Wasatch Exotic Pet Care

01/03/2023

CLOSURE NOTICE: Please be advised that Comcast has us scheduled for "upgrade maintenance" on Thursday, January 5. As they have indicated that this outage could last all day we have decided the best option is to reschedule our appointments for that day and close the office. Patient care staff will be on site intermittently but the phones will not be operational. Any voicemails left for us may not save successfully. Please bear this in mind and be patient with us if you need assistance Friday morning as we anticipate that our reception team will be handling a backlog of stuff. Thank you!!

07/12/2022

Notice to clients: On Wednesday, July 13, our office will be closing at 4pm as we will be participating in the Bans Off Our Bodies walkout. If you have a visit or plan to pick up a prescription refill please plan accordingly. Thank you

07/03/2022

Putting out a call for resources! After 2 years of an empty facility, our boarding business is coming back in a big way, yay! We normally rely on donations of newspaper for lining our bird cages and are coming up short. If anyone is still reading papers, we would love to recycle your newspaper for you. You may drop it off at the front door or the back, with or without notice, any time. Thanks!

06/11/2022

Gee, I was just talking about poor client behavior.....
So that at least $1,000 deductible on the insurance will have to be paid somehow.

Our preferred methods of feedback include talking to us, speaking with a manger, email or completing our survey.

Need stress relief? Exotics pets, even fishes, can reduce stress, anxiety and blood pressure.

Please excuse our mess while we have this repaired.

06/08/2022

OUR DECISION TO REMAIN A CURBSIDE DROP-OFF PRACTICE
We have received numerous inquiries in the last couple of months as to when we will return to traditional appointments and allow clients free access into our facility. After much serious consideration and discussion with all staff members, we have decided that we are going to continue operating as a drop-off practice indefinitely, and for the time being also continue to control access to the facility. There is a whole list of reasons why, which I will explain below for anyone wishing to read further.
1. Covid is not over. Yes, I know, we are all tired of it and no one wants to talk about it anymore, but the fact is, as of this writing going into Memorial Day 2022, we have a staff member out sick with it right now. We have managed to avoid a single in-hospital Covid transmission to date, which I understand is quite a feat. We did this by establishing a set of rules and following them to the letter. Many of my colleagues who own practices suffered severe financial losses from having this spread through their staffs, causing extended shutdowns. With small practices like ours, if the doctor gets sick, there is no one else who can jump in and do the work, so not only does the practice have to close, our techs and reception staff get sent home without pay, and your pets cannot receive care. What we are doing has worked well for us.
2. Ability to provide care to as many patients as possible. This for me is the most important reason. The unprecedented growth of the Salt Lake area has put a strain on every service industry across the board. The area is simply growing too fast for service providers to keep up. And we already had a nationwide veterinarian shortage. We turn away requests for patients needing help every day. We hold space for same-day emergencies, but my receptionists come to me every day with a list and we find ourselves having to pick and choose who we can see—we triage starting with most life-threatening and established clients first, then go from there. It is heart-breaking to turn anyone away, but we can only provide quality care to so many patients in a given day before doctors and staff burn out and mistakes start happening, which is not acceptable. Having all our patients dropped off allows us much more flexibility to sort out all these species with all their issues and get testing and treatments and procedures prioritized much more efficiently. I do wish that every client could spend a morning as a fly on our treatment room wall, as I know they would be amazed at the way we manage to sort out the chaos. We do recognize that dropping your beloved family member off at the door requires a deep level of trust.
3. Reception staff efficiency. You may have noticed how hard it has become to get through on the phones. Our phone traffic exploded on us last year, with our team of 2 receptionists managing over 400 calls per day. We established a phone tree which only helped some and have partnered with PetDesk to increase our communication options. We decided early on that we would rather work with voicemail than make clients sit on extended holds because we respect your time. If our reception staff is pulled away from the phones to es**rt clients into and out of exam rooms and clean exam rooms between appointments, they would have even less time for their client communications.
4. New infectious diseases/need to redesignate space. Most traditional veterinary practices that provide hospitalization services have a designated isolation room, primarily for Parvovirus-infected puppies. Because an unused room is essentially money wasted, we did not include a designated isolation room into our rebuild. We could not at that time have foreseen that Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease would hit us 5 years later. As rabbits are 30% of our patient base and this virus is so fatal, we must have a place to receive sick rabbits that are suspect cases until either confirmed or proven otherwise. The very first rabbit to rabbit transmission of RHD in the US happened in a veterinary hospital boarding facility and 11 rabbits died. The obvious choice was to repurpose exam rooms as isolation rooms for the safety of all our patients. We are also currently dealing with Avian Influenza in the same way, although this virus is cyclic and will run its course and we won’t need to worry about it again for a few years. But RHD is here to stay and too deadly to not take every precaution with.
5. Poor behavior of some clients. Patrons, passengers and customers are all over the news these days for lousy behavior, sometimes escalating to violence, toward customer service staff. This unfortunately is not new for us and has become infinitely worse. Prior to the pandemic, an established client nearly pulled his sidearm on a new receptionist, because he was angry that she did not recognize him. Many of the situations that we deal with are emotionally charged, and we do our best to calm and reassure worried pet parents, but nowhere does it say that we have to tolerate entitled rude temper tantrums. My staff currently feels more safe and in control dealing with clients at the door, and with the state of things these days, really, who can blame them?
I hope that this brings more understanding to the “why” of our policy changes. The very bottom line is our commitment to provide the best care possible to the most patients possible. As I mentioned above, we do realize that we are relying on you to trust us with your babies. We will continue to do everything in our power to earn and maintain that trust, most of which just comes down to simple communication. Please don’t hesitate to ask for what you need. If it eases your fear to have the doctor come to the door to put a face with the name, or if you have a ton of questions and really crappy phone service we CAN bring you inside for a consult after your pet has been examined. We also understand that we cannot please everyone, and if it doesn’t feel right to you, then maybe this isn’t the right practice for you, and that’s ok too.
If you managed to read this whole thing, thank you for your time and caring about our team!
Dr. Harris

04/15/2022

01/23/2022

This is so well said, thank you AZEAH.

01/19/2022

We had a very sad occurrence today. A sweet young healthy rabbit, came in on emergency with sudden severe bleeding. No injuries, indoor only, otherwise very healthy, proper care. She died 2 hours after presentation. There was nothing we could do.

This is Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease. I've posted about this horrible virus before. At least 90% fatal. Our only tool to fight this thing is vaccination. We are continuing to vaccinate as many rabbits as we can but we need everyone's help to get the word out and get more rabbits vaccinated. Its easy, safe and cost effective. Please help spread the word, and if you have a rabbit, or several please get them vaccinated.

We would like to set up a weekend vaccine clinic in February if we get enough interest. If you are interested please call the office at 801-943-3367 and leave a voicemail with your contact information and how many rabbits you need to vaccinate. Group discounts may be available.

10/27/2021

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: We understand that the world has gone to crap and life is not very fun right now, but losing it on me and my staff is not helping anyone, first and foremost your pet. Yesterday I fired a long-time client at the front door for screaming at me and my staff. And my kindest, most polite receptionist was just reduced to tears after a barrage of f-bombs.

The veterinary profession is in crisis right now. We are understaffed at every level, with more demand for service than we can possibly accommodate. My colleagues are taking their own lives at 4 times the national average. Abusive clients are a major factor in this.

As we have been operating in a curbside capacity, we have found that we can be most efficient when patients are dropped off with us. Pet parents can go about their day, and we can accommodate emergencies that desperately need help in between our scheduled patients. We are trying so hard to help as many as we can, and trying to be respectful of your time, please give us the courtesy and respect of a little flexibility.

On a side note, for any rabbit parents who have been waiting for the Medgene brand RHD vaccine, we do have a limited supply in stock. A microchip is not required with this one, but please note that it is a 2-dose regimen the first year, with a booster at 21 days. Please call the office for more information and scheduling.
Thanks for your attention,
Dr. Harris

09/26/2021

Do you have a passion for providing the best quality care for your patients? Does the thought of working exotic animal cases excite you? Great! We may have the perfect opportunity for you

Location
Wasatch Exotic Pet Care is located in Cottonwood Heights, Utah, and known for being “The City Between the Canyons.” From world-class skiing to biking, hiking to rock climbing, there are unlimited outdoor activities for everyone to enjoy. Looking for a getaway? Take a quick drive to any of the five National Parks that surround the city for some peace and quiet, or head to downtown Salt Lake for a night on the town!

Practice Overview
Wasatch Exotic Pet Care is the only exotic-exclusive practice in a multi-state region. We are also the only wildlife intake/triage facility in the valley. We are proud to have built a reputation in the community of delivering high-quality, honest care. Our practice houses state-of-the-art equipment such as digital radiography, Abaxis in-house hematology/chemistry/clotting profile units, high-end cytologic microscopy, ultrasound, rigid endoscopy, electrocautery, therapeutic laser, multiparameter anesthetic monitor, Vetronics ventilator and capnograph, dental unit with all necessary equipment for rabbit/rodent dentistry, a fully equipped surgical suite with multiple patient-warming devices, an extensive exotics-based library. All of our staff members are very well-trained within their individual capabilities and are eager to learn and expand their skill set. We have worked hard to build and maintain a positive and supportive workplace where all are valued!

What You’ll Be Working On
●Engaging and communicating with clients and staff
●Getting and maintaining patient information and records
●Primary job functions include surgical prep, anesthesia monitoring, digital x-rays, digital dental x-rays, venipuncture, IV catheter placement, ultrasounds, and preparing lab specimens
●Assist veterinarians with exams, surgeries, and animal restraints
●Be up for a WILD CARD - We work together as a team to deliver top-notch service and care!

Qualifications
●Minimum of 1-year experience working as an animal handler in a professional environment required
●Experience working with exotic animals preferred but not required
●Demonstrated commitment to continuous learning and personal development
●Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills
●Team player with the ability to work independently to meet deadlines, goals, and objectives

What’s In It For You
●Competitive hourly wages
●Health and Dental insurance - 50% covered
●Paid Time Off
●CE stipend

09/21/2021

Wasatch Exotic Pet Care in Salt Lake City is hiring for a Certified Veterinary Technician! Minimum 2-year Associates degree required. Experience particularly with exotics is preferred but we are happy to provide training as well. Utah is now finally licensing techs and we will cover this as well as a pile of other benefits. Will provide financial assistance for interview travel as well as relocation expenses. Email [email protected] for more information.

03/24/2021

For those of you interested in US manufactured RHDV2 vaccine, there was an update released this week. It IS coming, timeline is months away yet but sometime this year, and it was confirmed that the technology is different from Europe. It will not require sacrificing healthy rabbits. We will plan on bringing it on board just as soon as it is available. In the meantime we do still have Filavac, with a new shipment from France in the works right now.

03/04/2021

If you have pets, if you know a vet, care about a vet, are a vet, please watch this and share. We are worth 20 minutes of your time. Please listen to her words. My tech shared this after a long day in the middle of a long week. I am sitting here in tears. Tears of gratitude that my tiny, amazing team sees and understands this but also tears of deep sadness that this is the way it is. The way I have known, now for 29 years. This young vet, only 5 years out, has lost 3 colleague friends to su***de. And the ugliness and abuse is only getting worse. Some days it is so hard to stay positive. Thank you Dr. Bowden, your words are perfect.

Veterinarians are in the business of pet healthcare because they love animals. No one becomes a vet because they think it will make them rich.

12/01/2020

We have a problem folks. For some reason it seems to suddenly be ok to just not show up for your appointment. This is happening almost every day now: we start off the morning with our appointments filled, we receive a number of calls in the first couple hours from clients who need to be seen as emergencies. We decide what we can manage to fit in without overwhelming the staff and unfortunately turn the rest away. Then we get a no show. Its worse when its later in the day, when its even less likely that we can fill the spot. Then I have to send staff members home early- without pay. We even have people taking emergency spots then not showing up. We have started making clients prepay to book surgeries, are we really going to have to do this for every appointment too? This is NOT SUSTAINABLE for a small business people.

08/06/2020

Update on our baby ratties-we have just 2 little boys left, anybody interested? Remember that we will neuter them free of charge when they are old enough. (Email us if you would like photos)

08/06/2020

We've got our Filavac! We will be calling everyone on our waitlist starting tomorrow. We currently have enough vaccine in stock to fill all current orders. We are running our first day-long clinic on Saturday but will be working in multiple vaccine appointments every weekday. The state is requiring every rabbit to be microchipped or tattooed. We will have pricing information for you when we call to book your rabbits. In order to make things as smooth as possible, we are requiring payment at the time of booking.

08/01/2020

1200 doses of Filavax picked up in France this morning. Cross your fingers that it makes it here safely!

07/23/2020

Ok all, these baby rats gotta go! We have 2 moms, 3 little girls, and a whopping 13, count 'em 13 boys! Please email [email protected] if you are interested. We will spay and neuter them all at no charge when the are big enough.

07/16/2020

For our future clients: We have unfortunately had to suspend our acceptance of new clients for the time being. With our current staffing we are unable to meet the demand, and in discussion with several other practice owners have discovered that this is the case with many other hospitals. We have compiled a list of practices that may be able to see your pet--this is not guaranteed, and please let them know that we referred you:

Parrish Creek Veterinary Hospital, 801-298-2014
Salt Lake Veterinary Services, 801-261-3655
Willowcreek Pet Center, 801-942-0777
Brickyard Animal Hospital, 801-486-0123
Lakeview Animal Hospital, 801-298-2314
Creekside Animal Hospital, 801-565-1263

You may let them know that our doctors are happy to consult with their doctors on any cases, we are just not able to physically handle the volume at this time. Please let us know if any of these practices advise that they are not accepting new clients, or if you find someone else who can see you so that we may update our list.

****One exception: If you need to have a rabbit vaccinated for Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease, please contact us to make an appointment to have this done.****

07/03/2020

Client alert: If you have been contacted by anyone claiming (or implying) to represent and/or be working at a satellite facility, our practice has no facilities other than our Cottonwood Heights location. I apologize for any confusion or inconvenience this has caused. Know that this matter is being dealt with. You are welcome to contact me directly with any questions. Dr. Harris

06/30/2020

The Rabbit Outbreak

Here is a great article on the history of domestic rabbits, with an in-depth discussion of RHD. It's long but well worth the read.

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/07/06/the-rabbit-outbreak

A highly contagious, often lethal animal virus arrives in the United States.

06/27/2020

Two things:
1. RHD update- have my import permit in hand, have placed an order and am currently working out the logistics of getting it here.

2. Some lovely individual dropped off 2 young rat mommas and 16 collective nursing babies at our door today😵so if anyone is interested in a baby rat when they come in for their vaccine.... I may be able to knock a few bucks off your vaccine price as an incentive😉

06/23/2020

It's official-I was informed by the state vet's office this afternoon that we have our first confirmed case of RHD in Utah. I have started the process to import vaccine from Europe. This will likely take a number of weeks. We plan to run some vaccine clinics once we are set up. If you are interested, please call the office now to get on a waiting list. Preference will be given to our established clients, but we will make sure every bunny gets vaccinated. Know that the state is requiring permanent identification on every rabbit receiving vaccines so they will also need to be microchipped. Once I know what it will cost to get vaccine in, we will get some package pricing together. If you would like to have microchipping done while waiting, we can do this right away, just give us a call.

Feel free to ask any questions here that I haven't answered.
Dr. Harris

05/20/2020

We have received a number of calls regarding RHDV2, or Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease Virus. We have outlined our situation on our website and I direct you to that for our status regarding vaccine. Also please check out The Center for Bird and Exotic Animal Medicine's page for more in-depth general information, particularly their post from April 25. Dr. McLaughlin was the first to successfully import vaccine for prevention of this disease and those of us across the country are looking to her as the expert in this situation.

We will continue to post updates on this here and on our page.

05/02/2020

Hey All, as the state has moved to reopen most businesses, we need to update you on our status. We have decided for the time being to continue to operate in a no-contact/curbside capacity. While we understand that it is necessary for folks to get back to work and businesses to be able to operate, this pandemic is far from over. Utah has done an excellent job of minimizing the initial impact, but we need to keep in mind that more people out there means that there will be more exposure, regardless of the state now mandating the use of masks. (FYI, the total number of deaths in the US-over only 2 months-as of this morning has surpassed deaths related to the seasonal flu over all of last year.) The health of my staff is the very most important aspect of all and the spaces inside the hospital are not designed to maintain proper social distancing. Therefore we will continue business as usual: clients will be allowed into the building for end-of-life care and brief visitation of critically ill patients only. Clients are required to wear masks at all times. We will provide a mask for clients entering the building who arrive without them, but please understand these are in limited supply for us as well. Masks with valves in them are not acceptable and will have to be replaced or covered with an additional face covering. Only two people per patient are allowed to enter the building, and young children will not be permitted. We are still asking that no one either positive for COVID19 or with any symptoms come to our office, please have someone else bring your pet to us.

For medication instructions/demonstrations we have compiled a collection of videos that we will email to you upon release of your pet from the hospital. Our doctors and technicians are able to discuss your pet's care on release in person if this is easier than done over the phone. This will be done outside the building, unless we are dealing with awful weather. Again, you will be required to wear a mask, and social distancing of 6 feet will be enforced.

We are not accepting any cash payments and suggest that if you do not have a debit/credit card, you may purchase a prepaid Visa card at one of stores in the area that carry them.

Finally, regarding potential transmission to your pets: birds and reptiles are not susceptible to this virus-at all. The only species that we see with which there is any concern is ferrets. We will see ferrets exhibiting symptoms, but must be informed as to their potential exposure status, and again ask that no one with COVID19 themselves bring the ferret to us. We would also like to extend the invitation to board any ferrets should you be concerned about having them with you.

As always, feel free to call the office with any questions.
Stay safe and healthy-I would say give your kiddos a smooch for me, but we're not supposed to do that right now, so maybe just (an appropriate😉) treat!
Dr. Harris

03/21/2020

Another update: After 2 days in place, our no-contact system appears to be working well. Our only issue so far has been that our phones are getting completely jammed up by owners calling in for updates. As we have had to go to an all-phone based communication system, we are in more need than ever to keep our lines clear. We know that you are worried about your kiddos, but ask that you trust that they are being cared for in a timely manner and that we will be in touch just as soon as we have details ready to discuss with you. Thanks!!!

03/21/2020

Update:

We were not terribly comfortable with how Thursday's reception system went, so we have transitioned to a no-contact system. There are several other practices in the area who have done this. Dr. Sari Kanfer in Pasadena, who we consider our ultimate "bunny guru" is doing this with her practice and as that is one that is most similar to ours, we are following her model. I have partially plagiarized her post below:

The number one priority at Wasatch Exotic Pet Care is to protect the health of our clients and team. while still offering the same high-quality medicine and compassionate care we are known for.
We are actively monitoring and following new updates from the State of Utah, The CDC and The WHO regarding Covid-19 and are trying to follow their recommendations.
As of now, WEPC will remain open unless otherwise mandated by the state or federal government. However, we are making some changes, effective immediately.
In order to minimize possible exposure to this pandemic, we are asking clients to bring patients to the double doors on our patio and wave or knock to get a receptionist's attention. Please make sure the carrier is labeled with pet’s name, client’s name and cell phone number. Clients will then need to wait in their cars and one of our assistants will call you for a history. Once the doctor completes the physical exam, phone calls will be made to explain their findings. Medical Care Treatment Plans will be made as usual and discussed with you as quickly as we can. If you would like to have a written copy emailed to you we can do that. Clients will then need to be sure they clearly understand and are clear with us regarding accepting or declining the medical treatments we are recommending. One of our team members will call when patients are ready to go home, and any medications needed will be placed in bags and will be with your pet when they leave our hospital. Discharge instructions will be provided in print form or emailed as well.
We will still see end of life appointments inside the hospital. Medication demonstrations will also be performed inside the hospital, but these will be the only times clients will be allowed to accompany their pets into the clinic.
WEPC is also postponing all wellness exams for at least five weeks.

Even with these precautions in place, we are asking that anyone exhibiting any symptoms of Covid-19 find someone else to bring patients to us.
Please feel free to give us a call if you are not sure pets need to be seen by one of our doctors. Phone consults with our veterinary assistants are available to help make those decisions.
We are recommending having at least a 60-day supply on hand for long-term medications. We are still able to fill prescriptions. As per our current policy, please give us 24 hours to have those ready for you.
We have ramped up our normal cleaning routines. Doorknobs, counters, etc. are being disinfected several times a day. Hand sanitizer has been placed in several areas throughout our hospital.
Payment for our services is still expected the day of your appointment. We are accepting credit card payments over the phone while you wait in your vehicle on the discharge of your pet. We cannot accept cash at this time.
WEPC will continue to stay abreast of updated information and recommendations for dealing with Covid-19. Please stay tuned for updates. Thank you for your understanding and patience during these very trying times.