...and on the eighth day, God created the horse in perfect image, to romp, graze, gallop, play and make manure wherever it darn well pleases, in divine grace.
Another reminder that animals require serious and ongoing upkeep, and that if you have money for beer and cigarettes, there better be money for animal upkeep, including worm and parasite control, flea and tick control, shots for rabies and tetanus, claw and hoof clipping for dogs and horses, and filing teeth for horses.
It is expensive and never ending, for the entire life of the animal.
Dogs require licenses every year and they should be vaccinated for rabies every year to three years.
Sadsbury Township just passed a Dog Law Ordinance, requiring that owners keep control of their dogs at all times, such as behind fencing or on a leash.
Dogs are not permitted to run loose at any time, anywhere, as per the PA State Dog Law.
Dogs are required to have licenses renewed every year, as per the law, and must have a current rabies vaccine, as indicated by rabies tags.
There are incidents of rabies being reported every month in Crawford County.
Your dogs, cats and horses deserve to be kept safe from this terrible sickness.
I know some people who were bitten by a rabid kitten, and yes, it is true about the big needle in the stomach, and everyone has to go who was in the vicinity, although I believe that only 3 shots are required now.
One time, one of the local Veterinarians told me that when they had gone to Vet school, they were required to watch a film about a horse infected with rabies, and it had been allowed to let the disease run its full course, no medical intervention.
The horse was screaming hideously and thrashing violently, non-stop around in the containment area; the Vet informed me that it was the most gut-wrenching, horrible thing that they had ever seen, and that if people could see that film, they would be lining up to obtain rabies vaccines for their animals. Today.
Fleas and ticks will drain an animal of life, causing it to become anemic and eventually die.
I have spoken to people who have had this happen and I just have to wonder what is going on inside their home and with them.
(And their brain; I mean what ARE you looking at?!)
That is, flea infestation will eventually get to you; I saw a guy one time whose cats and house were so infested that his legs looked like red pin cushions because they were on him, too.
Ticks cause Lyme Disease, and I’m sure you have read about the outbreak in Dallas, TX.
Ticks will infest the dock of a horse’s tail, and will also infest cats, dogs and you.
For those of you who might be interested, I keep fourteen cats, indoor and outdoor, two indoor dogs and seven horses.
They all have rabies shots and treatment for fleas and ticks, all current.
That popcorn you saw me eating at the rail last week end was my meal for the day.
Bayer Advantage is easier to apply, but it does not cover ticks; Revolution covers ticks and larval stages of fleas.
When my friend’s child got sick with Lyme Disease, I couldn’t believe the terrible hassle that their whole family endured.
Not only was the child stricken at age 10, she was never tested for Lyme Disease and it was allowed to progress to the point that she was incapacitated, sitting in the dark for years, due to sensitivity to light and sound, and weakness of limbs.
She has missed out on all of her teenage activities and dreams, and after finally finding a doctor who would listen and do the Lyme Disease test, and the family obtaining an apartment out in Kansas City, where a facility exists for treatment, 7 years later she is now finally able to sit up and walk around, but she still suffers from light and sound sensitivity
The entire family was then diagnosed with Lyme Disease and it was traced to the family dog, a wonderful Golden Retriever who went romping and hunting with them.
Luckily, the rest of the family was able to get a pre-emptive treatment program and have not suffered the ill-effects of Lyme Disease.
There are vaccines against Lyme Disease available for horses and dogs.
There are pre-emptive options available to you, to prevent flea and tick outbreaks, and vaccines for animals to prevent rabies and Lyme Disease.
Your animals depend on you for their every need; they deserve fresh, clean water, good food and a nice, warm place to lay their heads at night.
In turn, they give us one of our most basic requirements as human beings–Love.
Yes, it’s all about the love, folks, but you won’t be feeling any of it if you and your house fill up with fleas or you catch Lyme disease, or horsegods forbidding, rabies.
Re-read those incidents again, I heard them first hand, you know, straight from the horse’s mouth, as they say.
Once again, it’s the immortal words of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, saying, "Happy Trails to You."