Tips and Trivia

Anesthetizing a Pet
Please visit this page before having your pet spayed or neutered, or for any other situation in which he/she must be anesthetized. See section on anesthetics.



FLEAS, TICKS, AND OTHER PESTS

In order to successfully kill all fleas and ticks, and prevent them from quickly recurring, be sure to do every one of the following steps on the same day:

1. Bathe and dip the dog in a dip such as Paramite.
2. Fumigate the house and/or treat the carpet.
3. Spray the yard and anywhere the dog frequents.

If any step is skipped, the fleas will soon reinfest the dog and environment.

If you decide to use a chemical dip such as Adams or Paramite on the dog, be sure to carefully follow the manufacturer's directions. Dogs should not be frequently dipped as it may cause damage to their kidneys, etc.

I've always found it most convenient to carry my dog to the vet to be treated. While he was gone, I could fumigate the house and yard, then leave for a few hours until the air had settled. By the time I picked up Ace, there were no fleas anywhere around - and that's quite an accomplishment in Mississippi! Fleas never die here, as the winters are so short...

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Jennifer Leeper sent the following information:

Home Remedy: this came from my uncle who works with Smith Kline and Beecham. The company that sells the vets their products

NEEDED:
Raid Fumigators
20 Mule Team Borax
ParaMite Dip
----- The fumigators can be found in your grocery store. Get at least 2 fumigators. The spray or fogger does not work and is messy. Make sure it is a fumigator.
----- The borax is found in the laundry section of your grocery.
----- The Paramite dip you can get from the vet. will smell like diesel fuel but it works.
Follow the directions to the letter and make it more diluted. You can use any other dip that you trust as well. Just make sure you have killed the fleas and ticks. I use Paramite because I have had success with it.

START:

Bathe your pet as directed to kill all fleas and ticks.
Sprinkle borax on all carpets, pet beddings, and other places your pet likes to sleep. Borax is not harmful to pets or humans. Put under bedding as well. You can even put it under your mattress or mattress pad. Put it under couches and chairs, anywhere you think a flea or tick might be nesting.
Follow the directions on the Fumigator and leave as long as possible. It works best if you can leave for at least six hours. Upon return, throw away fumigator as directed. Vacuum up all the areas, borax and all. Put the Borax down everywhere again. Fleas and Ticks cannot survive this. The Borax will cause the eggs to hatch early and cause larva to be premature. In 2 weeks repeat with the fumigator and borax, vacuum when done. Always leave borax down, will not harm pets. If you vacuum, replace the borax. Do not forget to put it under bedding and around. If problem is still there, repeat the procedure. It took me four weeks when I started this home remedy in 1992, but it works. I just keep borax down at all times. I have not had any fleas or ticks since then.

Remember that borax can stay down at all times. Use a flea comb to check your pet for fleas and ticks. Note: fleas can swim; when combing, get a bowl or cup of water and add a little bit of dishwashing liquid. This changes the polarity of the water and the fleas and ticks will sink.

This is only my opinion. I have had dogs all my life and I learn by experience. I am allergic to fleas, so I do not allow them on my dogs or my home. I use paramite even though it smells like diesel fuel. It lasts longer than normal sprays, dips, collars, and powders. I also dilute it more than usual. When you dip your dog or pet save the water to throw outside. I.E. put it where pet plays or sleeps. Or use it on your deck or patio/porch. Anywhere you suspect intruders. In other words, you do not have to waste the bath/dip water, you can put it somewhere else... J. Leeper

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More on fleas...

For flea control I use 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar on my dogs' food each day. I live just outside Jacksonville, FL (Northeast corner), and we have a flea-free environment here. The only exception to that rule is when someone brings a dog with fleas on it over to my house and the fleas jump off and start multiplying in my carpet. In the 15 years we have lived here, we have exterminated chemically about 2 dozen times. Not bad, considering both neighbors have had dogs with fleas at various times. My dogs all eat their food without hesitation, as they have learned their other option is not to eat at all. It is totally natural and I understand apple cider vinegar is good for many other areas of health. Good luck! .... B. Murray

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COMPARING DOG & HUMAN YEARS

We've probably all heard the old ratio that 1 human year = 7 dog years. But new information from Dr. H. Ellen Whiteley suggests the following calculations: (Ex. a 12 year-old human is comparable in growth to a 6 month-old dog.)

Human ......................................... Dog
12 years ..................................... 6 months
15 years ..................................... 1 year
24 years ..................................... 2 years
28 years ..................................... 3 years
32 years ..................................... 4 years
36 years ..................................... 5 years
40 years ..................................... 6 years
44 years ..................................... 7 years
48 years ..................................... 8 years
52 years ..................................... 9 years
56 years ..................................... 10 years
76 years ..................................... 15 years
96 years ..................................... 20 years
100 years ................................... 21 years

Another source states:
When a dog is 0-2 years old, each human year = 7 dog years.
When a dog is 2-10 years old, each human year = 4 dog years.
When a dog is 10 years and up, each human year = 7 dog years.


There are many different opinions, and each dog is different. Some breeds live longer than others, while some individual dogs seem to outlive others in their breed. We thought that the information would be interesting trivia, at any rate. A&A