Fleas, Ticks or Worse

We live in an area that has a lot of deer ticks. Duke already had Lyme disease when we adopted him from the shelter, so he went through a course of antibiotics. Both dogs have been on Frontline Plus since we got them, plus Interceptor to prevent heartworms since picky Maggie will not eat Heartguard chews. We didn't think too much about it, just took preventative care once a month. That was until three weeks ago.

Zombie dogs

 Midday Saturday I applied Certifect, a new flea and tick repellent which our vet said was more effective than Frontline against ticks and is made by the same company. By Saturday night both dogs were completely lethargic and didn't want to go for a walk or eat. Sunday morning Maggie woke up in a pool of pee and had trouble walking, she could barely use her back legs. It was too early in the day to call the vet, so I went online and found out that many dogs have had similar or worse reactions.

I washed both dogs to remove as much of the Certifect as possible, which had spread an oily coating over most of their backs. Here is a list of potential side effects from the European Public Assessment Report:

"Dogs may show some temporary reactions at the site of application (discolouration, hair loss, itching or redness). The itching and hair loss can in rare cases be more extensive. Dogs that lick the treatment area may salivate, vomit, have blood sugar levels higher than normal, be more sensitive to stimulation, lack energy, and have a slow heartbeat or slow breathing. These signs generally resolve without treatment and within one day. Certifect must not be used on sick animals (with systemic diseases such as diabetes, or with a fever) or convalescent animals. The medicine should not be used in rabbits and cats.
Certifect should not be allowed to enter surface water, as it may be harmful for aquatic organisms."

Certifect and other "spot-on" flea and tick products are designed to disrupt the nervous systems of fleas and ticks, "which results in uncontrolled activity of the central nervous system and death of these parasites", according to the  EPAR. They can also affect the nervous system of the host animal in some cases. Maggie was lucky that her symptoms went away over the course of 48 hours, and she didn't have seizures, heart issues, vomiting or permanent nervous system issues as some others have reported. She did have a bladder control issue last year, which we thought was a UTI (urinary tract infection) or spay incontinence at the time. We now realize that all "leakage" issues coincided with Frontline application, and our vet has said that we can never use these types of products on Maggie again as she is too sensitive. We won't use these types of products on any of our animals now, as the cats are indoor only and I don't want Duke to have to go through what Maggie did. We're trying a cedar oil flea and tick repellant spray recommended by Save a Dog, a local shelter that advocates holistic treatment rather than chemicals. Hopefully your dog won't have an issue with flea and tick treatments, but if they start having some of the symptoms mentioned and your vet can't find another underlying health issue, ask if it could be a reaction to the "spot on" product.

Mosh pit practice

Maggie: "Hey Duke, check this out"

Duke: "THAT'S headbanging?!?!"

Maggie: "Oog, I feel dizzy." Duke: "Yeah, you look weird too."

Puppies!

The other day someone at work asked if they ever get puppies at Buddy Dog, since they rarely see any on the website. New dogs have a quarantine period, plus they usually need shots and basic vet care, so by the time puppies are ready to be posted on the site they've already been adopted by people who have walked through the shelter. The same is true of kittens versus adult cats. 

Anyway, here are a few of the puppies and younger dogs available at Buddy Dog. 

These cuties are Valky and Vieques, 3-month-old male Weimeraner mixes. For more information about these puppies or to check their availability, please call or visit the shelter and speak to an adoption counselor.

This is Boris, a 1-year-old male Corgi mix. He is playful and has an awesome personality. Boris is crate-trained and knows how to sit on command. He is good with dogs with similar energy and older kids, but hasn't been 'cat-tested" yet. This smart little guy will make a great companion for an active family.

 This is Bones, a 1-year-old male Sheltie mix. He is playful and happy, he was found as a stray and came to Buddy Dog to find a new home! Bones is good with older kids and he seems to be housebroken.

Okay, I couldn't resist this face, even though she isn't a puppy! This is Pooh, a 6-year-old female Labrador mix. This sweet girl came to the shelter because her family was ill and could not take care of her. She is housebroken and seems mellow and laid back. She is used to a fenced-in yard, and she loves to go for walks. She hasn't had much exposure to other animals but she is good with kids ages 10+.

The Punks

Duke channels young Elvis, Maggie is thinking Black Flag crossed with The Misfits crossed with Slayer.

Gimme Gimme Gimme, Gimme some more.....meat and bones!

Whisker Walk!

Maggie and Duke are going to the Whisker Walk, as there are at least 45 different shelters and rescues participating, plus over 50 vendors. A list of the groups, sponsors and vendors is here, most have special raffles, auctions and events at their booths. We found Lupine leashes for Maggie and Duke for only $7 each last time, there are lots of other great deals on gear and lots of treat and food samples. There are a bunch of food options for people too, from all sorts of grilled food to carnival food like cotton candy, candy apples and fried dough. Good thing there's a walk, there is ice cream too!

Preregistration for the walk is from 11am to 11:30am for those who are walking to support a specific organization and are turning in the donations they have raised. The line up for the actual Walk is at 11:50, with a Blessing of the Animals before the 1 mile walk at Noon, which is over mostly flat terrain.

There will be Frisbee and Flyball demos, a Reiki demo and Reiki for your dog and amazing pet photographers. CMDART, the Central Massachusetts Disaster Animal Response Team, has set up an agility ring where you and your dog can try out real agility equipment. There is a Canine Carnival where you and your dog can win prizes playing Tennis Ball Fetch and other games. There is even a "poop bag" raffle, where a deposit of a bag gets a free raffle ticket to win a pair of F1 Boston racing passes - who doesn't love indoor go karts? There is much more to see and do, it is really worth the trip!

Tiger Butt

Maggie, Duke, me, Lebowski the Dude and Ozzy - photo by Mr.Man

I do not know how I slept through a 16 pound tiger sitting on me.

Black and White

This week we're featuring two of the black and white cats at Buddy Dog Humane Society . This is Penny, a 10 year old female DSH (domestic short hair).

She is a friendly and independent cat who likes to sit next to her people instead of on them, which is great with summer coming up! 

She used to play hide and seek with the dog at home, and would like to have another dog or cat to play with at her new home. She likes to play with toys, and with running water! 

She is a fun and active cat and would love to be part of a new family soon.

 The above picture is Puggy,  a 3 year old DSH and the current greeter in the Buddy Dog lobby. He has a great purr and is Mr. Personality. He is extremely friendly and cuddly, but prefers to be the only cat. He was found as a stray and is FIV+, information on FIV can be found at this link :http://www.bestfriends.org/theanimals/pdfs/cats/catfiv.pdf.