Kid's Corner   

E-mail Dr. Joe Paschal for more information!

Click here for general vaccine schedule for cats and dogs

Always check with your vet first!!

Uh oh!  someone's teething! or is she just bored?

Puppies chew to ease teething pain, to play, to explore their home, to take the edge off hunger, and to relieve boredom. You can help save Mom's purse or Dad's  shoes by playing with your puppy and making sure he has chew toys!   Remember that puppies need rest, just like human babies.

  What are some differences between sheep and goats?? 

Sheep have fleece, goats have hair.

Sheep say baa,  goats say maa.

Most goats have horns, most sheep don't.

Sheep are not very bright, goats are smart. We like sheep, but would never bet money on a lamb trying to find its way out of a maze.

Sheep graze, goats browse. That means sheep are probably better weed eaters, since they eat grasses and other plants all the way down to the ground.  Goats, on the other hand, nibble here and there, tasting little bits of bushes and leaves as they go.  Because they are friendlier, goats are easier to train. 

Did you know that pigs are very smart and have been placed fourth on the intelligence list after humans, primates and dolphins?   Look at that face!  Those ears!  That NOSE!  And smart, too!       Unlike cats and dogs, pigs cannot get cool by panting. They don't have sweat glands so they can't sweat either!  To lower their body temperature, pigs roll in something cool - Yes, they roll in mud - or water - but they like mud because it also protects them from sunburn and insect bites.   Smart little porker!

Want to know more about pigs?  Click here!

Helpful Hints for Taking Care of Your New Calf:  Find out what your calf was being fed, and blend that diet with what you are going to feed.  One of the most important things to remember when feeding is to weigh out the feed and know how much they eat. Keep some scales handy so you can weigh the feed.  The barn or shed where you keep your calf doesn't have to be fancy.  The calf needs about 75 square feet of shelter. If the feed and water troughs are outside the shelter, then 45 square feet per calf is adequate. Usually, a 100 x 200-feet lot is enough exercise space for two calves.

The feed trough should be 6 to 8 inches deep, 12 inches wide and 20 to 24 inches long for each calf that will be eating. The top of the feed trough should be 12 to 20 inches from the ground, depending on the size of the calf. Some exhibitors feel that a excessively high trough will cause a calf to have a low back and making calves eat off the ground will cause the calf to have rough shoulders.

Clean, fresh water should be available at all times.  Water troughs should be cleaned at least weekly.

This is a Mama Llama and her cria (baby). What do you know about llamas?  I bet you think they spit all the time! NO! They never spit unless they are threatened by something or someone.  Llamas are gentle, easy to train and fun to work with.  They don't bite, seldom kick and make funny little humming noises.  They eat hay, grass and llama grain.  They love getting a special treat - maybe a bite of apple or a tiny bit of alfalfa (in cool weather only)  Pet and 'snuggle' your llamas so they will be comfortable with your touch.  Makes it much easier to halter train them!  Learn to groom your llama.                             Take this llama quiz to learn more!  

To understand how a rabbit acts, try to think like a rabbit. Remember a rabbit is naturally more shy than a dog or cat.  It will be up to you to change the way you act so that the bunny understands you are a friend. Once you have done this, you will have won the trust and loyalty of a wonderful animal, whose ways of "talking" to you may be as subtle as a nose bump on the leg ("Hi!"), or as plain as a skin-breaking nip ("Put me down!") or  thumping of the hind foot (which can mean anything from "Hey! There's something after me!" to "Hey! Feed me now!") For information on raising rabbits, see the American Rabbit Breeders Association website.