Combat Doggy Odor and Repel Fleas at the Same Time

We had Afghan Hounds before topical flea medications were invented, and because one minute of furious scratching could ruin a years worth of show coat, I did some pretty weird things to keep the fleas away. I wasn't into standard pesticide dips , knowing even then how harmful they are to dogs, humans, and the environment and so I tried a variety of homemade solutions to keep my showdogs flea free.

For example, I used to grow flea repelling herbs like pennyroyal, rue, and garlic and put them in little muslin bags and tie them onto the dogs' collars...mostly that just kept the vampires away....

But the best homemade flea repellant was made using citrus rinds, orange, lemon, lime, even grapefruit and packing the rinds very tightly into a mason jar, covering the rinds with water and setting the jar into the sun for 3 weeks, shaking occasionally.

Then I put the scented water into a glass spray bottle and sprayed the dogs everytime we went somewhere I thought they could pick up fleas.

The best part was they smelled divine, no doggy odor and on rainy days, damp Afghan Hound coat can really smell.

These days I am lazy and since my neighbor wholesales essential oils I get an organic essential orange oil from her and mix 30 drops in one ounce of vodka, mix with 8oz. spring water and put in a glass spray bottle.

If you read this blog you know I like to use lavender spray alot, but it is kind of girly so I often use this organic orange oil spray as a dog cologne for Puff. It keeps him smelling super fresh and I prefer it to store bought colognes, not only is it much cheaper, but I know exactly what I am spraying on him.

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Go to the site and click on 'affiliate' for how to info.

Problems with Flea Medications

Jazz and Puff have enjoyed a cooler than usual summer flea free, but many dogs and their owners have had a lot of problems.
I have had many reports of Frontline not killing fleas within a week of application and even more alarming than that is many people have told me that when they complained to the veterinary clinic where they purchased it they were told by staff members to reapply!
Ok folks, lets not overdose our dogs.
I have spoken with people who are not only using topical flea product like Frontline but then spray their house and yard with chemicals!
More is not better, it is dangerous!
If I see a flea, I apply Advantage which is very safe. And I do not use any other pesticide around my pets, PERIOD!
I do not reapply more than once every 4 weeks and generally can go much longer, this year I applied it once in the spring and that was all that was needed as we have been flea free all summer.
If you purchased Frontline and your dog got fleas soon after, call the manufacturer and give them the lot number...they need to know where you bought it as well.
People don't realize that there is a black market in veterinary/pet products just like in other areas of the pharmaceutical business. The product you purchased could be fake.
I spoke last week with a woman who purchased Sentry topical flea treatment and it burned her dog leaving her with a big vet bill.
Remember, if you have an issue with a flea product to call the manufacturer with the lot number, where you purchased it, and ask for a refund or a replacement. I did that last year with k9 Advantix and they could not have been more helpful.
Then I went back to my old favorite Advantage, even though it doesn't get ticks.
And most importantly do not mix products, if you use Advantage, then you don't need to spray your house and yard. For fleas it is all you need I don't care if your dog has a thousand fleas, even the newly hatched will be gone in three weeks at the longest. Generally you will see no fleas in 24 hours. And if you need more incentive to be careful about flea products watch this video...

That Bump on Your Dogs' Foot Could Be Deadly

Last year I took Puff to the vet for a little bump between his toes. I didn't go to our regular vet who is a 45 minute drive away, I went to the 'fast food' like service at a vet clinic located in a pet store. Big mistake as the vet asked why I was there and I replied,'' You tell me".
Well, he didn't tell me, instead he attempted to say that Puff had an ear infection,( he didn't and never has had an ear infection)...
...I would have thought that the red bandage on his foot would have been a dead giveaway but apparently not.
I impolitely demanded my money back and we made the 45 minute drive to our real vet who confirmed what I had suspected, that Puff had an interdigital cyst...with a good diagnosis, I refused antibiotic treatment saving some bucks, and took him home, put a warm bread poltice on it, some triple antibiotic and rebandaged. It healed without incident.
If this was so minor, you may have wondered why I insisted on paying for an office visit...because bumps and lumps on your dogs' foot can very often mean cancer. Prompt diagnosis means the greatest chance of recovery.
My friends William and Edens' Bernese Mountain Dog, Kip, was a victim of a cancerous tumor on his foot. He required surgery and chemo as the bone was involved by the time they sought veterinary attention...and at that time the bump was still small. Smaller masses mean less expense for treatment. According to a study I recently learned of, almost half of the lumps and bumps were malignant tumors, many of them appeared to simply be small open wounds. These toe tumors can spread to the lungs and other parts of the body before you know it.
If your dog develops a bump on his foot, it is best to err on the side of caution.

Crate Decor

Back in June I wrote a post about crates and in it mentioned how easy it is to incorporate a crate into your decor. http://dogsdollarssense.blogspot.com/2009/06/choosing-crate-for-dogs-and-puppies-is.html
If you need any inspiration I suggest that you check out the adorable crate decor at BowhausNYC. http://bowhausnyc.com/
A word of warning, lock up your Credit Card first because they have some great stuff for your canine pal. Puff wants me to get him the toile crate cover to match his toile dog carrier from Kings Road in London and his toile dog bed.We'll see, maybe Christmas....