Valley Vet Supply

Vaccination Schedule for Horses

Many combination vaccines are available, with protection against multiple diseases,
to minimize the number of injections given. Use our Equine Vaccination Schedule to protect your horse.

What combination do you use?

Pet Poo

Pet Poo—what a topic, huh? But, ya know, it is a part of nature. I have to admit, as a country gal with an outdoor dog, I don’t have to worry too much about waste products, but the pet pic and the swivel and rake bin do come in pretty handy when I find a “surprise” too close to the house left by our dog Jasper or one of our cats.

I did live in town for about ten years when I was first married, and I tell you what, nothing could fire me up more than walking outside and finding that the neighbor’s dog had used our lawn as their dumping ground. Luckily though, this gave me an opportunity to use several of our products. When my new planted bushes seem to actually draw cats to them—I used Repel II Dog and Cat Repellent Granules I swear by that stuff. For me it was the only product that kept the cats away.

I then of course had the opportunity to strongly suggest to the neighbor that they install a Doggie Dooley System. When they didn’t, I found picking up the mess and delivering it to their side of the yard quickly taught them that they needed to be a little more responsible with their pets. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against dogs or cats, it’s just that a few of their owners need to be trained just as badly as they do! Am I evil????—I prefer to see it as ornery or teaching life lessons.

So whether you are a new pet owner, a responsible seasoned pet owner…or just a neighbor doing a little “life lesson,” be sure to check out our full line of waste management products. Julie

Sit Pretty & Go Brush Your Teeth. A Greenies Story

There are a lot of dog dental care items available to choose from these days. Chew toys, dental bones or even a toothbrush & toothpaste.  I’ve never been one to take the time to actually sit down and brush our dog’s teeth.  However, knowing how important dental care is to our dogs, we have tried some of the other options.  Since we have border collies and are away to work a good part of the day, we got some dental chew toys & bones thinking this would kill two birds with one stone…help keep the dogs entertained and clean their teeth at the same time.  Turns out, Jess doesn’t care for rubber type chew toys and Jack can take them or leave them. We also found that they will only chew on a knotted rope IF you are using it to play fetch with them.  So I tried Greenies, and they were a hit with both dogs!  Jess gets the regular size, and Jack gets the large. Jess even recognizes the bag and will “sit pretty” without even being asked to!  Now I just give them a Greenie 1-2 times a week and say “go brush your teeth”. Easy for me, and good for them! Jess is 12 1/2 yrs old and as you can see in the picture her teeth & gums look great…especially for a senior dog!  She has fresh breath too….definitely a plus when she’s sharing doggie kisses!  

Valley Vet Supply also offers a Greenies Senior Treat Pack though I have not switched to the “Senior” version yet for Jess. These have been specially formulated for delicate teeth and gums which is common for a lot of senior dogs but not necessary for Jess at this time.

What is your pet dental routine? If you haven’t tried Greenies yet with your dog, give them a try....I’m glad I did! Wendi

Which Wormer Pack is Right for Your Horse?

 
The wormer pack that's right for your horse depends upon the risk of exposure to tapeworms. Tapeworms are found throughout the United States, and are most prominent in warm, humid climates. Horses can come into contact with tapeworm eggs when they eat grass. Because tapeworm eggs are expelled in the horse's manure, the risk of exposure increases with multiple horses.

Click Here for our Horse Wormer Pack Comparison Chart to get the pack that is right for your horse. Lori H

The House Cats were Growling Like Guard Dogs

The house cats were growling like guard dogs, so I turned on the porch light to see what new creature was on the front porch. In the blink of an eye something flew off the corner and was gone. Since coyotes have been really brave lately, I was praying it wasn’t one-or more. The cats, Skinny Minnie and Fatty Patty (yes-they are just that-sort of), ventured out for a rub on the sidewalk and to check out the early evening on the farm. Hiss, Spit, Screech! We all flew to the door to see one heck of a cat fight. It appears we have a new “addition” to the farm. Someone must have thought we needed another cat. Now why do people assume you need a lot of cats if you have a farm?

The new guy has stayed for quite a while now, and being the softy to all animals, I had to give him a name. As you can tell we give a lot of thought to that. You just can’t say “Have you fed the porch cat?” or “Watch out for the porch cat.” Hence his name is PC – you guessed it – short for porch cat. Not totally unlike earlier cats named Screen Climber or Stinky (you don’t want to know), and the many cats that have padded through our lives.

PC is quite the sturdy fellow. If he stays he will have to follow the rules and visit the vet soon. He doesn’t know it, but the food he just ate had his worm meds, and the neck rub had his flea spot-on. Those are rules number one and two. The third one is from Bob Barker reminding you to help control the pet population. Have your pet spayed or neutered. I am lucky to work at a place where I have known most of the people for many, many years. Even more so, that I can see the products we sell and hear from our customers on what works for them and their circumstances. Not every product works for every animal all of the time. I enjoy visiting with our customers about their animals and families too. We can laugh together, compare where we live, and sometimes lend a shoulder. Sometime soon I will have to tell you about Meanie cat...Helen

Steamy Conditions Favored by Fleas, Ticks, Flies, Mosquitoes and other Summertime Pests

Here in our little corner of NE Kansas, we’ve been blessed with some very rare, and almost unheard of, mid-summer rains. The grass has gone from green to brown and back to green again right before our eyes. Add our endless supply of 100 degree days, and you have the perfectly steamy conditions favored by fleas, ticks, flies, mosquitoes and other summertime pests.

Fleas are resilient little critters. Staying one step ahead of fleas will help keep them off of your pet and out of your home. The most convenient and least time consuming option is a topical spot-on treatment for your pet. The once-per-month dosages are pre-measured according to the size of your dog or cat. Just snip one open each month, apply it to the backline, and you’re set. The key is to start early in the year and continue through the season, or even year ‘round. There are a variety of options when choosing a spot-on flea and tick control for your dog or cat. It’s beneficial to look for one that includes an insect growth regulator (IGR), so that flea eggs and larvae are killed along with the adult fleas. This stops the flea life cycle and helps prevent future outbreaks. Commonly used IGRs include s-Methoprene and pyriproxyfen (Nylar).

A new spot-on formulation, Certifect for Dogs, has just been released. It combines the ingredients in Frontline Plus with amitraz, an ingredient that kills ticks and causes them to detach from your dog. Amitraz is also the active ingredient found in the Preventic Tick Collar for Dogs. If you’ve ever used a Preventic collar, you’re familiar with amitraz and its outstanding tick-killing power. Certifect has been approved for dogs and puppies older than 8 weeks of age and at least 5 pounds. Trial results for Certifect have been impressive. We’re anxious to hear what you think! Lori H

Winter calving!

You might think winter calving is an odd topic to discuss in late summer, but it’s on my mind as we (the graphics dept.) are preparing to work on our “winter” Farm & Ranch catalog. As I mentioned in an earlier blog, my husband John and I have a small herd of 30 cows. We do most of our calving in winter and early spring.

Last winter was not the first time we’d had a hypothermic calf, but it WAS the first time since I got my newly remodeled bathroom. Some might be asking “bathroom??” what does a bathroom have to do with a cold calf? Keep reading and you’ll find out.

Last December we were expecting #22 to calve…she was a veteran cow so we never expected any  problems from her. John was returning from town and bringing our 3 granddaughters out to spend the night with us. He pulled in the drive and noticed #22 off by herself, so he went to check things out. As it happened, she decided to calve early, and on one of the coldest, most blustery days of winter. It was snowing lightly and the wind was blowing hard, causing an extreme wind chill. The calf was slow to start and just laid there in the cold. John picked up the calf, put him in the truck and brought him up to the house.

Unaware of what was going on outside, I heard a bunch of commotion on the porch and went to see  what it was. When I opened the door, I was met by John carrying a small, cold, wet calf, 3 excited little girls and 2 concerned border collies! “I’m taking him to the bathtub” he said, and off John went down the hall. We had done this before to save a frozen calf, but as I said before, THIS time it was in my newly remodeled bathroom! (The bathroom remodel I had waited patiently for YEARS to get.) We jumped into action and put him in the tub and ran warm water in to raise his body temperature. Once we got him warming up, then we moved him to the bath mat on the floor and quickly dried him off with at least 8 towels…so now I have a dirty bathroom to clean and laundry to wash! John took him back to the porch where our 2 concerned border collies sat anxiously waiting. We laid a couple of towels down on the dog bed and laid the lifeless calf out. Now, the dogs always express concern when we have a calf in distress, but the look of concern on Jess’s face quickly changed to disgust when the calf got HER bed! We cranked up the little electric heater and told each granddaughter to start rubbing him down to get the blood circulating. All 3 eagerly jumped right in to do their part and they also gave him the name “Brownie”. As you can see, Jack did his part to help out too…what a sweet cow dog he is!

We spent several hours working with Brownie. At bedtime, he was still weak and couldn’t stand more than a couple seconds, but we were able to get him to drink a little Colostrx Plus from the Calf-Teria Pail to tide him over until morning.

We left him on the porch to warm up overnight. By the next morning, as you can see, still in their pajamas, it was the first place the girls went when they woke up. Brownie had warmed up and finally had enough strength to stand and drink more colostrum.

Once he was hungry again, John took him out to the barn where his mama was waiting for him. Brownie had a rough start, but with LOTS of TLC he pulled through and is still with us today!

I’m sure I’m not the only farm wife that has had a calf (or other farm animal) in the house to save it. When you have a small operation like ours, you make do with what you have and you do everything you can. Some days life on the farm is difficult in more ways than one, but I wouldn’t live anywhere else. Do you think it would it be weird to put a Roy-L-Heat Animal Warmer on my Christmas list??? Well, I don’t think so…. and I MIGHT DO JUST THAT! Wendi

Scrub A Dub Dub

How is it possible that even though we haven’t had any rain for weeks, my baby Bella still manages to get disgustingly dirty? I am a clean freak myself; everything has its place and when you are done with it, clean it up and put it back...EXACTLY where you got it (my husband will tell you I’m just like my mother). Every chance I get, I am down at the barn combing her mane and tail and brushing the dirt out of her coat. But there is nothing that beats a good sudsy soak. When it’s warm (correction hot) outside, you don’t want to go up and give your horse a bath in the hot sun. The horse can go into shock from the cold water on their skin. It’d be like you being outside in the heat and sun all day, and going off the high dive into a pool full of ice water.

I like to take Bella to a cool, shaded area under the trees for some relief. I let her eat some grass and chill out in the shade for a bit before I give her the suds. Brushing the excess dirt and chunks of mud out of her mane, tail, and body beforehand allows the wash to be easier and gets the horse cleaner. Just like a car, rinse off the whole body with water straight from the hose or you can use a water wand, and then go back and shampoo. I like to use Mane ‘N Tail & Body Shampoo in conjunction with the Roma Two Sided Massage Jelly Scrub. After a good sudsy soak, rinse the soap off the horse. I like to have Bella air dry. While drying, spray the mane and tail with a good detangler, my fav is Mane ‘N Tail Detangler. Spray directly on the mane and tail then work the product through with your fingers, and then brush the entire mane and tail.

Now for me, I like to braid Bella’s mane when I’m all done just to make the look complete. And VOILA! I now have a good clean horse...that is, until I put her back in the lot and she rolls in the dirt! Rhonda

Snow, Kids and Dogs!

This is my Grandson and my Ace, who both love snow and romping. Scooping sidewalks is just a reason to get out in that snow. This summer has been such a scorcher every where I had to put a picture with the snow. Ace is a Bernese mountain dog and Border Collie with the spirit of a true friend. He waits at whatever door I go into for a while until he realizes I’m not coming out again. He loves to try to herd the Grandkids when they are outdoors playing, and he loves to fetch (except he teases when he brings it back to you by make circles around you hoping you will chase him.) I have been having issues this summer keeping him combed out as his undercoat is like cotton. I finally found a tool that really works for getting his coat cleaned out, and he loves it. This is the GROOMA RAKE. It looks like a small rake, but it is amazing for this type of hair. I ended up with a basket full of furry cotton hair in less than 15 minutes. Let me tell you, this was the happiest Bernese mountain dog\Border Collie in the county for about 10 minutes in 98 degree heat. He ran and jumped and made crazy eights in the yard. It wore me out watching him, but I may have done the same thing if I could rake off pounds like that!!! Karen K

Battle in the Saddle, The Heat & Drought!

I was in Ok City a few weeks ago at the “Battle in the Saddle” & the heat & drought was a main subject. Guys came by the booth & showed us photos of dried up ponds & telling about all the cattle being sold.... Sad deal. Like one man said “one good thing is that it WILL end!”  Other than that, our show in Oklahoma was a great one! Lot’s of friendly people & the interactions with the contestants was a bonus!  I really enjoyed meeting Chad Little, a Mounted Shooting champion. It was great to see Jim, Andra, Jessie, & all the other mounted shooters. They are all such friendly, happy people...... who wouldn’t be happy, getting to do what they do! I told Andra once that I would love to be able to ride & shoot like her..... she told me she would give me the opportunity...... I said, “ I can ride & I can shoot, but it would be like watching the clown at the rodeo if I tried to do them both at the same time.” I am a really good spectator tho!!!!

This show was made even better because my sweet little granddaughters were there to help me out.  I’m pretty sure they would both make great “show girls” in the future!!! It’s nice to be able to see family on some of my VVS rode trips! Until next time....... Hope you all are staying “cool”!!!!  Kathy