The Country Animal Hospital

01/28/2025

Join Our Team as a Registered Veterinary Technician!

The Country Animal Hospital is a thriving mixed-animal practice located in the heart the Comox Valley.

Our passion for our community of animals both farm and domestic and our commitment to their well-being drive our mission to provide outstanding veterinary care to our diverse clientele.

We are seeking a candidate who is friendly and outgoing, provides exemplary client and patient care, has excellent communication and computer skills is flexible and adaptable to the challenges of day to day hospital work.

Our candidate must have:
Animal Health Technician / Veterinary Technician Diploma; passed the VTNE or will soon be passing the VTNE; be in good standing with their provincial regulatory association.

New grads are welcome to apply.

We offer competitive salary, benefits and a Continuing Education allowance.

Interested candidates please send a covering letter and resume to:

[email protected]
Attention: Dr. Tom Van Dyck

01/27/2025

JOIN US!

The Country Animal Hospital is looking to add a FULL TIME RECEPTIONIST to our amazing team.

If you are an enthusiastic team player who loves what you do, have excellent communication skills, customer service and computer skills and are adaptable and dependable, please send us a covering letter and resume.

Previous experience as a receptionist is preferred. Experience in a veterinary practice is a bonus.

The Country Animal Hospital is a mixed/companion animal practice located in rural Courtenay. Wage is commensurate with experience. Benefit package is available.

If this is you, please send a covering letter and resume to:

[email protected]
Attention: Dr. Tom Van Dyck

01/08/2025

**IMPORTANT NOTICE - Recall of Northwest Naturals brand 2lb Feline Turkey Recipe raw & frozen pet food**

Please see attached notice from the Office of the Chief Veterinarian:

"We are writing to inform you of the recall of Northwest Naturals brand 2lb Feline Turkey Recipe raw & frozen pet food, following the confirmation of H5N1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in a domestic cat on December 24, 2024. This cat, an indoor-only pet from Washington County, Oregon, died after consuming this raw pet food. PCR testing and whole genome sequencing confirmed the cat’s infection was linked to frozen raw cat food."
Recalled Product Details:

Product: Northwest Natural 2lb Feline Turkey Recipe
Best by Dates: 5/21/26 B10 and 06/23/26 B1
Distribution: Sold in British Columbia and 12 US states

If you have any concerns or questions please don't hesitate to reach out to as (250) 338-7947 or [email protected] to book an appointment with one of our veterinarians.

12/18/2024

Hello everyone!

Wishing you all very happy holidays this year 🎄

📝Please see our updated hours for the 2024/2025 holiday season ✨

As we approach the holidays please note we are currently accepting new patients at the Country Animal Hospital, with same-day appointments still available.

☎️To book in please call us at (250) 338-7947 or send us an email at [email protected].

🎉Happy holidays everyone!! 🐶

12/13/2024

📝Check out this post from the Animal Emergency Clinic of the Fraser Valley!

🧐If you have questions or concerns about holiday hazards please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at 250 338 7949 or send us an email at [email protected] ✅

While many people are decking their halls and homes this holiday season, we wanted to share a friendly reminder that holiday decorations might look beautiful but they may be hazardous for pets.

Here are a few tips to keep your pet safe:

🎄 Securely anchor and keep pets away from the tree. Also remember to sweep up any fallen brush or pine needles.

🎄 Hang strands of lights higher up. Not only can pets get tangled in strings, but these strands can give them a potentially life-threatening electrical shock if they bite through the wire.

🎄 Tinsel and ornaments can seem like toys (especially to cats) and can cause serious stomach issues if ingested. Avoid using tinsel when possible and stick with larger, shatterproof ornaments that aren’t easy to break or swallow.

12/13/2024

🎉Happy Friday everyone!

🎄 Please note we will be closing a little early today at 4:00pm to give our team time to join in on some seasonal festivities! 🔔

🐴We appreciate your understanding - our regular hours will resume on Monday, December 16th at 8:30am!

☎ If after hours services are required, please call us at 250-338-7947 to be connected to SmartVet. A SmartVet RVT will triage your concerns and then connect you to our on call veterinarian. 🩺

12/09/2024

📝FYI! Did you know we have same day appointments available this week?

☎️ Give us a call at (250) 338-7947 or email us at [email protected] to get in touch with our team to book in your pet!

🐶 Have a great week everyone!

11/08/2024

Please note the Country Animal Hospital is closed on Monday, November 11th for Remembrance Day.

Our regular hours will resume on Tuesday, November 12 at 8:30am.

🩺 If after hours or emergency care is required while we are closed, please reach out to SmartVet at 250 338 7949. An RVT will assist you in triaging your concerns, and they may offer you a virtual appointment with a SmartVet veterinarian. If you'd prefer to speak to our on call veterinarian please let them know and they will connect you.

10/10/2024

🥧Happy Thanksgiving!! Please note we are closed on Monday, October 14th.

📝Our regular hours resume on Tuesday, October 15th at 8:30am.

🩺 If after hours or emergency care is required over the long weekend, please reach out to SmartVet at 250 338 7949. An RVT will assist you in triaging your concerns, and they may offer you a virtual appointment with a SmartVet veterinarian. If you'd prefer to speak to our on call veterinarian please let them know and they will connect you.

🤠Have a great long weekend everyone, we hope you all have a restful weekend!

09/23/2024

Please note that the Country Animal Hospital will be closed this upcoming Monday, September 30th, for National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

To learn more about the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, and how you can participate, please visit the Indian Residential School Survivors Society - British Columbia page. Their page lists a number of resources available to those who may need support, including the Lamathut Crisis Line: 1-800-721-0066.

Our regular hours will resume on Tuesday, October 1st at 8:30am.

September 30
Orange Shirt Day "Canada's National Day for Truth and Reconciliation"

Orange Shirt Day is a legacy of the St. Joseph Mission (SJM) Residential School Commemoration Project and Reunion events that took place in Williams Lake, BC, Canada.

The events were designed to commemorate the residential school experience, to witness, to honour the healing journey of the survivors and their families. Phyllis Webstad told her story of her first day at residential school when her shiny new orange shirt, bought by her grandmother, was taken from her as a six year old girl.

On this day September 30, we call upon humanity to listen with open ears to the stories of survivors and their families and to remember those that didn't make it home.

If you or anyone you know is in distress and need someone to talk to, please call our 24/7 Crisis Line: 1-800-721-0066

08/29/2024

🤠 FYI! We are closed on Monday, September 2nd for Labour Day.

🐶Our regular hours resume on Tuesday, September 3rd at 8:30am.

☎ If after hours or emergency care is required over the long weekend, please reach out to SmartVet at 250 338 7949. An RVT will assist you in triaging your concerns, and they may offer you a virtual appointment with a SmartVet veterinarian. If you'd prefer to speak to our on call veterinarian please let them know and they will connect you.

🐴Have a great long weekend everyone 🌷

08/08/2024

**We are HIRING!!**

The Country Animal Hospital is looking to add a Full-Time Receptionist to our amazing team.

If you are an enthusiastic team player who loves what you do, have good communication skills, customer service and computer skills and are adaptable and dependable, please send us a covering letter and resume.

Previous experience as a receptionist or customer service role is preferred. Experience in a veterinary practice is a bonus.

We are a busy, mixed /companion animal practice with a diverse caseload. Wage is commensurate with experience. Benefits are available.

Please send a covering letter and resume to:

[email protected]
Attention: Dr. Tom Van Dyck

08/02/2024

📣We're planning a farm call visit to Sayward in the coming weeks! Please reach out to us by phone 250 338 7949 or email [email protected] to confirm if any of your four legged friends are needing veterinary care! ☀️

Send a message to learn more

07/26/2024

🌷To our valued clients: due to unforeseen circumstances we are closed today for booked appointments. We appreciate your understanding at this time.

☎In the meantime, our phone lines are currently open for appointment booking requests for next week.

🕐Our regular hours resume on Monday, July 29th at 8:30am! Should you require emergency medical care our staff will do their best to assist you in triaging your concerns or referring you to alternatives. After hours, call 250 338 7949 to reach SmartVet, our after hours emergency answering service.

07/23/2024

Please see below updated process for traveling to the US with your dog! Please see the CDC website for more details: https://www.cdc.gov/importation/dogs/rabies-free-low-risk-countries.html

Updates to CDC’s August 1 dog importation rule: If you are bringing a dog into the US from a dog rabies-free or low-risk country, you now only need to fill out the simple CDC Dog Import Form. Other forms are no longer needed. The requirements for dogs arriving from high-risk countries have not changed, and these dogs are still required to have additional documents. Read the full requirements: www.cdc.gov/dogtravel

07/18/2024

🐴 Please note our updated hours and limited availability for appointments tomorrow: 8am-1pm

🕐 Although we are not able to offer booked in-person appointments tomorrow, please note that we are able to offer telemedicine consults for emergency care, and will still be open for prescription/food orders and pickups, and can take appointment booking requests for the following week.

🐣 Thank you for your understanding an we apologize for any inconvenience caused! 🌞

07/04/2024

☀️Check out the following tips from the American Association of Equine Practitioners regarding how to recognize and prevent heat stress in horses!

📲Please don't hesitate to reach out to us at (250) 338-7947 if you need further guidance or if your horse requires emergency care.

✅Take care and stay cool out there everyone!

06/26/2024

🐴 FYI! We are closed on Monday, July 1st for Canada Day 🌞

🧐Although we are closed for booked appointments on Monday, please note that we are still available for after-hours and emergency care. Our regular hours resume on Tuesday, July 2nd.

✅Please call (250) 338-7947 to be connected to SmartVet - our after hours and emergency care answering service. You will be connected to a trained RVT who will assist you in triaging your concerns.

🩺If further medical advice is required, SmartVet will then connect you with our on call veterinarian. 🐾

Have a great long weekend everyone!