We made a "family" trip to our tiny little vet office today. The pets were due for Rabies vaccines, and we had several errands to run in town so we decided to bring the whole family along. It was slightly comical, to say the least.
We looked like rednecks coming through the door. Our dogs always work right beside us so we never use leashes. I don't even know if we own any. In order to stay in compliance with the "All dogs must be on a leash" sign, we had to grab a set of reins from our tack wall as a makeshift leash. But hey....it's better than using bailing twine! My inquisitive kids couldn't wait to take the pets for an adventure at the vet's office!
Imagine SEVEN people (including the doctor and vet tech), two dogs, and one cat in an exam room the size of the handicap stall in a Walmart bathroom. It was a TIGHT squeeze. All of the body heat made the room feel like a stuffy inferno.My oldest daughter carried the cat in a tiny little cage and when the vet tech pulled Miss Kitty out, pieces of hay went all over the exam table. The worst part is...I don't even know where the hay came from!
And the smell.... well, lets just say that the only baths my cow dogs ever get are from swimming in the irrigation water, and well.... the ditch shut down in September. There was a definite canine perfume in the air.
The vet told me that Boone (our14 year old dog) was in pretty good shape for the shape he's in. Totally deaf, nearly blind, a few growths, but his ticker is still ticking pretty good. I told the vet that since they told me Boone was dying four years ago, I consider every day a gift!
After the exams were finished, my husband just couldn't control himself and HAD to ask the vet a question to settle a little arguement we've had going on about the cows.( I bet vets hate settling husband/wife disputes! LOL!)
We got a load of new cows last month and had to treat one for ringworm. I told my husband that he shouldn't just put the cream on his finger and rub it on the cow without some sort of gloves on. Totally gross. He said that you can't get ringworm from cows. We've been cussin' and disscussin' the issue for weeks now, and he just couldn't wait to ask the vet.
The vet said that it's "unlikely" that you could get ringworm from a cow...a cat, yes....a cow, probably not. Then he said that cows get a slightly different strain of ringworm than humans.
"Unlikely" and "probably not" are not definitive enough answers for me.
I say, why chance it? Just rub the athlete's foot cream on the cow with a paper towel or a little stick to be safe. Who actually wants to find out about ringworm the hard way? (And there you have it. THIS is what husbands and wives discuss when they are doctoring cows in the chute.)
When we FINALLY left the exam room, the people in the waiting room chuckled. It looked like we were all stuffed in a clown car and people and pets just kept pouring out of the room, one after another.
Let's just say that we left an impression at the vet's office. Thankfully the vet is very nice, down to earth, and quite understanding when it comes to children, pets, and marital disputes.
(You can all sleep better tonight knowing that cows "probably" won't give you ring worm. Hahaahaa!)
Nell
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For some reason - none in particular - this post reminded me of a book that I love, and you might like too. It'd be a good one to read with the kids. I read it to my wife after we found a copy in Santa Fe.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.amazon.com/No-Life-Lady-Women-West/dp/0803258682
LOL! This looks like a book I might enjoy. Thanks for the tip! I'll look into reading it.
DeleteWe need to get our, 5 dogs, and 4 cats their vaccinations. Hopefully we can get the mobile vet out here and not have to haul all of them in. We need a colt cut as well.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I've ever seen ringworm on a cow. You see some strange stuff happen to cattle when your in this business, though.
Have a great weekend!
My hubby and I have had a similar convo, only it was about pink eye. He has been doctoring wheat pasture calves, and several have had it and I was freaked out he would bring it home to the kiddos. Ha!
ReplyDeleteWe need to get our dogs in. There have been several rabid skunks found in our area. And the coyotes have been coming up to the house...we think they are hungry. But still, scary stuff!
Blog hopped here from Rachel, and this post made me chuckle. I worked for a small animal vet for 5 years (he was formerly a large animal vet) and we enjoyed getting visits from ranching people! We weren't quite a country or a city clinic, just an in between and boy howdy, do I have the stories. ;) I'm with you on the whole ringworm thing! A fungus is a fungus, and I don't want it. I know I would cringe every time an animal came in with ringworm or scabies, and then itch for three days straight. ;) It's amazing what you CAN catch from your critters! Love your blog, and your kiddos are cute!
ReplyDeleteThis is a post that in glad i took the time to read and i have a very useful answer that will make you win the argument about ringworm! Ive been working on a farm just outside of Shawville since october. I handle alot of calves and many of them have ringworm. Some of these calves I bottle fed and on the warm days as careful as I was and am You still get one bottlefed idiot that will rub up against you with its ringworm face. To make the story short I cought ringworm from the calves. Luckily my mother inlaw had had it aswell and she had cream to get rid of it. Although when you catch it, it takes a while to get rid of. So it would be a good idea for pete to wear gloves. Its wont really cause harm but untreated it just gets bigger and bigger. So I figured that would help answer the question.
ReplyDeleteBig hugs from Canada!!