CORONAVIRUS: WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOUR PET GETS SICK DURING THE LOCKDOWN?

With the pandemic keeping us all in our bubbles, what do you do when your beloved pooch or bossy feline gets sick?

Vets are open but working on a skeleton staff and they’re warning about giving our furry friends a little too much attention.

Winston the dog is a good boy – but last night he gorged himself on chocolate, prompting a visit to the vet.

“That is definitely a situation where you wanna call your vet,” says Animal Hospital for Vetora clinical director Dr Stacey Tremain.

Vets are essential services, but not all trips to the vet are essential.

“We’re getting calls saying ‘our dog’s really lethargic’ and when you go through the questioning, they’ve gone for five or six walks in a day and they’re just shattered,” Dr Tremain says.

Minor problems like conjunctivitis – and overwalking – should wait until the lockdown lifts, but don’t leave your pet in serious pain.

“Anything severe enough to cause your pet to become quite lethargic and depressed – I would classify that as something we want to see sooner rather than later,” Dr Tremain says.

The first thing you should do is call your vet. They will let you know if you need to come in – and what to do when you arrive.

Each vet will have different processes. At Village Vets in Wellington, you’ll be asked to wait outside before being let in one at a time. Once in, it’s two-metre distancing at all times.

Vets do a lot of handwashing and disinfecting anyway but there are extra stringent measures between patients at the moment.

Distancing comes with challenges. Without the owner’s helping hands, holding pets is difficult.

So is convincing groggy dog Lola to get a move on. It’s difficult to explain X-rays too.

“Because of the two-metre rule it is a bit tricky, however we do have the ability to email any images to the owner so they can have a look at home,” Village Vets practice owner Jeannie Tiong-Walker told Newshub.

The emailed X-rays are for Lola, who’s still a bit wobbly, but pleased as punch to be reunited with her bubble buddy after her slightly unusual trip to the vet.