HEAR YE! HEAR YE!

Dr Gray is BACK HOME!!!!

Welcome back Dr. Reynolds Gray. After venturing out for the past two years learning and growing as a veterinarian and a person, she has decided to come back home to Bear Creek. She started back with us March 7th and has merged right back in just as smoothly as you please. Her compassionate nature and easy-going personality have been missed. We are happy to announce that she is seeing appointment on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, and performing surgeries on Fridays. She will be able to begin doing chiropractic again very soon as well. Please welcome Dr Gray back whenever you see her next.

April Special

To show our appreciation for all your patience and commitment to Bear Creek, we are offering a 10% off all Spays and Neuters special during the month of April. All spay and neuter surgeries performed during the month of April will receive this discount. Spread the word.

More Appointment Slots for Dentals

Dr Pike will be adding an additional dental day to her schedule. With Dr Gray coming on board and the extra relief in seeing appointments, this has allowed Dr Pike to change from seeing appointments on Thursday to doing surgery. She has been severely back logged with patients that need dental work and we have struggled to get them seen in a timely fashion. This will allow us to care for more of those patients during the week and hopefully get caught up. The need never seems to end, but we are trying to get each and every one that needs her expertise.

One on One Time

We have instituted a new release form protocol that allows for clients to have a more one on one experience with the nurses when going over release forms and to express their wishes and concerns more accurately with the nurses without the chaos and confusion that can come with a busy lobby. Each client will be able to talk with a nurse in an exam room with minimal distraction and go over all the items needed in a more focused and organized way. We hope this will alleviate worry and questions before and after procedures. Also, it should eliminate unnecessary phone calls from our office asking questions while you are busy at work. Your time is valuable, and accuracy is essential.

Text Message Updates are Coming SOON!

Text messaging is coming!! We are working with our medical records software company to add an exciting function that allows us to keep you better informed and get you valuable information in a timelier manner. Within the next 45 days, we hope to be able to send you text messages for simple notification items like: your prescription is ready, your pet is ready to go home, your pet is safely out of surgery, and a nurse will be calling you soon. All things that you want to know as soon as possible. The text messaging function will work in conjunction with more comprehensive reminder notifications and appointment confirmation systems. This will replace the Pet-Desk App we are currently using. We feel that this new app will provide you with all the positive functions you love about Pet-Desk but in a more reliable and user-friendly platform. Be on the lookout for this new addition.

Same Day Sick Appointments

I hope everyone is seeing a positive difference with the availability of more same day sick appointments. Especially with the addition of Dr Gray, there are 30% more appointment and same day sick appointment slots available. Our goal is to help as many patients and clients as we can during our daily hours while still maintaining the same level of care and quality medicine you have come to expect from us. We are not simply focused on the number of animals we can get in and out, but practice quality medicine and take the time to give each patient the love and devotion they deserve. The most important client and patient are the ones right in front of us. We treat each patient and client equally, regardless of age or status.

We are still searching for additional compassionate veterinarians to add to our team and hope to be able to add a 5th by the end of summer.

Once our daytime, Monday through Friday roster is sufficiently staffed, then we can consider after-hours or weekend support staff and veterinarians to help serve those areas that are underserved in our community. We are focused on right now, but we haven’t stopped looking forward.

Educational/Medical Moments

Allergy season is upon us. I know for some patients, allergies are a year-round event; but for most, seasonal allergies are their nemesis. Spring and Fall are the greatest times that we see patients with allergy symptoms. Most of those symptoms include red, itchy skin, ear infections, red runny eyes, and sometimes respiratory signs like coughing or sneezing. Not every patient is affected the same. Some symptoms vary even in the same household. If your dog has seasonal allergies, do not wait until the symptoms are severe to initiate control measures. If your dog takes Apoquel or Cytopoint to control their allergies, go ahead and get those started to prevent the symptoms from getting too bad and secondary infections from occurring. We can hope to avoid the ear infections or the stinky, greasy skin and bald patches by controlling the allergies early. If you think your dog may have allergies but are not on anything to control those allergies, please call right away to get on the schedule so we can diagnose and discuss the best control measure for you and your dog. Cats can get allergies too, but they are treated differently. So do not delay. Call right away.

Snakes are out! I want everyone to be on the alert that snakes are coming out of hibernation, and they are hungry looking for a meal. They are out hunting and may be around your house or on the trail where you are hiking. Young snakes will also be hatching soon, and juvenile venomous snakes are just as deadly as their adult counterparts. They are also more vulnerable and will feel more threatened by innocent confrontations, thus indiscriminate as to what they strike at.

Please educate yourself on what venomous snakes look like. A harmless rat snake or water snake is not a threat and cannot harm you or your pet. A bite from a black snake will NOT cause swelling or drainage. Only a venomous snake will do that. Most snake bites from even venomous snakes are not fatal to dogs unless it is a rattlesnake. We do have Eastern Diamondbacks, Pygmy and Tiber rattlesnakes this close to Uwharrie Forest. So please be careful and be on the lookout. Contrary to most peoples wishes, it IS illegal to kill all species of rattlesnakes. You can legally kill Cottonmouths and Copperheads. However, it can be very difficult for most people to differentiate among species of snakes as color patterns can be similar. Copperheads are the most common venomous snake in our region and can cause some serious symptoms but are rarely fatal even to smaller dogs.

Most veterinary clinics in our area DO NOT carry anti-venin (also referred to as anti-venom). It is not recommended for use except in rare and unusual cases as it too carries a high rate of anaphylaxis and both short-term and long-term side effects can be fatal. Most dogs survive with moderate to high doses of benedryl and anti-biotics if tissue necrosis at the bite wound occurs. We still recommend you have your pet seen or hospitalized if a snake bite occurs, but the greatest chance of death occurs in the first 12hrs from respiratory effects or neurotoxins depending on the species of snake involved.

Personal Note from Dr Jordan:

I want to reassure ALL my clients that I am still in charge and the captain of the ship. It is my responsibility to keep this ship righted and moving in a positive direction. Every protocol or policy decision and change made in the hospital must filter through me and get my approval. I am focused on the care my patients receive while in our hospital but also the well being and mental health of my staff and associates. Do not ever doubt that my friends. I am more focused and dedicated than ever before to the success of Bear Creek Veterinary Hospital.

Politics play no part in my hospital, or any decision made in it, especially regarding patient care. All patients are a priority no matter how their owners vote or which candidate they support. You have my sincere pledge to always staying true to that commitment every single day.