Totally ticked off!

Hey blogaroos! Squirmy here. Just getting over the bully stick hangover from the Coyote’s birthday bash. Loads of canine buddies. Food. Dancing. Drinking.

Just joking!! It’s a pandemic and we’re in lockdown! No big bash. Just us boys and My Enforcer- and some bully sticks. And extra treats at supper. A good time was had by all.

Now while the celebration was good news – we are ALL ticked off in this house. REALLY ticked off. Why? Ticks. Big time. Every time we go for a walk, it seems one of us brings one in. And that’s despite the fact that we wear bandanas dosed in natural tick spray – AND Her Highness also rubs it in our coats. We smell like lemongrass. You can smell us from 50 yards away. And supposedly the smell is supposed to be yucky to ticks. Well. Our ticks must have seasonal allergies and stuffy noses because they STILL hop on us for a ride.

Now for YEARS, My Enforcer has been nervous about tick medications. And you can read ALL kinds of stuff about them. Good and bad. But here’s the deal – we have something called Lyme Disease in our neck of the woods. And dogs can get Lyme. Now some dogs don’t get TOO sick. And they can be treated. BUT – some dogs get VERY sick. My Enforcer knows about the case of a local 6 year old Golden Retriever who sadly died from it. Apparently Labs and Goldens are more susceptible to serious effects from Lyme. But that’s not to say other dogs can’t also get pretty ill.

So although My Enforcer has long resisted the urge to put us on medication, after finding two ticks on me, one on The Boss and three on The Coyote, she decided she had to do SOMETHING.

Some people have good results with collars. But given that we all love to chew and lick each other – that option was out. Same with a topical medication.

So she consulted with several friends who have also been proponents of natural methods in the past – but who are also at their wits end with the tick explosion of late. In consultation with a veterinarian who practices a combination of holistic and traditional medicine, they got a recommendation. We also consulted with our own vet. I’m not going to post it – as we’re not trying to advocate OR advertise these products. But you are welcome to contact us if you want to know what we selected. Keep in mind that this is OUR experience- and we are not saying we have the right answer to the problem….you have to find the best option that works for you.

But back from the warning message…..Being the worry wart that she is, she kinda went a bit crazy watching us after we had our first pills. Like I felt like an amoeba under a microscope. Whatever amoebas feel like – I don’t know any personally. Anyway she wouldn’t let us out of her sight for like hours. Mind you, we’re in lockdown so it wasn’t all that different from most days lately.

The good news – no weirdo side effects. Phew. No strange or crazy behaviors. At least none that could be blamed on medication….

After we started our medication- which we got from our vet, she also found another armament for the battle. A bandana that has tick repellent built in. Good for 70 washings. That would be extra protection on our walks. But not when we’re playing as we would likely try to rip them off each other. OK. I would. Anyway, she ordered 3.

One note about tick medications- WE DO NOT ADVOCATE BUYING STUFF OVER THE COUNTER. Especially at places like the Dollar Store!!! See your vet for a choice that is right for you. Gee. That sounded like a commercial….

So that’s the news from bugville. We realize there will be some people who totally disagree with our decision to take tick medication. And we get it. This was a super hard decision to make. But My Enforcer wants us to be able to enjoy the outdoors- without having to wrap us in plastic wrap. Don’t laugh – she’s thought of everything including making us wear long suits that cover our bodies and legs. But ya still had our heads to worry about….I’m not so sure I would be good in a hoodie…

So given this challenge – PLEASE don’t give us grief about this decision. As I said, it’s not one we came to without lots of research and weighing all our options. If you totally disagree with us…..pretend you never read this. Just ignore this story. Kind of like when The Coyote ignores My Enforcer when she calls his name…..

Personally, I think we need to move to Newfoundland where Sue and Keith live. NO TICKS (or porcupines or skunks or snakes !) in Newfoundland! And summer is a whole month long!!! After the icebergs melt. Just joking!!!!! About moving there…

Have a good one. Peace and paws up. Stay safe.