Pests

So what is a human supposed to do?  

My human shared a post on her Facebook page that talked about the dangers of some of the Flea and Tick medications for dogs and cats  that you can get through your veterinarian.  It seems that certain types, which contain a drug in the Isoxazoline class ( whatever that is) have been shown to cause adverse neurological effects in some animals - like ataxia, muscle tremors and even seizures. 

It’s a dilemma for everyone.  No one likes the thought of parasites on their pet.  And in some areas, besides just being itchy and uncomfortable, the problem of ticks can also lead to Lyme Disease.  Double whammy.  So what is a human to do?  No one wants fleas on their pets  ( let alone in their carpets) and no one wants sick pets either.  But it seems the “cures “ can be as bad or worse than the pests.

Now there are non-medicinal options.  Like collars made of amber, special garlic tablets, and even essential oil sprays.  But we found out the hard way that sprays containing Rosemary can actually trigger seizures in epileptic dogs, like me.  So natural isn’t always safe.  Or effective.

The one good thing about living in a snowy winter climate, is that we get a reprieve from pests for a few months.  But for folks who live in year-round warm climates - well they need to find something. 

Collars containing pesticides are one option as long as you don’t have more than one dog.  At least in our case.  Someone is always licking someone else’s head and neck - so I doubt that would be healthy.

You have to wonder about medications that are good for several months - how many chemicals are flowing through us dogs in that period of time?   You’ll notice when we glow in the dark.

My human was VERY worried this year - because as you may recall, she found a tick on my head back in February!  So she stressed about the summer.  What to do?  What to do?  We are always running through the woods and high grasses- a perfect habitat for ticks.  But guess what?  I almost hate to say this....we had none.  I know tomorrow I’ll probably be writing that my human found 10 on each of us- but up until today, we have been lucky.

OK.  I might as well confess.  She’s been wrapping us in plastic cling wrap every time we go out.  Or if she runs out,  it’s been tin foil.  A bit of a nuisance but it worked.

JUST KIDDING.  But it IS true that we didn’t encounter the dreaded ticks.  My human says that Einstein’s incessant barking scares even the ticks away.

I still go back to the fact that we need a natural predator for the ticks.  Apparently Guinea Hens are good.  And they could compete with Einstein’s noisy behavior.

If you have used something to combat insectinal vermin (that’s a new term I made up), feel free to share your ideas.  

It’s a question which has no easy answer....

Have a good one. Peace and paws up.

Seizure free days: 36