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Office
Hours
Monday
- Friday
8:00am - 6:00pm
Saturday
Large Animal
8:00am - 1:00pm
Small Animal
8:00am - 5:00pm
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Is it
really time to think about "Winterizing for our
Animals'?
It is never too
early to start think about preparing animals and
facilities for winter. Our goals are to keep our animals
healthy and safe, keep our feed costs under control, and
avoid making emergency repairs when the northeast wind is
blowing. So let's discuss items for preparation:
Fencing: While good fences are important all year,
now is a better time to make the repairs. Animals'
"getting out" is at best an inconvenience and
can be tragic! During moderate weather is the time
to repair the gates, latches, and fences.
Housing: Animals will need some protection from the
weather. The key is to provide protection while keeping
fresh air available at all times. Animals in structures
with stale air are more susceptible to pneumonia and other
respiratory disorders. Keeping the air fresh often
requires changing what is "open" as the weather
changes. It also requires bedding to be kept clean. When
animals can be outside, mud is an enemy in the northwest.
Using high ground, hog fuel, pea gravel, or other base
material to keep animals out of the mud is recommended.
Water: Water is the most important nutrient in the
diet of any animal. Having fresh water available at all
times is recommended. Unlike humans, animals prefer tepid
water and will drink less cold water. The depend upon us
to provide stock tank heaters or other methods to keep
water available. If you chose to water your animals by
hand, they will need fresh tepid water delivered several
times each day. No, snow is not an acceptable source of
water for your animals.
Feed: Now is the time to plan your feed supply to
carry your animals through the winter months. Purchase
feed free of mold and dust and store the feed so it is
protected from the environment. It is best to provide a
barrier between the ground and stored feed to prevent
moisture from entering the feed. We also recommend storing
the feed in a secure location to prevent rodent or opossum
exposure as well as preventing accidental overcumsumption
as animals will find a way to get to the feed.
We also recommend that feed is weighed before feeding your
animals. Determining in advance what a flake of hay weighs
or a scoop of grain will help us help you to provide
proper nutrition to your animals. Especially during the
time of feeding stored feeds we recommend supplementing
animals with trace minerals and vitamins. There are many
complete feeds which are supplemented and at least provide
some vitamins. there are many complete feeds which are
supplemented and at least provide some vitamins and
minerals for your animals. There are also many supplements
available to aid in providing required amounts of vitamins
and minerals. Be sure the supplement you are using is
designed for you species of animal and designed for the
Northwest. Also be careful of feeding multiple supplements
as some nutrients are toxic if fed at high levels. if you
have questions or concerns, your veterinarian can help.
Parasite Control: Fall is a good time to treat
animals for parasites. Parasites can be external, like
lice, or internal, like stomach worms. There is not one
product that treats for all parasites. Recent studies are
revealing that some parasites are developing resistance to
some dewormers. We are recommending fecal analysis to
determine the type and load of internal parasites in your
animals. We can then work with you as to which products to
use and how to monitor their effectiveness in your
animals.
Vaccinations: Vaccinations are used to minimize disease in
animals by boosting their immune system. Boosting the
immune system for winter is a good idea. We would be happy
to discuss vaccination options to aid keeping your animals
healthy.
Dental issues: Animals who do not chew well do not digest
feed well. At best this is costly as the animal must
consume more to meet their nutritional needs. Worse is
digestive upsets needing medical attention because of poor
digestion. Again fall is a good time for dental checkup to
identify and treat teeth issues.
These are the basics in animal winter preparedness. Our
goal is to work with you to prevent the problems we can
and to aid in your enjoyment with your animals.
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