Valley Vet Supply

How to Measure for a Horse Blanket

How to measure Brookside Blankets: Start from the center of the horse’s chest and measure around the widest part of the shoulder, along the barrel and around the widest part of the hindquarter to the center of the tail, keeping your line horizontal to the ground. The blanket measurement is the same as the number of inches measured, however, if the measurement is an odd number, take the next highest even measurement.

A favorite of the Brookside line is the Medium Weight Turnout. You can embroider these, and this line also has matching Garment Bag, Boot Bag and a Western Saddle Carry Bag or All-Purpose Saddle Carry Bag.

How to measure Weatherbeeta Freestyle Blankets: With a soft measuring tape, measure from the center of the chest along the side of the barrel and belly to the point just before the tail (where horse’s rump curves back to the tail) to determine your horse’s length. Do not measure all the way to the edge of the tail or the center of the tail with the freestyle blankets as this will lead to a size too big. If your horse measures in between sizes, round down to the nearest size.*

*When fitting a blanket without freestyle or without a tail flap, your horse may require a larger size. When measuring, round up to the nearest size. The top of the tail flap (the binding or joint between blanket and tail flap) is designed to sit at the top of your horse’s tail. If the seam between the tail flap and the blanket falls below the top of the tail, the blanket is too big.

Most of the Weatherbeeta blankets are “European cut” (any blanket with a tail flap and sized in 3” increments.)

Brookside makes note if the blanket is “European cut,” for example the Medium Weight Turnout and the Lightweight Turnout Blanket. The most common size for a European cut is 75”.

An “American cut” blanket is typically any blanket that does not have a tail flap and is usually in 2” increments. The most common size in American cut is 78”

Finally, for that perfect fit, fasten and adjust the chest straps, leg straps and surcingles. Francie

Fall housecleaning, now is a good time to think of a Different Coat and House… your dogs and cats.

Days are getting shorter and before everyone knows it, the Fall weather will change to Winter. As you are getting out your blankets and coats and doing Fall housecleaning, now is a good time to think of a different coat and house… your dog’s and cat’s.

Our doghouse and kennel do not see much activity during the Summer except for an occasional (too few this year!) storm. We are lucky the dog house roof comes off and can easily be hosed out. The kennel has front doors to the run and one (somewhat) larger door for me to crawl in and hose the insides out. After everything has been hosed and dried, we spray for the little critters hiding in the spaces. Remember, when you use flea and tick products, you also need to treat surroundings and yards with premise sprays. The rugs and blankets that were in the doghouse and kennel are thrown over the clothesline and hosed down before being drenched with a diluted spray of flea shampoo and water. As the chance of rain seems slim this year, we will rinse again and let dry in the sun before putting them back in the dog spaces.

Before any of the animals think they are going in to the now fresh smelling and comfy covers, they too are washed and treated for fleas. Our monthly flea and worming program is topped off with a paw-i-cure with nails trimmed. Once in a while we threaten to do some nail painting, but Ansley thinks as a “cattle/farm” dog we are pushing it. When it is vet time, and the hot pink halter collar and leash come out, she actually cringes. In human life she would be considered a definite tomboy.

Speaking of coats, if you are considering a new coat for your pup, make sure to measure carefully before ordering. Take a soft measuring tape and measure from the nape of the neck, down the back, to the base of the tail. If you have a deep chested dog, you might want to give us a call and we will be glad to pull any items and measure for you. As time does get away from us, and winter can be really rough, it is better to think about ordering now before storms arrive. You may also want to check our great line of paw protectants.
We are pawsitively certain we can help your pets be covered from head to tail. Sorry, I couldn’t resist. Helen

Battery Powered Heated Vest--You Just Gotta Have It!

With the weather starting to turn a little cooler (the temp was in the mid-40’s when I got up this morning) I felt it was my civic duty (LOL) to tell you about what I think is the best, most AWESOME heated apparel product we carry. It is a Battery Powered Heated Vest. The product originated in the motorcycle industry. I have to start by telling you I was, to say the least, skeptical of this product when about a year ago I was approached by a rep for the company wanting us to carry it. As any good rep does, I was being told the features and benefits and how I couldn’t possibly live without this product in our lineup. And I fully admit, I was thinking and saying, “Um yeah, ok, sure, whatever. I seriously doubt it’s all that, but whatever. I’ll think about it”.

A few weeks later, I received a vest in the mail saying, Julie—you really just need to try this. It was a cold Kansas January day where the wind and wind chill cut straight to the bone. Even indoors I was COLD. If you are like me, once my back is cold, I’m pretty well chilled everywhere all day until I can get my back warm again. I read the instructions, saw that it had four settings for heat temperatures, cranked it up to the highest setting and ...aaahhhh...finally became warm. I immediately sent an email off to the rep, saying—ok—you were right—it is all that it is cracked up to be. The hook is set, go ahead and reel me in. We still laugh about the complete turnaround in judgment I had on the vest. I’m telling you right now that if you ride in the fall and winter, even early spring…and you do not want the bulkiness of a heavy jacket…this is an item you must have.

But not just for riders. As I’ve told you before, I am a farm kid, and this vest keeps me warm when I’m outside in the winter helping around the farm. Both of my boy’s are very active in sports. I absolutely LOVE this thing when it comes to football season!!! My oldest, JT, actually has a game this evening ,and I already have the vest packed to go with me tonight. Last spring, I was at one of JT’s baseball games where the high never reached 50 all day. I was sitting outside with what appeared to be just a sweatshirt on. I think every Mom there asked me if I was really that tough or hot blooded to be just sitting there in a sweatshirt when you saw Carhartt coats, gloves and blankets everywhere. I had to laugh, and then pulled up my sweatshirt and said, "Nope…got a heated vest on---makes all the difference in the world!!" I will be honest, when I saw the price….I did have sticker shock-----but with the big man upstairs as my witness---I can tell you without a doubt in my mind and as a friend this vest is worth every single penny. Julie

Blanket Winner!!!

Once again I am totally blown away by the response to this giveaway. Thank you to each and every one of you for sharing your “horse(s)” with me. I just absolutely love hearing from all the great horse-people we have out there and so many wonderful stories from how you choose a blanket, to rescues, to breeding…….you all are just amazing people!

This morning we have drawn our winner.

Congratulations to: Mindy F.

I will personally be contacting you to find out the details of your choice this morning.

Everyone, please keep checking back on the blog. With Christmas so near, I have plans to do a Classic Equine Package giveaway, a men’s and ladies jean giveaway, and well----you’re just going to have to keep checking to find out!

Thanks again everyone!!
Happy Friday
Julie

Preconditioning for Healthy Calves

A sound preconditioning program helps ensure the health of weaned calves. Preconditioning includes vaccinating and other health care, weaning and introducing dry feed. It is designed to prepare calves for arrival at a back-grounding lot or feedyard in a manner that significantly reduces sickness and death loss. Preconditioning ensures to buyers that calves have been properly handled, and can lead to premium sale prices.

For the best response, the proper vaccines must be administered in time for calves to develop immunity before they are challenged by a disease. A common approach would be to vaccinate for blackleg or blackleg/somnus, and respiratory diseases IBR, BVD, PI3, BRSV and Pasteurella (Mannheimia haemolytica). By increasing resistance to respiratory diseases while calves are still on the farm, where exposure and stress are minimal, they are better prepared for sale and transport to a feedyard or the next phase of production. Most calves are healthy on sale day, but the stress from weaning, transport and environmental change lowers their ability to resist disease at a time when their exposure to disease increases.

Need help with preconditioning records? Ask about our Preconditioning Certification forms, which are free to you upon request with your vaccine purchase. The forms allow you to document health care for buyers, including dates of blackleg vaccination, respiratory vaccination, deworming, external parasite control and other data. Two-part forms include record for buyer and a duplicate copy for your own records. Lori H

The Power of the Little Blue Bottle

It’s one of the scariest things, getting a call to come to the barn because your horse has been cut up. You would think it was a child of our own, running to the truck, speeding towards one of our babies to save the day. As we pull up, we see Rusty haltered up, standing there looking at us with her big eyes, and ya know she’s thinking, “I’m sorry, I did it again!”. You see, Rusty is the most accident prone horse you have every seen. It wasn’t a shocker to us when we heard what horse it was that was tore up, the only words out of our mouths were, “oh no, not again!”. Last time Rusty got so tore up we had to take her to the vet, and pay that nice little ER bill (little... ya right!). Luckily this time things weren’t as bad. Even better, last time we were visiting our best friend, the vet, he suggested that we get a bottle of Vetericyn (preferably the hydrogel because it’s supposed to stay on better); “It’s the best”, he says. Thank goodness we did, because we had it on hand when we got the phone call about Rusty, again. I love the horse to death, but really...again! We (and by we I mean my husband) went up to Rusty to examine the damage, seeing that there is quite a bit of swelling, and the skin is peeled back pretty far. The wound has clearly been there all day, because the skin is already starting to curl under. After discussing our options, he had ruled out the vet (our pocket book had a part in that conversation), but we decided to try the Vetericyn the doc had recommended last time. I went to get the bottle out of the truck (that’s my part of the examination...getting things), and Dan generously sprayed the wound, along with the area around it (just for good measure.) Our biggest concern was the swelling it had caused.

The next morning Dan went to do chores, caught Rusty, and was amazed how much the swelling had decreased! He applied the spray to the wound and surrounding area again, and that evening we did chores together. I couldn’t believe my eyes!!! After one day of applying the Vetericyn (only twice a day), the swelling had decreased by at least half its size, and the wound was healing up very nicely....all this magic in the little blue bottle. After 3 days, it had started to scab over, and the swelling had subsided! Totally worth every penny, and couldn’t be any happier with our success. It’s amazing... the power of the little blue bottle!

I’d love to hear your success stories too! Tell me how amazing it worked for you, and any tricks you have for using it. Rhonda

Blanket Giveaway!!!

Winner Announcement!

In my last post I mentioned to watch for a blanket giveaway. True to my word, I want to give you a chance at winning a FREE blanket. The blanket I have chosen is the Professional’s Choice Equisential 600 Denier Turnout Blanket. I believe just about anyone could make good use of this blanket. It’s the perfect winter blanket for those of you folks in the warmer climates; it would work as a lighter fall blanket or early spring blanket for those of you in the colder climates…..and talk about fashion! You can choose which color and size is right for your horse. My personal favorite is the zebra striped. So, now all you have to do is comment and tell me “Why does your horse need a new blanket and/or what do you look for in a horse blanket?” and then tweet or like this post and you will be signed up to have your chance at winning this really awesome blanket. I have listed the official details below!

TO ENTER
1) Answer the following question in the comments section of this post:

Why does your horse need a new blanket and/or what do you look for in a horse blanket?

and

2) Tweet or Like the post

THE RULES
One entry per person, please. (Note: if you don't see your entry right away, please don't enter a second time. It will show up shortly!)

No entries after 8:00 am Central Time Friday October 21, 2011.

One winner will be selected at random and announced Friday October 21, 2011.

The winner can choose size and color of #12984 Equisential 600D Winter Turnout Blanket

Good luck! Julie

Choosing Your Winter Blanket

With all the different types and kinds of equine blankets out there, one can easily get confused as to what they really need for the winter season. Fashion plays a big part in the decision making for many people, however I must caution you to make your choice first and foremost on a few other factors.

First, decide where, when and how often your horse will be wearing a blanket. Are you turning your horse out to pasture or in a paddock, or are you going to be stabling or traveling with your blanket/sheet?

If you are using it as a turnout, you will want to look for a higher denier blanket. Most of our turnouts will be at least 1200 denier, which means it’s made of a heavier outer material that will not snag as easy. If you are looking more for a blanket for stabling purposes, we have several options in denier for you to choose, from 420 to 1200 denier. Remember; the lower the denier the easier the blanket could tear if you have something sticking out of your stall wall.

Another factor to consider is what type of climate do you live in? Are you in Montana where you have snow for a LONG time and it gets really cold…or are you in Florida where freezing normally doesn’t happen. Depending upon that answer, you’ll choose what polyfill gram weight is best suited for your situation. The higher the gram, the heavier the inner fill for the blanket, therefore the warmer the blanket. If you are in the lower part of Texas, California or Florida, you may consider 600 denier turnout with a 250 gram fill, for example Equisential 600D Winter Turnout Blanket. If for some reason you have a cooler than normal evening, you can always layer your lighter weight blanket by putting a fleece cooler underneath. Or another trick you may consider is if you have a lighter denier blanket or sheet, cover it with a Kensington Protective Fly Sheet for turnout.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email or call (800-419-9524). Our customer service department is quite knowledgeable on our blanket lines. Stay warm! Julie

PS. Give-a-way coming soon! Keep an eye on our blog, like us on facebook or follow us on twitter for details. Don't miss out!

Effective Wound Sprays for All Your Furry Friends

I often get the question “What is your most popular product?” or “Have you had feedback on what works?” I usually do get feedback, and when it comes to wound sprays, people have commented to me especially about several great products. I’ve listed them according to their unique properties so you can choose what you need.

The first is called Alushield and it basically works by covering the wound with an aluminum powder coating that protects it from flies and dirt so that it can keep from infection and the hair can grow back. The testimonials say that it appears to sting on an open wound, but it allows quick healing.

The second product is called Granulex. I have received numerous glowing comments on this product. It works by assisting “healing by facilitating the removal of necrotic tissue, exudate, and organic debris,” according to the manufacturer. I noticed it contains a special enzyme that is a digestive sort of enzyme that they were able to liquify and put into a spray application. Of course, people use it for abrasions and minor cuts, but it can be used for serious and life-threatening wounds as well. The testimonials regarding this product are very impressive. Several have used it for deep, to-the-bone wounds, and couple it with hydrotherapy. It has literally saved horses’ lives, and has had “drastic results” in healing. You can read the testimonials yourself by putting in the item number in the search word box, and then pulling up the testimonials right above the “Additional Information Links” banner. Ingredients on our products can also be found there under the “Manufacturer’s Label” tab.

Micro-Tek Medicated Spray is a best-seller antimicrobial that works really well on rain rot and scratches. With a 32 oz. bottle, and 24 hour coverage, it is a good once-a-day healer. It also comes in a shampoo.

Lavender Cleansing Spray is the all natural, good-smelling astringent that one testimonial said helped a wound scab over that previously wouldn’t.

Scarlex is a germicide that many people use as well. It claims to relieve itching as well.

Tea-Pro Equine Wound Spray is a natural healer that’s non-greasy and can even be used in the mouth for bit or teeth problems, as well as any skin issues.

Finally I would mention Gall Salve. This is for a specialized sore spot that a cinch can constantly irritate. Several people have told me that it is a great healer, and they won’t do without it. You can use it on a scab as well, until it drops off and you can put it directly on the new skin. The 5 oz. jar lasts a good, long time. Testimonials on this product on our website say that it is helpful for scratches and even worked on a wart that a vet said would be difficult to treat conventionally. So don’t let a wound rob your horse or pet of its comfort and health. Treat it with one of these healing helpers for your animal’s unique need! Ellen

Colostrum Supplements vs Replacers

You may have noticed several new choices along with the calf colostrum supplements you’ve used in the past. With 100 grams bovine globulin protein (IgG) or more per serving, this new generation of colostrum replacement products offers twice the IgG of traditional colostrum supplements. Colostrum replacers are meant to take the place of maternal colostrum, whereas traditional colostrum supplements may not provide optimum IgG unless used as a supplement to maternal colostrum. The easiest way to differentiate between the two is to look closely at the product’s name, or check the IgG content on the label. However, it’s the difference in price that may first catch your eye, since replacement products cost 2-3x more than traditional supplements. For the most part, replacers don’t require that you feed more volume to achieve the higher IgG, which can make them well worth the expense.

Research presented at the American Association of Bovine Practitioners annual meeting explains the need for colostrum products with 100 grams IgG or more: Within the first 24 hours of life, it’s important that a calf receives enough colostrum to achieve successful passive transfer of immunity from disease. This can come in the form of maternal colostrum, a combination of maternal colostrum along with a colostrum supplement, or with the use of a newer 100+ IgG colostrum replacement product. Research has shown that calves receiving a minimum of 100 grams IgG if nipple fed, or 150 grams IgG if tube fed, are most likely to achieve successful passive transfer of immunity. Calves that fail to achieve passive transfer are susceptible to death, disease, low weight gain and delayed calving.

Adequate colostrum within the first hours of life sets the foundation for a calf’s ability to survive and thrive. Lori H