Blue Ridge Animal Clinic

08/15/2024

08/08/2024

Interesting juxtaposition at BRAC earlier this week. Funny how Dr. Fenster's patient is a feline similar in size to her own upper body, while Dr. Tester's feline patient fits in the palm of his hand?!

08/08/2024

Excessive scratching is one sign of an itchy pet, but there can be other signs as well: licking, biting, chewing, recurrent ear infections, hair loss, body odor, and/or skin changes such as rashes or redness. Making an appointment with a veterinarian is the best way to determine the cause of the itch, discuss management strategies, and work toward a more comfortable life for your pet! 🐶

05/24/2024

Samba Murphy and her little pig friend are ready for parent pickup!

05/21/2024

BRAC Welcomes Dr. Alec Tester!

We are very pleased to announce the arrival of Dr. Alec Tester to our family at Blue Ridge Animal Clinic.

Beginning July1st you will find Dr. Tester seeing to our small animal friends in clinic as well as out in the field seeing to large animal calls.

Dr. Tester is a welcome addition to the BRAC team of veterinarians, technicians and support staff.

It is our hope that with our seventh veterinarian on staff we will have additional resources available to see to the growing needs of our clients and the community.

Welcome Dr. Alec!

A brief bio about Dr. Tester:

Dr. Alec Tester grew up the small town of Mountain City, Tennessee just a few minutes south of the Virginia border. He attended the University of Tennessee and received his BS in Animal Science in 2020. He then attended the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine where he obtained his DVM in May of 2024. Dr. Tester practices both large and small animal medicine. His professional interests include herd health management, and surgery. He enjoys building close relationships with producers, and owners for the betterment of themselves and their animals.

Dr. Tester was involved in his local 4-H and FFA in high school participating in many of their judging teams. He continued this into his collegiate career participating in both the horse judging team, and dairy challenge team at UT. In his free time Dr. Tester enjoys spending time outdoors and traveling with his wife Destiny.

05/07/2024

Congratulations to Kacey, our latest 4th year vet student who has since graduated to an official DVM last weekend! Well done Kacey! We wish you all the best as you journey off into your role as an official Dr. of Veterinary Medicine. - Your friends at BRAC

04/26/2024

Happy Veterinary Receptionist Week to the spunky ladies up front that make us look good and make the clinic “go round”!

Amy, Jen, Brenda, and Sarah, you all are SO MUCH more than receptionists!

• You are some of the best multi-taskers in the world!
• You are the welcoming face of the clinic and make both clients and patients immediately comfortable at arrival.
• You offer sympathy and talk many clients through hard medical decisions.
• You triage phone calls and emergencies.
• You help carry sick pets inside from the car.
• You handle many phone calls and conversations that doctors and technicians simply don’t want to do.
• You remember names and faces that the other staff may have a hard time remembering and need your help.
• You catch mistakes the doctors make on billing and/or discharge instructions every week! Looking especially at you, Amy.
• You are often the first staff members that see our patients. You notice when a pet looks unstable in the lobby and needs seen immediately.
• You give clients assurance and guidance on treatment and scheduling.
• You often arrive to work earlier than others and work overtime.
• You act as technicians, filling in and helping out in both small and large animal whenever we need a hand.
• You are our pharmacists and fill medications daily.
• You all keep us laughing and provide office morale!

Thank you for your invaluable work you do everyday! This week is all about you!
• We see you
• We value you
• We owe you!!!

Sincerely,
Your doctors and technicians at BRAC 🩷

03/28/2024

We are so pleased to announce our most recent addition to the BRAC family, Dr. Kathy Eichelberger! You will begin to see Dr. Eichelberger here in the clinic beginning next week. She brings with her a wealth of knowledge and experience. Welcome Dr. Eichelberger!

A little bit about Dr. Kathy Eichelberger; she is a 1985 graduate of the VaMd College of Veterinary Medicine at Va Tech. She has practiced small animal medicine in Roanoke, Buena Vista, Bedford and Lynchburg. She moved to Rockbridge County in 2006 and considers this her playground as well as home. She enjoys family, riding her horses in several disciplines, her dogs, sailing, kayaking and snow skiing. She is particularly interested in companion animal wellness care, internal medicine and soft tissue surgery. She looks forward to meeting everyone associated with Blue Ridge Animal Clinic.

03/21/2024

We don't normally toot our own horn, but client Todd Smith of Fincastle, wanted his testimonial posted somewhere others could read it. Here it is:

"My name is Todd Smith and I received a farm visit yesterday from Dr. Lindsey Fenster and I just want for someone to know she was absolutely outstanding. I want to give her the highest praise for her performance for the entire visit. I could not be more pleased. She was excellent and I appreciated her efforts. We farmers need people like you all, and while I don’t have to use you all frequently I couldn’t be more happy. I have also had the opportunity to meet Dr. Spencer and she is fabulous as well. You all have a great team there and I appreciate you. Thank you very much!"

Thank you Mr. Smith!!

03/13/2024

We were so excited to be a part of this event with Natural Bridge Elementary School this afternoon! Dr. Fenster and her dog loved meeting all the 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders. Their questions were great and their personalities even better, and getting to connect with the community we serve is one of the best parts of our job ☺️

02/21/2024

Part time Professional Groomer Needed. We are looking to hire a part time professional groomer. If you know anyone who may be interested please share this post with them. A full job posting is posted on Indeed. MUST have previous dog grooming experience.

02/21/2024

Caution: Potential Scam Warning. There is a woman attempting to sell puppies and collecting money using a cash app for puppy purchase. She is also trying to collect money for your puppy's vet visit and identifying Blue Ridge Animal Clinic as her vet. She provides a cell phone number to someone who she says works here. This is a scam. Blue Ridge Animal Clinic is not affiliated with this woman in any way. Please use caution. This has been reported to the Sheriff's office.

02/15/2024

IMPORTANT UPDATE
Unfortunately, our phones and internet are currently down. We hope to have both up and running by 3 at the latest! We apologize for the inconvenience.

02/04/2024

Today is - a day to raise awareness of cancer and encourage its prevention, detection, and treatment. Regular check-ups with your veterinarian are crucial as pets today have a better chance of being successfully treated for neoplasia and cancer than ever before, thanks to advances in early recognition, diagnosis and treatment. Here are 8️⃣ signs of cancer in pets: http://bit.ly/2OenYrc

02/02/2024

We have some exciting news to report this morning! Starting this coming Monday, February 5, we will be saying goodbye to our paper records as we transition to an electronic medical system. Please be patient with us this coming week as we troubleshoot our new system that we ultimately feel will better serve you and your pets!

01/24/2024

We are deep in the throes of lambing and kidding season, and we are here to help you with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your small ruminant herd. We offer assistance regarding everything from pregnancy toxemia to the birthing process to the neonatal care of lambs and kids. Just give us a call! 🐑🐐

12/19/2023

A pet safety reminder as we get into full holiday mode!

12/01/2023

Happy December! We are kicking off this holiday month by collecting donations for local animals in need. Food, treats, toys, and bedding for both dogs and cats are welcome and can be dropped off at our tree in the front lobby. These will be equally distributed between organizations that support and save area animals. Monetary donations are also welcome and can be be made to a particular animal organization at your request.

Thank you for supporting local needy animals and the amazing people that serve them! Happy and safe holidays from all of us at Blue Ridge Animal Clinic!

11/27/2023

We know that Thanksgiving has passed, but these two barn kittens that were dropped off at the clinic sure would be thankful to have a home for the holidays! Please contact us for more information, setting up a meet and greet, or taking one (or both!) of these cuties home 😻

11/17/2023

Begging pets are cute, but having them get sick from holidays treats is not! Let’s talk turkey—and many other holidays hazards that can be dangerous for your pet. While Thanksgiving and the following holiday season are the most wonderful time of the year, and while your pets can beg extra hard during Thanksgiving cooking, there are several aspects of the holidays that can harm pets including some foods, drink, decorations and plants, and company and travel stress. Check out the article below or call us to discuss how you can keep your pet happy and healthy through this year’s celebrations!

https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/pet-owners/petcare/thanksgiving-pet-safety?fbclid=IwAR28BRuu2j6e3w92bbGtXelRyJP6qvVtmxgOWARmNSmIgsAu-NJUzAw2imA_aem_AbdOCUpGco2sguEMVUbMDLuQUDaA17x5te43mbYXsP40pDB_CEdBoxvuhUITffEHP4o

11/06/2023

This afternoon, Nov 6 we are are experiencing an area wide phone and internet outage. Comcast expects to resolve the issue by 4:30 pm today. We apologize for any inconvenience.

10/31/2023

Our patients are proof that costumes aren’t just for kids! Violet and Dash Brashears dressed very much in character for Halloween, and we are absolutely loving it. Happy Halloween to all of our patients (and clients), & of course, feel free to share cute pet pictures below 🎃👻

10/31/2023

🎃What’s SpOoOoKiEr than Halloween??🎃

❄️This incoming TEMPERATURE DROP!! ❄️

HERE👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼 are some tips to keeping your horses healthy during this seasonal transition:

👻Make sure your water tanks are full & accessible at all times! This means checking automatic waters to ensure they’re not frozen, chipping ice, and/or using a bucket/tank heater.

👻If you feed grain or cubes, SOAK them! This will ensure your horse gets some extra hydration when it’s not enticing to drink cold water.

👻Top dress feed and/or hay with commercial equine electrolytes or a couple teaspoons of table salt. This will encourage more water consumption throughout the day.

👻If you notice decreased f***l output, decreased water consumption, lethargy, and/or inappetence, consult with your vet sooner rather than later! Colic symptoms often begin subtle.

👻If your horses are clipped, very young/very old, or grow a poor winter coat, consider blanketing them.

👻Have a plan! Have an established veterinary relationship & know your options for emergency care!

10/26/2023

**FOUND CAT**

This sweet and gentle mature male cat was brought into the clinic by one of our staff this morning after showing up at her barn in Buchanan a few weeks ago. He is not microchipped, but he was wearing this collar and loves pets, so we know he has a home out there somewhere! Please share to help find his owners or a forever home for him 🩷😺