Valley Vet Supply

Equine Scratcher Giveaway

As most horse owners will attest, you know spring has sprung by the amount of winter coat shedding you end up wearing after spending some quality bonding time with your horse. Install the Equine Scratcher! Not only will the Equine Scratcher help shed the coat naturally during spring, but it will also give your horse a safe scratching environment year-round. No more ugly scars from scratching along a post or fence. Wrap them around a post or place several in a row, the options are limitless.  

 

To help you get started, we are going to award FIVE LUCKY WINNERS one Equine Scratcher each!

 

To enter:

1. Answer one of the following questions in the comments section of this post:

 

Where would you hang the Equine Scratcher? Post, fence, stall, etc.? or

How do you currently help your horse shed its winter coat?

 

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 Wednesday, May 29, 2013.

Five winners will be selected at random and announced Thursday, May 30, 2013. Each winner will receive one Equine Scratcher.

Neigh Station Giveaway

Congratulations! Michael B., from Richland VA and Janet K., from Arabi GA—you are the winners of the Neigh Station Giveway!

Michael, I hope the Neigh Station works for you, and you can retire the milk jugs, LOL.

Janet, I hope this clam your baby and his hind leg ligament heals very soon. Julie

I’m bored! How long till we get there? Moommm...he’s touching me...

Sound familiar?? I’m writing this blog while traveling three and a half hours away from home down through the Flint Hills of Kansas to my in-laws for the weekend, and these are the sounds I’m hearing from the backseat.

While I’m perfectly content to write and look out across the rolling plains, it’s very evident my offspring don’t feel the same. Which got me thinking: children that are bored cause mischief. Dogs that get bored cause mischief, so we end up buying them toys. Horses that are bored cause mischief, and they therefore need the Neigh Station! Installed to a wall in their stall, your horse can view themselves in the shatterproof mirror, slide a latch back and forth with clicking sounds, and nuzzle and toss “Earl” the cowboy that is fun to play with attached to the station or standing alone.

 

 We are going to giveaway Two Neigh Stations, one each to TWO LUCKY WINNERS! To enter your name for a chance to win tell me: Why or what does your horse do now when he/she is bored to cause mischief? or What do you do to help alleviate the boredom? 

 

 I wonder if I can mount one of these in my car for my kids?

Good Luck, Julie

Neigh Station Giveaway! 

 To Enter:    

1.15. Answer the question in the comments section of this post:

Why or what does your horse do now when he/she is bored to cause mischief? or what do you do to help alleviate the boredom? 

 

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 April 26, 2013.

One winner will be selected at random and announced Friday April 26, 2013. Two winners will receive a Neigh Station.

 

Live Chat

Valley Vet Supply is proud to introduce a new feature on our website this week. We are now offering Live Chat to all web customers. This feature allows all of our customers (or future customers) the option to chat with our Live Chat technicians. They are trained to answer most questions, and can aid in placing an order via the internet. Clicking on the icon to the right of the page that looks like: will send you directly to an agent for help. Live Chat is easy and fast. This feature is available Tuesday through Friday 8-5. Rachael

SMx Flagstaff Saddle Pad Giveaway

Congratulations Donna J. from Oklahoma City, OK! You are the winner of our Flagstaff saddle pad giveaway. I hope you and Blu enjoy the pad!

Thanks to all that participated in the blog. Look for more giveaways to be coming soon. Julie

Who’s ready for a giveaway???

The second week in January is always an exciting time for me as I, among thousands of other, flock to Denver, Colorado, for the first trade show of the year. It is such a great time, catching up with friends from both sides of the table, and it’s always interesting to see what the manufacturers will have out new for 2013.

This year, we’ll start our giveaway offer with a brand new pad from Professional’s Choice, the SMx Flagstaff Comfort Fit Heavy Duty Fleece Saddle Pad. The SMx Air Ride core is made of a unique material found in the protective gear of professional human athletes that absorbs shock while allowing air flow to the skin. The natural cooling system lowers the horse’s body temperature and slows the rate of fatigue. Did I mention that these beautiful three-tone colored pads with fleece bottoms look amazing under saddle?!?!

One lucky winner will win a Flagstaff pad for themselves. You pick the color and size. All you have to do is tell me: What are you looking for when you buy a saddle pad? Technology? Color? Etc?

Good Luck! Julie

Saddle Pad GIVEAWAY!

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

What are you looking for when you buy a saddle pad? Technology? Color? Etc?

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 March 8, 2013.

One winner will be selected at random and announced Friday March 8, 2013. The winner will have their choice of size and color of SMx Flagstaff Comfort Fit Heavy Duty Fleece Saddle Pad.

Working in the Muck

When I was a kid I loved going to the farm with my dad. It was great riding on the tractor and in the back of the truck to feed cows.  Those were some great memories to have as a kid, but one that really stands out is the cold. Within an hour your feet were wet and frozen, and by lunchtime you thought they were going to fall off.  Yes, I complained a lot, but they didn’t offer a lot of choices for kids back then.

Now as an adult there are more brands that offer better technology for keeping my feet warm. My boot of choice is Muck Brand. These boots are 100% waterproof (your socks and pant legs won’t get wet).  They have a lot of diversity in design and style. I really like the Muck Master Boots.  This line of Muck Boot is great for all purpose wear. Here in Kansas the weather changes daily, and with this boot I am covered if it snows or rains. The insulated lining will keep my feet warm and dry, even in sub-zero conditions. I really like the tread and the weight of these boots. I can slop around in the mud and my boot never gets stuck. I remember, as a kid helping dad, my boots would get stuck in the mud, and I would walk out of them and my socks would be a mess.

Muck Boots are my boot of choice. This is not the only brand we offer, so come take a look at some of the other brands we carry. We even have boots for kids, so you can make their experiences memorable with a lot less complaining. Rachael 

How Important My Dog’s Teeth Should Be

The first thing I do in the morning after I drag myself out of bed is brush my teeth. Dental hygiene is very important to me and my family.  So I got to thinking about how important my teeth are, and how important my dog’s teeth should be.

I was outside sitting in the backyard watching my 3 year old swing on his swing set. Out of nowhere, my two Basset Hounds come running up to me and start licking my face (gross). I really don’t like when they do this anyway, but that day both of them had bad breath that was worse than normal. So I looked around the yard to see if they had caught something and were eating it. The search was unsuccessful, until I looked in both of their mouths and they had some plaque and food build up along their gums.

This made me think about the last two years I have had my dogs, and why I have never taken their teeth into consideration other that the food I feed them. This bad breath situation needed to come to a stop, and I needed to do something to take better care of their teeth. So I went to my trusty Valley Vet Supply Direct Pet Super Store catalog, and found several items that could help with my situation.

In the catalog there were several Items that caught my eye. The one that I tried first was the Petrodex Combo Kit. This kit included a toothbrush with two heads, a finger brush, and toothpaste. This was a very interesting experience. After just one brushing I could see a difference in the plaque. This was a good way to get rid of some of the food build up they had, also. The toothpaste is poultry flavored so it was easy to get them to open their mouths to brush.

There was another product that I tried, and it was the Advanced Oral Care Liquid Tartar Remover made by Nylabone. This was so much easier to use when brushing was not an option.  This could help with that stubborn dog that will not let you brush.  It is a liquid that you pour into their water and as they drink it, it helps wash out the tartar and food build up. I also noticed, after using this product, that my dog’s breath was much better.  The Basset Hounds really didn't mind it in their water, and they drank every last drop.

The third product that I tried, and would have to say was the Bassets’ favorites, was the Greenies. These come in several different kinds for all types of dogs. They think it’s a treat, and I know its helping to keep their teeth clean. I give them one several times a week. This is so simple, and they have a great taste. When your dog chews on them, their teeth sink in, and this action helps clean the plaque off of their teeth. I love this way of cleaning for the simple fact that it is easy, and my dogs love the taste.

Who would have thought that doggie dental had so many options? I now know that my dogs need clean teeth just as much as I do. Valley Vet Supply has a wide variety of options to help keep your dog’s teeth clean. Good luck!  Rachael

The Evolution of Animal Identification

Animal identification and herd recordkeeping have evolved to save time and improve efficiency. Traditional herd identification methods, including visual ID tags, ear tattoos and entries in pocket notebooks are now being incorporated into Electronic Identification (EID). EID recordkeeping can improve time management and efficient use of data within your own herd. Best of all, your current record keeping practices can be incorporated into an EID program. Electronic ID Tags (EID) - Enhance animal traceability and management because no two animals share the same 15-digit EID tag number. Tag manufacturers provide instant download to your computer of each tag ID number shipped to you. This gives you a quick listing of your 15-digit tag numbers and becomes the baseline for your recordkeeping. From here, you can add existing herd records, including visual ID number, tattoo number, health records, etc. Stick Reader - Save time and manual entry of health data by adding a stick reader to your EID program. Gives you the freedom to scan each ID tag and enter data pertinent to the animal at chute side. Weigh scales and indicators - Can also be synced to your EID program, allowing you to capture individual animal weights and enter other data as it crosses the scale. Cattle identification has come a long way, and we live in a time when technology can be used to document quality and add value to our product. Equally as important, data can be captured and analyzed to help you determine future herd decisions.

Pet Radio Fencing

About a year ago I was thinking how sad it was to have my dogs on tethers in the back yard. They could only go about 25 feet and then they would stop. The poor girls could not play together for fear of getting them tangled together, and something bad happening.

I took my options into consideration, and since I rent my home, nothing could be permanent. So I thought about getting a pen that was already put together. I found that they don’t provide shade. I needed something so my dogs would not dig in the yard, and could find shade. The next option was the in-ground pet fences here at Valley Vet Supply. I really liked the concept of them being able to roam the whole back yard. The dogs are free to find shade, less chance of them knocking over there water, and could finally play together. This was also portable so if I move it goes with me.

The fence I decided to purchase was Stubborn Dog In Ground Fence. This was fairly easy to install. All I had to do was take a sidewalk edger, and run it along the perimeter of my yard. The best part about this was I got to choose where the fence went and where my dogs could not go. After the perimeter was lined out you just lay the fence wire in the 1/2" hole the edger made, and cover it. How easy is that? All there was left is to connect the wires to the box in the house and plug it in.

The next step was to introduce the dogs to their boundaries. I walked one at a time around the perimeter letting them hear the beeping from the collars, letting them associate the beeping as a warning they were too close to the boundary. My Bassets really picked the concept up fast. Every dog is different so read the directions for installation so your dog will be accepting to this wonderful change.

I love this fence and my dogs appreciate it too. My three year old loves that he can go play with the dogs and they won't wrap there tethers around his legs and trip him. I love it in the summer and winter so they can get out of the elements. I look at this as an investment for 2011-2012. They are a little pricey, but there is no maintenance other than replacing the batteries every 6 months or so. The electricity it uses is next to nothing, I didn’t even see a change in my next month’s bill. Not to mention my landlord is happy with my yard looking healthier and no holes from digging. Rachael

Horse Boots

Many of our horse owners have questions about the different boots Valley Vet Supply offers. Working in the call center, I personally get questions about sizing for the Cavallo and Easy Care Brands.

The horse boots we offer are a great solution for the owner that has a barefoot horse, but wants to protect their hooves while riding.  At valleyvet.com there are videos available to help you get the right size. I advise everyone that calls in about boots to go to our website and watch the videos on how to measure and how they work. These videos are provided by the manufacturer to help ensure a secure fit.  Videos are available for both the Easy Care and Cavallo brands. I have watched both videos for both brands. Both companies make this maybe not so easy process understandable for anyone.

These are some great tools in helping you measure and fit your horse to the right boots. I found that the videos are helpful and easy to understand. I also enjoyed that it was visual to show me exactly how to get the measurements correct the first time. Rachael

Holiday Pet Travel

Many of us travel during the holidays, whether it is down the block or across the country. Many of us have problems leaving a pet that is in the house. We have some simple solutions to making sure your pet is cared for even if you are not home.

Valley Vet Supply offers several different waters that are designed to keep fresh and de-iced water for your pet while you are away. The Fresh Flow Pet Fountain works to keep the water you give your pet fresh and clean by constantly cycling the water. Your pet can go a day or two with fresh water while you are away.

If you are worried that your pet will spill its water everywhere and be out while you are gone, there is the Fresh Flow Bowl. This bowl is designed with a “lip” to hold water in the bowl even when drinking. I know when I leave home for a day or two I worry whether my dogs will have water. These bowls are very affordable and easy to use.

There are also solutions for dispensing food. For most people they have to find someone to stop by and feed their pet or board them. The Pet Mate C3000 Automatic Dry Food Feeder is a great way to ensure your pet has food while you are away. This neat little feeder is on a pre-set timer. You can set this feeder to different times of the day or a day at a time to ensure the feeding schedule they are on when you are home.

This is just a few ways to ensure your pets are cared for when you are away enjoying your holiday and you cannot take them with you. I know my mind is at ease when my pets are in their own environment when I am away. Rachael