Farm tours
Getting dumped?
Vermont Farm Tours begins seasonal trips May 1.
Rusty gets ready to get dumped and is pleasantly surprised.
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FREE
Take one
ECRWSS PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID NEW MARKET PRESS/ DENTON PUBLICATIONS
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Serving Addison and Chittenden Counties
April 28, 2012
Tick season is off, running
How a politician learned to love alpacas
MIDDLEBURY — As many owners are already finding out, the ticks have woken up for the season. In my practice I have seen an increase in the number of ticks found on dogs and even some cats this year. This is likely due to the relatively mild winter weather and the warmer than normal spring temperatures. Some of the most common questions that I hear regarding ticks are: What is the best way to prevent ticks? What is the best way to remove a tick? If I do find a tick on my pet should I test them for Lyme disease? The best way to protect your pets from ticks and fleas is diligent inspection. It sounds simple but it is true. After a walk or hike in wooded areas or tall grasses inspect your pet for ticks before they have a chance to attach. It is also useful to know that a tick must be attached to the skin for at least 24 hours before it can transmit disease. Therefore, prompt removal is often the best first step in good prevention. There is often confusion about the best way to remove ticks from the skin. With respect to dogs and cats, the best way is to use a tick spoon or twister. These tools work in the same fashion and look much like the claw aspect of a hammer. By placing the tool next to the skin just under the tick’s head it can be safely and properly removed by rocking the tool back and elevating the tick away from the skin. Tweezers can also be used as a substitute making certain to get as close to the skin as possible. Grabbing the tick wholesale and pulling See TICK SEASON, page 13
newmarketpress@denpubs.com
By Dr. Liam Bisson
By Nancy Driscoll MONTPELIER — Vermont Lt. Gov. Phil Scott continued his “Vermont Everyday Jobs” tour last month spending a morning making house calls with Dr. Alison Cornwall, a largeanimal veterinarian working in central Vermont. Their itinerary for the morning’s work included a horse barn in Montpelier, a goat dairy in Cabot, and an alpaca farm in Middlesex. At the Saudek horse farm, Dr. Cornwall had Scott’s assistance in examining, vaccinating, and giving dental exams to a couple of horses. Lt. Gov. Scott also learned how to disbud, or remove horns, from baby goats at their second stop at the Rockwell Farm in Cabot. Their final stop was at the Hall alpaca farm in Middlesex, where Lt. Governor Scott assisted in a few male alpaca castrations. “It was a really interesting experience,” said Scott. “Each ‘Everyday Job’ generates information that I can bring back to Montpelier, and this visit showed me how much our state needs capable large-animal vets like Dr. Cornwall.” According to the Vermont Veterinary Medicine Association, veterinary medicine as a whole employs nearly 1,200 Vermonters. However, the large-animal veterinary industry in particular is facing a current shortage of doctors. Last year, the Vermont Legislature and the governor enacted a loan forgiveness program for large-animal vets, with the hope that See ALPACAS, page 13
Vermont Lt. Gov. Phil Scott with Dr. Alison Cornwall (in blue vest) and farm owner Susan Hall (in plaid jacket). Photo by Jeannette Wulff
Cody the horse: A friend forever By Tori Lathrop newmarketpress@denpubs.com
Cody and Tori ride the bed of the New Haven River in Vermont.
I became sick after I delivered my youngest son in 1978. I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease on July 4, 1979. I started spending a lot of time in and out of hospitals for treatments. My first surgery occurred in 1986 and was quickly followed by another in 1987. Several years passed and it felt like I had my life somewhat under control. I had been told by the physicians that I would probably not live to be over 50 so I started a list of things I wanted to accomplish and set out on a mission to succeed crossing items from my list. I guess the modern term is a “bucket list.”
Like every little girl, I had wanted to learn to ride so I started taking lessons at the age of 35. After a year of lessons, I really wanted a horse to call my own. I purchased a western pleasure horse named Leo. He taught me well about patience, persistence, and practice but decided I needed more of a challenge. Now was the task of finding my horse. It just so happened that the owner of the farm had taken in a seven-year-old palomino paint mare. She was definitely in poor condition and ornery but the owner wanted me to take a look at her. I very carefully went into the pasture because I had heard the stories about how she would charge people who went into the See CODY THE HORSE, page 13