Fleas and Ticks...

Now a majority of pet owners have a fear of fleas and ticks. Not sure what makes a tick found on a dog more of a emergency than a dog who just got hit by a car, but some how the owners who found the tick believe this to be true. After all, how could Fluffy the second have a tick on her?? Impossible! Preposterous! Absolutely ridiculous!

I've had a few owners who have come in to check for fleas. They say the dog it itchy. They'll bring in their dog who is covered with red rashes and bumps. It's obviously some sort of allergy or food allergy. Owner is convinced that it's fleas. Even with all our explaining and obvious proof that there are no fleas they still demand flea and tick preventative. Sure let me put this chemical on your itchy, raw dog's skin.

It's called peace of mind.

My best Tick story comes from a middle aged man who owns an old, old tick hound- no pun intended.
Calls up and says his dog is covered in ticks. Says he tried pulling them off but they are stuck fast. He then goes on to tell me he tried burning them off but the little suckers still hung on. He asked if he could come down and have us pull them off. I said sure.

Twenty minutes later in walks the man and his dog who looks very sad and confused.
"Where are the ticks?" I ask.
"One on his head!"
I looked and saw a wart. This? Yep. That's a wart. Oh.
"Well he's got more."
"Where?" 
He points to the dog's belly. "Under his belly see!"
I look, then blink and take a breath.
"You mean his nipples?"
"Really? That's what those are? What about that one?"
"That's a nipple too."
"But he's a boy dog!"
I just looked at him and I think it hopefully clicked.
He walked out with that sad dog.

Burning the poor dog's nipples and trying to pull them off thinking they are ticks.
I just wonder and shake my head.