Cleaning out the Critter Medicine Cabinet

I found three bottles of unopened iodine and a 10-year history of the critters on the farm.

I kept the dog collars, tags still attached, that belonged to Jack and Rambles, our two deceased Border collies.

But I threw out the half-full tube of Banamine that I'd used on Scuba, my mare, in a futile attempt to keep her alive.

Much of the cat history -- the ear mite medication for a stray barn cat, flea preventative from a flea infestation seven years ago, calming sprays from 2006, the year that Blotto died and the indoor/outdoor cats went on a marking binge -- was tossed.

Though, I saved the cat harness that I'd bought for Blotto when we moved to the area in 1997. I just might teach Dewey to walk on leash.

The history of dogs filled a trash can. Gone are the pain medications from Rambles's first, second and third knee surgery, and the anti-inflammatories that we gave after we gave up on surgeries. Also pitched were the expired ear washes, eye washes, liquid wound spray, dewormer, eye medication, probiotics, and dental washes.

I kept the e-collar from the numerous dog surgeries, the bellyband from Jack's final year, and the first aid bandages.

Mixed among them were the sheep ear tags -- three different types from the years we were deciding on the ones we liked best, the castrating bands, and boxes of syringes and needles.

I also organized the red, green, and yellow chicken leg bands -- and remembered that I still must band the young hens.

I kept the two sets of clippers, the scissors, the brushes. Grooming never goes out of style, nor do the tools reach an expiration date.

And I placed the bottles of iodine in the front part of the cabinet -- next to the latex gloves, bandages and other first aid tools.

Maybe I should be thankful to have so many bottles of unopened iodine.