Are you TICKING me?

Another one found! It has been about two weeks since I found a tick on my dog Chance and last night I found another one. I didn't see it this time, however. I was just petting him and noticed a large bump on his ear. Large as in it was the size of a grape. I investigated and found a tick the size of a ladybug!!! It must have been there a while even though I had just given him a bath. I couldn't even believe the size of this one, I was amazed. I called the vet and they said that they have never seen as many ticks as they have so far this season. The one tech said that she has to pull one off every time her dog comes inside. I went to the vet and made sure to put both dogs on Frontline immediately. If you use a anti-flea medication, make sure it prevents ticks as well. Many medications are only for fleas, and the cost is only about a quarter more for the anti-tick. Again, make sure your outside animals are up to date with their Lyme vaccine, but also make sure they are on Frontline.

Amazing Story

http://www.gnn.com/article/dog-survives-four-months-on-island/415623?icid=mainmaindl1link4http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gnn.com%2Farticle%2Fdog-survives-four-months-on-island%2F415623

Ticky Situation

My husband and a friend took our two dogs walking at Presque Isle since it was such a nice day. After about an hour being home, I was just sitting and petting my dog, Chance, when I saw what looked like a flea. I soon realized that it was much larger than a flea and it was actually a tick. Since I am a camp counselor, I have seen ticks, and I know how to remove them as well. The most imporatant thing about removing a tick is that you get the entire tick, most importantly the head. Ticks literally cling on to their prey face first, and if you do not remove the entire tick there can be serious health risks for you and your animal. So, I proceeded to get the tick out of Chance, cleaned him well with alcohol in the area and checked the rest of his body for more. Now, he is black so this task was near impossible, but I did my best. I checked my other dog and my husband as well. We did decide to give both of our dogs the lyme shot when they were young, which I would suggest for any dog owner.

Ticks carry many diseases. The one we hear about the most is lyme, however, not all ticks carry the disease. If a person were to have a tick, it is very important to keep the tick to be tested by a doctor. Also, check the area for a bullseye type rash. Ticks usually find the warm, sweaty places to hide, so check those areas extra well! This is important knowledge as I have had 2 friends in the area get lyme disease from a tick. If it is caught fast enough, treatment will cure it. Otherwise, it can be a chronic condition. Here are some pictures to know what to look for.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/johncarleton/10887237/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/27849635@N05/2735492545/

Rockstar

Rocky is a foster in the system who we had the opportunity for watch for about a month. He is work, which all dogs are, but most of all he is so sweet with so much love to give. He loves to cuddle, and loves to go for walks and would be a great running partner. Rocky's trouble is that he wants to be around people so much so that we are trying to find him a home where someone is home during the day. He has been close to finding his forever home a couple of times, but for whatever reason it didn't work out. It breaks me heart because I know what a great dog he really is and how much love he has to give.

You Gotta See This!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2BgjH_CtIA

Petfinder

In the animal rescue world, there are few things of more importance than http://www.petfinder.com/. Petfinder is a website where animals from shelters are listed and people can search for the perfect pet for them. Many people are hesitate to seek a shelter, but they do not realize that over 25% of dogs found in shelter are pure bred, and they may be able to find the breed that they are looking for. The most important thing when finding a new pet is making sure that is it a pet your whole family agrees upon and a pet that will fit your lifestyle. If you don't have a big yard, a very active dog wouldn't be a smart choice.

To this day petfinder has helped millions of shelter animals find a home. Along with dogs and cats, you can also find small and furry animals, reptiles, and even barnyard animals. The site lets you search my breed, age, and sex of the animal you are looking for. This way, you are sure to find the perfect match.

We found our perfect match! Checking petfinder regularly is something I did when we were looking for our second dog. Gibson is rather active, and we wanted him to have a playmate while he was still a young. I would find a dog I was interested in, ask my husband, and always get the same answer of "NO!" That was of course until I showed him a picture of who is now names Chance. Bernie at the time, was one of the most beautiful dogs we had ever seen. He was the sex and the age we were looking for so we decided to pursue him further. The most important thing for us was to make sure that the two of our dogs would get along. This meant taking a trip to visit him. He was located about 3 and 1/2 hours away, but making the trip was something that was crucial to our decision. So we went. When we first met Chance inside the shelter, he seemed so excited to see us. Now consider the fact that he was being kept in a cage most of the day. We decided to let the two dogs get to know each other in the fenced in yard. Chance was CRAZY, and Gibson was thinking, "Get this thing away from me." There was no feelings of aggression or domination, which was great news. Sometime in the next day or so, probably on the way home, we decided to give Chance a chance, hence the name. We had to go back a week later to get him because he was not fixed yet.

Since we have brought him home, he has been nothing but a joy. He is the most gentle and friendly dog that I have ever met. Gibson and Chance both adjusted to each other and now they are best buds. I thank God for petfinder and what it does to help millions of animals, like Chance.

Plush Pooch

Every time I wonder where our dog Gibson is, it is the same answer every time. He always finds a way to sneak into the most comfortable places in the house. Of course, his number one favorite is the king bed with the two down comforters! Recently we did purchase the dogs their own beds, but nothing compares to our bed for Gibson. At night they always start off in their beds, and somehow by morning, Gibson has made his way to a cuddling ball between us. It is painful to look at Gibson when you tell him to lay in his bed, because he looks at you with sad eyes, as if to say, "I just want to be in the bed with you." If we let him start out sleeping in the bed, he always curls into a ball in the warmest places, like in the crooks of my knees. He will often let out a huge sigh, what a tough life it is for a dog. I am sure many of us would trade a day in our lives to live like a dog. Eat, play, and sleep!