Fernie Veterinary Services

08/24/2024

Assistant Appreciation Post: Tess

Over the years, we’ve had the pleasure of watching Tess’s skill set grow and evolve, and it’s been nothing short of amazing. Her dedication and passion for animal care have truly shone through in everything she does. We’re incredibly proud to share that Tess is taking the next big step in her journey—heading off to tech school in just a month! 🎓🐾

But don’t worry, this isn’t goodbye! Since her program is blended, you’ll still be seeing her friendly face around the clinic as she continues to help care for your furry friends. We couldn’t be more excited for Tess and what lies ahead for her!

Thank you, Tess, for all your hard work and commitment. We’re cheering you on every step of the way! 🐶🐱

08/18/2024

Assistant appreciation!

Meet Melissa: Our Encyclopedia of obscure (and not) animal Wisdom!

Though we missed the formal Assistant Week, we couldn’t let another moment pass without shining a spotlight on our incredible team of veterinary assistants. First up is Melissa, a true asset to our clinic.

Melissa is the go-to person when you need that one random fact or a quick tip. From obscure animal from breeding to nutrition, she’s got it all covered. Her wealth of knowledge is vast and always comes in handy.

Beyond her encyclopedic brain, Melissa plays a crucial role in keeping our clinic running smoothly. Whether it’s assisting in appointments, comforting the hospitalized animals, or lending an ear to a stressed-out pet parent, Melissa’s compassionate nature is something we appreciate about her.

So, here’s to Melissa! our walking, talking fountain of random but oh-so-useful information. We appreciate you more than words can say, and we’re so grateful to have you on our team!

Stay tuned as we continue to introduce and celebrate each of our amazing assistants!

07/29/2024

❤ Good morning everyone! Andrew here, with a message from management.
After reading some pretty negative comments over the weekend about the after-hours emergency care in our community, we thought it would be a great time to talk about it again. The East Kootenay Veterinary Group was born out of a need for a long-term and sustainable solution to providing the much needed after-hours emergency care that our area needs.
Clinics in larger cities have the ability to rely on 24-hour emergency hospitals to provide this service for emergencies during the day and night so the general practice clinics do not need to. Alternatively, clinics in smaller towns are not able to routinely provide after-hours care which leaves people having to drive, sometimes hours away, to the closest city centre to reach these emergency hospitals. Then we have communities like Cranbrook - Not big enough for a 24 hour emergency centre, but certainly in need of emergency veterinary care. This means that all clinics in our area have to balance general practice (preventive health, vaccinations, etc.) along with emergencies every day and night. This puts a lot of pressure on the veterinary staff in order to balance these two needs on a daily basis. The growing demand for veterinary care, and a nation-wide shortage of veterinary staff puts a huge strain on everyone in the veterinary industry. The industry itself is plagued with over-work, burnout, and the inevitable mental health challenges that come with working in such a physically and emotional demanding field.
This is why we came to the agreement to team up with all the clinics in the East Kootenays to ensure we can continue to provide this service to our area. Yes, that means sometimes the on-call clinic is in Invermere or Creston, and yes that is a little farther away. But, at this time, it is an absolute necessity to continue to provide reliable after-hours care that our area needs.
Balancing general practice with emergency care is extremely taxing on the veterinary staff in the community and all the staff at all the clinics are some of the most dedicated and hardest working people I have ever met. It's heartbreaking seeing the work that the veterinary staff puts in, day in and day out, and the sacrifices made, only to read comments saying they need to do more. The strain on the veterinary community is very real and well documented. So we ask our wonderful community to be understanding of the difficult decisions we have to make as a group in order to continue to provide the level of care our community deserves.
We love you all, and we will continue to work incredibly hard to care for you and your animals. Thank you for hearing us out. ❤

06/26/2024

JOIN OUR TEAM! 🐾

Fernie veterinary services is looking for a full-time assistant/kennel attendant. If you’re interested in joining our team, please send a resume to [email protected]

We look forward to hearing from you!

06/22/2024

We know dropping your pet off at the vet clinic can be scary! But we want you to know that we are with them and comforting them the entire way!

Thank you to Pumpkin & Mittens family for letting us video their little monkeys! We wish them a speedy recovery from their surgeries.

05/12/2024

🌟 Wrapping up our vet appreciation posts with the dynamic Dr. Cali Lewis! Though she primarily works the Cranbrook area, we’re fortunate to have her at Fernie Veterinary Services at least once a month. Dr. Cali doesn't just care for your canine and feline friends,she also treats your large animal companions as well! For those of you that don’t know, she offers chiropractic appointments for your furry friends here at Fernie when she’s in. She’s pretty cool 😎

What staff have to say about her:

Dr. cali is our everything vet! Whether it’s a dog, horse, chicken, or even a fish you name it, she’s ready to help. She does not shy away from a challenge. Her radiating kind and fun personality brings a bright light to clients, patients and our entire staff. Dr. Cali’s willingness to treat all kinds of species means we all learn a lot when she’s around. She just makes all of our days and we appreciate her so much!

05/10/2024

🐾 Continuing our celebration of World Veterinary Day at Fernie Veterinary Services, today we spotlight Dr. Silvia Hurdle! While Dr. Sylvia has been a trusted locum with us for quite some time, you’ll be seeing her face more and more. We've always admired her reliability and have particularly noticed how much cats are drawn to her gentle approach.

What do the staff have to say about her?

Dr. Sylvia is a fantastic patient advocate with a special talent for handling spicy cats. She's not only exceptional with ultrasounds but also amazing at performing dental procedures. We truly appreciate how she always shows up whenever we need her, ready to provide the best care. One of our favourite parts about her is how funny she is and makes us laugh every day.

Stay tuned as we recognize our final vet!

05/08/2024

🌼Celebrating another gem in our veterinary team: Dr. Shannon Perz (yes, Perz like a cat—how fitting!) 🐾 Since joining us here nearly a year ago, Dr. Perz has brought a wave of calm to Fernie Veterinary Services. Her gentle approach not only soothes our furry friends but makes diagnostics and treatments seem less daunting. Pictured with her is one of our long-term patients, Puma!

What staff has to say about her:

We have appointed her as the ‘ultimate distractor,’ skillfully ensuring animals hardly notice anything is happening. Dr. Shannon is dedicated to each individual patient, making both them and their owners feel cared for. She makes us laugh and we love learning new things from her! Dr. Perz is truly in it for the four legged companions that walk through the doors, and we are grateful to have acquired her and her skillset in many domains. For those of you that haven’t met her yet, we hope you love her as much we do!

Stay tuned this week to read about the next veterinarian from Fernie Veterinary Services in the spotlight

05/06/2024

🐾 Celebrating World Veterinary Day all week at Fernie Veterinary Services! Though we’re a bit late, our gratitude is timeless. First up in our vet spotlight is the incredible Dr. Carrie Fischer. Many of you know her and have experienced her dedicated care firsthand. Pictured here with her patient, Shadow, who after three days of Dr. Fischer’s attentive treatment, is on the mend.

What do staff have to say about her?

Dr. Carrie is AMAZING. We love working alongside her. Fun fact, did you know she also has a PhD, so we call her Dr. Dr. Carrie? She is so dedicated to continuing to grow her knowledge to better help diagnose and treat her patients. We appreciate her so much and her willingness to lead and encourage us all.

Stay tuned to meet more of our devoted team who make every day better for your furry friends!

04/27/2024

Happy veterinary receptionist week! We wanted to tell you a little bit more about our front desk staff and let them know how much we appreciate them.

Libby, pictured on the left is also known as the queen of cats. Libby has been with us for over two years now and we would be lost without her. She not only loves her job but every single patient that walks through the doors. She’s skilled at what she does and is a great client-patient advocate which is one of our favourite qualities about her. She knows how to put a smile on everyone’s face.

Laura, in the centre is The reason we all know how to do our job so well. She knows the ins and outs of basically everything. She not only helps your pets receive the care that they need, but she also recently fixed our dental machine (yay Laura), and most other problems we have. We appreciate Laura so much that we don’t even like it when she goes on vacation. If there’s one thing you need to know about Laura, we call her the golden girl… just see her when a golden retriever walks in and there will be no explanation needed.

Maddy on the right is our newest addition to our client care team. She is almost completed her veterinary medical receptionist certification through Olds College. She already shows her dedication to the profession and her love for every patient that walks through the doors. we are so grateful for her and fun fact, her favourite breed is any pit bull type breed. In her free time she loves to snowmobile! We are so grateful for her and can’t wait to watch her continue to grow.

We want these three ladies to know how much we appreciate them and all they do. Their job isn’t easy, but they show up to work every day giving it the best that they got. We hope you all appreciate them as much as we do happy veterinary receptionist week!

04/17/2024

Both our phones and internet are completely down so we are unable to be reached in any capacity. If your pet is experiencing a medical emergency please come directly to the clinic. We thank you for your understanding!

04/13/2024

Today we celebrate Hayley! Hayley has been with us since June 2020 with her goal of become a Registered veterinary technician (RVT). Over the years we have watched her grow tremendously with her passions being in diagnostic imaging and cytology…. Well yesterday she did it! She passed her VTNE! She is officially an RVT. Congratulations Hayley❤️🎉

04/11/2024

*Tick Season Alert*

As the warmer weather approaches, don’t forget to protect your furry friends from ticks, fleas, lice, as well as internal parasites/worms.

If we’ve seen your pet within the last 12 months and we have an up-to-date weight, you are all set to pick up your parasite preventative medicine.

Haven’t been in for a while? Now’s the perfect time to schedule an appointment, as we’re booking 2-3 weeks out for wellness exams! 🐾

04/10/2024

🐾 Hey Pet Parents! 🐶🐱
While PetDesk is an amazing tool for managing your furry friend's health, it's important to note that it's not monitored 24/7. It's perfect for non-urgent needs such as prescription refills, general inquiries, food orders, and wellness and non urgent requests. However, for emergencies such as difficulty breathing, collapse, or distress signs like a cat crying in the litterbox, please don't use PetDesk. If you're unsure whether your pet's issue is urgent, it's always best to call us directly at 250-423-2620 for immediate assistance.

03/28/2024

We are closed this weekend! 🐾🪺

03/22/2024

🚨 Attention Dog Owners 🚨

We're seeing an increase in Kennel Cough cases in town. Clinical signs in dogs include:

- dry, hacking / goose-honking cough
- Runny nose
- Sneezing
- Lethargy
- Loss of appetite

If your dog shows any of these signs, please keep them away from other dogs and contact our clinic immediately for further advice and treatment. Together, we can keep our canine companions safe and healthy.

Copy and paste this link for further information:

https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951478

03/08/2024

Hello furry friends! Tomorrow due to short staffing we will be closed at 1pm tomorrow. If you have any emergencies please call the clinic and you will be directed to emergency services.

02/01/2024

🐾 Important Update for Our Valued Clients 🐾
To ensure the best care for your furry friends, please note our updated prescription policy:

Repeat Prescriptions:
• For regular refills, we require a 3-5 business day notice.
• For special orders, please allow 7-10 business days. Not sure if your pet’s medication is a special order? Feel free to contact us!
• If your pet was seen within the past 12 months for the same issue and medication, we can process these requests.
• If the issue had resolved but has now recurred, a new consultation is required for refills.

New Issues:
• If your pet is experiencing a new health issue, an appointment is necessary for a prescription.

Dewormers & Flea/Tick Treatments:
• Prescriptions for dewormers and flea/tick treatments require that your pet has been examined by our vet within the past 12 months.

Your pet’s health and well-being are our top priorities. Thank you for understanding these necessary steps to provide them with the best possible care. 🐕💕🐈

👉 Need an appointment? Contact us at 250 423 2620
Reminder: we are booking 2-3 weeks out for routine consultations.

01/17/2024

🐾 Attention Pet Parents! 🐾

📆 We're experiencing a surge in medical appointments for more urgent cases at Fernie Tanglefoot. To ensure your furry friends get the care they need:

🔹 Plan Ahead for Routine Care: Book vaccines and regular check-ups at least 3 weeks in advance.

🔹 Rechecks Are Important: If our vets recommend a follow-up, please book it during your initial visit to avoid delays.

We appreciate your understanding as we strive to provide the best care for all our furry patients! 🐕🐈

Questions? Email us at [email protected] or call 250-423-2620

Thank you for your support! 💕

(Pictured is Dr. Shannon Perz and her patient Winston for his vaccines!)

12/05/2023

🎄Holiday hours! 🎄

We would like to let all of our valued clients that we will be closed December 23rd, 24th, 25th, 26th, 30th, 31, and January 1st so our staff can have a well deserved break for the Holidays.

Please give us 3-5 days notice for prescription refills and food orders due to potential shipping delays.

If an emergency occurs during any of these dates please call our number and it will direct you to the emergency triage line. they will direct you to the clinic in the East Kootenay region that is on call.

Take care and Happy Holidays!

11/07/2023

🚨 Attention dog parents 🚨

Parvovirus cases have been reported in our area. Keep your furry friends safe by ensuring they're up to date on their vaccines. 🐾🐶

Canine Parvovirus is a highly contagious viral disease that affects dogs. The symptoms of parvovirus in dogs can include vomiting, diarrhea (often bloody), loss of appetite, lethargy, and dehydration.

Parvovirus is primarily spread through f***s or contaminated objects. It can survive on surfaces such as floors, clothing, and food bowls for up to several months so be cautious and ensure your pet is up to date on their vaccinations.

If you are concerned your canine companion may have parvo please keep it away from public spaces, other dogs and call the veterinary clinic immediately. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to give us a call or send us an email.

Copy this link ➡️ https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4951463 for more information on Parvovirus

10/27/2023

Meet Hayley!

Hayley has been with us since 2020. Shortly after joining our team she started the technician distanced program at Thomson River University. Hayley has grown immensely in her skills over the last few years and is a very valuable team member. She is now at the end of her program and will be writing the veterinary technician national exam (VTNE) soon.

Pictured with her is her dog, Gambit who is her best adventure partner. She also has her cat Tenzin at home who chooses a more relaxed life style at home.

When Hayley isn’t at work she is usually enjoying some outdoor activity or singing in her band…. Yes, she’s in a band. Pretty cool.

Way to go Hayley! We appreciate you so much and you’re a lovely tech.

10/25/2023

Meet Savannah…
She is currently half way though her technician schooling through an American school on Arizona! She started with the veterinary reception program at Olds college in Alberta and started at Tanglefoot during that program in February of 2021. She has progressed through all of her schooling and experience at Tanglefoot.

She has two cats, their names are Bubbles and Muffin. She has had plenty of furry critters come through her home as she sits on the board of directors with Twin Meadows Animal Rescue as well as volunteers for the local wildlife rescue.

The cat in the picture with Savannah is Thomas a current twin meadows cat.

Outside of work you can find Savannah hiking and getting cozy inside in the winter. Winter sports aren’t her thing burrrrr

10/19/2023

Today we recognize Cierra!

Cierra made the move to Fernie and joined our team this June. She has quickly become a valued and well respected part of our team and we are so glad she made the move.

She went to school at Olds College and graduated in 2019. After graduation she began her RVT career at the Calgary Animal Emergency and Referral Centre, first in the ER department, and then in the Internal Medicine department.

Outside of work she loves to spend time with her pets (Mav and Vinny), her partner, family and friends. She loves to get out and enjoy the mountains as much as she can, whether it’s dirt biking, snowboarding, swimming, hiking or camping. When she is able to, she also enjoys volunteering with the Canadian Animal Task Force at their spay and neuter clinics. Working with animals has always been her passion, and being able to make a difference in their lives is something that she is clearly meant to do and loves!

10/18/2023

Today we recognize Kaida. Pictured is Tommy the rescue who spends lots of time at the clinic and her new pup Tarot who she rescued from the SPCA and is deaf.
Kaida completed her Animal Health Technology diploma at Northern College in Ontario and worked as a technician for Tanglefoot Fernie last summer until the fall when she returned to Ontario to complete a one year wildlife rehabilitation program. With her dedication, compassion and commitment to animals of all kinds, we were thrilled to welcome her back to the clinic this past June. In her spare time she enjoys camping, dirt biking, art, and of course animals, especially wildlife. When she's not at the clinic she is very involved with Twin Meadows Animal Rescue.

10/16/2023

Meet our Head Veterinary Technician, Brianna Falk!

Brianna started volunteering shortly after the practice opened in 2016 and very quickly became an employee. She then moved to Olds to complete her Animal Health Technology diploma. After graduating she worked at a veterinary emergency and referral center in the Okanagan for 2 years before returning to Tanglefoot Fernie in the spring of 2021. This spring she stepped into the position of Head Technician, and in the following months has demonstrated a exceptional ability to organize the clinic and staff, mentor training technicians, and keep everyone laughing at the same time. Her commitment to veterinary health care and her love of animals is demonstrated daily through her compassion and professionalism. In her spare time, her interests include outdoor recreation, spending time with her family and pets, and perusing veterinary textbooks.

10/16/2023

This week is National Veterinary Technician week! We have a dedicated team of RVT's (and RVT's in training) in Fernie and we look forward to recognizing each one of them this week.

RVTs are passionate, dedicated professionals who possess a unique blend of compassion, expertise, and resilience. They are the unsung heroes of veterinary clinics worldwide and this week is to celebrate and build awareness of their professional training and their vital role on the veterinary team.

10/14/2023

Here is a quick reminder of some things to keep away from your pets.

This time of year, mushrooms are popping up. The mushrooms you buy in the grocery store are not considered toxic for pets, but the wild varieties growing in your yard may be toxic to your pet. Remove any mushrooms to remove the risk.

Follow this link for more detailed information on poisonous substances including plants, human foods, human medications and more.

https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control

10/13/2023

If you explore outdoors with your furry friends, this course offered in Fernie next month is a great idea! Check out the link and send Celine any questions you have.

Learn immediate steps to take in an emergency, what to include in your Pet First Aid kit, how to complete a head to tail assessment and more...