Old Dogs, New tricks?

My dogs are getting old.  As much as I hate to say it it is true.  Annie who I picked up as a puppy while living in Steamboat Springs turned eight this year.  Annie is an Irish wolfhound, Husky, German Shepard mix with one blue eye and one brown and while not as large as a full Wolfhound is still pretty big at 120 pounds.  So eight is kind of a milestone although most people who met her wouldn't guess she is eight even the Veterinarian checked her chart twice and then asked to confirm her birthday.  Which is good because I couldn't imagine a life without her.  She has the most personality of any dog I have owned. 

Keegan is six this year although the only sign of aging on her is her greying muzzle. She keeps herself in tip top shape running around our four acres.




I get asked a lot how to keep older dogs healthy so here is what I do.  First and foremost I feed good quality food.  When I first got my dog I had no idea there were better foods than the ones found at Petsmart but boy was I wrong.  Check out www.dogfoodanalysis.com to see how your food measures up.  Keep in mind the website is completely independent, they just rate the food.  I don't feel there is one great food for every dog.  Keegan has allergies so there are foods we need to avoid even if they are good foods.  I would shoot for a 4 star or better food from the website.  A great place locally to find good food is Essential Pet on Cottonwood Dr and Parker Rd next to the DMV, they are great and really know their dog foods.  So first step is get your dog on a good food that works for them.

My second thing I do is lots of walks.  Just like in people the more active you are the better you feel.  We strive for daily walks with longer hikes on the weekends.  This activity helps keeps joints moving freely and muscles strong and healthy.  If your dog has been sedentary for awhile make sure you work into longer walks, you don't want to injure your dog by doing too much too soon.  Also make sure to take plenty of water to keep your dog hydrated.

Speaking of joints I firmly believe in joint supplements, not only for dogs but horses too.  I know there is no evidence that joint supplements work as prevention but I have always given them to my dogs from a young age and it has kept arthritis to a minimum.   So my dogs get a daily joint supplement. Right now they are on Glyco Flex 1 soft chews since they are not showing any joint discomfort yet.  For being 8 and 6 with the sizes they are that is really good.  If I do see the Glyco Flex 1 isn't strong enough anymore I can move them up to 2 or 3 which is why I long Glyco Flex's three step system.

Lastly annual visits with my Veterinarian are very important.  When you see your dog daily it may be hard to see subtle changes that your veterinarian can pick up on.  As dogs age some may benefit from twice annual visits.

So keep them moving and active.  Start aching pets on a joint supplement and see your vet to keep those old dogs feeling young!

Vetericyn The best new wound treatment!

This is the first product of the day!  Any Vetericyn product is 10% off!
I didn't know what to start with on products of the day but since I seem to be running an equine hospital ward right now I thought this was appropriate.  It seems when it rains it pours at my house.  I have already talked about London and her fractured pastern.  I also have Peanut, who has a corn so he needs daily epsom salt soaks.  Then there is Taylor who thought it would be a good idea to kick down my fence and in the process skinned her hock pretty good.  So I instantly reached for my Vetericyn VF.

From the Vetericyn website:

Why Vetericyn Is Superior

Vetericyn is not a steroid, antibiotic, bleach, toxin or organic homeopathic.
Vetericyn is a scientifically engineered topical solution that kills virtually any infection, yet is completely non-toxic and environmentally friendly. Backed by real science with over 25 clinical trials completed, Vetericyn is the animal version of the FDA-cleared Microcyn formulation that has been used on over two million human patients worldwide without a report of a single serious adverse effect.
Vetericyn is completely bio-compatible because it mimics the body’s natural immune system’s response to an infection. In addition, bacteria, virus, fungi and spores have not demonstrated the ability to develop resistance to Vetericyn. In fact, Vetericyn kills all these single-cell pathogens within 30 seconds of contact. Vetericyn is so potent it kills staph, E. coli and even MRSA. Vetericyn is safe as water making it completely non-toxic and environmentally friendly. Therefore your animal can lick its wounds or infections after application of Vetericyn without any adverse affects. Will not stain clothing or furniture with application to animal. And there are no special disposal requirements.
Vetericyn contains no steroids or antibiotics which can hinder the healing process or weaken the immune system.
There are also two other significant benefits to Vetericyn. Wounds treated with Vetericyn have demonstrated a reduction in healing time by up to 60%. Vetericyn significantly increases the oxygen content at the wound site within 30 seconds and maintains that oxygen level for up to 36 hours. This increase in oxygen could account for these accelerated healing times. Second, Vetericyn treats and reduces chronic inflammation by inhibiting the release of histamines by the mast cells. Chronic inflammation is a barrier to healing.
To summarize, Vetericyn is a completely non-toxic anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral that is environmentally friendly and safe as water. Will not stain clothing or furniture with application to animal and is bio-compatible with your animal’s body.

I have used this product on many wounds.  The biggest thing to remember is it cannot freeze, this will render it useless so it must be kept in a temperature controlled enviroment.  Vetlink of Parker sells the VF version in a solid white bottle which is twice the strength of the clear blue bottle formula.  We also carry the Eye and Ear version, plus the hydroget VF which is a thicker treatment for longer stickability.

To apply rinse the wound and apply liberally.  Can be used on any wound and we have had great testimonials on everything from wounds to scratches to rain rot and even improvement on Aural plaques (the white growths in ears).  It is the first thing I reach for.  Stop in and pick up any of the Vetericyn products and you will be pleased with the results.


Have a great weekend, stay dry and happy riding!

Is rescue a four letter word?

I am still amazed when people are surprised I adopted my newest horse.  There are so many horses out there that adooption can be a great way to find a great horse, so here is my story of Broadway.

I love Thoroughbreds, I especially love off-the-track Thoroughbreds. I have owned three and helped in the retraining of many others.  Most have not really been "rescues" per se but have come from trainers on the track who needed good homes.  In February of this year I had to put down my beloved first horse, Scarlett.  In 2002 she was bit by a rattlesnake and it started a long battle with chronic lymphangitis.  After 8 years of countless drugs and every supplement I could find that might help (thankfully I worked at Vetlink :) ) She was not able to put weight on that leg anymore and my vet and I decided it was time to let her go.  On a beautiful Febrary morning with a blanket of snow I let my friend go.  I was the best and worst decision I have ever made.  I know she is pain free and one day I will get to ride her again.

  My Scarlett

 Back on topic, sorry I started this blog about rescues and turned it into one about euthansia, so back to the rescues.

I read a daily blog at http://www.fuglyblog.com/ while I might not always agree with Cathy she has a lot of good information and is a good read.  Fugly blog has banner ads from rescues and that is where I found Broadway.  Broadway is an 11 year old off-the-track Thoroughbred from New York.  She through the rescue network made it to Shiloh Horse Rescue near Las Vegas NV. (http://www.shilohhorserescue.com/ if you want to check them out)  Broadway was cute, little (15.1 like I like them) and ready to go.  I spent long hours watching all the videos Shiloh had posted, I look at all the photos and then I gave them a call.  Something about this little Thoroughbred was calling me.  After talking with Jill, the owner of Shiloh, I decided she was the one for me.  My husband and I planned our trip to Las Vegas and went and picked her up.  She rides nice, she is very sweet and is now in love with my other off-the-track Thoroughbred, Peanut (I promise I will do an introduction post soon) who happens to be her cousin.

My point of this whole story is there are fabulous horses sitting in rescues, waiting for homes that just might be your next best friend.  Please if you arfe looking for a new horse check out the many local and national rescue available.  I cannot say enough good things about Jill and her staff at Shiloh Horse Rescue but I realize Las Vegas is not the easiest trip and something closer may fit your needs better.

I promise to get better pictures of miss Broadway when she is not covered in mud, love the moisture hate the effect! Here is her page from the website if you want to check her out! http://shilohhorserescue.rescuegroups.org/animals/detail?AnimalID=393013

Here is a picture from the rescue, where it is sunny and dry! 

Happy riding and we will see you soon at Vetlink!

They shoot horses with broken legs right?

We all remember the old westerns when the horse with the broken leg is ceremoniously euthanised.  I admitt having a horse with a fracture is one of my worst fears. Last month though I found out my big Trekehener mare, London has a fractured pastern.  Interjecting here, I will do an introduction of all my animals but I wanted to start with this post as it is fresh in my head.

London was off, not quite lame but definatly not sound.  Everyone who saw her thought something was going on in her hind end but we all had no idea what.  In early February I has witnessed her fall in her pen and I admitt it nagged in the back of my mind that maybe she had hurt it then, but it was April now and I didn't think that small incident made a difference, she got up immediatly and was fine, or so I thought.  Dr Dunbar at Littleton Equine Medical Center came out to see London and told me to come into the clinic for x-rays.  So on April 20th I took her into the clinic, where after a lot of flexing and examination by Dr Story the x-rays told the truth, a hairline fracture on the right rear pastern.  A fracture, really she wasn't that lame but the evidence was right there in black and white.  Treatment would be a large bandage and up to 6 months of stall rest that is if the fracture remained stable.  I took London home to set her up for the long stall time.  I put in toys and hay and tried to bed it deeply for comfort and then I waited.

The first two weeks were awful.  London wouldn't eat or drink. Su-per Lyte electroyltes ($9.95 for 5lbs at Vetlink) helped with the drinking and she is getting them daily to keep her drinking.  She stall walked, she wood chewed she whinneyed for her friends. It was depressing for both of us.  Then she started to settle in.  I brought Pony, my pony in to keep her company and the pony she had never looked twice at was now her new best friend.  We starting daily deep grooming and she really enjoyed that.  After those two weeks London settled right in.  she keeps her stall clean, started eating and drinking well and has accepted her fate, at least for now.

Today May 18th was her first month check up.  She loaded well and we headed back to the clinic for x-rays and a re check.  She was perfect.  The x-rays showed a little improvement, not great, but ok.  More time in the stall for London.  I actually think she enjoyed her time at the clinic.  She smiled for the interns and hammed it up for their camera, totally her MO.  Then she didn't want to leave as it took three of us to get her home.  Once home though she checked on Pony and then settled right back into her home.  Hopefully her whole healing process is this good. 

Keep checking back for updates and we will start in with product updates and products of the day along with news and articles about the horse industry.  Happy riding this summer whether it be that first A show or a long trail ride!

Please let me out of here!

Welcome to the Vetlink of Parker Blog!

Hi and welcome.  This blog is going to be used in conjection with our website; http://www.vetlinkofparker.com/. I will be posting products of the day here updates on my horses and shows and updates from the store.  We hope you enjoy all we have to blog about!