MKB, REALTORS Blog

Short Answer? YES!

Our pets play a significant role in our lives and studies have shown this relationship to be mutually beneficial. Among the many health benefits of owning a pet are decreased blood pressure, lowering anxiety and treating symptoms of PTSD in humans.

Animals can do so much to improve the quality of our lives, but have you explored all the ways you can improve theirs?

Here in the Roanoke and New River Valleys, we are fortunate enough to have access to the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine (V-MCVM) in Blacksburg, Virginia. The V-MCVM is one of only 32 colleges of veterinary medicine in the United States!

Compare that to the number of medical schools in the United States (204), and you'll realize just how competitive it is to become a veterinarian!

Besides the main campus in Blacksburg, the V-MCVM includes the Animal Care and Research Center in Roanoke, the Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center in Leesburg and the Gudelsky Veterinary Center in College Park, Maryland. The college is focused on the development and delivery of a One Health education, integrating multidisciplinary research and educational opportunities that provide health care solutions for animals, people, and communities.

One very unique service that the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine provides is physical rehabilitation for your pet. That's right - dogs can participate in physical therapy, too!

Just like humans, physical therapy can be used to treat orthopedic and neurologic conditions and can be incorporated into a treatment regimen before, after, or in lieu of surgery. The Rehab department is led by Flori Bliss, an extremely talented licensed veterinary technician and Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner.

I know first hand the positive impact this program can have on your pet.

My dog, Wilkes, is a 14-year old golden-retriever-terrier mix who has been going to physical therapy for over 2 years! Wilkes had knee surgery in 2020 to repair a torn ligament. At the time of his diagnosis, I also learned that he had a partial tear in his right knee, as well.

After his surgery, I began taking Wilkes to rehab and never looked back!

For Wilkes, our goal was to strengthen his back legs to prevent further injury and maintain his mobility as he ages. In addition to exercises, Wilkes also participates in laser therapy, a non-invasive, pain-free, drug-free treatment that relieves pain, improves mobility, and increases blood flow to the tissues.

Owners work with Flori and their referring veterinarian to come up with a treatment plan specifically for their pet. Wilkes goes to rehab twice a month. In between appointments, I work with him at home on exercises, as well.

More Details

If you'd like to learn more about rehab and the V-MCVM, check out this news story and video featuring Wilkes, Flori, and others at the vet school. Without Flori and the rehab department, Wilkes would not be able to have the same quality of life he enjoys at his age. For me, these services are just one of the many reasons I am so grateful to call the Roanoke Valley home!

One of the simplest ways you can instantly change the ambiance of your home is by doing a home decor refresh. Not only is interior decorating a satisfying creative outlet, but it enables you to showcase your personality and style through your living space.

Here are some of this year's most popular home decor trends and where in Roanoke you can source products to bring the trend to life in your own home…

Bold Color

Color has established itself as a major trend for 2023, whether it be bright pops, moody, or saturated color. For a DIY option, try painting a piece of furniture in a bold color.

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We've all seen the decorative signs in homes …

• Lake life is the Best Life
• The Lake is My Happy Place
• If you're lucky enough to have a house at the lake, you're lucky enough.

Sure, my husband, daughter, and I vacationed for many years at Smith Mountain Lake and we thoroughly loved the long boat rides, the glassy early morning water that reflected the sky and trees, the creaking sound of the dock slowly rising and falling as a boat went speeding by,
the sunrises over the mountain and the sunsets at the end of a fun-filled day. However, what I could not totally appreciate until we moved here full time was the sense of belonging that my husband and I would experience almo...

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I am an animal lover. In fact, the real reason I decided to move across the county to Roanoke in the first place was to fulfill my dream to start an animal rescue specifically designed to work with "misunderstood" animal breeds.

What's a Misunderstood Breed? Firstly, one that gets a bad rap based on the media (think pit bulls). Secondly, ones that are portrayed in television and film, often highly trained (think Belgian Malinois, which we have two of).

• What ended up happening next?

We bought a farm! A beautiful little slice of safety and sanity for my family and our animal friends.

• What type of animals do we have?

Donkeys, pigs, goats, mini horses, a Haflinger, dogs and cats. (I did NOT see that coming!) It was a wild ride at first, but sometimes the best plans take you slightly off course. Embrace it!

If you ar...

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Did you know we have both a Greenway AND Blueway in Roanoke? We do!

But what do the colors mean anyway?

The Roanoke Greenway is the path that runs parallel to the Roanoke River (which is the Blueway). In the Blueway you can enjoy fishing, tubing, swimming and all things water.

The Roanoke Valley Greenway system has over 30 miles of space spanning all the way from Salem to Botetourt and is used for outdoor recreational activities like walking, biking, rollerblading and skateboarding.

Personally, I enjoy the walking part. You can see beautiful sites, talk with great friends, people watch or just get your time in exercising.

A group of friends and I were walking along the Greenway last week after stopping at Blue Cow Ice Cream

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