Incommendation

All dogs pick up fleas, ticks, and chiggers at one time or another, usually during the warm weather months. Even a pampered city pet can pick up a stray flea from a potted plant. Hunting dogs often return home with a collection of chiggers or ticks. Fleas hop from one dog to another with amazing speed and agility. Your pet only needs to greet one flea infested friend in order to acquire the beginning of a flea colony of his own.

External parasites are not a special affliction of dogs. The dog is simply a convenient host for them. We would probably have them too, if our bodies were covered with hair and we ran around without shoes and clothing and sat or slept on the ground. Fleas are the most common, the easiest to detect and to get rid of. Fleas appear as black specks on a fine tooth comb, and a single one can drive a dog crazy.

The worst part of fleas is that they act as hosts to tapeworm larvae, and if your dog swallows one you may end up with a worm problem too. You can trap fleas in a silky smooth coat with a flea comb, but fleas that nestle in the dense undercoat of double coated dogs must be treated with a product that penetrates the skin, and a regular mild treatment is safer than an occasional severe one.

In one day a single flea can bite your pet 400 times, while consuming more than its own bodyweight in blood. Some dogs can contract flea allergy dermatitis, an allergic reaction to the flea’s saliva. The severity and length of the flea season varies depending on what part of the country you live in, but it is best to treat your pet in early spring, (April – May). In northern climates, flea and tick season usually lasts approximately 4 months, but in the extreme south, fleas can live all year long.

There are more than 2000 species of fleas in the United States alone, but the one that attacks most pets is the cat flea, Ctenocephalides Felis. A cat flea can lay up to one egg per hour, and within two days, a wormlike larvae will hatch from those eggs. The eggs are oval, smooth, and about 0.5mm in size. The hatched larvae will range from 1.5 to 5mm in length. The complete cycle from egg to adult takes approximately 30 to 75 days depending on temperature and humidity.

Adult fleas are about 1/16 to 1/8 inch long, are dark reddish brown, wingless, hard bodied, have three pairs of legs and are flattened from side to side. Fleas can jump vertically up to seven inches, and horizontally up to fourteen inches. They have piercing – sucking mouth parts and spines on their body. Adult fleas cannot survive or lay eggs without a blood meal, but may live from two months to one year without feeding.

In order to effectively control an infestation, fleas must be removed from the pet, the home, and the yard. Starting with the pet, there are shampoos, topical treatments, sprays, collars, and oral medications. The least recommended is shampoo, due to the grooming the pet does to his own coat. The pesticides can be toxic if they are consumed in quantity. Topical treatments are better, along with sprays and collars, but the best and most recommended is the oral medication Lufenuron called “Program” from your veterinarian.

To clean the home, all areas frequented by the dog should be cleaned thoroughly by vacuuming, washing bedding and rugs and possible treatment by insecticides. Treating your carpet with a Borate powder such as “Borax” laundry powder works as a poison upon ingestion by the flea, simply sprinkle the powder on your carpets and leave it for a few h ours before vacuuming will rid most homes of their fleas. A second treatment can follow if necessary. It’s cheap, you can do it yourself and there are no insecticides used.

To treat the lawn and around the homes exterior, pyrethroids such as “Archer” or “Nylan”, as well as fenoxy carb such as “Logic” or “Torus” can be effective. Outdoor treatment is usually only done in extreme or severe cases of flea infestation and may not be necessary. You should however keep your lawn trimmed to create a drier, less ideal environment for flea larvae. If you don’t want to handle the pesticides yourself, any licensed professional pest control operator can do the treatment for you.

In summary, you should check with your veterinarian before using any form of flea treatment. Never use products for dogs on a cat, as cats are more sensitive to the pesticide and they groom themselves more thoroughly. Never apply pesticides to young, pregnant, or sick animals, and use alternative methods to control fleas, such as combing frequently with a flea comb, vacuum your home frequently and dispose of the vacuum bag, wash all pet bedding regularly, and bathe your pet with a pesticide free shampoo. Prevention is much easier than dealing with an infestation.

Randy Jones and his partner Brent Jones have been in the pet industry for a long time. Recently they formed Joncopets.com. On the site, customers can read articles about anything pets as well as shop for the latest designer dog clothes, dog collars, dog beds and more for their best friend. Feel free to check out the site at http://www.joncopets.com

Just south of Snowdon, in the grey-stoned village of Beddgelert set among the wild mountains of Wales, is the Grave of Gelert. Here, in a beautiful meadow below Cerrig Llan, is a large stone slab lying on its side with two upright slabs which owes its fame to the legend of Prince Llewelyn ap Iorwerth and his faithful hound.

Llewelyn (1173-1240 CE) was very fond of hunting and in the summer he lived in a hunting lodge at the foot of Mt.Snowdon. Although he had many dogs, his favourite was the brave Gelert, his great Irish Wolfhound, not only a dog fearless in the hunt, but a loyal friend and companion at the fireside.

One fateful day on the hunt, Gelert refused to accompany his master further, but instead he ran howling back to the Lodge. When Llewellyn returned he was met by his dog, bounding to meet him, but splashed with blood around his muzzle. On entering his living quarters, Llewellyn found a scene of confusion with rooms disordered and articles scattered in heaps. Now Llewelyn had a son, barely a year old, and as the prince recalled how Gelert and his little boy used to play together, a terrible thought came to his mind !

He rushed to the nursery only to find the the cradle was overturned, the bed clothes bloody and though he looked frantically for his son, the child could not be found.

Turning to Gelert, whose muzzle was still wet with blood, Llewelyn came into a great rage and cried, “Thou hast killed my only son!”, and drew his sword and drove it into the heart of the hound.

Then – as all was silent but for the steady drip of blood onto the stone flag floor, the wail of a baby could be heard. On searching further Llewellen found his son safe and well, lying next to the body of a large grey wolf.

It was plain to see what had happened !

Gelert had killed the wolf whilst defending the baby from attack. Overcome with grief at his hasty action, Llewellyn buried Gelert with all honour and raised a memorial over his grave.

From then on the settlement was known as Beddgelert, meaning “Gelert’s Grave” and this is the traditional tale still told today.

Where do these tales come from ?
It’s possible that the village of Beddgelert received its name from an Irish Wolf Hound given to Llewellyn as a gift by his father-in-law, King John of England.

Irish Wolfhounds were known and admired in Rome as early as 391 C.E. when the first mention of the breed was written by the Roman Consul Quintus Aurelius, who had received seven of them as a gift which “all Rome viewed with wonder.”

The story of a dog slain in error after killing a wolf seems to have been attached to Llewellyn about 1793-4 by a local inn-keeper. A common enough occurrence along the same lines of hotels and taverns placing signs like “Ye Olde Inne” to attract more custom. William Spencer visited Beddgelert and, on hearing the tale, wrote his popular ballad about the faithful Gelert and so the story grew into the speech and hearsay of Wales

However, the legend behind all this folklore is extremely old, though the animals involved originally were neither wolves nor dogs.

A mongoose who saved a Brahmin’s son from a snake is found in the Indian Panchatantra. It was written in Sanskrit sometime in the third century C.E and later translated into Persian and Arabic. We find it in the Book of Sindibad and thence our own Arabian Nights

The mongoose wasn’t known in the Arab world, so it became a weasel, and then a dog. The snake remained. A version of this story reached Wales and was recorded in the 14th century in the Red Book of Hergest.

In Welsh folktales the snake is replaced by a wolf probably because it was a more likely attacker and already had a fearsome reputation

So in this tale we see how time, folklore and story-telling around the fire has fused together traditions from many sources and created them into a legend still honoured at Gelert’s Grave.

Susanna Duffy is a Civil Celebrant, grief counsellor and mythologist. She creates ceremonies and Rites of Passage for individual and civic functions, and specialises in celebrations for women. http://celebrant.yarralink.com

Pets develop emotional bonds to their human owners and when separated from them, pets may suffer from depression and separation anxiety. There are times when it becomes necessary to be separated from a pet such as when having to be hospitalized or taking a vacation. As much as we may hate being away from a beloved pet, it may actually be a more stressful experience for the animal.

Most people develop comfort zones and tend to resist change because it disrupts their level of comfort even when the change is positive. Many of us don’t realize that our pets can and often do react in similar ways. They also have their own comfort zones and become closely bonded with the people within their home territory.

When separation occurs and the pet deeply misses those he is closest to, depression may set in. It is not uncommon for a pet to grieve itself to death when its owner dies. Pets can withdraw, become extremely quiet or in some cases even be a bit hostile when separated from the owner.

If separation is unavoidable, for instance, when the owner has to be admitted to the hospital, it is best to try and make arrangements for the pet to be kept by someone such as a friend or family member that the pet is familiar and comfortable with. That way the pet’s stay should be less stressful for both the pet and the owner.

Although many pet owners take their pets along with them on vacation, others may not choose to do so or perhaps cannot do so for various reasons. Those who do not take their pets along on vacation will need to find a reliable caretaker to look after their pet while they are gone.

Another option to consider is a house sitter. Pets are likely to be more comfortable in their owner’s absence if they remain in familiar surroundings rather than being transported to the home of a friend or relative. If possible, it may be a good idea to see if someone you trust and that your pet knows well enough to be comfortable with would be willing to be your house sitter in your absence.

Pets that become depressed when separated from their owners may refuse to eat or drink and may become lethargic. When there is a strong attachment between pet and owner even being separated for a short length of time can cause the pet a fair amount of anxiety. The stress caused by the separation can produce symptoms of physical illness.

If you must leave your pet with someone else during a planned absence such as a vacation, take your pet along with you for a visit to the person’s house that will be caring for the animal, several times in the weeks before you leave. This will give your pet an opportunity to inspect the house, become accustomed to the surroundings and also it will give the animal a chance to interact with the people and any pets in the home. It is better to give your pet a chance to get to know the place where he will be staying rather than abruptly moving him to a strange place at the last minute and then leaving him. It will make the transition easier and hopefully more pleasant for everyone involved.

Copyright © 2006, Ian White Access 2000 Pty pty ltd

Author Ian White is founder of pet-sitters.biz Pet Sitting Directory.
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