Animal Care Center of Castle Pines is a "no-handshake" hospital until further notice.

Social distancing techniques of a minimum of 6 feet should be adopted where possible.

The children's toys have been removed from the lobby along with business cards, magazines, etc. The lobby is being cleaned on an hourly basis and has been for the last week including door handles, countertops, and flooring.

As of right now, Animal Care Center of Castle Pines will begin seeing clients under the following conditions:

Asking clients starting on March 16, 2020, if they or any immediate family member(s) have had international travel in the last 2 weeks or if they have any reason to believe that they have been exposed. If so, alternative options will be discussed with their primary ACC doctor and the Medical Director. Alternative options will include delaying the appointment, a telemedicine appointment, or other.

ACC will also begin asking clients if they have any symptoms of respiratory illness, and if so will ask them to delay the appointment if wellness or remain in their car for the appointment while staff retrieves and examine their pet inside. The doctor can discuss diagnosis and treatment over the phone with the client.

Telemedicine appointments are coming soon - please watch for more information on that!

As of today, March 16, at 9 am, there is not a hospital-wide decision to cancel all elective procedures, however in accordance with the American Veterinary Medical Association recommendations we are asking clients to consider postponing elective procedures. This is to help alleviate the burden on medical supplies that may be needed in the coming week. This may change in the upcoming days, depending on the progression of COVID-19 in Colorado. On a day-to-day basis, administrative personnel may be asked to work from home.

Recommendations will be made over the phone if the clients have answered yes to international travel or suspected exposure or if this is their preference.

Clients may call requesting medication refills for up to 3 months. Please inform them that the Inventory Manager will look into their request and the medication supply. Calls will be returned the same day. Turn around for these prescription refills may be longer than the same day depending on the situation and in some situations, the medications may not be available. We will order additional medication when possible or provide a written RX for the owner.

Drop-off appointments must be approved by the primary doctor or medical director

To minimize extended contact with clients, please offer to have surgery and other drop-off appointments done curbside, with either a technician or CSR going out to the client's car to check in and check out for the procedure. Additionally, when clients call to request to pick up medication, please tell them to call once they arrive in the parking lot and a staff member will bring the medication out to them. At-risk or ill clients that present a pet with emergent medical needs will be advised to stay in their vehicles while their pet is cared for. Communication can be performed by telephone.

For handling these patients, please consider the following guidelines:

• Request that the clients wear masks and gloves.
• The employees must wear masks, gowns, goggles, and gloves.
• Consider alternative locations for euthanasia, such as outside or in the client's vehicle.
• If an examination room is elected, the pet and client are brought directly into the comfort room and the room is disinfected with Rescue or bleach thoroughly after the client exits.
• In many situations, we may be asking clients to call us and wait with their pets in their car when they arrive. This will allow social distancing in the lobby with a decreased number of people at any one time. If an examination room is needed, ideally the owner would be brought directly into the examination room.
• When appropriate, conversations can occur outside following social distancing guidelines of 6 feet.
• When appropriate, an ACC staff member can meet the client at their vehicle and bring the pet inside for examination, blood draws, etc. For more on the AVMA guidelines please go to https://www.avma.org/blog/what-do-you-need-know-about-coronavirus