UPDATE: Reopening Information @ Hewitt Vet 6/7/2021
Dear Hewitt Veterinary Hospital Family,
We are so excited to begin welcoming you all back into our building very soon! Beginning June 7, 2021 we will begin opening up some select confirmed appointments for in-person visits, beginning with non-well pet visits. At this time, unless otherwise confirmed with our team, all wellness visits will remain curbside for capacity reasons as we transition to ensure smooth and quick service.
Here are the details!
Regardless of the reason for your visit, please call upon arrival and refrain from entering the building until instructed to enter by a member of our team. This ensures that we have an exam room available right away and helps us reduce crowding in the lobby and prevent unnecessary stress to pets.
All tech appointments, food pickup, and medication pickup (including refills) will still be exclusively available with curbside-only service. Call when you arrive, and we will serve you promptly.
All unscheduled appointments and work-ins will remain curbside/drop-off only unless there is an available exam room. Our client care team will let you know when you call.
Due to the logistical challenges, we kindly request that all visitors wear a mask while inside our facility at this time.
Up to two (2) adults in each party may enter the building and exam room with their pet(s). If your party is larger than 2, we request the extra adults remain outside of our facility (Starbucks run!!!). Exceptions to the 2-person limit will be considered for small children who require adult supervision or other special circumstances on a case-by-case basis.
If your pet requires a longer stay for diagnostic tests or treatments, you may be asked to return to your car or drop your pet off and return to pick-up at a later time. This will help us open up needed exam room space, help to minimize crowding in our waiting/check-in areas, and allow for our process to continue smoothly and quickly while we run tests, wait for results, or perform treatments.
In light of recent CDC interim guidance regarding fully vaccinated individuals and the currently low transmission rate in McLennan County, you may observe some of our staff in work areas who are not wearing a face covering. We have requested all of our staff, regardless of vaccination status to wear a mask or face covering within 6 feet of all clients. This may change as future guidance is updated.
Curbside and drop-off service remains available for all clients who wish to take advantage of this convenient and safe service – just mention that you would like curbside when making an appointment or when calling upon arrival, and we will take care of you and your pet!
IMPORTANT: For the safety of everyone entering our facility, if you are feeling ill or have symptoms consistent with COVID-19, please reschedule your appointment for a later date. Our client service team will be happy to accommodate you.
Final note:
We have grown (but our building hasn’t…yet!)!!! In the midst of the past year, we have added yet another skilled veterinarian to our team to meet the needs of our growing community. (Welcome Dr. Poston!!!) This means that in addition to capacity constraints caused by COVID-19, we are also caring for more pets in the same space. This is another reason we kindly ask that you call upon arrival before entering the building. Pets may become stressed if the lobby is crowded, and calling before coming in will help us keep our operations smooth and safe for you and your pets!
With warm anticipation of gathering again,
Your Family at Hewitt Veterinary Hospital
Hewitt Vet Resuming Normal Hours With Continued Curbside-Only Service 6/1/2020
Beginning Monday, June 1, 2020 we are resuming normal operating hours (Monday-Friday 7:30 am - 6:00 pm) with continued curbside-only service. We are open Saturday June 6th and Saturday June 20th from 8:00 am - 12:30 pm by appointment only. We are also resuming elective surgeries this month. As many elective procedures were postponed last month, we are currently booked through June and are booking July now. Please call 254-666-5050 or contact us through our Petdesk app for an appointment or refill.
April 4th Normally Scheduled Wellness Fair is Cancelled. HVH to Be Open for Essential Vaccine Visits Every Saturday beginning April 4th.
Our April 4th Wellness Fair is postponed/cancelled to maintain safe social distancing.
To serve pets’ need for essential vaccines, we will be open on Saturdays.
Our April 4th openings are fully booked (8:00am - 1:00pm).
Future Saturdays, starting April 11th, we will be open for essential vaccine appointments only from 8:00 am - 5:00 pm on a curbside-only basis.
We are Still Here and Ready to Help Your Pets! McLennan County Orders Shelter In Place – Veterinary Services Considered “Essential Business” Therefore Permitted by the Order.
Hewitt Veterinary Hospital operations are permitted by the most recent Shelter In Place order from McLennan County.
We’re continuing our curbside-only service, still seeing sick/injured pets, and can refill or prescribe medications and food. We are HERE and READY to help you and your pet! Please do not hesitate to call us at 254-666-5050, hewittvet@gmail.com, or the PetDesk app if you or your pet need anything!
We will continue to operate in a way which maximizes safety of our team and community and will conserve medical supplies for emergencies and the human hospital system. We are continuing to postpone or reschedule elective surgeries/procedures and adult wellness exams.
Full Text of Orders Issued By City of Waco and McLennan County:
McLennan County Shelter In Place Order - 3/23/2020
City of Waco Shelter In Place Order 3/23/2020
http://hewittvet.com/news will be updated frequently as the COVID-19 situation develops. If you are planning to visit our veterinary hospital in the next several weeks or months, please check this page first for any updates. Bookmark and refer to this page for subsequent updates.
3/22/2020 Update: Here’s a Summary of Our Efforts To Protect the Safety of Your Pets and Our Community
We want everyone in our community, including your beloved pets to stay healthy! We are here, ready, and able to help you during this time, so please reach out to us via phone (254-666-5050), email (hewittvet@gmail.com), or PetDesk app if you have any concerns about your pet’s health.
Here’s what you need to know:
Last Monday 3/16/2020 we switched to a curbside-only service for appointments, drop-offs, prescriptions refills, and food pickups. (see post)
Starting this week, the hospital will be closed from 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm. Much of our client care team is working remotely and may be able to answer your call during this time. Voicemail will be available in the event that they are unavailable. We respond to voicemail quickly.
We are currently rescheduling/postponing elective surgeries, non-emergency dental care, and adult wellness exams. This allows us to save supplies for local hospitals to treat people who become ill. It also ensures we have needed supplies on-hand in case your pet becomes seriously ill or injured.
If you need refills on any medication (including flea and heartworm prevention) please contact us and we will work to fulfill your request quickly.
Our staff will be wearing personal protective equipment (including reusable respirators) in and around our hospital. We also have strict sanitation protocols. This makes it safe for us to work, and keeps you and your pet safe also.
RESOURCES FOR MANAGERS/OWNERS OF OTHER BUSINESSES IN OUR AREA:
We feel it is vital that our community continue to have access to quality services in the event of an outbreak in our immediate area. If you are an owner or manager of a business in the area, we are posting our 3/9/2020 preliminary draft emergency COVID-19 Response Plan as a resource to refer to as you consider emergency procedures to continue operations in the event of an outbreak. You may access our 3/9/2020 Draft Response Plan HERE.
http://hewittvet.com/news will be updated frequently as the COVID-19 situation develops. If you are planning to visit our veterinary hospital in the next several weeks or months, please check this page first for any updates. Bookmark and refer to this page for subsequent updates.
3/20/2020 Update: Mid-Day Closed Time (Closed 12pm-2pm) Effective Today Until Further Notice Due to COVID-19.
Hewitt Veterinary Hospital facility will be closed from 12:00pm-2:00pm daily for staff briefings due to the rapidly changing conditions associated with the COVID-19 Outbreak. This time will allow us to proactively discuss areas of safety improvement, systems, protocols, and team member’s needs. The Hospital Will NOT Be Open For Any Services During this time.
http://hewittvet.com/news will be updated frequently as the COVID-19 situation develops. If you are planning to visit our veterinary hospital in the next several weeks or months, please check this page first for any updates. Bookmark and refer to this page for subsequent updates.
3/18/2020 UPDATE: Hewitt Veterinary Hospital Began Wearing Personal Protective Respirators Today After 5 Confirmed COVID-19 Cases in Waco Area.
http://hewittvet.com/news will be updated frequently as the COVID-19 situation develops. If you are planning to visit our veterinary hospital in the next several weeks or months, please check this page first for any updates. Bookmark and refer to this page for subsequent updates.
Following the announcement of 5 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Waco area (see Waco/McLennan County Public Health Dept. page for current count), Hewitt Veterinary Hospital Team began wearing Personal Protective Respirator Equipment today. This extra layer of protection will allow us to maintain a higher level of safety during exams and procedures which require close contact between members of our team. Team members serving our clients curbside may keep respirators on, not because they believe you are contagious, but because after removal, the masks require a cleaning procedure that may unnecessarily deplete cleaning supplies. This equipment will also improve our capacity to continue operations during a current latent or possible future outbreak of COVID-19 in our area. The pets we have seen today seem to be very happy and not bothered by the appearance of the equipment.
We are happy to be able to provide your pet with excellent healthcare in a manner that maintains a high level of safety for you, your pet, our team, and our community.
We remind you to please maintain 6 feet of distance from others and wash your hands very often to SLOW THE SPREAD.
3/17/2020 UPDATE: COVID-19 Procedures Working Well and Resources for Other Businesses in Waco Area
http://hewittvet.com/news will be updated frequently as the COVID-19 situation develops. If you are planning to visit our veterinary hospital in the next several weeks or months, please check this page first for any updates. Bookmark and refer to this page for subsequent updates.
Hewitt Veterinary Hospital successfully operated with a drive-up only procedure yesterday (with the exception of a minor glitch in our phone system open-closed hours, which resulted in phones inadvertently announcing that we were unavailable for a period of about 1 hour. We responded to voicemails throughout that period and quickly resolved the issue once identified.) We plan to continue our non-traditional operation for the coming weeks/months. The procedure below continues to apply as of 3/17/2020.
The well-being of your pets, you, your loved ones, our team, and our community is our priority. We are currently rescheduling all elective surgeries, non-emergent dental therapy/cleaning, and adult wellness exams in order to preserve much needed medical and personal protective (PPE) supplies for human hospitals and to ensure we will have the supplies necessary to care for your pet should they become seriously ill or injured. We will resume these services as soon as possible. Thank you for your understanding.
RESOURCES FOR MANAGERS/OWNERS OF OTHER BUSINESSES IN OUR AREA:
We feel it is vital that our community continue to have access to quality services in the event of an outbreak in our immediate area. If you are an owner or manager of a business in the area, we are posting our 3/9/2020 preliminary draft emergency COVID-19 Response Plan as a resource to refer to as you consider emergency procedures to continue operations in the event of an outbreak. You may access our 3/9/2020 Draft Response Plan HERE.
Upon your visit to us on or after Monday 3/16/2020 we will be operating temporarily as follows:
1. Upon your arrival we ask that you remain in your vehicle.
2. A member of our team will greet you at your vehicle, take your name, pets name, a good contact number, and the reason for your visit.
3. A member of the appropriate team will contact you via phone to provide instructions for your pet’s visit or your purchase of food/medications.
4. If you are purchasing food or medications, our team will bring those to you and conduct the checkout procedure over the phone or at your car.
5. If this is a pet visit, the remainder of our communication will be done via telephone. Hewitt Veterinary Hospital has added 16 outgoing telephone lines to accommodate this.
6. We will gather some more information from you over the phone (pet history/symptoms/etc.). When we are ready, we will have you exit your vehicle with your pet and go to the covered front porch. We will meet you there (with minimal contact) and then escort your pet from your car to an exam room or treatment for immediate care.
7. We will communicate with you throughout this process via phone.
8. When the visit is complete, we will communicate with you again, escort your pet back to reunite with you, and complete the check out procedure with you over the phone or at your vehicle.
We are anticipating longer than expected wait times. If you are unable to wait a bit longer, please contact us to reschedule. We cannot guarantee availability of open appointment times for several weeks potentially if you choose to reschedule.
You will not have access to public restroom facilities, so please plan accordingly.
Our staff will remain at a distance when conversing with you in-person, and we ask that you minimize conversation during transfer of your pet to our staff member.
ALL CATS MUST BE IN CARRIERS. ALL DOGS MUST BE ON A SECURE LEASH.
We will temporarily be activating an automated phone menu to handle increased call volume. Voicemail will also be activated, and we will check this very often during business hours. (see previous news post).
No clients, non-essential contractors or deliverymen, or others will be permitted in the building without authorization so that we can maintain a high level of safety.
Clients whose pet will undergo euthanasia may be permitted to enter the facility if they are not feeling sick or exhibiting other signs of illness. At our discretion we may limit client access.
We continue to work hard to protect the health and safety of animal and human lives in our area, and ensure maximum access to a wide range of goods and services during this event.
-Your Family at Hewitt Veterinary Hospital
New Operations Procedures At Hewitt Veterinary Hospital Beginning Monday, 3/16/2020
http://hewittvet.com/news will be updated frequently as the COVID-19 situation develops. If you are planning to visit our veterinary hospital in the next several weeks or months, please check this page first for any updates. Bookmark and refer to this page for subsequent updates.
Dear Hewitt Veterinary Hospital Family,
As you know, we have been closely monitoring the developing situation concerning the SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 outbreak. As recently as Sunday, 3/15/2020, Waco-McLennan County Public Health District were continuing to state that “there are NO cases of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Waco and McLennan County.” They continue to advise that risks are relatively low in Central Texas. However, while there may be no known cases in our city, we feel it is wise to take extra precautions before government recommendation because there has been very limited testing to date, there is some evidence that there are potentially infected/contagious individuals who are asymptomatic, the virus spreads easily (R0>2), has been spreading in communities worldwide for several weeks/months, has a fairly long incubation period, and can cause severe symptoms in certain individuals. Furthermore, confirmed cases have begun to appear close to our area, and a new UCLA/Princeton/National Institutes of Health (NIH) study has been published indicating that SARS-CoV-2 can remain on certain surfaces for an extended amount of time (up to ~4 days) and can remain viable in aerosolized form in the air for over 3 hours, creating a potential risk of transmission through inhalation of the virus after a sick person has left an indoor area.
Anyone who has been to our vet hospital recently knows that our lobby can practically be classified as a “mass gathering” - we often have 300 or more people enter our building on a daily basis! The procedures that we have developed to continue safe operations during the COVID-19 pandemic are designed to protect our clients, their families, our team, and our community. They will also ensure that we are able to best care for your beloved pets during this time.
Please bookmark and continue to check this page for additional frequent updates.
We expect frequently changing operations to continue for several weeks, and we will update this news page as we make changes.
Upon your visit to us on or after Monday 3/16/2020 we will be operating temporarily as follows:
1. Upon your arrival we ask that you remain in your vehicle.
2. A member of our team will greet you at your vehicle, take your name, pets name, a good contact number, and the reason for your visit.
3. A member of the appropriate team will contact you via phone to provide instructions for your pet’s visit or your purchase of food/medications.
4. If you are purchasing food or medications, our team will bring those to you and conduct the checkout procedure over the phone or at your car.
5. If this is a pet visit, the remainder of our communication will be done via telephone. Hewitt Veterinary Hospital has added 16 outgoing telephone lines to accommodate this.
6. We will gather some more information from you over the phone (pet history/symptoms/etc.). When we are ready, we will have you exit your vehicle with your pet and go to the covered front porch. We will meet you there (with minimal contact) and then escort your pet from your car to an exam room or treatment for immediate care.
7. We will communicate with you throughout this process via phone.
8. When the visit is complete, we will communicate with you again, escort your pet back to reunite with you, and complete the check out procedure with you over the phone or at your vehicle.
We are anticipating longer than expected wait times. If you are unable to wait a bit longer, please contact us to reschedule. We cannot guarantee availability of open appointment times for several weeks potentially if you choose to reschedule.
You will not have access to public restroom facilities, so please plan accordingly.
Our staff will remain at a distance when conversing with you in-person, and we ask that you minimize conversation during transfer of your pet to our staff member.
ALL CATS MUST BE IN CARRIERS. ALL DOGS MUST BE ON A SECURE LEASH.
We will temporarily be activating an automated phone menu to handle increased call volume. Voicemail will also be activated and we will check this very often during business hours. (see previous news post).
No clients, non-essential contractors or deliverymen, or others will be permitted in the building without authorization so that we can maintain a high level of safety.
Clients whose pet will undergo euthanasia may be permitted to enter the facility if they are not feeling sick or exhibiting other signs of illness. At our discretion we may limit client access.
Extra precautions we are anticipating in the near future include:
1. Installing .1 micron HEPA filters in work/exam/treatment areas to filter air and reduce risk of airborne transmission amongst staff and as a result of aerosol producing medical procedures
2. Personal protective equipment – (respirators, safety glasses/goggles, disposable gowns)
We believe that small changes can have a large impact if initiated early enough and hope that by taking these precautions now we can aid our community in the weeks to come by lessening the extent of the transmission of this virus and spread of disease and ultimately reaching our goal of keeping everyone in our community happy and healthy, including our beloved pets. We are so glad to have you as part of our family!
For further information on Texas State Resources and Response to COVID-19, visit https://dshs.texas.gov/coronavirus
Auto-Receptionist Phone Menu and Voicemail Will Be Temporarily Activated Soon
In order to add flexibility to our phone system to accommodate anticipated increased workload due to our upcoming coronavirus procedures, we will soon be temporarily adding an auto-receptionist phone menu to our phone system and adding additional outgoing phone lines.
If you are expecting a phone call from us and see a Caller ID that begins with (254) 870-44XX please answer the phone. We will also soon be activating a voicemail system in the event that we are unable to answer your call that we will check constantly during business hours and respond to as quickly as conditions allow.
As always you can call us at 254-666-5050 or email us at hewittvet@gmail.com
Possible Temporary Procedures at HVH Due To Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Dear Hewitt Veterinary Hospital Family,
We have been closely monitoring government agency and CDC communication regarding the developing situation concerning COVID-19 community transmission in the USA. While the risk at this moment appears to be still relatively low in our area, we believe it is wise to begin implementing procedures that will lessen the likelihood of our clients coming into contact with the SARS-CoV-2 strain of human coronavirus in our facility, and ultimately do our part to protect the health of our clients, team, and community. Because there has been very limited testing to date, the virus has a fairly long incubation period, there are potentially infected individuals who are asymptomatic, and because the virus spreads easily and can cause severe symptoms in certain individuals, we will soon be taking extra precautions and offering extra services.
We believe that small changes can have a large impact if initiated early enough.
Most available evidence points to two primary methods of spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19 disease:
Close contact (<=6 feet) through inhalation of respiratory droplets created by coughing, sneezing, and talking.
“Fomites” – objects that respiratory droplets fall on (door handles, counters, etc.) that don’t get cleaned, that then are touched by another person, who then touches their face or eats food without first washing hands.
We will focus on these 3 areas during this temporary change in our procedures.
1. Increasing distance between people and/or limiting the number of people inside our facility (likely to happen very soon)
2. Cleaning quite often (already happening)
3. Paid sick leave policy for all staff to reduce incentive to come to work if they are feeling sick (already happening).
As a service to our clients who may wish to avoid close contact with others during this time, JUST GIVE US A CALL AT 254-666-5050 WHEN YOU ARRIVE AND A MEMBER OF OUR TEAM WILL GREET YOU AT YOUR VEHICLE.
We may soon be making efforts to reduce congestion in our building such as
· Waiting in the car for technician appointments
· Staggering appointment start times
· Asking about health status at check in (fever, coughing, etc)
· Increased physical distance in the building
· Asking you to wait in your vehicle if you are coughing, sneezing, or look like you feel unwell
· Rescheduling your appointment if you are feeling sick or have recently been sick
· Meeting you at your vehicle when you drive up, checking you in there, and having you wait until an exam room is ready to enter the building.
· Limiting the number of people allowed in exam rooms at the same time
· Checking you out in the exam room or car-side instead of at the reception desk
We want to keep everyone in our community happy and healthy, including our beloved pets, and we’re so glad to have you as part of our family!
Your Pet’s Health and the Novel (new) Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2)
OVERVIEW and VACCINE INFORMATION:
We want to give guidance to all of our clients regarding their pet’s health and the new coronavirus that is currently being transmitted in communities in various parts of the world. SARS-CoV-2 is the name of this virus, which causes the disease named “COVID-19.” SARS-CoV-2 is a coronavirus. The term “coronavirus” includes a large category of viruses that have a particular shape (see photo). In recent days, the media has often called SARS-CoV-2 “the coronavirus,” instead of what it is, which is “a never before seen virus that happens to be a coronavirus.” This terminology in the media has caused come confusion among our clients, since there is a “coronavirus” vaccine that has been available for pets for some time. The coronavirus vaccine provides protection from a different virus. This vaccine will confer no immunity or protection from SARS-CoV-2. There is no need to vaccinate your pet with the current coronavirus vaccine, as this vaccine will have no effect on SARS-CoV-2. There is currently no vaccine effective against the SARS-CoV-2 virus for humans or animals.
HONG KONG DOG NEWS STORY
(via AVMA) On Thursday, February 27, a pet dog in Hong Kong tested “weak positive” for the virus that causes COVID-19. Its owner also tested positive for coronavirus. On Wednesday, March 4, another report was issued by the Hong Kong Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) indicating that a second test on that same pet dog had come back positive. According to the report, another dog quarantined at the same facility (but in a separate room) was also tested, but the results were negative for the virus. The precise meaning of the positive test result from the one dog remains unclear and further evaluation is ongoing. Hong Kong officials said that dog continues to show no clinical signs of illness, remains under quarantine and is being cared for, and will continue to be monitored and tested.
The precise meaning of the positive test result from the one dog remains unclear and further evaluation is ongoing. Hong Kong officials said that dog continues to show no clinical signs of illness, remains under quarantine and is being cared for, and will continue to be monitored and tested.
Right now, there simply isn’t enough information about whether or not SARS-CoV-2 causes illness in pets, and there is no evidence yet that pets can spread SARS-CoV-2/Covid-19 to humans if they are infected.
COVID-19 and CARING FOR DOMESTIC ANIMALS
(via AVMA) According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), no animals in the United States have been identified with the virus, and there is no evidence that dogs or other pets can spread COVID-19. The CDC recommends that people who are sick with COVID-19 restrict contact with pets and other animals, just like you would restrict your contact with other people. When possible, a member of the household other than the individual who is ill should care for any animals in the household. Those infected with COVID-19 should avoid contact with animals, including petting, snuggling, being kissed or licked, and sharing food. Those who are sick and must care for a pet, or who will be around animals while sick, should wear an appropriate facemask and wash hands thoroughly before and after interacting with those animals.
PROTECTING YOURSELF AND YOUR COMMUNITY
It is wise to start protecting yourself and your family and coworkers now by following these CDC recommendations. Taking these precautions before you or your family/coworkers are sick will provide the best defense against SARS-CoV-2-2, as well as influenza. For more information, visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/index.html
WASH YOUR HANDS OFTEN and EVERY TIME BEFORE and AFTER TOUCHING YOUR FACE or EATING FOOD. (Use of hand sanitizer is OK if soap and water are not available.)
CLEAN/SANITIZE FREQUENTLY USED SURFACES OFTEN (Phones, computer keyboards/mouse, door handles, appliances, etc.)
COUGH / SNEEZE into a TISSUE or into your elbow/arm and DISCARD TISSUE INTO TRASH RIGHT AWAY. WASH hands before touching anything else.
AVOID TOUCHING YOUR FACE with unwashed hands.
STAY HOME from work if you are sick.
If you have any questions or concerns about your pet’s health, give us a call at 254-666-5050, reach us on the PetDesk app, or email us at hewittvet@gmail.com.
- Your family at Hewitt Veterinary Hospital
Beware when shopping for prescription drugs and preventatives online.
Many counterfeit and substitute products which are cheaper are packaged to look authentic can leave your pet unprotected without you knowing.
We recently had a pet come into our hospital that tested positive for heartworms. They were regularly taking heartworm medicine, which was purchased on Amazon. We asked the client to show us where it was purchased, and noticed the problem right away, counterfeit Heartgard. This is why it is so important to buy your pet’s medications from a licensed pharmacy. Even well established and trusted businesses are selling counterfeit, expired, diluted, or repackaged medications. Our online pharmacy partner, MyVetStoreOnline ships directly from the distributor, who has very close relationships with all of the manufacturers, so you can be assured that the product you purchase is the product you will receive, keeping your pet healthy and happy!
One of there is not like the other!
Get $5.00 Off Instantly When You Download PetDesk for iOS and Android!
With PetDesk, you can access your pet’s health records, set up reminders and notifications, and communicate with our team from your mobile device. You can request or confirm an appointment, or ask us a question, or just say “Hello!” and we will be there to help you! Plus, you can join Hewitt Veterinary Hospital’s PetPerks Rewards to receive rewards for your visits! You will get $5 off instantly when you add Hewitt Veterinary Hospital to your PetDesk app and join PetPerks Rewards. Now that’s easy!
