Son of a tick

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The weather is warming up, the ground is thawing, and spring is here! As much as most of us have waited all winter for this, it also means tick season is coming.

So why do we care? Well, unfortunately, ticks can carry nasty diseases like Lyme disease, or cause tick bite paralysis, among other things. Lyme disease affects both animals and humans (but is not transferable from an animal to a human, it can only be contracted from the tick itself).

There are two common types of ticks that carry Lyme disease in North America – the western blacklegged tick, and the blacklegged tic (deer tick). 

The good news is based on current evidence collected by the government of Alberta, they have listed the risk of Lyme-spreading ticks as low, but there are other diseases that can be transferred by ticks. It’s always good to be on the lookout, especially if you travel with your dog, camp in wooded areas, or frequently take your dog hiking.

So what are you looking for?

Well, ticks are small, spider-like creatures. The most common ones looks like this:

Ticks will cling to you and your pet, and it’s easy to overlook them. Thorough checks of both you and your furry friend when leaving a potentially infested area can minimize the risk of these little hitchhikers coming home with you. (Trust me, you don’t want to see one of these crawling around your house.)

This however, is easier said than done, especially depending on your dog (fur thickness/colour, for example). While you may not find any ticks when you check your pooch, there are a few signs/symptoms your dog may have a clinger.

1.       If you feel a small bump when petting your pup, DON’T ignore it. Part their fur and check it out. If you find a tick, don’t panic. Tips for removal are just below.

2.       If your pooch is shaking their head a lot, that could be a sign of a tick in their ear canal. The ideal environment for a tick is a warm, damp place. This means a dog’s ears and their ‘underarms’ are both favourite spots for ticks.

3.       Scabbing is also a sign your pup may have a tick. Ticks lodged in your dogs skin are irritating for them, so they tend to do what we all do with bug bites – scratch at the area (and in your dog’s case, bite at it as well). This can cause tearing, and produce scabs. Closer examination can help determine if your dog has a tick bite.

4.       Finding a tick in your home is a skin-crawling experience. Been there, done that. Unfortunately, seeing one can mean there are several more you don’t see. Check yourself and your dog thoroughly if this happens, and then make like Sherlock Holmes and inspect your house top to bottom.

Now, how do you get rid of the pesky blood-suckers.

The important thing to remember when removing a tick is you need to get the whole thing out. Ticks will latch onto the surface of the skin, make a cut, inserts their feeding tube, and hold on. Some ticks can even secrete a substance similar to cement to help it stay in place. This makes removal a challenge, however it is doable.

First off, DON’T use your fingers. Not only are they going to be unable to grip the tiny body of the tick, you also risk exposure to any disease they might be carrying. Even if the tick is on you, resist the urge to get it off as fast as possible, because in the long run it will make it worse if you try and use your fingers.

Get a pair of tweezers, or a tick remover tool (available in some stores, and online). Place the end firmly against the skin outside of the tick. The key is to try and get a hold of the head/mouth of the tick, since that’s the part adhering to the skin. Once you’ve got the tick gently in your grasp (you don’t want to squeeze the tick as you may pull it apart and make removal more difficult), pull STRAIGHT UP. This is important. Don’t twist or jerk, as you’ll risk ripping the tick. You want to make sure you get the whole thing out.

Inspect the removal site closely to make sure the entire tick has been removed. Then you can clean the area with soap/antiseptic. Washing your hands is recommended.

DO NOT – apply matches, cigarettes, or petroleum jelly to the tick. These will not help remove the tick, despite what you may have been told.

KEEP THE TICK. Place it in a clean, empty container. Don’t put air holes in the container, but you can put a small damp tissue in the container to prevent the tick from drying out.

If you pulled the tick out of your dog, bring it to your vet for inspection. If it came out of you or another person, bring the tick to an Alberta Health Services Environmental Health Office (call first to make an appointment to drop it off). Submitting the tick for testing helps keep everyone up to date on the state of tick infestation, as well as aware of any potential outbreaks.

Your vet can help prevent your dog from tick bites and the various diseases they can transmit with oral or non-systemic treatments (topical). Talk to your vet to discuss your options.

For yourself or other people, stick to the trails as much as possible. Light-coloured clothing will help you see the ticks, hopefully before they find any skin to feed on. Covering up as much as possible will also help, as well as limiting any access points the ticks may have to get to your skin. A hat, long sleeved shirts, and long pants tucked into socks or boots will help prevent skin exposure.

Ticks are pests, but are avoidable. Keep yourself and your pets safe this season by keeping informed, and being aware.

Puppy love

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Puppies. The fur babies of our hearts.

I know a few parents of children get a bit angsty when they hear people call their pets fur babies, but hopefully they understand how we mean it.

A puppy is similar to a baby in a lot of ways. You have to feed it often. You have to take it out to eliminate even more often, 24/7, -30 or otherwise. Puppies need attention, playtime, and instruction. Basically, they own your time and your life for the first year or so. Not as long as a baby, but you see where the term came from.

So, moving on.

Puppies are a challenge. I’d never had a dog before, we were always too busy growing up, and then there was post-secondary, then finding a job, trying to establish some sort of routine in my life, on and on. I talked about getting a dog for years and years, but never seemed to have the time. I spent hours and hours researching different types of dogs, various training techniques, what to expect, what to feed them, crate training vs. not crate training, etc., etc.. I always had doubts about whether I should, was this the right time, am I secure enough in my job, can I really afford a puppy...

Eventually I decided if I wanted to get a dog, I needed to make it happen. After asking my boss and everyone in my workplace if they’d be okay with me bringing a puppy in to work, I decided to do it. So I moved from my studio apartment in downtown Calgary, because it was not pet friendly, to a townhouse with a roommate (AND a cat), solely to get a puppy.  

Here’s the thing about animals. They don’t know, and don’t care, that you rearranged your entire life just for them. Same as babies again. They. Don’t. Care. They have basic, elemental needs, and you’ve just established yourself as their provider when you took them from their mother and littermates. You’re it, kid. So if you’re expecting them to appreciate you, don’t. For quite some time at least.

For me, it was probably well into year two before I felt that connection with Jas where I was more than just a provider. Even still, Belle has only been in our house for two months, and I already feel a stronger connection with her. Dogs have dramatically different personalities, just like people.

And they can be infuriating. For example, one of Jas’s specialties was coming back inside after I’d let her out to eliminate, her refusing to go outside, and immediately peeing or pooping upon re-entry to the house. Immediately. For months, this went on. I thought I would kill her. I thought about giving up. I thought I was insane, and that nothing I’d read really explained just how hard it was going to be. And this included in the middle of the night. One thing I’d read was that you should try to wake your puppy up and take them outside before they woke you up. So every two hours, for three weeks, I would wake up to take her out. I was a miserable human being. I cannot even imagine doing that for a baby for a year or more. Props to the human parents is all I’ll say.

But I stuck it out. I’d committed to her, and I was determined to see it through. She’s come a long way in the last three years, and we’ve definitely bonded over a love of frisbee. The girl can jump.

Belle, on the other hand, has minor destructive tendencies. She’ll chew on things she really shouldn’t, if given the chance and she’s peckish enough. Things like books, baseboard, or the leg of a dresser, for example. But rarely. Other than that, she picked up potty training in a few weeks. She listens well, and she follows Jas like a little shadow. I think she’s made Jas a happier dog, and she’s made me a happier human. I’ve heard both ways about two dogs, but I’d swear it makes life so much easier when they have each other to play with, especially with one being older. Belle was a foster I had no intention of keeping (silly me, I know). I thought she’d be like Jas, and I’d have no trouble letting her go. I learned something.

Puppies are all different, and there’s no way to tell what they’re going to be like. The best you can do is research, plan, and hope for the best. Stick to your guns early, decide what’s really important, and don’t let the puppy be the boss. You have to make sure they know you’re the pack leader, you’re in charge, and they can’t bully you into what they want.

Most of all, make sure you’re aware of the time and dedication it’s going to take to turn your rampaging little ball of fur into the companion you’re hoping for.

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Dog gone happy

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Dog. That which we call by any other name would still be just as fluffy, fun, loving, and our best friend, right?

 I sure think so. Think of all the names we have for dogs.

Doggo. Doge. Fido. Pup. Pupper. Pooch. Fur baby.

The feelings dogs illicit in (most) humans, no matter what name you call them, are one of “awwww”, comfort, love, and general happiness. Assuming they’re not chewing on your shoes or anything. But even when they do, we still love them, and want to take care of them.

But why is that?

Based on some research by an English biologist, what it comes down to is instinct. Our evolutionary makeup dictates we take care of our pets. And we’ve been doing it for thousands and thousands of years, all over the world.

And why wouldn’t we?

There’s the chemical release of ‘happy hormones’ when you pet your dog. You feel good when they roll onto their back, little arms and legs stuck in the air, tongues lolling out of their mouths in pure puppy heaven, as you scratch their furry bellies. It’s almost therapeutic. Watching your dog come running up to you after you haven’t seen them for a day (or an hour, or ever five minutes) makes us feel good, and wanted, and needed.

Even when they’ve destroyed the house, we still love them. We forgive them. (And we make memes out of them, of course.)

So is it any wonder there’s been a shift from ‘pet’ to ‘family’? Heck, your dog probably makes you happier than your family sometimes anyway!

So I say, embrace it. Embrace the change, embrace peoples growing shift to taking care of their dogs. If we get a little extra over them sometimes, well, if it isn’t hurting your pooch, or anyone else, why not? Mutually happiness is what having a dog is all about.