Ticked Off!

They're Baaaaack! Actually, they never really left. It takes a lot to kill a tick and a standard, ordinary winter in New England may not be cold enough to do it. They can live all through the winter on one blood meal and the ones that missed their bus in the spring and summer just keep climbing until the leaves fall to the ground in October so there's their second chance to find an unsuspecting critter to catch a meal from.

Now that spring is her and the yardwork begins I am hearing more and more complaints about the number of ticks people are finding on their pets and themselves. The scary part is that the ticks that are most dangerous to us and our pets, are the ones we don't see. They are as small as the tip of a pencil and can attach unnoticed to us. These are the true villians that carry Lyme Disease.

So what's a person to do to protect themselves and their pets? Humans just need to keep out of tall grass, weeds, leaves and brush. Stay on the trail! As far as our pets are concerned, there are many effective flea and tick products out there so use them and use them properly. Keep in mind that not all flea treatments kill or repell ticks so read the label carefully and ask for advice from your vet. Many of the products work systemically through the pet so the tick needs to bite before it is killed. Not to worry as the bacteria that causes the Lyme Disease is carried in the ticks stomach and they need to feed and then regurgitate to infect the host. This takes about 48 hours. Most of the treatments will usually kill the tick before it gets a chance to puke. In my best scientific terminology.

Don't freak out if your pet tests positive for Lyme. Many pets become exposed but never show symptoms. The test your vet gives your dog for Heartworm will also test for Lyme and if the dog is showing any signs of illness, you can treat with antibiotics.

Is Your Dog Dangerous?

Many dog owners in MA have been losing their homeowners insurance coverage this year due to a crackdown by insurance companies to ban coverage of so called "Dangerous" dogs. If you own a dog on the hit list you may be in for a shocker. I have heard of people being charged $300 and up in surcharges for keeping a dangerous dog in their home and others have had their policies outright cancelled!



Is it fair to deem a dog dangerous because of it's breed? Probably not, but the insurance industry uses data collected from prior claims as well as bite reports from the CDC to determine which dogs make the list.



As a daycare provider, I am often torn between giving a high risk dog a chance or simply telling the potential customer to try another facility. I don't take Pit Bulls but there are other similar breeds that I do have in daycare and I require them to behave perfectly or else they will be immediately expelled. No second chances. The safety of my clients and family as well as my integrity are at stake. If I end up offending the owner of the aggressive dog, so be it.

So is this fair? I still don't know. Would it be better to allow three strike/bites for every dog, regardless of breed, and then cancell the insurance? Perhaps just one strike is enough. What if the insurance companies just refused to cover any claims involving any dogs. That would be scary. Who would pay for the little old neighbor ladies new hip after being knocked to the ground by your bouncy Golden Retriever? Who would pay for the plastic surgery your drunk cousin needs after he tries to play a nose to nose tug of war with your Jack Russel and it's favorite toy at your annual family pool party? Whose to blame when your Bernese Mountain Dog takes a bite out of your teenage daughters boyfriends but as he makes an escape out her bedroom window after midnight on a school night? I'm just trying to think ahead here......

Anyway, a group of breeders and handlers of dogs that make this list every time are banning together to stop discrimination of thier beloved breeds, so stay tuned for the class action lawsuit!

What Is It About Craigs List?

What is it about Craigs List that can turn this mild mannered daycare provider into a raging vigilante? Why do I always find myself checking the "Pets" section of Craigs List every morning before I even check my email? Why do I think I owe it to society to rid the internet of all the Back Yard Pit Bull Breeders, Cat Hoarders and Scamming Yorkie For Adoption posters. Why do I feel it is my civic duty to contact complete strangers online to advise them on topics such as spaying and neutering, socialization, potty training, healthy diet.......And more importantly. Who are these people who are so desperate for help that they turn to Craigs List to find answers on health, training, re-homing, pet sitting?

Am I the only one who just can't get enough of Craigs List? I hope not, because from time to time, I will be sharing some of the most insane posts I can find. Some may be fake, some funny, some gross and some just plain sad ones. As an example, I'll share with you a post from last month that went something like this: Title- Do You Have Any Extra Meat?

"We have decided to try feading our new Mastiff puppy a raw diet. We have heard that this is a very healthy way to feed our dog. We are asking for donations of "old raw meat" that you may have at the bottom of your freezer. Any kind of meat is fine. Don't throw it out! We will feed it to our dog. We can pick up if you are in the Boston area."

I swear to you that this was for real. Stay tuned for more great stuff! Free!

And so begins my new career!

Ok. You must have known this was coming. I've been throwing this idea around for over a year and in light of all of the craziness that has been going on in my little doggie daycare world, I feel it is time for me to start sharing this daily dog grind with the rest of the unsuspecting public.

Since this is my first post and I created this blog spot myself, I'm going to make this short because chances are, I've screwed something up on the computer and nobody will be able to read this.

The gist of this first entry is just to give you all a heads up to watch for new and exciting info about dogs, products, current events, soap updates, gas prices......as well as inside scoops on what is going on with your "fur babies" through the course of their little days at South Paws. I hope to include pictures and maybe even video clips.

For a good laugh, I may even let Tim post a few things! Nicole doesn't know about this yet but i hope she's game.

That's all for now. I'll be back!