General – Page 7

February 12, 2013February 19, 2013

Pet Dental Health

February is pet dental health month. Just like people dogs and cats can develop plaque and tartar on their teeth that can lead to gum disease, loose teeth and in some cases heart disease. OK, that’s enough to make me take notice and learn more about taking care of my pets’ teeth.

I’ve read several very informative articles, one at WebMD, and another at www.peteducation.com . These articles explain how the plaque turns to tartar and the build up of tartar causes gum irritation that can lead to serious health problems. While inspecting your pet’s mouth, some signs that there maybe be problems are bad breath, more than the usual dog breath, discolored or loose teeth and bleeding or swollen gums. Lose of appetite may also be caused by problems with the teeth or gums.

I thought I was doing enough to prevent dental problems for my dogs. They always have crunchy kibbles for their meals. I give them chew toys and they get treats, such as DentaStiks and Greenies, products that help remove plaque. At their yearly check up, our veterinarian looks at their teeth and gums to be sure they are healthy. One of my dogs has had a dental cleaning. The animals are put under anesthesia and the tartar is scraped from their teeth in the same manner as the dentist does to human teeth. After the teeth are tartar free they get a nice polish, for a sparkly white smile.

I have decided I’m going to learn how to brush the dogs teeth and make it part of our daily routine. Patience and short, positive sessions seem to be the best advice. I took the first step Today, I pulled their lips back and touched their canine teeth, great success and no wrestling required. I need to get some doggie tooth paste, as human tooth paste is irritating to canine stomachs. I’ll also need a dog tooth brush or finger tooth brush or I could try a piece of gauze wrapped around my finger. I’m leaning toward the tooth brush, it seems much less messy to me. I’ll try to get some action photos, I’m sure our first few sessions will be very entertaining!

As far as the cats’ teeth go, I’m leaving that to the professionals, there is no way I’m even going to try sticking my fingers in their mouths!

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February 5, 2013October 22, 2013

Chowder Fest 2013

On Saturday, February 2nd, my daughter and I attend our first Chowder Fest, it was so much fun. The City of Saratoga Springs has been hosting Chowder Fest for the past fifteen years. Even with the cold temperatures and snow in the air, downtown Saratoga was teeming with people, all waiting to sample some chowder.

The local restaurants and pubs spend months perfecting their special chowders and make gallons to server to their many fans. Of course, there is competition among the chefs and ballots are provided for the taste testers to vote on their favorite chowder. While many of the chowders were seafood based, some of the chefs made special vegetarian and vegan chowders.

Our favorite “chowders” were the desserts, we had a sundae with a chocolate theme and mini chocolate cupcakes with coconut chum frosting. I really enjoy and admire the creativity of the local chefs.

We saw many dogs all dressed in their winter coats and sweaters walking up and down Broadway. Some of the business had a special chowder for the dogs. I was surprised to see how well behaved the dogs were with so many people and other dogs present. I guess they were all be bribed with the promise of chowder if they behaved! One little black lab puppy was barking up a storm, we thought he was cold and tired and wanted to go home!

Chowder Fest was a great outing. I think everyone was happy to be out in the fresh air, enjoying some awesome food, listening to the music provided by several places and chatting with people. I’m sure will be making plans to attend again next February!

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February 1, 2013December 10, 2018

Cattle Tags on the Ski Slope

We were so excited to learn that our plastic cattle ear tags are being used to mark the gate positions on the slalom ski course at an area resort.

The ski team requires a reusable tag that is able to withstand cold, snowy weather as well as being durable enough to survive being run over by speeding skies. Our 402 cattle ear tags have been working perfectly. The tags are nailed into the snow for each training session to mark the position of the poles. Often the poles are knocked down and need to be replaced in the same pattern.

After 10 years on the ski slope some of the tags are beginning to break down and need to be replaced. We think the harsh environment of the ski slope is a great testament for the durability and longevity of our plastic tags. We also like to hear about the unusual places our tags are employed!

402 Cattle Ear Tags are molded from urethane, measuring 2-3/8″ x 2-7/8″ ,and are available in green, red, blue, yellow, violet, black, orange, white and neon colors; pink, green and orange. Our plastic ear tags can be ordered in numbered sets, the large numbers are hot stamped into the plastic, creating a permanent, highly visible number.

Our line of plastic ear tags are available in several sizes, one that’s sure to meet your tagging requirements, whether you’re tagging livestock ears or ski slopes! Please check out our full line of products on our website www.ketchummfg.com.

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January 16, 2013December 10, 2018

Are Ewe My Maa-Maa?

The new lambs and kids will be arriving soon! Of course, the ewes knew which little bundle of cuteness belongs to them, but do you?

As children, one of our favorite Dr. Seuss books was “Are You My Mother?” A baby bird hatches while the mother bird is away from the nest and spends the rest of the book running around asking various animals, “are you my mother?” Our Mom always used different voices for each of the characters, probably why we liked ths story so much! Today I’m picturing a flock of lambs all baa-ing for their Mama!

At Ketchum, we manufacture several small metal ear tags that are perfect for little ears. The #314 Tambra https://www.ketchummfg.com/c32/c117/Tambra-Ear-Wing-Tags-Brass-Numbered-p437.html, is a small brass tag, measuring 3/4″ long by 3/16″ wide with a tamper proof locking button. The tags are sequentially numbered on one side and can be personalize with up to six characters on the other side. These same tags are also available in aluminum.

Our #312 Kemco https://www.ketchummfg.com/c32/Kemco-Aluminum-Ear-Tags-c116.html , is slightly larger, made from aluminum and measures 1-1/4″ long by 1/4″ wide. The Kemco can be personalized with up to nine characters in one or two lines.

You may prefer or require a tags that is visible from a distance, Ketchum carries plastic ear tags. We recommend the #404 and #405 plastic tags for sheep and goat ears https://www.ketchummfg.com/Plastic-Ear-Tags-c87.html

If you prefer to tattoo the ears as a means of identification we carry a full line of tattoo equipment https://www.ketchummfg.com/Tattoo-Equipment-Animal-c120.html, including pliers, digits, inks and pastes.

Order your ear tags Today at https://www.ketchummfg.com/ so you’ll be ready to identify which lamb belongs to which ewe as soon as they’re born.

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January 3, 2013

New Year’s Resolutions

Now that we’ve all made our New Year’s Resolutions, how are we going to keep them? Let’s get our pets involved! I saw a little clip on television that suggested ways to get your pets to help you keep your resolutions.

Like most people, I want to become more physically fit by exercising more and eating healthy. Also the doctor seems to think my cholesterol number is too high, I suggested it was from Thanksgiving Dinner, he’s not buying it.

My dogs love to go for walks. All I need to say in front of the dogs is the word “walk” and I have their full attention. They go crazy, tails wagging, running back and forth to the door with some howling thrown in the mix! Their energy and excitement makes going for a walk enjoyable. We all get the benefit of exercise and fresh air.

The dogs may also be helpful when it comes to eating healthy. They like to hang around the kitchen while I’m cooking. After I’ve finished cutting up carrots or apples I always give them a couple of pieces. Of course they can’t have chocolate and I don’t like to give them baked goods, I don’t want them to get overweight, it’s not good for them. Hey, it’s not good for me either! If I won’t give it to the dogs, I shouldn’t be eating it myself.

Getting organized is another one of my usual resolutions. I’m not sure enlisting the pets to help with this one will work out as well. One of our cats tries to keep the counter and table clutter free. I’m not fond of his methods as he throws everything on the floor. New Years Day he sent a bottle of black glitter nail polish crashing on to the tile floor. Yes, of course it broke and traveled across the tile. I was able to get the black polish off the floor, however, we still have some glitter in the grout. My daughter says not to worry about that, after all princesses live here!

I’m hoping my pets will help me stay on track. What tips do you have for keeping our New Year’s Resolutions?

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