Big Lick Vet Winter Newsletter

January 2021

Welcome to the Winter 2021 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 our specials/promotions. 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:

Updated Exam Rooms

We decided to take advantage of this time where our exam rooms were in limited use and update them! We couldn’t think of another opportunity where we would be able to close them down for renovations, so it seemed like perfect timing. There are new countertops, shelving, cabinetry, and sinks. We can’t tell you how much we’re looking forward to the day when all of our clients can come in the building to see the updates!

Purina OM Weight Loss Challenge Was A Success!

In partnership with our friends at Purina, we held a weight loss challenge where participants were encouraged to lose 1% of their body weight per week over a two month period while feeding exclusively Purina’s OM (Overweight Management) diet and it was an overwhelming success. Our participants lost a combined total of 41lbs in two months and it was a great way for them to kick start their new journey of maintaing a health weight. Each participant’s owner was awarded with a personalized pet portrait for working so hard to help them meet their goal. Congrats to all of our participants! If your pet struggles to maintain a healthy weight, call us at 540-776-0700. We would love for you to try Purina OM and see how it can help your pet in their weight loss journey.

FDA Alert: Certain Sportmix Pet Food Lots Recalled for Potentially Fatal Levels of Aflatoxin

The Food and Drug Administration is alerting pet owners and veterinary professionals about certain Sportmix pet food products manufactured by Midwestern Pet Foods, Inc. in their Oklahoma plant that may contain potentially fatal levels of aflatoxins. Aflatoxins are toxins produced by the mold Aspergillus flavus, which can grow on corn and other grains used as ingredients in pet food. At high levels, aflatoxins can cause illness and death in pets. As of January 11, 2021, FDA is aware of more than 70 pets that have died and more than 80 pets that are sick after eating Sportmix pet food. Not all of these cases have been officially confirmed as aflatoxin poisoning through laboratory testing or veterinary record review. This count is approximate and may not reflect the total number of pets affected. To learn more about this recall or to see if your pet’s food was affected, please visit the FDA’s website here.

FREE DELIVERY of Your Pet’s Food!

Did you know you can support our small, locally owned business AND have your pet’s food shipped to your front door for FREE? With Purina Pro Plan Vet Direct you can get free delivery with no shipping minimums on every single order. Just click the link below to sign up and start ordering!

Purina Pro Plan Vet Direct
Support us AND enjoy FREE SHIPPING to your house through Pro Plan Vet Direct.

Our Clinic ID is TMFHI.

Pro Plan Vet Direct Discount Codes (One Use Per Client):

-Use code TAKE30 to take 30% off your first automatic shipment order

-FREE SHIPPING on all Pro Plan Vet Direct orders – No minimum and no code needed!

Purina Pro Plan Vet Direct Now Offering Direct Rewards!

On top of already offering FREE SHIPPING straight to your front door and monthly coupon codes, Purina is also now offering Direct Rewards. With Direct Rewards, you’ll earn 10 points on every dollar spent. You can then use those points to save on future purchases! With all of these rewards and offers, there’s no reason not to take advantage of Purina Pro Plan Vet Direct! Click here to learn more about PPVD and their new Direct Rewards program. Click here to sign up for a PPVD account and start having your pet’s food shipped to you for free!

Earn 2x Direct Rewards Points on Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Supplements this February!

Our 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

Covid Procedures and Updates:

Our Covid-19 Protocol

First, we want to send out a huge THANK YOU to our incredible clients for their patience and understanding during this unusual time. We understand that curbside service hasn’t been easy for you and we hope you know that it hasn’t been easy for us either. But we finally made it through 2020 and while things aren’t quite back to normal yet, we’re hopeful that soon we will be able to welcome you back into our doors. Until then, we can’t tell you how much we appreciate you working with us.

We are currently still operating under the same current Covid-19 protocol as before:
The health and safety of our clients and staff has been and continues to be our number one priority. We plan to continue curbside service for the majority of our appointments, however Monday through Thursday, Dr. Amos and Dr. McLaughlin will each have a very limited number of appointments available in-clinic. Please be aware that due to the limited nature of these appointments, the wait for an in-clinic appointment may be much longer than it would be to have your pet seen for a curbside appointment. If you would like to request an in-clinic appointment, please let the receptionist know when scheduling your pet’s appointment.

For in-clinic appointments, the following protocols must be followed:

All clients who enter the building will be required to answer a series of screening questions over the phone prior to entry.
Only one client per pet is allowed in the building for an in-clinic appointment.
All clients who enter the building will be required to wear a mask, sanitize hands upon entry, and maintain social distancing.
In addition to maintaining social distancing, we ask that you please stay seated in the exam room at all times.
Clients with in-clinic appointments will still need to stay in their car and call upon arrival. A technician will guide you on when to enter the building.

We are also encouraging clients to hand off their pets in the lobby for all appointments. If you would prefer to have a technician come to the car to get your pet, we’re happy to do so, so please just let your technician know! We are still asking clients to call upon arrival. A technician will take a history and then let you know when you can come to the lobby to hand off your pet.

We look forward to the day where we can welcome everyone back inside Big Lick Vet! In the meantime, thank you for your patience and understanding. We truly have the best clients and we appreciate your continued loyalty, referrals, and support.

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 continuing a curbside concierge service and low contact appointments. We are asking clients NOT to enter the building at this time until a technician lets you know it’s okay to do so. 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.

Promotions:

Client Referral Program

Due to popular demand, we’re continuing our Client Referral Program through the end of 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!

20% Off Dentals and Oral Hygiene Supplies

This January and February we’re celebrating National Dental Month for twice as long, with twice the discount, and on twice the goods and services! We’ll be offering a 20% discount on the base price of dental cleanings and on oral hygiene supplies like toothbrushes, toothpaste, dental chews, water additives, and oral rinses all January and February long.

It is estimated that 85% of all pets have some form of periodontal disease by 3 years of age. Periodontal or dental disease can lead to bad breath, painful chewing, bleeding gums, and/or loss of teeth in pets. Bacteria from dental disease can even travel to your pet’s heart, kidneys, and liver. A professional veterinary dental cleaning is the only way to remove tartar from the teeth and under the gum tissue to protect your pet’s health. Periodontal disease is not reversible, but diligent at-home dental care and regular veterinary cleanings can slow down the progression of the condition.

Please call our office at 540-776-0700 if you would like to schedule a dental for your pet.

To learn more about our specials and promotions, check out the Specials page on our website.

From Our Blog:

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 blog post for a behind the scenes look at your pet’s day when they’re at Big Lick Vet for a dental scale and cleaning. 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 this blog post!

Gift Ideas For The Animal Lover In Your Life

This is a list of gift ideas for animal lovers that was specially curated by the staff members at Big Lick Vet. Orginally created to give inspiration to our clients when Christmas gift shopping, the ideas can be used year-round for Birthdays and other special occasions! It’s always been important for us to support other small, locally owned businesses and that’s why Dr. Amos and Dr. McLaughlin made sure to include a couple of their favorite local stores, like Run About Sports and Wine Gourmet when considering their gift ideas for this list. Dr. Amos loves running with his dog, so his suggestion was a leash from Run About Sports that allows people to more easily run with their dogs. Dr. McLaughlin loves the whole pet section at Wine Gourmet, especially the cute pet themed gift section. We hope this list gives you some ideas when considering gifts for the animal lover in your life!

10 Tips To Help Your Pet Adjust Post-Quarantine

With the Covid vaccine rolling out in phases, we’re getting closer and closer to a post-Covid world. Not only will this change be an adjustment for you, but your pets will also feel the impact of a new routine and not having their owner(s) home regularly for the first time in months. Additionally, many families chose to adopt pets during the pandemic. Because they were home and able to dedicate time to introducing their new pet into their family, it was a good time to devote time to their new pet! But our pets are creatures of habit and get used to our routines, which means that many of these newly adopted pets have never known a world in which you leave for work every morning or the kids leave every day for school. It’s important to slowly start getting your pet used to this new normal. Follow these 10 tips to make this transition as smooth as possible!

See these blog 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!

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 unusual time. Thanks for choosing us to be your pet’s health care provider!