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March 2020
OUR DEFENSE AGAINST COVID-19
In order to maintain the health and safety of both our staff and clients, the following “social distancing” protocols will be effective immediately as per local, state, and governmental agencies.
- A maximum of 5 people will be allowed in the waiting room at one time, including our hospital staff
- All patient exams and treatments will be performed in the exam room or treatment area with only the medical staff. Clients will be asked to wait in the waiting room, outside weather permitting, or in their vehicles.
- All patient histories will continue to be gathered via the online form or the onsite tablet. If the online form is not sufficient, we encourage extended histories to be relayed to us via email at family@rockyshoresvet.com
- The doctor will communicate with you after the exam in the waiting room or via phone, if you prefer, due to privacy considerations. Please inform the front office staff of your preference before the exam.
- We will continue to accept all major credit cards, Care Credit, and Scratchpay. Although discouraged due to the potential for fomite transmission of the virus, cash will still be accepted if that is your only means for payment.
- All high contact surfaces such as doorknobs and countertops will be disinfected after every exam and interaction with clients and medical staff.
- We discourage clients who are sick, have symptoms of respiratory illness, and those within the most vulnerable age population from visiting our office. Please enlist the help of a family member or friend if your pet needs to be seen at our office. If you have no option, please call in advance of your visit and we will send a medical staff member to retrieve your pet from your vehicle. Please understand that this is to protect you, the medical staff, and the general public.
- For questions on witness euthanasia, please call the hospital for more information on the specific protocol.
What you need to know about CORONAVIRUS
Many of you may have questions regarding coronavirus and the implications with respect to our pets. While the information below is meant for the veterinary community, we at Rocky Shores felt it necessary to provide you with what we know in order to help alleviate any anxiety regarding the most recently declared global pandemic COVID-19 aka The Wuhan Coronavirus. Please also refer to the CDC's website for further information. As long as good hygiene and common sense is practiced, the chances of infection with coronavirus, or any viral diseases for that matter, is low according to the CDC and various health professionals.
The following information is from the American Veterinary Medical Association with regards to coronavirus in animals.
Coronaviruses in domestic species
(Updated February 18, 2020)
Note
The WHO, FAO, and CDC indicate that pets and other domestic animals are not considered at risk for
contacting COVID-19 or transmitting the virus that causes COVID-19 (also known as 2019-nCoV).
The USDA has recently commented on the impact of COVID-19 on U.S. agricultural trade.
Taxonomy
• The Coronaviridae family gets its name, in part, because the virus surface is surrounded by a ring of
projecting proteins that appear like a solar corona when viewed through an electron microscope.
• The main Coronaviridae subfamily is subdivided into alpha- (formerly referred to as type 1 or
phylogroup 1), beta- (formerly referred to as type 2 or phylogroup 2), delta-, and
gammacoronavirus genera.
• Coronaviruses have been isolated from dogs, cats, horses, cattle, swine, chickens, turkeys, and
humans with clinical signs of disease. Most of these diseases are gastrointestinal or respiratory, but
encephalomyelitis has been reported as occurring in pigs. A brief summary of these diseases by
species can be found below the table.
Coronaviruses recognized in domestic animals
Host Genus Virus - Disease Organ system USDA licensed vaccine
Dog Alpha CCoV - Canine coronavirus Enteric Yes
Cat Alpha FECV - Feline enteric coronavirus Enteric No
FIPV-FIP Systemic Yes (not recommended)
Horse Beta ECoV - Equine coronavirus Enteric No
Cattle Beta BCoV - Calf diarrhea Enteric Yes
Winter dysentery Enteric
BRD Respiratory
Swine Alpha PEDV - Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus Enteric
TGEV - Transmissible gastroenteritis virus Enteric Yes
PRCV - Porcine respiratory coronavirus Respiratory
Beta PHEV - Porcine hemagglutinating encephalomyelitis virus
Delta PorCoV - Porcine coronavirus Enteric
Chickens Gamma IBV - Avian infectious bronchitis virus Respiratory Yes
Turkeys Gamma Bluecomb - Turkey coronavirus Enteric No
Dogs and cats
• Canine enteric coronavirus typically causes mild gastro-intestinal clinical signs.
• Although feline enteric coronavirus generally results in infections without clinical signs, it can cause
mild diarrhea. Veterinarians will also that recognize changes in FCoV can give rise to development
of a serious and almost always fatal disease—feline infectious peritonitis (FIP).
• Therapy for CCoV- and FCoV-associated gastroenteritis is mainly supportive, including
administration of maintenance fluids and electrolytes.
• The USDA has licensed multiple vaccines against canine coronavirus, and in the United States,
vaccination of dogs is recommended as part of a core canine immunization strategy. There is also
one USDA-licensed FIP vaccine; however, it is not generally recommended by the American
Association of Feline Practitioners Feline Vaccine Advisory Panel because its effectiveness may be
minimal.
• In recent years, a betacoronavirus (canine respiratory corona virus [CRCoV]) has also been reported
in some dogs presenting with the respiratory disease commonly referred to as “kennel cough.”
Horses
• Equine coronavirus typically presents with fever, inappetence, colic, and occasionally diarrhea.
• An incubation period of two to four days, and a shedding period of up to 21 days, have been
reported.
• Supportive care is the primary therapy.
Cattle
• Bovine coronaviruses have been associated with calf diarrhea, winter dysentery, and the bovine
respiratory disease complex.
• Winter dysentery typically presents as diarrhea, anorexia, and depression with mild respiratory
signs. Recovery is normally seen in a few days.
Swine
• Five coronavirus-associated diseases have been reported in swine: porcine epidemic diarrhea virus
(PEDV), transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV), porcine coronavirus (PorCoV), porcine
respiratory coronavirus (PRCoV), and porcine hemagglutinating encephalomyelitis virus (PHEV).
• Pigs with PEDV, TGEV, and PorCoV typically present with gastrointestinal signs. PEDV is associated
with vomiting, diarrhea, and death in 50-100% of affected piglets. Mortality in adult pigs is
uncommon. TGEV also causes vomiting and diarrhea in young pigs, with less severe signs in adults
and pigs more than 4 weeks of age.
• Pigs with PRCoV typically present with mild respiratory disease. Although a vaccine has been
described, humoral immunity is not long-lasting. Viral shedding often peaks after two to four days
and has been detected for 10 days after infection.
• Pigs with PEHV also present with vomiting and wasting, but PEHV may also cause
encephalomyelitis, especially in pigs younger than 4 weeks old.
Chickens
• Infectious bronchitis in chickens typically presents with respiratory signs, reduced production, and
occasionally nephritis.
• Live and killed vaccines may not provide protection from the disease strain.
Turkeys
• Turkeys affected with coronavirus typically present with depression, anorexia, diarrhea, and
reduced weight gain.
• Vaccines are not available.
• Premises should be disinfected and kept free of new birds for at least three weeks.
Humans
• Seven coronaviruses that can infect people have been reported by the CDC.
• Four common human coronaviruses—two alphacoronaviruses and two betacoronaviruses—
commonly occur in people around the world and typically result in clinical signs consistent with the
common cold.
• Three other human betacoronaviruses have recently been identified: Middle East respiratory
syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV),
and most recently the COVID-19 virus .
• The genetic sequences of these three newer human coronaviruses are most closely related to bat
coronaviruses; none are closely related to either CCorV or FCorV.
Please refer to the CDC for updated information about The Wuhan Coronavirus aka COVID19
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