We’ve been so flea-lucky for the 11 years we have had the honor of being caretakers of Flanders. As in, we haven’t had many flea run-in’s. It’s usually such a non-issue that we can avoid the nasty industrial strength pesticides and those suspicious edibles that somehow control fleas internally.
On Sunday we were loading Flanders in the car for a walk at Emerson Point Nature Preserve (aaah yeah) and happened to notice SEVERAL fleas crawling to safe harbors on her backside. Time for some industrial strength pooch-approved pesticides.
I hate to do it. I can’t help but think of how terrible they are for her, not to mention us. But I don’t do fleas. And it’s triage time—I’ve never found organic flea control that works.
We used to have a vet who loved to diagram the life cycles of fleas and ticks on a dry erase board in the examining room. Clearly, he deeply enjoyed it. Show me mosquitoes, dung beetles, fire ants, killer bees—I’m fascinated with most insects. Fleas, um no. They are tiny, disgusting monsters.
When I was in college, my roommate and I were foster parents to a horrible cat named Athena who (surprise, surprise) no one wanted to adopt. The poor thing would hide under a bed until the weekend trip to the adoption location. At this point she would scratch the hell out of my forearms when I tried to retrieve her. She came to us from a place that was surely responsible for her unsavory manners, and I felt sorry for her. But she also came to us with fleas. Which abruptly infested the carpet. How I survived that time, I do not know. It was hellish and seemingly impossible to get rid of them.
Thank goodness we are carpet-free in this house. Frontline: I disagree with all that you are, but I thank the organic chemist who designed you for your mere existence. Now do your stuff.
13 comments:
Ugh. I can't stand fleas either. We've also been very lucky with all of our poochies. My sister's dogs have always had fleas and they always blea BOMB their house. I'm surprised their children weren't born with three arms.
Oh, I hope you get rid of the fleas. Poor Flanders.
All I keep reading is the down side of being a pet pwner. Meanwhile I promised P a dog in the Fall. Aye!
Fleas are absolute horror and I totally understand this. We once rented an apartment with hardwood floors and believe it or not, it was infested with fleas and there wasn't any carpet and we didn't have pets! We bombed it and that took care of it. But those suckers are the worst!
My family was always very lucky as far as pets/fleas. I think they would be awful to get rid of!
I think fleas are incredibly misunderstood. After all, many elected officials and the unionized sycophants who support them are also mindless, bloodsucking creatures. Should you feel revulsion toward them as well?
Actually, yes!
yet another reason to avoid getting a dog. I'm getting one anyway but oy, this part drives me nuts
I hate fleas too, and I do like frontline. Can't live without my dog, but we do like life fleafree!!!!
Good luck fighting those, Groppy!
Oh no that kinda sounds like the Trojan Horse... the cat is the Trojan and the fleas are uhh the infiltrators
don't know how you get through the summers without fleas. Every year we have problems. We treat the yard, bathe the dogs, apply frontline, spray the dogs and if it gets REALLY bad, treat the house too. Seems like if even 1 dog gets out of the yard, she will bring back a flea with her and then it's a catastrophe. Hope all is better in your house by now!
Fight fiercely, Groples, on Flanders's Fields where no red poppies of blood shall form at the bite of no flea, but flee they shall, in fear and winged haste.
Be sure to let us know how it works. And give Flanders a pat on the head from me.
Notary sojac.
Smokey Stover
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