Pet owners scramble for animal care as vets face backlogs

The influx of pandemic pets and catching up from a lockdown closure has created a "perfect storm" of backlogs at veterinary clinics, including emergency animal hospitals, according to one Ottawa vet.

Animal hospitals are overrun with appointments for owners who picked up a pandemic pet, who now need the routine vaccinations, and that has affected those with older animals who need an appointment.

"My two clinics, we range anywhere from four to eight weeks for new clients to get in," said Kevin McIntosh, a veterinarian and owner of Algonquin Animal Hospital.

"I've been in practice for 11 years, and I don't think I've ever seen demand this high."

Desperate for emergency care

The backlog in animal care left Lisa Bussell scrambling when she returned from her vacation earlier this month and found her cat Shadow lethargic and refusing to eat or drink.

After waiting to see if his condition improved, Bussell called her vet, then 20 others, but nobody was able to assess the cat that day.

"That was a little bit shocking. There just wasn't any solution that was offered," she said.

I've been in practice for 11 years, and I don't think I've ever seen demand this high.- Kevin McIntosh, Algonquin Animal Hospital

Phone call number 22 was successful when she reached the Vimy Bridge Animal Hospital.

"I'm begging you to see him because this is a life-and-death situation,'" she remembered telling the receptionist.

Shadow was diagnosed with pneumonia, given strong antibiotics and a hydration pack. He has recovered but Bussell worries what might have happened if she hadn't been so persistent.

Slowed by COVID-19 protocols

McIntosh said the three emergency care facilities in Ottawa are overwhelmed and in some cases, patients and their animals are referred to facilities in Kingston or Montreal — each about a two-hour drive away.

COVID-19 protocols, such as distancing measures that prevent pet owners from entering the clinic, have also slowed down animal care, with some appointment taking twice as long as normal.

"We just don't have the capacity to take on any more cases without compromising patient care, which we would never do," said McIntosh.

McIntosh still recommends contacting the nearest emergency care clinic in Ottawa if your animal is sick, but Bussell wants pet owners to be aware of the backlog so they can act early.

"If you're thinking there might be something wrong with your animal, and that you might have the option to wait it out a day or two — my recommendation would be not to do that," she said. "Act quicker and get into a queue."