An acquaintance of mine called home at 9:00 at night to find out where the vets office was. The phone was then given to me to discuss the problem with his dog.
As he told me what was going on I asked how long this "lump" had been there. I was told about a week. It started out the size of his thumb and over the last 2 days turned into the size of a grapefruit!
As it turns out the dog went into surgery to remove a hardend abcess.
This inceident got me to thinking about how many people wait until the last possible minute to take their animals to the vet, and some dont take them at all.
When I worked at the local vet clinic it was one of the biggest complaints we had. It was extreamly typical for an owner to wait at least a week or more before bring in the suffering animal to get treatment.
One of the causes of this was money related, but it seemed that the worst cause was just plain stupidity!
You love your animals, thats why you have them, right? So why not take care of them? If you dont know how, there are ways to find that information out. You need to go to a local vet, its free to talk to your vet, or a very minimal charge for a full consultation, but trust me it is worth it. Talk to neighbrors, or other animal owners. Trainers, farriers, or riders, go to the library, or if your reading this, look on the internet while your logged on! Talk to someone at the feed store.
There is alot of work to keeping horses, and until you know what your doing,(which you never stop learning how), you need to make sure that you keep a proffesionals phone number handy, they wont mind helping you out if it means the welfare of the horse!
Just having a place where your horse can get out of the weather and a pen doesn't mean you are properly taking care of them. They must have a clean and injury free area to be in that is big enough to get proper exercise and not be injured. Also, you need to make sure that your feeders and waterers are safe and appropriately made for what you are using them for. Old bathtubs, or 55 gallon garbage cans do not make good waters or feeders! They can be very hazardous.
There are plenty of avenues by which you can get a multitude of information about how to care for your animals.
Keep your horse or other pets away from the vets office by taking the time to properly research the type of pet and how to properly care for the animal BEFORE you buy it.
Don't wait to long to take them in to see the vet, when in doubt, call your vet to see if you need to bring them in or if there is something you can do at home. You may not think its serious, but your vet paid thousands of dollars on the education to know, not think!
Veterinarians in Buena Vista and Salida
Large animal - -
Peak Vet Service - Leslie Harrison 3956250
Cottonwood Vet Services - Joel Stahlecker 395-8900
Mountian Shadows - Kit Riff 539-2533
Small Animal - -
Cottonwood Vet Service - Joel Stahlecker 395-8900
Buena Vista Vet Clinic - Greg Kettering 395-8239
Best Friends Mobile Vet Service Beth Ritchie - 395-0968
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Well, Christmas is over!
I hope you all had a peaceful and generous one. I most certainly did. We went to the families, had gifts, breakfast and naps, a HUGE dinner, and then, of course, went snow plowing for a couple hours! I am so thankful for to be able to be a part of such an awesome extended family.
It is so beautiful here in Buena Vista right now. There is so much snow! We had a gorgeous white Christmas, with a call for more on the way. Everyone is adapting well. All the woodland animals, and of course the horses seem to be weathering the storms and chill great.
I am planning on taking the horse out in the next couple days to do some skijoring around the neighborhood again this year! Everyone seemed to enjoy watching me last year with my big grey, so now I am going to try it with Princess. Maybe if she settles into it well, I'll extend our trip out further. There is plenty of snow on the roads that I shouldn't have much of a problem getting around. So maybe you'll see me out and about, if you get up by Crossman, keep an eye out for me, (either on the road, or in a ditch)!
Check out this awesome video of Nate Bowers of Bowers Farm in Fort Collins, Colorado that I found on the internet!
http://www.bowersfarm.com/skijoring.htm
Please remember that you need to be an experienced horseman to try this, or don't do it at all, you should have someone to accompany you as well, & a helmet and other body protection should always be used.
See ya next week, everyone keep warm and give the horses an extra oatmeal cookie!
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Well, we only have 10 more days until Christmas folks. I don't think we're going to have to ask Santa for a white Christmas. Most everyone seems to be able to get out a about now. There are some plows that are still out and busy. I have seen alot of snowmobiles so at least someones having fun in all this!
Our equine friends don't seem to be to bothered by all the snow. Our horse, Princess at home is rather enjoying it. You will find her during the day out side digging through the snow foraging for whatever she can find to snack on. Although when you see her, she looks like she has a bald face with all the snow covering it. When we go out to feed, Girl, our blue heeler/dingo mix pup bounces around in the snow and the mare gives chase! This has been a game since we brought Girl home last year, but its really rather funny in the deep snow now!
Well, I hope everyone is staying warm and dry! Remember to keep fresh water and hay out for the horses. See my winterizing your horse blog below!
Have an awesome week and enjoy all the holiday parties I know everone will be going to!
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We have had just a ton of snow here in BV this weekend. It started snowing on Friday and it snowed off and on until yestreday December the 11th! In town it was report that we had a total accumulation of about 28 inches! Up higher near the foothills, they reported 40+ inches! The snow plows have been VERY busy and very backed up! Most everyone has survived the onslaught of snow with a moderation of emotion. Most stayed inside away from the roads, and those who had to get out either had plows and 4 wheel drives or had to wait for a commercial plow company to make their way to them.
Today the roads are clearing up and traffic is resuming to its normal flow. The temps have been steady around the low 30's and dipping down into the low teens or single digits.
Is everyone ready for Christmas? We are quickly gaining on it with only 13 more days left! I thankfully have all of my shopping done. I am cursed with the ability to get done quickly if not through out the year. No last minute stuff for me. Of course I do all of my shopping online or local. I hate the malls, and I don't see the point in giving my hard earned money to a corporation. Plus, people in the malls are just there to spend money and they really don't care about the Christmas Season.
Well, good luck to everyone who still has shopping to do. Be careful out there, both on the roads and in the stores.
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2007 3rd Annual Equine Christmas Parade
photo courtesy of Sheila Johnson
Buena Vista woke up to be very surprised by the lack of snow on the ground, as was predicted by the national weather forecasters, and instead got to enjoy a beautiful ground drenching rain!
Everyone was in good holiday spirits despite the weather and were plenty of riders and spectators to help ring in the Christmas season and welcome Santa from the North Pole!
Even our own Beth Caldwell wowed the spectators in her beautiful Victorian Holiday regalia and horse Phantom.
Photo courtesy of Cherie Haarberg
Each year the Chaffee County Carriage Club hosts this ever growing event. Please check out their web page at www.thewoollybear.com/GigPage.aspx?PageID=1469 , if you would like to get involved with the carriage club or the Christmas parade next year!
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