COVID NSW: New pet owners blamed for rise in vet clinic wait times
An increase in the number of nervy new pet owners during COVID has been blamed for increased waiting times at vet clinics.
NSW
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Sydney vets are being swamped by “helicopter” pet parents clogging up appointments with minor health concerns, leaving animals with serious issues waiting in line.
Experts claim a rise in pet ownership during the pandemic has seen overly watchful owners rush their animals to veterinary clinics for “trivial” issues, resulting in appointment waiting times blowing out.
Southern Cross Vet founder and veterinarian Sam Kovac, who owns three clinics at Bellevue Hill, St Peters, and Redfern, has seen a “wave” of new pet parents in recent months.
“People will anxiously bring new puppies in for diarrhoea, when that’s often from the stress of adjusting to a new home, or if their dog is sleepy after a vaccination, a common side effect … wait times tripled,” Dr Kovac said.
“We’ve found people don’t know what is a serious (pet health concern) and what isn’t … I could be treating a critically ill animal in the time it takes me to see three (helicopter parents) coming in for frivolous reasons.’’
But Dr Kovac has managed to slashing appointment wait times for animals who need it most by introducing telehealth triaging and express 15-minute check-up bookings, stemming the flow of helicopter pet parents through the remote services.
He is now campaigning for other practices to give the technology a try.
“Pet owners know their animals best but now the telehealth triaging and express consults mean we can give them peace of mind,” Dr Kovac said.
Self confessed “helicopter pet parent” Cassie Geselle, 26, is mum to rescue pooch Duke. “Ideally if Duke was really sick we’d spare no expense ... but we’d love a telehealth option to save an appointment if its not needed,” she said.
Four face trial over fatal fencing wire crash
The trial against four men alleged to be at the centre of a horror crash that claimed the life of father-of-two Martin Strait near Grafton is underway after four years.
Teal edges ahead of Liberal in Bradfield
Teal candidate Nicolette Boele has edged in front of Liberal contender Giselle Kapterian in the battle for the northern Sydney electorate of Bradfield by a mere 40 votes, with a recount likely.