People that know me and family members will tell you that I'm not a violent person. I don't like to fight and don't like to watch "blood sports" of any kind.
I have owned, bred and rescued Pitt Bulls for over 15 years. I don't believe in dog fights. There is no better dog anywhere as far as loyalty goes than a Pitt. If raised correctly they are lovable, gentle, well behaved and will protect you with their life. Pitts have a bad reputation because of the people that keep them caged, on chains, feed them gunpowder, starve them and do whatever else they can to make them fight. Pitt Bulls are "Catch Dogs" and they will bring something down that runs from them. If mine goes after something and I yell "SIT" her butt will hit the ground and bounce, but she will stop and that is what counts.
Our Horses though are another story. Horses don't hurt anyone, they don't bite or chase kids or kill other animals. Most of all they are not meat for human consumption. As many horse owners as there are why can't we stop them from slaughtering them?
If you are caught illegally slaughtering a horse, not your own, one you stole somewhere and cut meat off it while it was still alive, not caring how it suffered - you will get up to one year in jail and up to a $3,500 fine.
In the Florida Statutes, if the horse is a Registered Horse then the jail time and fine is more. WHY? My grade mares and geldings are just as important as a Registered Horse.
I have been doing research on GPS Tracking for animals. There are quite a few out there for both cats and dogs. Some of these tracking devices allow you, the owner, to track your animal on your home computer or your cell phone. Some of them even allow you to put in boundaries and if the animal leaves that area you are notified by text or phone call. All of them are collars with fairly large units attached to them.
A company called Tractive has one but it is to big to use on your horse, someone stealing the horse would see it and simply remove it. Garmin and Home Again both have them but again they are to big. Why can't one be made small enough to put on our horses bridle? There are several out there that you can get and pay for a service to track them. I don't want a Service to do it, I want to be able to pull up GPS on my phone if it shows my horse has left his allowed area and track him. I can promise that I won't slap them on the hand for stealing him or trying to slaughter him. I won't give him a bed to sleep in, cable tv, exercise equipment and 3 meals a day. Having my horse in their possession would make me be the judge and jury and they would not do it to another horse ever..
Friday, October 11, 2013
Saturday, September 14, 2013
OBama Care - They don't have the right to do this!
I sincerely hope that there are lots of comments left on this subject. I have not been keeping up and just started to really pay attention a few days ago. I went to this website and started reading, the more I read, well, I just couldn't believe it.
I really want comments on how you feel about this, what you are going to do and any advice for the rest of us. If anyone knows options we have, ideas that may help us - comment on this and help any of us who need it. If nothing else, get it off your chest if you feel like I do.
I thought I lived in America, Land of the Free. Where does the government get off telling you that you have to purchase health insurance? I drove a school bus for 11 years, my health insurance was covered as a part of my job. To add my husband and my daughter to it the price was over $500 per month. If I had spent $500 a month on insurance, it would not have done me any good to work because I would not have had enough money to pay my bills.
My daughter turned 20 in August and when I went into the hospital to have her and that was the last time I seen any type of doctor. If I had been paying insurance for the last 20 years at say, $140 per month (and I doubt that I could get it for that amount), that would be $33,600. That would have been just throwing the money away since I haven't been to a doctor.
I was taken to the emergency room in Bartow recently. I spent two nights in a hospital bed, had surgery the next afternoon and went home the next morning. The bill I received is for $45,390.59, but it says on the bill, the discounted amount I owe is only $16,340.61. I had no health insurance, no medicare or medicaid, yet they are giving me a discount of $29,049.98.
What that amounts to in my mind is they were going to charge me $29,049.98 more if I had insurance, since I didn't, they would charge me less so that everyone would get paid. No wonder insurance premiums are so high, when you go to the hospital or doctor you charged more than double the amount if you have insurance.
And, to go one step further in proving that, I called around last week to get a dermatologist appointment to have a mole removed. I called 5 different places to compare prices. If I had insurance the office visit was $150 to $185, if I didn't have insurance, the office visit was between $70 and $100.
All of the people I know just barely get by as it is. None of us drive new or fancy vehicles, we don't live in half a million dollar homes, we don't have vacation homes or fancy boats. With what we make we have clothes to buy for ourselves and our kids, vehicle insurance, tags, property taxes, groceries, school supplies, pet food, vet bills, vehicle repairs, house payments, electric bills, phone bills, internet service - then you have Christmas, Graduations, Funerals, Weddings - there is no money left.
I manage to get my bills paid all year and wait on my tax refund check to be able to pay my property taxes and now OBama Care is going to take part of that if I don't pay for health insurance.
I don't know about the rest of you out there, but I don't have an extra $100 or more each month to pay for health insurance. My pickup has over 200,000 miles on it, if I had extra money it would be used to make a truck payment before this one breaks down permanently.
I really want comments on how you feel about this, what you are going to do and any advice for the rest of us. If anyone knows options we have, ideas that may help us - comment on this and help any of us who need it. If nothing else, get it off your chest if you feel like I do.
I thought I lived in America, Land of the Free. Where does the government get off telling you that you have to purchase health insurance? I drove a school bus for 11 years, my health insurance was covered as a part of my job. To add my husband and my daughter to it the price was over $500 per month. If I had spent $500 a month on insurance, it would not have done me any good to work because I would not have had enough money to pay my bills.
My daughter turned 20 in August and when I went into the hospital to have her and that was the last time I seen any type of doctor. If I had been paying insurance for the last 20 years at say, $140 per month (and I doubt that I could get it for that amount), that would be $33,600. That would have been just throwing the money away since I haven't been to a doctor.
I was taken to the emergency room in Bartow recently. I spent two nights in a hospital bed, had surgery the next afternoon and went home the next morning. The bill I received is for $45,390.59, but it says on the bill, the discounted amount I owe is only $16,340.61. I had no health insurance, no medicare or medicaid, yet they are giving me a discount of $29,049.98.
What that amounts to in my mind is they were going to charge me $29,049.98 more if I had insurance, since I didn't, they would charge me less so that everyone would get paid. No wonder insurance premiums are so high, when you go to the hospital or doctor you charged more than double the amount if you have insurance.
And, to go one step further in proving that, I called around last week to get a dermatologist appointment to have a mole removed. I called 5 different places to compare prices. If I had insurance the office visit was $150 to $185, if I didn't have insurance, the office visit was between $70 and $100.
All of the people I know just barely get by as it is. None of us drive new or fancy vehicles, we don't live in half a million dollar homes, we don't have vacation homes or fancy boats. With what we make we have clothes to buy for ourselves and our kids, vehicle insurance, tags, property taxes, groceries, school supplies, pet food, vet bills, vehicle repairs, house payments, electric bills, phone bills, internet service - then you have Christmas, Graduations, Funerals, Weddings - there is no money left.
I manage to get my bills paid all year and wait on my tax refund check to be able to pay my property taxes and now OBama Care is going to take part of that if I don't pay for health insurance.
I don't know about the rest of you out there, but I don't have an extra $100 or more each month to pay for health insurance. My pickup has over 200,000 miles on it, if I had extra money it would be used to make a truck payment before this one breaks down permanently.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Xxterra Horror Stories are TRUE - sarcoid update
First the Good News - the sarcoid we were treating on her face is gone and the wound has healed. The vet said to keep an eye on it and make sure it doesn't come back (10% of them come back a 2nd time and 2% come back a 3rd time and there isn't any info on it coming back a 4th time).
It took 37 days from the first treatment of the Xxterra. But the hair is growing back and it just left a small scar on her face. I'm praying we are done with this one and it won't come back.
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We are on Day 48 on her shoulder and it is still an open wound. We are on Day 45 on her right front leg and it is still an open wound.
They are ugly but it has not been as bad as all the internet articles said it would be. She didn't even really mind me putting the Xxterra on the one on her face and the one on her leg. She got a little cranky with the one on her shoulder on the 8th Day of using the Xxterra.
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This one is a nightmare!
On August 5th I started watching one on her tummy, wasn't sure if it was a sarcoid or not. On August 28th the vet looked at it and said, "start treating it." I believe this is where the horror stories started. The ones that were on her face, shoulder and leg were on areas that didn't touch any other areas when she moved. The one on her tummy is maybe a finger width in front of where her leg goes into her body. Every time she moves the skin behind the sarcoid touches where the Xxterra is . The other 3 we've been treating were not in "tender" spots. She was okay with the 1st treatment, that was it. It took 7 days to get an open wound. By the 3rd day she was trying to get away from me as I applied it, on the 4th day I had to have help holding her cause she was trying her best to kick me. The 4th, 5th and 6th day it took 3 of us to put it on her.
The Xxterra made an open wound where the skin was touching the area where I was treating the sarcoid. The sarcoid didn't turn into an open wound until the 13th day. Now the wound is twice the size of what it should have been. The part where the sarcoid is looks like all the others I've treated, ugly, but looking better everyday. The wound behind it, where nothing was wrong, except for the Xxterra touching the skin, is horrible. It had infection starting in it so that I've put her on antibiotics as you can't mix another drug or chemical where the Xxterra has been.
If any of them are going to come back a 2nd or even a 3rd time, PLEASE God, don't let it be this one!
Day 5 - you can see where the piece of skin is behind the sarcoid that the Xxterra is effecting.
Day 7 - you can see where the wound is starting on the healthy area.
Day 9 - healthy area has pus in it and sarcoid is not even a wound yet.
Day 13 - sarcoid is now a wound, but it should only be the size of the red circle. all the rest was healthy skin that the Xxterra was rubbing on. this one is going to be hard to heal (the others were) and this one is more than likely going to leave a good-sozed scar. Who knows at this point how much worse it's going to get before it gets better. Skyla doesn't even want me looking at it. Poor thing, I hope all this works and gets rid of them for good. I hate knowing that I may still have to put her down after putting her through all of this.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Sarcoid Update - Looking Pretty Good
We are on the 18th day of treatment on the shoulder. Day 8 it became an open wound and we have not been using the Xxterra. At this point we are watching it, waiting on the wound to heal and hoping it is gone and doesn't come back. There are 10% of horses that will get them back a 2nd time and have to do the treatment again. There are 2% of horses that will get them back a 3rd time and you have to do the treatment again. There doesn't seem to be any documentation of any horses getting them back for a 4th time.
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We are on the 16th day of treatment for the one on her face. Day 4 it was an open wound, no more Xxterra. Now we watch it and wait on it to heal. It was a lot smaller than the shoulder and seems to be healing a lot faster. I feel good about this one and don't think it will come back.
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We are on the 15th day of treatment on her right front leg. It is the worst looking. On Day 6 it became an open wound so no more Xxterra. Watch and wait. This one hasn't even lost the scab totally yet and it is horrible looking.
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The one on her right side on the bottom part of her tummy is not being treated yet. I'm pretty sure it is a sarcoid, but want either the vets opinion or for it to do something so I know for sure before I use Xxterra on it. I have to go pick up some coggins the last of this week, I'll take her with me for him to look at it. This one will be awful to treat cause once it turns into an open wound it will be pulling every step she takes.
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The worst part of all this is Skyla was a lovable, in your pocket horse. She was born here and I have spoiled her and spent lots of time loving on her. She has been to quite a few Pony Parties, she smiles on command and the kids love her. Using Xxterra has make her into a "don't touch me" and "get away from me" horse. I hope once it's over that with a little time and a lot of love and attention she will go back to being a "pocket horse."
Saturday, August 3, 2013
Sarcoid Update
I called the vet today because I wasn't sure what I was supposed to be watching for. The instructions for the Xxterra said to apply if daily until it swells and becomes an open wound. That part was easy. Then it said to watch it and if the process stopped working to re-apply. What did it mean by, "if process stops working?"
Vet said as long as the would was "raw" looking and it didn't show that the sarcoid was growing again it was working. So it looks like the one on her face is doing what it is supposed to do and the one on her leg should be an open wound tomorrow or the next day. The one on her shoulder is taking the longest to do anything.
It only took 3 days for the one on her face to swell and the 4th day it was an open wound. On her right front leg it was swollen on the 4th day, a little bit of bleeding on the 5th day. Her shoulder was swollen on the 6th day and today is the 8th day and it is still swollen but does not have any bleeding or has not turned into an open wound.
The horror stories on the internet from people who had supposedly used this on their horse are grossly exaggerated. From what I read and what the vets told me I was expecting after the first time putting it on her that she was going to try and kill me from then on until we were done.
The 1st application was on July 26th and was no problem. On July 30th she tried side-stepping away from me when I tried to apply it but nothing else. On Aug 1st it was a little harder, it took one person to hold her while I put it on. On Aug 2nd she tried to turn her butt to me but did not actually try to kick me. It may get worse as we are not done yet but it's nowhere near as bad as all the reviews made it sound.
Monday I will have to order a 2nd bottle of Xxterra as I don't want to run out and have to stop the treatment until they are gone. And I'm still waiting to see if the one on her left leg is a sarcoid or not. Yesterday I found another spot where her back leg meets the bottom of her stomach and I'm pretty sure that one is a sarcoid.
The vet said though that once I started treating them that it would make the sarcoid angry and it would turn aggressive and try to make other ones before I killed it. Sounds more like an "alien" than some type of cancer. The internet and the vet talks about when you mess with them they get angry - makes it sound as if it has a brain and can think, scary, huh?
Next update in a couple of days. Hope this is beneficial to someone out there that may have sarcoids on their horse and didn't know what to do about it. It seems that there is not very many vets who tell you about the Xxterra or they don't know about it themselves.
Vet said as long as the would was "raw" looking and it didn't show that the sarcoid was growing again it was working. So it looks like the one on her face is doing what it is supposed to do and the one on her leg should be an open wound tomorrow or the next day. The one on her shoulder is taking the longest to do anything.
It only took 3 days for the one on her face to swell and the 4th day it was an open wound. On her right front leg it was swollen on the 4th day, a little bit of bleeding on the 5th day. Her shoulder was swollen on the 6th day and today is the 8th day and it is still swollen but does not have any bleeding or has not turned into an open wound.
The horror stories on the internet from people who had supposedly used this on their horse are grossly exaggerated. From what I read and what the vets told me I was expecting after the first time putting it on her that she was going to try and kill me from then on until we were done.
The 1st application was on July 26th and was no problem. On July 30th she tried side-stepping away from me when I tried to apply it but nothing else. On Aug 1st it was a little harder, it took one person to hold her while I put it on. On Aug 2nd she tried to turn her butt to me but did not actually try to kick me. It may get worse as we are not done yet but it's nowhere near as bad as all the reviews made it sound.
Monday I will have to order a 2nd bottle of Xxterra as I don't want to run out and have to stop the treatment until they are gone. And I'm still waiting to see if the one on her left leg is a sarcoid or not. Yesterday I found another spot where her back leg meets the bottom of her stomach and I'm pretty sure that one is a sarcoid.
The vet said though that once I started treating them that it would make the sarcoid angry and it would turn aggressive and try to make other ones before I killed it. Sounds more like an "alien" than some type of cancer. The internet and the vet talks about when you mess with them they get angry - makes it sound as if it has a brain and can think, scary, huh?
Next update in a couple of days. Hope this is beneficial to someone out there that may have sarcoids on their horse and didn't know what to do about it. It seems that there is not very many vets who tell you about the Xxterra or they don't know about it themselves.
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
Sarcoid Update - Sarcoid on Face is Horrible Now
The instructions from Xxterra is to use the product 4 days then rest for 10 days. The instructions from the vet were use 4 to 6 days or until it starts to swell and turns into an open wound. I decided to do it the way the vet said.
The one on her face we took the first pic on July 27th. On Day 3 of treatment, July 30th, you could see swelling. Today, July 31st, 4th day of treatment - it is what I would call an open wound. Did not treat it with the Xxterra.
Will continue to follow vet's directions to watch it and if it looks like the process has stopped will start re-applying it.
Will call vet tomorrow to get antibiotic for infection and butte for pain.
You can see the swelling in the one on her shoulder, tomorrow will be the 7th day of treatment on it. I hate to see what it is going to look like in the morning when I take off the bandage.
God, please let this work. As of tonight I'm down to 1/2 the jar of Xxterra. It looks like I will have to buy a 2nd bottle, another $100. I don't want to have to stop treating it while I wait on it to be shipped.
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The one on her face we took the first pic on July 27th. On Day 3 of treatment, July 30th, you could see swelling. Today, July 31st, 4th day of treatment - it is what I would call an open wound. Did not treat it with the Xxterra.
Will continue to follow vet's directions to watch it and if it looks like the process has stopped will start re-applying it.
Will call vet tomorrow to get antibiotic for infection and butte for pain.
You can see the swelling in the one on her shoulder, tomorrow will be the 7th day of treatment on it. I hate to see what it is going to look like in the morning when I take off the bandage.
God, please let this work. As of tonight I'm down to 1/2 the jar of Xxterra. It looks like I will have to buy a 2nd bottle, another $100. I don't want to have to stop treating it while I wait on it to be shipped.
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Saturday, July 27, 2013
Sarcoid Treatment Update 1 - Side Effects Have Started
Started treating the Sarcoid on her shoulder on July 25th. I am doing the treatment in the evening and taking the photo the next day. This is what it looked like after the 1st treatment with Xxterra.
Day 2 of treatment on July 26th. This is what it looked like after the treatment.
Day 3 of treatment on July 27th, Today (no photo till tommorrow). Evidently today starts all the horror stories of the side effects.
Around 3 pm today Skyla went down. She was not rolling but kept looking at her belly like when they get colic but it was only on the side where the Sarcoid is. Got her up, listened for belly sounds, checked color of gums. Belly sounds and gum color was okay. Called the vet and told him about it, he said it was probably caused from the Xxterra. Told me to give her 5 cc of Banomine, Butte for pain and to keep an eye on her. She was up and walking around 15 minutes later.
We left to go do 2 parties and didn't get home till 9 pm. Skyla was laying down and didn't even twitch an ear when we opened the gate. We thought she was dead. She stood up just as the truck pulled up to her and lifted her tail and it looked like the stream from a water hose. She went right back down. Her neck was very cold and she was trembling. We put a blanket on her, put her in the barn. Checked belly sounds and gum color. It looked as if her stomach was bloated. Called the vet.
Vet said to give her Butte and another shot of Banomine. She got up and pooped again and it was like water shooting out of the water hose again. Mixing apple juice and water to be sure she drinks and does not dehydrate.
You can tell just by looking in her eyes that she is in pain. Nowhere in reviews I read from people using Xxterra or the vets or universities studies on it did it say a horse had died from using it. Skyla just turned 2 last month and she is so sweet and I know she is probably the last baby I will raise and break, I can't stand the thought of losing her (that's why I'm sitting here doing this at 2:30 in the morning).
2:15 am, went to check on her, was laying down and doing a partial roll every now and then, gave her 5 cc of Banomine. Offered her water and apple juice mixed and she refused it so i poured some in her mouth so I know she got some liquid in her.
Have a party in the morning in Tampa, going to worry myself sick about her. Think I will leave Banomine in barn so I can call neighbor to go check on her and give her a shot if needed. Everybody else is in bed. If this was Lexi or Captain then Storm would be out there ever 15 minutes checking on them and yelling for me to come and make sure they were all right. Since it's my baby it seems I'm the only one that cares if she is okay or not.
Everybody say a special prayer for me and Skyla. Let her be okay in the end even if I have to take care of her constantly until we get the Sarcoids gone, just let her be okay.
Around 3 pm today Skyla went down. She was not rolling but kept looking at her belly like when they get colic but it was only on the side where the Sarcoid is. Got her up, listened for belly sounds, checked color of gums. Belly sounds and gum color was okay. Called the vet and told him about it, he said it was probably caused from the Xxterra. Told me to give her 5 cc of Banomine, Butte for pain and to keep an eye on her. She was up and walking around 15 minutes later.
We left to go do 2 parties and didn't get home till 9 pm. Skyla was laying down and didn't even twitch an ear when we opened the gate. We thought she was dead. She stood up just as the truck pulled up to her and lifted her tail and it looked like the stream from a water hose. She went right back down. Her neck was very cold and she was trembling. We put a blanket on her, put her in the barn. Checked belly sounds and gum color. It looked as if her stomach was bloated. Called the vet.
Vet said to give her Butte and another shot of Banomine. She got up and pooped again and it was like water shooting out of the water hose again. Mixing apple juice and water to be sure she drinks and does not dehydrate.
You can tell just by looking in her eyes that she is in pain. Nowhere in reviews I read from people using Xxterra or the vets or universities studies on it did it say a horse had died from using it. Skyla just turned 2 last month and she is so sweet and I know she is probably the last baby I will raise and break, I can't stand the thought of losing her (that's why I'm sitting here doing this at 2:30 in the morning).
2:15 am, went to check on her, was laying down and doing a partial roll every now and then, gave her 5 cc of Banomine. Offered her water and apple juice mixed and she refused it so i poured some in her mouth so I know she got some liquid in her.
Have a party in the morning in Tampa, going to worry myself sick about her. Think I will leave Banomine in barn so I can call neighbor to go check on her and give her a shot if needed. Everybody else is in bed. If this was Lexi or Captain then Storm would be out there ever 15 minutes checking on them and yelling for me to come and make sure they were all right. Since it's my baby it seems I'm the only one that cares if she is okay or not.
Everybody say a special prayer for me and Skyla. Let her be okay in the end even if I have to take care of her constantly until we get the Sarcoids gone, just let her be okay.
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