Why has my vet been so busy these days?
There’s no question that over the past 17 months the way we’ve provided our services has seen some changes. In addition to the evolving curbside service and masking protocols we experienced since March of 2020, making appointments has also been a little different from normal. While our team has been able to successfully weather the challenges brought on by these unprecedented times and still provide the same high level of care we always have, it’s difficult to deny the facts. Our hospital has been experiencing what veterinarians all over the country have been experiencing: a record-breaking level of business compounded by a lack of staff and other pressures related to the pandemic. As Dr. Siegle said in a recent interview with Fox 17 news, “It’s been relentless!”
A shortage of humans...
There is a nationwide shortage of not only veterinarians, but as part of a general labor shortage, also all of the essential support staff that keep veterinary clinics like ours running smoothly. As Dr. McBride mentioned during an interview for a blog on work-life balance earlier this year, “There’s an increased demand for services at a time when there’s a decreased supply of licensed professionals, veterinarians, and veterinary technicians.” We work hard to maintain a workplace that encourages a healthy work-life balance and attracts hard-working employees who feel valued and can provide optimal care for our clients, from the front desk to the operating room. We’ve added great new staff members to key positions to deal with the increased volume of appointments and phone calls.
...but no shortage of pets!
The pandemic meant an influx of “COVID puppies and kittens” joining families where kids and adults alike were home more often, more able to give attention to a needy new pet, and looking for a fun distraction from intermittent lockdowns. Combined with a backlog of surgical procedures for existing clients that resulted from the state-mandated shutdown early in the pandemic, this flood of new clients brought pets who now needed to be spayed and neutered!
More together time
If you’re working from home now, it means you’re spending your days with your pets, and that’s a great thing! All this together time means you’re more apt to notice changes in their behavior, such as your cat grooming a certain area more than usual or your dog rubbing at his ears. With more time at home, you’ve also been able to spend more time on preventative care that you might have overlooked during your commuting days. When you consider the fact that lots of your fellow members of the CHFA/BVAC family have also been spending more time with their pets, it’s easy to understand why we’ve been getting more calls from our existing clients in addition to our new clients!
As the pandemic situation evolves and we adapt the way we provide our services to meet the changes, one thing remains the same: We continue to provide you and your furry family members with the high-quality care and attentiveness you need. Stay on top of all of the latest information by following us on social media, and be sure to subscribe to our monthly newsletter.
