And then forgot to tell us why.
~Ogden Nash, "The Fly"
Today was pretty much a repeat of the day before, only it was raining. LOL...
Quiet (YAY!), routine (YAY!).
I did have some ickiness first thing in the morning. Found a tick on Dakota, pulled it and en route to the potty to dump it, DD finds another one. So, I dump tick #1 and return, pull tick #2, dump ... and DD finds another.
And another.
And another.
We pulled -- in total -- TEN ticks off the dog. By the time I was done, she was a quivering mass of canine jello. She was shaking, drooling and her tail was tucked so far between her legs she looked like she didn't have one. I felt terrible, but the ticks had to be yanked. She was well rewarded after :-)
Here's the problem. First, the flea and tick meds (like Frontline and Vectra) burn her skin BADLY. I've tried them all. Not to mention that there is some evidence that they can cause cancer (they are, after all, a pesticide that we're adding to their bloodstream. If it was totally safe, they'd recommend humans use it ... yes?). I've lost one dog to cancer and will do everything I can to NOT lose another one to the beast.
I've tried some of the natural remedies like essential oils (clove, lemon, etc) that are out there. They are a repellent, not a killer, but I've found that they have to be reapplied on an almost daily basis and they made Dakota stressed (she paces, drools and won't settle for hours after I apply them... even if I reduce the dose).
Normally, simply checking her for ticks works. But this year, they are especially bad, and apparently they're everywhere, including the lawn. DH and I have BOTH had ticks on us already this season, and we weren't hiking in the woods.
My next try is Skin So Soft. The smell is a little less obnoxious than the essential oils and I'm hoping it won't stress out the dog.
Ten ticks. :::shudders:::
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You Are Good |
 You have an ethical code that you live by. You think it's important to be a good person. You are idealistic, and you don't really care if your ideals are unrealistic. You are a complex and deep person. There are many layers to who you are. You seek meaning and purpose in every part of your life. An empty life terrifies you. |
That's mostly right.
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6 comments:
I had no idea that tick preventing meds cause cancer. I want to keep my baby for as long as I can so I’ll have to look into other options. Let me know how skin-so-soft works out for Dakota. It’s the only thing that prevents mosquitoes from biting me so maybe it does keep bugs off from dogs.
Ew, you've given me the shivers. Poor dog.
Hope you have a calm day.
Ewwww! Poor Dakota! I hope the Skin So Soft works for her. The only thing I could have thought of was lemongrass. Ah, well.
You Are Competent
You've never had a problem speaking your mind. You are extremely honest.
You are naturally competitive and a bit of a fighter. You crave victory.
Whenever possible, you like to be in control. You are good at running things.
You like to put yourself to the test. You don't feel alive unless you feel challenged.
It's about 80% correct. *G*
I hope you're having a drier and happier day!
Poor Dakota!!!!
Ten. I hope the skin-so-soft works.
You Are a Visionary
You intuitively understand people. You are an amazing listener.
You always think before you talk. You consider your words carefully.
You are reserved about expressing your true self. You are shy.
You are thought to be a perfectionist. You have a pretty clear vision of how you want things to go.
This is 95% me.
We used to use Skin So Soft on our rhea and emu to repel mosquitoes.
But the best defense against ticks are chickens. They love 'em.
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