Call the clinic for further discussion of procedures.
• If you are positive for COVID-19 TELL US. We won’t refuse to see your pet, but we will take more precautions to protect ourselves. Call the clinic for further discussion of procedures.

SOCIAL DISTANCING:

AMH: WE ARE DOING CURBSIDE SERVICE whenever possible. This means that staff will come out to pick up pets, and clients should wait in their cars when practical.

AMC: ONE client at a time will be allowed in the reception area. Please do not come in if you see another client inside. Please do call the clinic at 604-628-9699 and let the staff know you are here. We'll try to get to you quickly. If you have a cat, we'll bring your kitty inside quickly to minimize stress, even if the veterinarian isn't quite ready to see them.

We are required to maintain a 2 meter distance from clients, and within the work space we try to maintain a 2 meter distance between staff members whenever possible. Because this is not possible in examination rooms, clients will not be allowed into the clinic (in the main) with their pets. This is for your protection as well as ours. Appointments are deliberately spread out to avoid overlap of clients in the reception area and allow us to disinfect between patients. Practice good social distancing with all staff and other clients while near the clinic. Stay 2 meters away at all times. Please follow the directions of staff.

WHO WE ARE SEEING:

We are currently open for ALL appointments - urgent cases and more urgent routine appointment (such as dogs that need booster vaccines to go back to daycare) still take priority, but we are seeing annual wellness examinations and vaccine appointments.

• It is important from a public health perspective that puppies and kittens continue to receive their recommended vaccine series and parasite treatment.
• We have resumed all normal activities including elective surgeries (spaying and neutering), dental services, chemotherapy, endoscopy and ultrasound.
• If you have a medical problem with your pet, please CALL THE CLINIC. We are here to help.

CALL AHEAD, no matter why you want to come to the clinic. If you are just coming to pick up food or medications we will pre-process your transaction so that you do not have to enter the clinic. We can also take the food or medication outside to you so you don’t have to enter the clinic.

We need a GOOD history of your pet's problem. The best way to do this is to EMAIL us with your take on what’s happening. Please include details like:

• When (as closely as possible) the problem started
• What it looked like when it started
• Whether it has changed over time
• What you have already done to help your pet (medications, diet, etc)

For dogs, please keep your dog on the leash!

Cats MUST BE IN CARRIERS. Please disinfect the tops, sides, and handles of the carrier AT LEASTS 24 HOURS before you come to the clinic. Cats are very sensitive to inhaled chemicals and many disinfectants will cause cats to cough and may induce bronchitis. Clean the carrier well and let it air out for several hours before putting the cat in it.

For some appointments we are able to have video conferencing.

PAYMENT: If you really want to come inside and pay using the POS machine you can, but alternatives exist. For most clients we are taking credit card numbers over the phone and processing payments that way. If you need to use the POS machine, we are requiring people to use hand sanitizer before touching it, and we are disinfecting it after each use.

CONTINUE TO BE GOOD CANADIANS. Keep calm, stay away from one another, wash your hands like you mean it, be kind to one another, don't get all of your information from social media, share your stuff (but not your virus), and do your best to protect others from this disease.

Thank you for helping us stay healthy, and keeping yourselves healthy, too.

Dr Wilkie, Dr Sharp, Dr Crofts, Woei, Sarah, Janelle, Radka, Jacqui, Lauren, and Brian

AMH is a general practice veterinary hospital located in West Vancouver, British Columbia. With the hospital only a block from the waterfront, the West Coast "atmosphere" permeates our practice both literally and figuratively. 

AMC is an outpatient clinic near Coal Harbor in Vancouver. It's a short hop over the Lionsgate Bridge from the North Shore, and within easy walking distance for many downtown residents. The clinic is at the base of the east tower of the Lions Building, with a view of Georgia Street and the grassy, treed terraces out front. Click over to the "AMC on Georgia page" (up on the Home tab) and hit the Facebook link to get to the AMC page, or just click here.