April 2020 Edition
Welcome to the Spring 2020 edition of Big Lick Vet’s newsletter! Our goal with this newsletter is to provide our clients with information about what’s been happening here at Big Lick Vet for the past few months, what’s coming up, and what our specials/promotions are. We also want to provide you with information that’s relevant to you and your pets, like recalls, alerts, and educational information. Thank you for choosing us as your pet’s veterinary care provider! You can also visit our website to stay up to date on what’s going on at Big Lick Vet between newsletters!
News:
COVID-19 Pandemic Changes All Of Our Lives
Since our last newsletter, there have been a lot of big changes, not just in our area, state, or even country, but world-wide. The COVID-19 pandemic has turned all of our lives upside down and life as we knew it is no more. Virginia is now under a ‘Shelter In Place’ Order and will be for at least another two months. If we can find a plus-side to this horrible situation, it’s that if you’re staying at home, you’re probably spending more time with your pets! And that’s never a bad thing.
As of this time, we are considered essential workers and intend to stay open for our normal business hours while offering low contact and drop off appointments, as well as delivery and curbside concierge services to minimize human to human interaction. We are asking clients NOT to enter the building. Please stay in your car and call us upon arrival – we’ll come out to the car to get your pet! We can’t thank our amazing clients enough for their kindess, patience, and understanding as we navigate how to provide the highest quality care to your pets in the safest way possible for our clients and staff.
Curbside Concierge Service and Low Contact Appointments
In an effort to keep our staff and clients safe and to minimize human to human contact, we are implementing a curbside concierge service and low contact appointments. We are asking clients NOT to enter the building at this time. If you need to pick up food or medications, simply call us when you arrive at 540-776-0700 and one of our staff members will take payment over the phone and then bring your items out to the car for you!
We are also offering drop off and low contact appointments for any other visits, the details of which are outlined in the image below. We know how strange and difficult it must be for our clients to stay out in their car and not be by their pet’s side during their vet visit. It’s weird for us too! But we assure you that we’re giving your pets even more love and assurance than usual to help them adjust to this change! If you have any questions or concerns regarding our curbside concierge service or low contact appointment, please call us at 540-776-0700 and we’ll be happy to discuss them with you. Again, we thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
Food and Medications – We Deliver!
We are highly recommending that our clients maintain a six week supply of their pet’s medications and food. We will continue to refill and provide medications and food as needed and we’re even offering free delivery of these items to homes within a 10-mile radius. There are also two additional ways to obtain your food and medications – through our online pharmacy and through Purina’s Vet Direct online ordering site. Learn more about both of these options below!
Have your pet’s food and medications delivered right to your front door through our online pharmacy!
You can now support our small business AND enjoy FREE SHIPPING to your house through Pro Plan Vet Direct.
Pro Plan Vet Direct Discount Codes (One Use Per Client):
-Use code APRILSAVE15 to take 15% off your first purchase of any one diet.
-Use code APRILSAVE20 to take 20% off when any supplement is added to first-time diet order.
-Use code TAKE30 to take 30% off your first automatic shipment order.
-Use code TAKE35 to take 35% off when any supplement is added to your first automatic shipment order.
-FREE SHIPPING on all Pro Plan Vet Direct orders – No code needed!
Ticks Aren’t Practicing Social Distancing
Guess who’s not practicing social distancing right now? TICKS! The Companion Animal Parasite Council (https://capcvet.org/) is forecasting that incidences of Lyme disease are expected to be higher than average from Maine all the way south to North Carolina and Tennessee. That includes those of us here in southwest Virginia (see map below). While the weather is varied this time of year, it only takes one day of temperatures 45 degrees or more for ticks to become active again and we’ve had plenty of those days recently.
There are two ways to protect your dog from Lyme disease:
- Year-round flea/tick prevention. We recommend Bravecto, a chewable given once every three months. When you purchase 2 doses of Bravecto you’ll receive a $15 mail-in-rebate and when you purchase 4 doses you’ll receive a $35 mail-in-rebate.
- Vaccinate for Lyme disease. We recommend our canine patients be vaccinated for Lyme yearly.
If you need a refill of your pet’s flea and tick prevention, call us at 540-776-0700 and we can bring it out to your car OR deliver it right to your front door! You can learn more by checking out our blog post on the importance of year-round flea and tick prevention.
Regular Business Hours:
Monday: 7:30am – 5:30pm
Tuesday: 7:30am – 6:00pm
Wednesday: 7:30am – 5:30 pm
Thursday: 7:30am – 5:30 pm
Friday: 7:30am – 5:30 pm
Promotions:
Client Referral Program
Due to popular demand, we’re continuing our Client Referral Program into 2020! It means the world that you would recommend us to your friends and family and this is our way of saying thank you! When you refer a friend to Big Lick Vet and they mention your name when scheduling or checking-in for their first appointment we will provide you both with a $20 credit on your account to use towards your next visit.
In light of everything going on and the changes we’ve had to make to our day to day operations, we’ve made the decision to postpone our upcoming promotions so that as many of our clients as possible can take advantage of them. We look forward to sharing them with you when things get back to normal! Hint: we’ll be raffling off a Yeti cooler soon!
To learn more about our specials and promotions, check out the Specials page on our website.
From Our Blog:
Let’s be honest, our pets are our family! So it’s only natural that we would want to include them in activities outside of the house. Unfortunately, due to Virginia’s ‘Shelter In Place’ Order, all of our day to day lives have changed and we’ve been forced to make the most of spending time at home. But when this is all over, there are tons of pet-friendly places, accommodations, restaurants, outdoor activities, and events that you can enjoy with your family – including the dogs. Whether for a weeklong vacation, a weekend away, or just a night on the town, there are a lot more pet-friendly options today than there were even a few years ago. Check out our blog post to start planning the post-COVID-19 activities you’d like to share with your dog!
A Behind The Scenes Look At Your Pet’s Dental
Have you ever wondered what your pet’s day looks like once you drop them off for a dental? We can tell you all about it! Just check out our newest blog post for a behind the scenes look at your pet’s dental. Many people are surprised to learn that 80% of dogs and 70% of cats show signs of dental disease by the age of three! Dental health is incredibly important to your pet’s overall well-being and poor dental health affects more than just your pet’s mouth. Learn more about what the day looks like for your dog when they’re admitted to Big Lick Vet for a dental in the blog post!
A Supplement For Brain Aging In Dogs
Like humans, dogs develop age-related physiological deficiencies such as heart or kidney disease, arthritis, hearing, and vision loss. The brain, as with many other organs, also declines with age. This can impact your dog’s level of function and impair quality of life. The signs of age-related cognitive impairment can be subtle, but brain aging is a progressive process and the signs are likely to worsen with time. You can help your dog live a long, healthy life by paying attention to behavior changes and reporting these changes to your veterinarian as early as possible. If you’re seeing any of the signs of brain aging mentioned in our blog post, your dog could benefit from a supplement called Senilife, which may help reduce the symptoms that can disrupt the human-animal bond.
See these posts and more on our blog
Follow Us On Social Media!
Make sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest – @biglickvet – to keep up with the latest updates, as well as educational posts, food recalls, promotions, and fun pictures and videos!
Questions? Concerns?
Please feel free to call our office at 540-776-0700 with any questions, concerns, or needs you might have! We look forward to continuing to provide the highest level of veterinary medicine along with friendly, compassionate care even during this trying time. Thanks for choosing us to be your pet’s health care provider!
Your Friends at Big Lick Veterinary Services
