Saddle Sore Ranch

09/12/2025

09/08/2025

09/03/2025

08/31/2025

08/24/2025

Duke Update 🐾
For everyone who saw last night’s post—thank you for all the love and concern for our boy. ❤️

We’re happy to share that Duke is doing great today! His appetite never skipped a beat, he ate breakfast, has been drinking plenty of water, his vitals are good, and his behavior is totally normal. 🐶✨

We’re so grateful he bounced back quickly after the scare.

08/24/2025

🚨 Dog Owners in Arizona – Please Read! 🚨

Tonight we had a really scary experience with Duke. He came into contact with a Sonoran Desert toad (Colorado River toad), which can be extremely poisonous to dogs. Within minutes, he was drooling, whimpering, and clearly in distress.

We immediately rinsed his mouth thoroughly with water — the most important first step — and now we’re closely monitoring his heart rate and breathing at home. These toxins can act fast on the heart and nervous system, so keeping watch is critical.

👉 If your dog ever licks or mouths one of these toads:
• Rinse their mouth out with water immediately, aiming outward so they don’t swallow it.
• Watch for symptoms: drooling, red gums, whining, stumbling, tremors, or seizures.
• Monitor heart rate & breathing (normal is ~60–120 beats/min and 15–30 breaths/min). Racing, irregular, or very slow breathing = get to a vet ASAP.
• Go to a vet right away if you see worsening signs.

We were lucky to catch this quickly, and Duke seems to be stabilizing. Please keep an eye out in your yards, especially at night when these toads are most active. Protect your pups! ❤️🐾

08/17/2025

🐴✨ What a day at our Equine Emergencies Clinic! ✨🐴

Our riders learned:
🧰 What belongs in a vet box
🌡️ How to take TPR (temperature, pulse & respiration)
📞 When it’s time to call the vet
⚖️ How to weigh a horse
🩹 And even how to treat an abscess!

Hands-on learning like this builds confidence and prepares our students to care for their horses in any situation. 💪❤️

👉 Stay tuned for our next clinic — more details coming soon!