The health and safety of our clients and partner veterinary staff is very important to us.  East Coast Veterinary Cardiology, along with  veterinary hospitals all across Nova Scotia, are doing our part to help limit the spread of COVID-19 at this time.  This page will be updated frequently to keep you up to date on our current protocols and how they are impacting the operation of East Coast Veterinary Cardiology during this pandemic.  Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or concerns.  Please stay safe and continue to do your part to help keep Nova Scotians safe!

For more information on COVID-19, please visit Government of Nova Scotia Coronavirus information page.

March 14, 2022

As Nova Scotia eases and removes Covid-19 restrictions and Nova Scotia veteirnarians move through a phased re-opening approach, mobile cardiology consultations will operate as normal (for both drop-off and owner present consultations).

Dr Orr will follow any required protocols (masking, etc.) for each veterinary partner hospital.

We ask that any owners who have tested positive for Covid-19 to reschedule their appointment to a later date.

Please refer to our updated 2022 Referral Guidelines for the current cancellation policy.  If you have misplaced your referral guide, please email us (info@eastcoastheartvet.ca) so a new guide can be provided.

January 4, 2022

Due to rising Covid-19 cases within Nova Scotia, many veterinary partners have adjusted their protocols to maintain the safety of their staff and clients.  ECVC will continue to follow the Covid-19 protocols for each veterinary partner hospital.  Cardiology services will continue to be offered as usual with the following guidelines:

  • As many hospitals have transitioned back to curbside service, owner present consultations will be provided over the phone in place of an in-person consultation for these hospitals.  Drop-off cardiac evaluations will continue as usual.
  • Drop-off cardiac evaluations are preferred at this time to limit person to person contact if possible.  If a clinic has not transitioned to curbside service, for client present consultations we ask that only one client is present per patient and that a face mask is worn at all times. 
  • If a client is feeling unwell, is waiting on results of a Covid-19 test or may have come into contact with someone with Covid-19 or been to a known exposure site, we recommend considering rescheduling their appointment to a later date or consider a drop-off cardiac evaluation. 
  • Dr. Orr will continue to wear a mask at all times and follow all Covid-19 protocols in place by each veterinary hospital.
  • Cancellation fees are waived to allow clients who may suddenly feel unwell to cancel their appointment without penalty.  We ask for as much advanced notice as possible so the appointment time can be offered to a patient on the cancellation list.
June 18, 2021

As Nova Scotia moves through a phased approach to re-opening, we have adjusting our operating procedures as follows effective immediately:

  • For owner present consultations, Dr. Orr will meet with the client directly as long as the hospital is not operating under a curbside only policy.  For these hospitals, a phone consultation will be offered in place of an in-person consultation.
  • For owner present consultations, we ask that only one client is present per patient and that a mask is worn at all times.  We ask that clients who are feeling unwell, who have recently travelled outside of the province or who may have come into contact with someone with Covid-19 (or been at a recent exposure site) to consider a drop-off consultation instead or re-schedule their appointment to a later date.
  • Dr. Orr will continue to wear a mask at all times within the hospital and continue to practice social distancing, proper hand hygiene, etc.  If additional safety measures are required as per your hospital policy, do not hesitate to let us know.
  • Cancellations fees are still waived at this time to allow clients who may be feeling unwell to cancel their appointment without penalty.  However, given the high demand at this time for appointments, we ask for as much notice as possible for cancellations so we may offer an appointment time to a client on our cancellation list.
April 26, 2021:

Due to the recent increase in COVID-19 cases within the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM), East Coast Veterinary Cardiology will be adjusting our operating procedures.  The government of Nova Scotia has directed that travel into and out of the HRM should be limited during this time to essential travel only.  For non-urgent cardiology consultations outside the HRM, we ask that these cases be delayed until the HRM travel restrictions from the provincial government are lifted.  Cases outside the HRM which are deemed more urgent (i.e.: cannot be delayed due to concern for quality of life of the patient) can still be evaluated as per normal – we will follow all hospital protocols for these evaluations (mask, proper hand hygiene, social distancing, etc.).

We are not offering in-person consultations with pet owners at this time – in the interim, a phone consultation will be offered instead with pet owners.  Drop-off consultations (with veterinarians) will continue as normal.   We apologize for any inconvenience that this change may cause – our goal is to protect pet owners and our veterinary partners by limiting contact as much as possible. 

Please do not hesitate to contact us by phone or email if you have any additional questions or concerns regarding our current operating procedures.

November 26, 2020:

Due to the recent increase in COVID-19 cases within the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM), East Coast Veterinary Cardiology will be adjusting our operating procedures slightly.  The government of Nova Scotia has directed that travel into and out of the HRM should be limited during this time to essential travel only.  For non-urgent cardiology consultations outside the HRM, we ask that these cases be delayed until the HRM travel restrictions from the provincial government are lifted.  Cases outside the HRM which are deemed more urgent (i.e.: cannot be delayed due to concern for quality of life of the patient) can still be evaluated as per normal – we will follow all hospital protocols (mask, proper hand hygiene, social distancing, etc.) for these evaluations.

For owner present consultations, we encourage requesting hospitals to consider a phone consultation in the interim in place of an in-person consultation if possible.  We will still be offering owner present consultations for the time being, as long as appropriate precautions are in place (masks, proper hand hygiene, social distancing, etc.).   

Please do not hesitate to contact us by phone or email if you have any additional questions or concerns regarding our current operating procedures.

May 30, 2020:

Pursuant to the recent announcement by the government of Nova Scotia with amendment to the Health Protection Act, regular unrestricted mobile cardiology consultation services will resume June 5, 2020.  The online appointment scheduler is now available for online appointment bookings for registered practices.  Appointments can still be booked by veterinarians via email and phone as well.  

To follow public health guidelines to minimize spread of COVID-19, the following protocol adjustments will continue:

  • Cancellation fees will be waived – in the event a client is unable to travel to the hospital due to illness, please notify us as soon as possible by phone at 902-943-1130.  We ask that any client who is exhibiting signs of illness or recent travel outside of Nova Scotia to re-schedule their consultation to a later date.
  • Consultations with owners present – an effort to maintain a safe distance of 2 metres will be made with avoidance of personal contact.  Should a client wish to have a consultation but not be present in the hospital during the appointment or the hospital is operating with a closed door policy (curbside service), a phone consultation with results discussed directly with the client can be made following the evaluation instead.
  • Dr. Orr will wear a cloth face mask while inside the veterinary hospital.  If additional safety measures are required as per your hospital policy do not hesitate to let us know.
March 22, 2020: 

Given the state of emergency announcement made by the province of Nova Scotia today in response to the current COVID-19 pandemic, and in the interest of ensuring the health and safety for both veterinary staff and clients, the following changes to the operation of East Coast Veterinary Cardiology will be made effective immediately:

  • Mobile cardiology consultations will continue on a limited basis, but only for cases felt to be an emergency or urgent after case review by ECVC and the referring veterinarian (such as symptomatic patients exhibiting clinical signs of heart disease).  We feel that veterinary medicine is an essential service and by offering consultations for urgent cases only we are continuing to meet our commitment of providing the best cardiac care for animals in Nova Scotia while minimizing the risk to health and safety.
  • Consultations with owners present will no longer be offered.  This is in response to many clinics limiting client traffic into the hospital.  Should a client wish to have a consultation, a phone call with results discussed directly with the client can be made following the evaluation instead.
  • Reduced schedule to limit the number of urgent/emergency consultations performed each day.
  • The online appointment scheduler will not be available for scheduling of consultations – urgent/emergency consultations can be arranged by phone (902-943-1130) or email (info@eastcoastheartvet.ca) to allow for case discussion and to determine appropriate timing of a potential cardiology consultation.
  • We will continue a high level of cleanliness with frequent hand washing as well as sanitization of equipment which comes into contact with a patient (ultrasound probe, ECG clips, blood pressure cuffs, table surface, etc.) before and after each patient evaluation.

East Coast Veterinary Cardiology will continue to follow each individual hospital’s protocol as we all attempt to limit the spread of this virus.  I realize that the coming days and weeks will be challenging and further adjustments to protocol may be necessary as the situation continues to evolve.  I will continue to update you if further adjustments are required to ensure a safe environment for everyone.  

Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns and as always, I continue to be happy to discuss cases with you by phone or email (jorr@eastcoastheartvet.ca) in the event that an in-hospital cardiac assessment is not possible.

March 16, 2020:

 East Coast Veterinary Cardiology is closely monitoring the current Covid-19 outbreak and along with you, want to ensure the health and safety for both your staff and clients.  I will be continuing to offer mobile cardiology consultations during this time with the following protocols in place:

  • Cancellation fees will be waived – in the event a client is unable to travel to the hospital, please notify us as soon as possible by phone at 902-943-1130.
  • Consultations with owners present – an effort to maintain a safe distance of 2 metres will be made with avoidance of personal contact.  Should a client wish to have a consultation but not be present in the hospital during the appointment, a phone consultation with results discussed directly with the client can be made following the evaluation instead.
  • Continue a high level of cleanliness with frequent hand washing as well as sanitization of equipment which comes into contact with a patient (ultrasound probe, ECG clips, blood pressure cuffs, table surface, etc.) before and after each patient evaluation.

I realize that the coming days and weeks will be challenging and further adjustments to protocol may be necessary as the situation continues to evolve.  I will continue to update you if further adjustments are required to ensure a safe environment for everyone. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns and as always, I continue to be happy to discuss cases with you by phone or email (jorr@eastcoastheartvet.ca).