What It Means To Be B2B

Back 2 Basics is not just the name of our business.  It also encompasses the way we do business.   It means keeping care simple and affordable.  It means taking an individualized approach to veterinary medicine.  It means recommending products we not only believe in, but use on our own pets.  Personal.  Simple.  Affordable.  That is the philosophy behind Back 2 Basics.

At Back 2 Basics we strive to develop a personal relationship with you and your pet.  By getting to know our clients and patients, we are better able to work with owners on developing a personalized approach to their pet’s care.  This relationship helps us determine such things as vaccine protocols and medication regimens.  Knowing what works for our clients and patients and knowing what does not work helps keep things simple and cost effective.

Preventative medicine is another approach we take to keep things easy and affordable.  Nutrition plays a very important part in our practice.  Proper nutrition can help prevent costly health problems down the road such as diabetes, thyroid problems, and heart disease.  Diagnostics and treatment for these ailments can add up to huge costs over time.  We take the time to discuss nutrition with each of our clients and have also created educational material to help make their nutrition choices easier to make.  Also in the interest of preventative medicine, we carry the TropiClean line of dental care products.  These include a water additive that prevents plaque and gingivitis and a teeth gel that will remove plaque and tarter without brushing.  Dentals are costly and require an animal to undergo anesthesia.  By preventing plaque and tarter build up, they can be avoided.  These products allow our clients to do so easily and inexpensively.

In terms of services, Back 2 Basics Veterinary Clinic offers routine care.  We provide annual wellness exams, vaccinations, heartworm testing, medical exams and diagnostics, and routine surgeries (spays, neuters, dentals, and simple tumor removals).  We do not do the more complicated surgeries such as exploratory surgery or orthopedics.  We are also currently unable to offer radiographs or ultrasounds.  For our patients that require procedures we are unable to offer, we have developed relationships with the Veterinary Emergency Services and Specialty Center and the University of Wisconsin Veterinary School in order to ensure that those patients get the care they need.  We have refrained from investing in the expensive equipment that those procedures require in order to keep costs down for all of our clients. 

Practicing without the bells and whistles is only one of the ways in which we keep costs affordable.  A large part of our affordability comes from taking a common sense approach to the care we provide.  For example, we work with an owner to determine which vaccines are appropriate for a pet’s lifestyle, which means owners avoid paying for unnecessary vaccines.  We operate with a modest staff in a modest, welcoming facility.  We have an online pharmacy, VetSource, which gives us access to a wider variety of medication without the expense of an overabundance of inventory.  In addition to keeping medication prices low for our clients, it has the added convenience of having medication shipped right to the client’s door. 

The products we carry reflect our belief that prevention is the best medicine.  Rather than veterinary diets that are loaded with corn and meat by-products, we carry Taste of the Wild for dogs and Wellness for cats.  Both of these foods use quality ingredients and avoid fillers and inappropriate preservatives.  We also have a line of raw food, Stella and Chewy’s, which is made right here in Wisconsin.  We carry their frozen and freeze-dried dinners as well as treats.  In addition to food, we carry a line of TropiClean dental products, as noted above, a natural ear wash made by Retrieve Health, and Bio-Groom Shampoos.  All of the products we carry are products we use on our own pets, thus we can speak directly to their effectiveness. 

At Back 2 Basics we pride ourselves on keeping care simple and affordable.  We develop relationships with our clients and our patients so that we may provide the individualized care that they deserve.  We keep a modest, welcoming facility and a modest, friendly staff and utilize referral resources in order to keep costs low.  Lastly, we do not sell products we do not believe in.  Our philosophy means that clients get great care for their pets without breaking the bank.  If you are currently a client, thank you.  If you have not been in yet, we look forward to seeing you!

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off

Thank You to the Holiday Pet Food Drive Donors

The Holiday Pet Food Drive is officially over.   Thanks to our awesome clients and community members we were able to contribute over 700 pounds of food and litter and $245 in monetary donations to the Kibble on Wheels program. The people over at Independent Living, Inc. are extremely thankful for all of your support, as are we here at Back 2 Basics.  We raised so many donations they couldn’t even fit it in the kibble closet!  So give yourselves a round of applause, because we couldn’t have done it without you!  And as many of you already know, Channel 3 News came out to do a story about all of your donations.  You can watch the clip here: 

 http://www.channel3000.com/family/26407346/detail.html

 Thank you to the following people and businesses who donated items:

 Lee L.

Don W.

Ann Marie J.

Diane H.

Diane R.

Theresa Z.

Susan M.

Sharon and Mike S.

Tim and Amanda M.

Stuart and Carole F.

Lynn and Greg H.

Amos and Betsy P.

Paul and Carol B.

Fred N.

Shannon F.

Debra and Fred K.

Tracee R.

The Dog Haus Daycare

Landmark Co-op

Deer-Grove Veterinary Clinic

       Though the official drive is over, we are continuing to collect donations to drop off at the Kibble on Wheels headquarters.  Thanks again to everyone who participated; you made the first annual Holiday Pet Food Drive a success!

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Holiday Goings-On

           Welcome to the Back 2 Basics Veterinary Clinic’s first ever blog posting!  We hope everybody’s holiday season is kicking off to a great start.  ‘Tis the season for family, friends, and good food.  It is also a good time to reflect on all of the things we are grateful for, and to remember those who are not as fortunate.  In the spirit of the holiday season, Back 2 Basics is participating in a fundraising effort and a pet food drive, and we would like your help!

           Zeva is a one year old Miniature Pinscher from the Min Pin Rescue (IMPS).  She has been with the rescue since May of this year.  Little Zeva has had a rough ride.  She was diagnosed with a rare bladder infection that was resistant to most antibiotics and spread to her left kidney.  The infection was caused by a malformation in the neck of the bladder.  Eventually the doctors were able to find an antibiotic that could clear the infection, but unfortunately, a surgical correction was also required.  Dr. Tobin Eshelman of the Veterinary Emergency Service removed the damaged left kidney, resected the abnormality in her bladder, and spayed Zeva the same time.  Although everyone who has helped Zeva has offered donated time and discounted services, her medical bills through the Min Pin Rescue have totaled over $4000.  We would like to continue to help the rescue offset some of these costs.  If you would like to make a donation towards Zeva’s medical expenses, please contact Angie Schuldies at (608) 241-3647 or thedoghaus@gmail.com.  Donations can also be made on PayPal by visiting www.minpinrescue.org, or dropped off at the Back 2 Basics Veterinary Clinic.

          In addition to helping with Zeva’s fundraising effort, Back to Basics is conducting a pet food drive for the Kibble on Wheels program.  Kibble on Wheels is an offshoot of Independent Living’s Meals on Wheels program.  Volunteers were noticing that some seniors were sharing their meal with their pets because they could not afford or obtain pet food.  Knowing how important it is for both seniors and pets to have proper nutrition, Independent Living started Kibble on Wheels, and began collecting and distributing pet food to owners and animals in need.  Kibble on Wheels currently serves 70 clients in Dane County.  As funding has been lean this year, Back 2 Basics decided to host a holiday pet food drive to help make sure the kibble cupboard doesn’t go bare!  Starting now through January 2nd, 2011, you can drop donations off at the Back 2 Basics office.  Items in need are:

Dry dog & cat food

Canned dog & cat food

Cat litter.

            80% of Kibble on Wheels recipients are cat owners, so canned cat food and litter are particularly in need.  They do accept open bags of cat and dog food as long as it has not passed the expiration date.  More information on the Kibble on Wheels program can be found at www.indepenliving.com, and if you would like to make a direct donation, the Independent Living office is located at 815 Forward Dr., Madison, 53711.  Any help you can give them this holiday season would be greatly appreciated!

           Lastly, I would like to note our holiday schedule.  Back 2 Basics Veterinary Clinic will be closed on the following days:

Thursday, November 25th

Friday, November 26th

Saturday, November 27th

Friday, December 24th

Saturday, December 25th

Friday, December 31st

Saturday, January 1st

           If you need to pick up food or medication (or drop off a donation), please plan accordingly.  Please contact Veterinary Emergency Services at (608) 222-2455 if your pet needs immediate assistance.

          Have a happy and safe holiday season!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments