All posts by jena

What you should know about West Nile

The West Nile Virus is a flavivirus that infects the central nervous system and may cause inflammation of the brain, lining of the brain and spinal cord.

The first case of West Nile in a horse was reported in Queens, New York in 1999. Since then all but Alaska, Maine and Hawaii have reported cases of WNV.

West Nile  must be inside a host to replicate. Mosquitoes infect birds, the infected birds are fed on by more mosquitoes, and those mosquitoes then feed on and infect a horse.

The Spread of West Nile Virus

There are numerous symptoms of West Nile in horses. The horse may have a combination of symptoms or show none at all. It typically takes 5 to 15 days to show signs of West Nile.

The West Nile Virus can look like Eastern equine encephalitis, equine protozoal, myeloencephalitis, equine herpesvirus-1, Rabies, botulism, EPM and other neurological illnesses.

Below are the most common symptoms that may show if your horse has contracted WNV

  • Lethargy
  • Fever
  • Lack of coordination
  • Lack of appetite
  • Weakness in the hind end
  • Droopy lip (paralysis of lower lip)
  • Disorientation, circling, or wandering
  • Inability to swallow
  • Muscle twitching
  • Excessive sweating
  • Convulsions
  • Partial or total paralysis

What should you do if you suspect the disease?

If infection is suspected, it is imperative that you have a veterinarian out as soon as possible! Your veterinarian will test to confirm that you are dealing with West Nile as many of the symptoms closely resemble other equine neurological diseases.

What will happen next?

There is not a specific treatment for West Nile. Your veterinarian will determine the best approach which may include anti-inflammatory drugs, intravenous fluids and nutritional support.

How can you help prevent the disease?

Vaccinating your horses annually is recommended.
WNV vaccine prices start at $25.95 from Big Dee’s. These are all killed virus vaccines. These are all inactive vaccines that consist of virus particles grown in culture and then killed.

Other ways to deter mosquitoes?

  • Remove stagnant water sources: Empty buckets & stock tanks regularly, clean gutters, and grade areas of the field where water pools.
  • Use barn safe electric fans
  • Remove manure regularly and control weeds
  • Keep horses in the barn during peak mosquito hours
  • Fly sheets and/or fly masks
  • Insect repellants that work on mosquitoes.

To shop all West Nile Vaccines click here 

For more information visit the American Association of Equine Practitioners or contact your veterinarian

Talking Winter Nutrition with Grant

Every winter brings its own challenges.  After facing freezing pipes and hydrants, fighting with barn doors that are frozen to the ground, and attempting to make repairs to machinery, fencing, etc., in sub-zero temperatures, most horse owners are ready for spring by this time of year.  Unfortunately, we still have a few months to go.  This is also the time of year when customers ask me how they can best help their horses maintain weight.

Shop Stable Blankets to keep your horse warm in the winter

While there are many ways and products to promote weight gain, my first thought is about preventing weight loss.  For starters, keep your horses warm.  Invest in a heavy weight stable or turnout blanket for your horse.  During the winter months, horses burn many more calories trying to regulate their temperature.  By blanketing your horse, you will cut down on your horse’s energy requirements.

Give your horse more hay in the winter for extra calories

Secondly, increase the amount of hay you are feeding.  Horses should receive 1.5% – 2% of their body weight in forage every day.  For a 1000 lb. horse, that would mean 15-20 lbs. of forage per day.  During the winter months this requirement can increase by as much as thirty percent!  Increasing hay is so important for horses because, not only does hay provide increased calories for the horse to use, but the microbial fermentation process (how horses digest hay) releases heat as a by-product.  Your horse receives a double benefit from hay – increased calories, and increased heat production just by eating it.

Stampede Alfalfa Cubes

For those of us who have their horses on their own property, increasing hay is relatively easy.  However, if you are boarding your horse, sometimes it can be difficult to convince barn owners to increase hay rations.  Luckily, there are several products that can be used to increase your horse’s forage intake.  Here at Big Dee’s we carry a line of forage products from Stampede, which include alfalfa cubes, timothy-alfalfa cubes, alfalfa pellets, and timothy pellets.  We also carry Kalmbach’s Forage Extender Pellets.  Another new, exciting product is Basic Equine Health’s Peak Performance Pellet, which is basically a “grain-less grain”.  It is a feed, but is completely alfalfa based, with no grain in it.  Additionally, it contains the proprietary Gut Health blend, an electrolyte, and a mixture of camelina and coconut oil, resulting in a high fat content.   All of these options are excellent ways to help your horse maintain weight this winter.

Horse supplements for gaining weight

Outside of increasing forage content, you can also increase your horse’s fat intake.  Fat is an excellent source of energy for horses, and, unlike increasing starches, does not result in a “hot” horse.   There are several different options to choose from when looking to increase fat intake.  First, do you want a liquid or a solid?  There are many oils on the market today that are high in fat to aid not only in weight gain, but also with skin and coat issues.  However, feeding oils this time of year can prove to be difficult if your barn is as cold as mine is.  Should you choose an oil as a fat source, I am available most days at Big Dee’s and will be happy to discuss the different options we have with you.  Should you determine that a solid is a better fit, you still have many options.  Products such as Cool Calories by Manna Pro and Ultimate Finish 100 by Buckeye Nutrition are both 100% fat, or as close as you can get to it.  Other options include Weight Builder, Gain Weight, and Ultimate Finish 40.  All of these products contain 40% fat, and 14% protein.  They are designed to aid in weight gain, and a healthy, glossy coat.

Buckeye Ultimate Finsh 25 Horse Feed

Another option is an extruded pellet.  The advantage of extrusion, is that the pellet is highly digestible, and the nutrients are more bio-available to your horse.  Most feed companies carry some type of extruded fat, and while there are slight differences between them, they all are around 25% or 26% fat, 14% protein, and are fortified with additional vitamins and minerals.  Feeding one of these products should result, not only in weight gain, but in a beautiful, shiny coat for your horse.  If you are looking for an excuse to try one of these products, check out Buckeye Nutrition’s Ultimate Finish 25 this month, as we well be running some fantastic specials on this product.

Please feel free to come find me at Big Dee’s to discuss any feeding or weight issues you may have with your horse.  There could also be other underlying factors in play if your horse is experiencing severe weight loss, and it is always wise to consult with your veterinarian if that is the case.

 

This article was written by Grant Ralston one of Big Dee’s Showroom Managers

Nutrition is Key to Horse Health

When I first bought my horse in March 2017 he was about 3 steps away from being featured on a Sarah McLachlan commercial. He had a dropped topline, 0 neck muscle, and about 100lbs+ skinnier than I wanted to see him be. He weight taped under 1000lbs…as a 16.2 hand Thoroughbred.  His coat was thin and patchy and ribs were starting to show. I don’t even have any before pictures of him without a blanket on because I was embarrassed for him.

So let’s investigate the cause. This one, luckily, was pretty clear- he needed some groceries and probably a good dewormer to help. Horse nutrition comes from three different sources. Number 1, feed– I’m pretty sure the grain he was on at the time was about $6 a bag of “livestock feed” and he got 1 lb. per feeding. Ouch. Number 2, turnout- barely any, and with about 8 other horses on an eaten down pasture in February. And number 3, hay- actually not that bad, but they only fed twice a day.

Let’s begin our slow process of weight gain and getting him nutritionally healthy.

It took me about 4 weeks to find him somewhere to live and arrange his transportation, so unfortunately at that point he probably dropped a little bit more. I actually have an Equine Studies degree, and honestly all of the school horses were fat and happy so it was never something went over in class on how to start to fix this particular weight problem. So I started off with what I had, I know previously he was healthy a different feed, but I wanted to add more than just grain to his diet for a little extra support. I was able to get  half container of Weight Builder by Farnam. Good place to start really, Weight Builder contains flax meal which is high in omega-3 fatty acids. I saw a difference pretty fast, he was completely in a different location by then,eating more hay and eating a 12% grain with 2 scoops of Weight Builder. Within about 2 weeks he had gained back about 30lbs.

I was coming to the end of my Weight Builder container and I began looking into other supplements. There are many options that all do separate things. I have seen many other supplements/feed choices before in horses to get them to gain weight and by many, I mean MANY. I didn’t want to overload him in calories. I wanted to build muscle and weight correctly and ease him back into work.  I didn’t want to up his grain by a lot due to risking stomach problems and colic. And I didn’t want to make him hot by adding the wrong type of calories; (sugars).

There are some great supplements out there that are going to help with weight gain. They are all really based on what you are wanting. Do you want to build muscle? Add calories? Add energy? Add protein? Help with your horse’s coat? So I went back to the drawing board. What is something he is going to eat, I mean, really eat and what is going to add safe calories? So I took a jump on a completely different supplement and tried Cocosoya Oil!  (It also comes in granules as well) Wow. He ate it. He loved it. And I was happy. Cocosoya has Omega 3, 6 and 9 fatty acids, soybean oil, and coconut oil, all without raising his sugars and at a budget friendly cost. Oh and fun fact, you can feed it to your dogs.  Fast forward into the summer time (about 2 months on Cocosoya) and he was a different horse. Weight taped at 1045lbs and had the shiniest coat in the barn. It’s amazing what good nutrition can do!

Proper nutrition for your horse is imperative

Weight supplements aren’t aren’t that difficult, although it feels that way while you’re overwhelmed with the many different options. But first, look at what your horse needs it for and what they are eating overall – then experiment. Maybe you just need a little more hay, or a little more grain? Then try out some weight building supplements. You never know what your horse is going to adjust to the best until you try.

 

This article was written by Laura Robertson, Big Dee’s Customer Care Representative

Salt sense and your horse

The holidays are over but I’d like to reflect on something that struck me as I sat around my family’s dinner table Christmas Day. Salt! As I looked around, my family was busily talking, laughing and salting their food. Knowing my family, I had two sets of salt shakers on the table which were in heavy use. I tried not to take this as a review of my cooking! The striking part of this is the importance of sodium in our diets and the diets of our horses. Cell and proper organ function are critically linked to the consumption of salt or sodium. It is the backbone of sustaining blood and body fluids that transport oxygen and nutrients contributing to cell, brain, nervous system and muscle processes. Salt gets a bad rap, but is important to all diets in moderation.

Horses need salt in their diet

Salt’s role in your horse’s body is like a super hero quietly going to work keeping all systems functioning and safe from the evils of deficiencies. The lack of adequate sodium could be compared to Superman’s kryptonite; cell processes and body function change and your horse will not be at its best. Our furry super heroes use their spidy-sense to instinctively know when their bodies are low on sodium and will search for it sometimes excessively licking our hands or chewing things.

Horse licking hand for salt

Large pressed salt blocks used to be the standard dotting shared pastures, but they were developed for the course tongues of cattle that may lick these blocks to get their daily allowance. Horses’ tongues are smoother and softer so salt should be offered free choice loose or crushed to augment their diet. Offer salt in a bucket under cover in a shed in the pasture or in your horses stall to help satisfy their need. Just be sure to keep it dry. Electrolyte supplementation could also be considered to avoid dehydration and increase your horses thirst response.

Sodium is central in regulating many bodily functions. During an average day of hanging out with their buddies in a paddock or in their stall, horses excrete sodium through urine and manure making toxicity uncommon. Sweating during a workout increases daily loss of electrolytes. Put in prospective, some horses weigh in at 1000 to 1500 pounds or more; their salt and water consumption need to reflect this. Check your feed label and ask the advice of your veterinarian about salt intake for your horse’s activity level. Be careful to always offer an adequate water supply. As with all things you need to strike a balance. Without this balance of salt and water consumption your horse may struggle to process sodium through their system properly.

Big Dee’s has a full line of products to help you meet your horse’s daily mineral requirements.

Shop Electrolytes

Shop Salt and Salt Holders

Shop Water Buckets

This article was written by Kathy Kilbane – Big Dee’s Web Products Specialist

Small Business Saturday – November 25th!

From the humble beginning at a local race track to our new location in Streetsboro, Ohio, Big Dee’s Tack and Vet Supplies was founded in 1976 by Dennis Osterholt. Through the guidance of “Big D” the family approach to business continues and incorporates his two daughters Brenda and Gail. It is with a sense of pride that Big Dee’s Tack and Vet Supply now employs over 60 people. Most of our employees own horses or have horses in their backgrounds. Employees that share your interests give you a customer service experience that cannot be rivaled!

Big Dee's Then and now

In the United States, this Saturday, November 25th is Small Business Saturday. Last year all across the country shoppers came out in record crowds to share their support of small businesses just like ours. Shopping small helps foster a sense of the greater national community. In the spirit of the season help local family-owned companies like Big Dee’s by supporting your friends and neighbors and the local economy! At this special time of year Big Dee’s values your support in this effort to shop small!

Wonderful Big Dee Showroom Employees

What you’ll find at Big Dee’s in Streetsboro –

Happy Holidays!

Don’t Leave It To Beaver

If you are like most horse owners’ winter represents a big change in horse care, stabling and enjoyment of our equine friends. The dreaded four letter word, snow, is on the way for those horse owners living in colder climates, however winter signals change for all horses and owners. As we begin to stable more and turn out less horses boredom levels can rise. Farm buildings, stalls and even trees may take the brunt of this when horses begin to chew wood, crib or wind suck. There are differences to these behaviors but most horse owners agree they are not ideal behaviors. These equine beavers can destroy our stables and wreck havoc on their own health in the process. It is incumbent on us to help our horses through these behaviors and to save our own sanity!

This horse is chewing on a fence rain

Let’s look at the what

Cribbing in horse terms is the physical behavior of a horse latching on to a hard surface, arching the neck and sucking in air. As we investigate this stable vice we find the behavior could be associated to stomach ulcers and may develop into colic. Another related behavior, wind sucking, is the act of sucking in air without latching on to a hard surface.  Finally wood chewers can eat us out of stable and barn in no time causing unsightly barns and paddocks not to mention costly repairs.

The emotional why

These three behaviors are thought to be caused by boredom, frustration, habit and/or nutritional deficiencies. Boredom and frustration may be relieved by the numerous stall and paddock toys available. Equine animals in the wild were foragers. Horses are rudimentary animals and as such rely on routine.  For stabled horses, feeding small amounts of hay throughout the day can help them follow a natural routine in a less than natural life.  Slow hay feeders during turnout can also help with boredom but be sure to incorporate ample grazing and regular exercise. As for the elephant or equine beaver in the room pastes, sprays and wood chewing deterrent applications are available. But take heed they may make the problem worse.  When these remedies fail, capping stall doors fence posts and interior stall partitions with metal or mesh or stringing electric fence in the cribbing or chewing area can discourage this behavior and save our horses from indigesting wood splinters.

The physical why

Nutritional deficiencies or gastric ulcers can be the root cause. Be sure to discuss the situation with your veterinarian who will examine your horse and perform blood testing to identify any minerals lacking in the diet. If mineral deficiencies are the culprit supplements can be fed. Something as simple as a salt block can often help. If gastric ulcers are suspected many remedies are available to horse owners. Simply using a grazing muzzle could be the ticket to solving the issue.

Grazing Muzzles for horses

Can you manage the habit?

Managing horses with these behaviors can be challenging but not impossible. Regular exercise, turnout or hand walking and regular grooming may help with boredom. Working with your veterinarian, stable owner, trainer, other horse people and Big Dee’s can be insightful. Horses give us such enjoyment. They can be our friends and our therapists; wouldn’t you agree that they need the same from us in return.

Himalayan Rock Salt is great for horsesCheck out our website for a full line of equine products to help curb these behaviors.

Click here for Cribbing and Habit Control Solutions

This article was written by Kathy Kilbane – Big Dee’s Web Products Specialist

Big Dee’s April 2017 $1000 Prize Pack Giveaway!

Big Dee's Tack and Vet - $1000 Giveaway

Everyone loves a great giveaway! This one includes all kinds of goodies for you and your horse!

The winner will receive the following ..

The winner will be drawn on May 1st and notified by email. No purchase necessary.

Good Luck!!

Click here to enter 

The importance of giving your horse electrolytes in the winter

Most of us horse owners recognize the value of electrolyte supplementation during the hot summer months.  After working one’s horse hard, or coming back from a long trail ride, or even bringing horses in on a hot day, we can see the sweat marks that indicate a horse may need electrolytes to replenish the lost salt and potassium.  However, electrolyte supplementation is at least equally important during the winter months.

Those of us who have access to an indoor arena are able to ride and work our horses year round.  During periods of hard work, regardless of temperature, horses will sweat and lose electrolytes.  By using a supplement such as Buckeye Nutrition’s Perform ‘N Win or Perfect Balance by Peak Performance, we can help our horses stay healthy by replacing valuable electrolytes lost.

Horse Electroloytes

A second reason to use electrolytes during the winter months is to encourage water consumption.  Many horses’ water consumption drops dramatically during the winter, and this can easily lead to impaction colic.  During the spring, summer, and fall, horses are able to graze and have access to fresh grass.  During the winter, when fresh grass is not available, horses have to rely on hay for their forage requirements.  The water content in grass is significantly higher, around 5 times higher, than that of hay.  Therefore, horses are able to ingest a good amount of their required water intake just by grazing on fresh grass.  Horses’ water consumption also declines when their water is cold.  So, during the winter, we have a situation where our horse is not getting water from forage, and is not inclined to drink as much from water troughs or buckets.  By adding a good, salt or sodium based electrolyte to their feed, we can help increase thirst, and improve water consumption, and hopefully avoid impaction colic issues.

When choosing an electrolyte, I tend to look for the ones that are low in dextrose or other sugars, and gravitate towards those that are sodium based.  If you have a horse with HYPP, you have to be careful about potassium intake, so look for an electrolyte that is specifically designed for horses with HYPP.

waterheater

Other ways to encourage water consumption include filling water buckets with warm water, or using heated buckets or water heaters if you are using a trough.  Ideal water temperature is around 40 degrees.  This year, I am making use of Eccotemp’s Horse Washer, which is a portable hot water on demand system.  I do not have access to hot water in my barn, and after a few years of lugging buckets of hot water down to the barn every morning and evening, I decided to make life a little easier on myself.  This system connects to my hydrant and to a propane tank.  I simply turn it on, and have instant hot or warm water to fill my water buckets with.

Combining these steps with electrolyte supplementation will hopefully lead to a healthy and happy horse this winter.  Most electrolytes can be added either to your horse’s feed or water.  If you add an electrolyte to water, you should also remember to put a second bucket of just plain water up as well.

Click here to shop a full selection fo Electrolytes

Click here to shop the Eccotemp Hot Water Horse Washer

This blog was written by Grant – one of Big Dee’s Showroom Managers

Breyer Horse Collecting

 

Breyer Horse Collecting

Every one of us has seen the shelves of Breyer Horses in the tack store. Many have bought  at least one of these model horses either for ourselves or for a young horse enthusiast. Some even classify themselves  as a collector. These life-like horses captivated me when I first began riding horses at age 9. I could not have a horse of my own, so I delighted in choosing my favorite Breyers that exemplified my dream horses. I made Christmas lists and saved up my own money to buy that beautiful model of Huckleberry Bey with his flowing mane and animated trot. My father built me a shelf where I displayed them all and kept them meticulously dusted. Breyer Horses hold a special place in my heart. To get these models to their finalized state it takes a lot of work by many people.

After a particular horse is decided on for a new Breyer mold, drawings and photographs  are used to create the perfect position. A wire armature is made to make the position three-dimensional and finalize the pose. Clay is sculpted overtop of the wire in order to make the cast. The sculpture can take around 3 months to complete all the intricate details. Breyer horses are cast in two halves and are hollow inside (with the exception of stablemates which are solid).  The halves are attached, sanded and cleaned. After that, each model is hand painted by multiple artists. Airbrushes are used for base colors and larger details. Small airbrushes and paint brushes help with detailing on eyes, hooves, brands and chestnuts. They are all packaged in a custom made box with information on the model.

Sketch from Breyerhorse.com on the creation of a Breyer Horse
Sketch from Breyerhorse.com on the creation of a Breyer Horse

Since there is so much that goes into each model and so many hands have added details to each horse, it is inevitable that there are differences. Each model is unique. There can be various differences that can cause an individual model to be worth more or more sought after. The quality of the paint job can vary from horse to horse. Collectors look for crisp markings, smooth paint job and no blending where separate colors touch. The eyes should be nicely detailed and glossy. In models that are coated in a glossy finish, collectors make sure it is an even coat with no embedded lint. Most of the models released by Breyer are a matte finish. A few special editions are glossy. Once in a while, a few individuals get sent out with the wrong finish. Sometimes models get changed slightly in the middle of their run, making the older one more rare and valuable.

Breyer Springtime Filly

Some models are created with the intention of variation. The Indian Pony, was released with various colorful painted symbols and some were done with a different base coat. More recently released was the AQHA 75th anniversary model. This model was released in 6 colors and some were more rare than others.  Still available at Big Dee’s is the Springtime filly, a cute red dun pinto filly, who was released in three patterns. This creates more sought after variations of models for collections.

Collectors usually have a theme to what they collect. Some focus on a certain mold (various paint jobs are given to the same mold), breed or color of horses. There are also collectors who participate in shows where they bring models they own, have created a scene with, or have painted or resculpted. These shows can be live or through photographs. Models can be repainted, repositioned, or re sculpted by artists. Other people are casual collectors and have only their favorites. A large amount of horse lovers have (or had when they are young) at least one Breyer horse. They are a wonderful introduction for kids to the world of horses.

Breyer 2016 Holiday Horse

Use this holiday season to gift a wonderful hobby and instill a love of all things equine!

Click here to shop all Breyer Horses and accessories

Do joint supplements have you feeling disjointed?

How do you pick the right joint supplement for your horse?

joint

As if knowing if and when your horse needs a joint supplement wasn’t hard enough, how about picking one out? With the sea of options out there it is easy to get overwhelmed. To make it easier on you, it is import to understand what ingredients will best suit your horses needs.

Your horse naturally produces joint nutrients that help protect, repair, and strengthen their joints. Though injury, age, genetics, or use may inhibit their ability to manufacture these agents on their own. There are 3 major components to a horse’s joint that provides optimal health for them to continue to take on the work load and remain mobile. They are HA (hyaluronic acid), chondroitin sulfate, and glucosamine. I am sure, you have heard these tossed around the barn or vent with your vet.

So, what do they do? Hyaluronic Acid production in the joint is encouraged by Chondroitin Sulfate– these guys go hand-in-hand. Hyaluronic Acid prevents the breakdown of cartilage in the joint, which is important to warding off arthritis and keeping the joint stable. Glucosamine is your protector in your horses joint. It is important that there is enough Glucosamine in your horses joint to protect and help repair, and it is even thought to help produce new cartilage.

Having this information in your back pocket is key to siphoning out your choice on joint supplements. At Big Dee’s, joint supplements are our number one seller. Our customers understand the importance of keeping their horse’s joints healthy as well as keeping their horses pain free. Our top sellers are Acti-Flex by Cox Vet Labs, Cosequin ASU by Nutramax, and Mega-Flx Plus HA by Spectra.

What sets them apart?

Acti-Flex Horse Joint Supplement

Acti-Flex is available in an alfalfa based powder as well as a liquid. Which is great if you have a finicky that can work around powder. That being said, Acti-Flex is highly palatable and you can see a noticeable different in a few weeks!  The ingredient list on Acti-Flex is impressive too! This product contains per ounce, 8,000mg of Glucosamine, 4,000mg of Chondroitin Sulfate, and 125mg of HA. Also, and added benefit is the presence of MSM and Yucca for inflammation and pain.

Cosequin ASU

Cosequin ASU is also available is a concentrated powder. For an average horse you will need to administer 2 scoops daily for maintenance. Each scoop provides 14,000mg of Glucosamine, and 2,400mg of Chondroitin. Hyaluronic Acid is not present in this supplement, even still it is our 2nd best seller! This is a great product with die-hard fans that have seen great results on their horses.

Joint Supplements | Big Dee'sMega-Flx Plus HA is 3rd on our list of joint supplements and is available in liquid form. This product treats joints and sore muscles congruently. Another highly palatable formula, this product uses a proprietary antioxidant blend to promote greater joint resilience, minimize inflammation, improve mobility, helps to repair and remodel the tissue in the joint, and overall joint protection. Mega-Flx Plus HA contains 150mg per ounce of HA. This is another fan favorite as there is noticeable difference in the overall feel of the horses body and improved mobility.

If you’d like to research more options, check out our impressive selection of Joint Supplements!