Brownsberger Veterinary Clinic, Inc.

106 West 5th Street          Appleton City, Mo. 64724          Phone 660-476-2168           Fax 660-476-2160

Hours of Operation

Newsletter                                                         February 2008

General Information
      We are finally trying to move into the 21st century. We now have a website for you internet junkies and even a link there for an on-line store in which you can shop for thousands of products that can be shipped right to your door. The website gives basic overviews of the clinic and the on-line store is a direct link to our major distribution center with tons of items that we do not have at the clinic. Any one can browse the on-line store but if you wish to purchase items the distribution center requires a verification by us. This is a simple process and all you have to do is enter your basic information and a request automatically gets sent to us. We then send that on and you will be emailed a temporary password for you to customize for your account. If we know a request is coming that whole process may only take 5 minutes. You may then order by credit card. You may also purchase items like Frontline and Heartgard. Any prescription item will have to have our personal authorization but anything else will be shipped immediately. Our website address is: www.brownsbergervet.com. Once there you can click on the link for the on-line store for available products. We will also try to post current and new information there that will not be found in the newsletter.
      In an earlier letter I made a request for your e-mail addresses so that we might eventually get newsletters and other new information sent out through those channels. I did, however fail to provide you with ours so that you might easily return this information. Well, here it is: bdvetclinic@embarqmail.com . Thank you for your help.

Cattle
      Calving season is here and we would like to remind people to get together a little calving supply box for those late night problems. It is a VERY good idea to keep at least one package of colostrum on hand as well as a little calf stimulant. Some scour pills and other antibiotics kept close is also good. The quicker you can treat a sick or deficient calf the better.
      I would also remind people that when you get calves up that are scouring there are some diseases they get that humans can also get. Good hygiene (like washing your hands and not getting manure residue into your mouth) can help keep you healthy. There are a lot of people all over who develop sickness from this. There are also numerous people who end up hospitalized because these infections become so severe.

Horses
      We are going to be having coggins days again this March. We will send coggins tests off with no shipping costs and we will deworm your horse free of charge. Dates for this will be March 14, 15 and March 21, 22. Please call ahead for an appointment on one of these dates.
      We would like to remind everyone with mares that will be foaling this spring to get them off of anything with fescue NOW. Those mares on fescue hay can develop abnormally thick placentas which can suffocate a foal after it is born and those mares may have little or no milk production when the foal arrives. We do carry a product that can make these mares come to milk in up to 5 days if you end up with a problem.

Small Animals
      Hypothyroidism is a very common disease among older dogs which is characterized most commonly by weight gain and occasionally hair loss. The thyroid gland in these animals does not produce enough thyroid hormone which in turn greatly reduces the body's metabolism. Most people attribute weight gain and lethargy to just being old or to being spayed or neutered. It is estimated that 20% of these dogs suffer from a lack of thyroid hormone. We can do a blood test to check for thyroid function and if that is the problem there is an inexpensive pill that can be given on a daily basis to help this out.