... then what is this thing sitting on my feet?
It's Badger.
You know he seems to know just when it will mean the most, and saves his affections up for that very moment. Thanks for the cheer up little buddy.
He may not be velcro dog like Kodi is, but he seems to know when I need him most.
That or he pooped in the basement and is trying to prevent me from going to check.
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Friday, May 14, 2010
"Ug" that's all I can say
So I dashed out of work the moment my shift ended. I didn't book any appointments for this afternoon because I wanted to start my weekend promptly with a nap on the couch while Badger slept in the basement before dinner.
I was enjoying said nap when my phone ringed. Now, I might not have answered it had I not been expecting one of two things, a return call from my parents, or a call from Deb or Shaelynn to invite me out to the park for a walk (hint hint). Unfortunately it was my co-worker.
The story was that a dog had just been dropped off and was now "running the kennel" she'd managed to get a leash looped on him, but couldn't actually hold the leash without him showing his teeth. The dog in question was a big german shepherd, so I wiped the drool off my face, rolled off the couch, and told her I was on my way.
Just as I was making the turn off the highway to the kennel my phone went off again, this time with a text message telling me I needed to get there ASAP. Well I was practically in the driveway, and I figured she was being somewhat impatient, I had left the house right after I hung up the phone and she knows I live 15 minutes away. She also should know better than to keep trying with the dog once she's already called me to help.
When I got to the kennel I had to unlock and open the door, even though I thought she'd be watching for me. When I opened the door I was greeted by a nosy but happy looking german shepherd dragging a too short chain lead around. Too short, as in, it was hard to step on. The boss really needs to get some decent leads in the kennel, since all we had was this chain thing, a puppy lead that cuts your hand if the dog pulls, and a too short and too small slip lead.
Anyway, what I find is a happy looking dog and a sobbing co-worker in the staff room. I looked at her first, saw no evidence of injury, and then told her that it was alright, I'd deal with the dog, a polite way of saying 'no need to cry about it'. Which got a sobbed out, squealed out, slough of words the only part of which I could make out was "Monty tried to kill that dog". Monty has been at the kennel for about a week, his chart does say he's dog aggressive, but the only 'that dog' I saw was the German shepherd, and I saw Monty outside when I came by on my way to the driveway looking happy as a clam. It didn't make sense that the german shepherd and monty had got in a fight.
So I had to get her to slow down and finally understood that what she was saying was, while she was dealing with the shepherd running amok in the kennel, Monty the Golden, and a bichon cross were in neighbouring runs outside. Monty had unlatched the door that connected his run to the bichon's and attacked the bichon. By the time the fight was over, not successfully broken up by my co-worker because she doesn't know how, the bichon had gone completely prone and was covered in blood. I must have arrived only a few minutes afterwards, judging by when the text came. My co-worker was sobbing on the couch, the aggressive shepherd was in the kennel, Monty was back in his outdoor run, and, to my extreme annoyance, the blood covered bichon was still outside too. Nothing had been done to ensure this dog was receiving first aid or anything.
First thing I did was look at the injured dog through the window, judge that I had a bit of time because she did not seem in critical distress (she was standing, pawing at the door, awake, alert, etc). Then I decided on my course of action. I would first make the indoor area safe by dealing with the shepherd. It would do me no good to go out and deal with the little dog only to come in and find my co-worker bitten. So, first step, kibbles. I hand fed the shepherd kibbles while I reached under and got a hold of the leash. There was a moment of resistance that I conquered with a strong no nonsense voice and body posture until the dog moved politely with me to his kennel. I got him in, left the leash on to deal with later then went to tend to the puppy who had been attacked. My co-worked was calming herself down, I went outside and the pup retreated into a tipped over rain barrel, when I went to get her she snapped at me, so I just tipped the barrel upright with her in it and brought the whole barrel in. By the time that trip was over all she wanted was out of the barrel and was happy to walk out of it when I tipped it back over.
I held her just by her collar and asked my co-worker to bring me a muzzle from the recently organized (by me) first aid cabinet. I muzzled the dog and set her up on the counter and began a head to toe exam, picking through the hair in search of the source of the blood. But the more I picked the more I realized that all the blood was on the tips on her hair, none was down to the base, where the hair and skin met. Which got me to thinking, that it wasn't her blood. I checked every inch of her just in case, but there wasn't a mark on her, not so much as a scratch. I told my co-worker this as I picked the dog up to take her for a bath to get the pee, poop, blood, and drool off her. None of that blood was hers. That was when I got the rest of the story. When Monty got into the run with her, the dog had run into the rain barrel, so Monty couldn't quite get at her there.
I sent the dog to the tub with my co-worker and went to check on Monty. Did I mention he is really old? As in, his teeth are rotting out of his face he's so hold. Monty has two superficial scratches on his nose, probably from tiny dog toe nails scrambling to get away, and when I opened his mouth the only thing bleeding was his gums. His disgusting, rotting, gums. I bopped him on the nose and went back to give the litle dog a bath. She was filthy even before the attack so she came out shiney and new and the bath allowed me to double check for injury. Once she was unmuzzled, towel dried, and trotting about with more confidence, feel much better for being clean I think, I went and got our good friend Jeter, a friendly sheltie, to give her that oh so important good follow up experience with a friendly dog. Jeter was a perfect gentleman, sniffed politely, hung about, didn't harass, and after a few minutes the pup was perfectly confident with him. I put her back in her kennel, right beside tail wagging happy dog Patch and right across from friendly gentlemanly Jeter and left her.
Wasn't done though. Crisis averted due to Monty's rotting teeth and because I had a good dog to create a good experience for the pup with, but then I still had to get the leash off the testy shepherd. So, it is here that I would like to thank the makers of Fancy Feast cat food. Half a tin of cat food was all it took. I stuck his nose in that, made sure that his focus was there and not on my other hand, where I got the leash loosened and off over his head, took my cat food, took my leash, and locked him in his kennel.
I think my co-worker is damn lucky that Monty's teeth are rotten, and that the little dog had enough of a brain to find a hole and get in it. I am bothered that my boss does not educate his staff on how to break up a dog fight, but you know, considering what I saw him do with one of my client's dogs the other week it wouldn't surprise me if even he doesn't know how to break up a dog fight. And so many of those dogs can figure out how to open those gates that locking mechanisms should be mandatory. This is twice now that the exact same situation has happened to this particular co-worker, where a dog had undone a latch and got into a fight with the dog next door. One of these days some big dog is going to kill a little thing like that bichon and I don't want to get called out of my nap to that blood bath.
So, so much for starting my weekend right smack at the end of my shift. Ended up going back to work anyway. On the upside, I think I put on a damn good show. Cool, collected, and with the help of cat food, ended with a little finesse.
I think I'm pretty damn good at what I do.
.
I was enjoying said nap when my phone ringed. Now, I might not have answered it had I not been expecting one of two things, a return call from my parents, or a call from Deb or Shaelynn to invite me out to the park for a walk (hint hint). Unfortunately it was my co-worker.
The story was that a dog had just been dropped off and was now "running the kennel" she'd managed to get a leash looped on him, but couldn't actually hold the leash without him showing his teeth. The dog in question was a big german shepherd, so I wiped the drool off my face, rolled off the couch, and told her I was on my way.
Just as I was making the turn off the highway to the kennel my phone went off again, this time with a text message telling me I needed to get there ASAP. Well I was practically in the driveway, and I figured she was being somewhat impatient, I had left the house right after I hung up the phone and she knows I live 15 minutes away. She also should know better than to keep trying with the dog once she's already called me to help.
When I got to the kennel I had to unlock and open the door, even though I thought she'd be watching for me. When I opened the door I was greeted by a nosy but happy looking german shepherd dragging a too short chain lead around. Too short, as in, it was hard to step on. The boss really needs to get some decent leads in the kennel, since all we had was this chain thing, a puppy lead that cuts your hand if the dog pulls, and a too short and too small slip lead.
Anyway, what I find is a happy looking dog and a sobbing co-worker in the staff room. I looked at her first, saw no evidence of injury, and then told her that it was alright, I'd deal with the dog, a polite way of saying 'no need to cry about it'. Which got a sobbed out, squealed out, slough of words the only part of which I could make out was "Monty tried to kill that dog". Monty has been at the kennel for about a week, his chart does say he's dog aggressive, but the only 'that dog' I saw was the German shepherd, and I saw Monty outside when I came by on my way to the driveway looking happy as a clam. It didn't make sense that the german shepherd and monty had got in a fight.
So I had to get her to slow down and finally understood that what she was saying was, while she was dealing with the shepherd running amok in the kennel, Monty the Golden, and a bichon cross were in neighbouring runs outside. Monty had unlatched the door that connected his run to the bichon's and attacked the bichon. By the time the fight was over, not successfully broken up by my co-worker because she doesn't know how, the bichon had gone completely prone and was covered in blood. I must have arrived only a few minutes afterwards, judging by when the text came. My co-worker was sobbing on the couch, the aggressive shepherd was in the kennel, Monty was back in his outdoor run, and, to my extreme annoyance, the blood covered bichon was still outside too. Nothing had been done to ensure this dog was receiving first aid or anything.
First thing I did was look at the injured dog through the window, judge that I had a bit of time because she did not seem in critical distress (she was standing, pawing at the door, awake, alert, etc). Then I decided on my course of action. I would first make the indoor area safe by dealing with the shepherd. It would do me no good to go out and deal with the little dog only to come in and find my co-worker bitten. So, first step, kibbles. I hand fed the shepherd kibbles while I reached under and got a hold of the leash. There was a moment of resistance that I conquered with a strong no nonsense voice and body posture until the dog moved politely with me to his kennel. I got him in, left the leash on to deal with later then went to tend to the puppy who had been attacked. My co-worked was calming herself down, I went outside and the pup retreated into a tipped over rain barrel, when I went to get her she snapped at me, so I just tipped the barrel upright with her in it and brought the whole barrel in. By the time that trip was over all she wanted was out of the barrel and was happy to walk out of it when I tipped it back over.
I held her just by her collar and asked my co-worker to bring me a muzzle from the recently organized (by me) first aid cabinet. I muzzled the dog and set her up on the counter and began a head to toe exam, picking through the hair in search of the source of the blood. But the more I picked the more I realized that all the blood was on the tips on her hair, none was down to the base, where the hair and skin met. Which got me to thinking, that it wasn't her blood. I checked every inch of her just in case, but there wasn't a mark on her, not so much as a scratch. I told my co-worker this as I picked the dog up to take her for a bath to get the pee, poop, blood, and drool off her. None of that blood was hers. That was when I got the rest of the story. When Monty got into the run with her, the dog had run into the rain barrel, so Monty couldn't quite get at her there.
I sent the dog to the tub with my co-worker and went to check on Monty. Did I mention he is really old? As in, his teeth are rotting out of his face he's so hold. Monty has two superficial scratches on his nose, probably from tiny dog toe nails scrambling to get away, and when I opened his mouth the only thing bleeding was his gums. His disgusting, rotting, gums. I bopped him on the nose and went back to give the litle dog a bath. She was filthy even before the attack so she came out shiney and new and the bath allowed me to double check for injury. Once she was unmuzzled, towel dried, and trotting about with more confidence, feel much better for being clean I think, I went and got our good friend Jeter, a friendly sheltie, to give her that oh so important good follow up experience with a friendly dog. Jeter was a perfect gentleman, sniffed politely, hung about, didn't harass, and after a few minutes the pup was perfectly confident with him. I put her back in her kennel, right beside tail wagging happy dog Patch and right across from friendly gentlemanly Jeter and left her.
Wasn't done though. Crisis averted due to Monty's rotting teeth and because I had a good dog to create a good experience for the pup with, but then I still had to get the leash off the testy shepherd. So, it is here that I would like to thank the makers of Fancy Feast cat food. Half a tin of cat food was all it took. I stuck his nose in that, made sure that his focus was there and not on my other hand, where I got the leash loosened and off over his head, took my cat food, took my leash, and locked him in his kennel.
I think my co-worker is damn lucky that Monty's teeth are rotten, and that the little dog had enough of a brain to find a hole and get in it. I am bothered that my boss does not educate his staff on how to break up a dog fight, but you know, considering what I saw him do with one of my client's dogs the other week it wouldn't surprise me if even he doesn't know how to break up a dog fight. And so many of those dogs can figure out how to open those gates that locking mechanisms should be mandatory. This is twice now that the exact same situation has happened to this particular co-worker, where a dog had undone a latch and got into a fight with the dog next door. One of these days some big dog is going to kill a little thing like that bichon and I don't want to get called out of my nap to that blood bath.
So, so much for starting my weekend right smack at the end of my shift. Ended up going back to work anyway. On the upside, I think I put on a damn good show. Cool, collected, and with the help of cat food, ended with a little finesse.
I think I'm pretty damn good at what I do.
.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Don't kiss the puppy
It's not that I'm not all for loving and hugging and even kissing your dogs. That's how people show affection, and to a lot of people our dogs are very important to us. I hug and snuggle and kiss my Kodi boy all the time...
but there needs to be a rule about my puppy
Badger eats poop.
Badger tips trash cans over and feasts on their contents.
Badger is now tall enough that he can (and does) drink out of the toilet.
Don't kiss the puppy!
I cannot be held responsible for any horrible diseases or odd aftertastes that result.
You've all been warned.
"Say ahhh"
.
but there needs to be a rule about my puppy
Badger eats poop.
Badger tips trash cans over and feasts on their contents.
Badger is now tall enough that he can (and does) drink out of the toilet.
Don't kiss the puppy!
I cannot be held responsible for any horrible diseases or odd aftertastes that result.
You've all been warned.
"Say ahhh"
.
Monday, May 3, 2010
really looking forward to bedtime
That tournament was exhausting, followed by a long day at work, but I didn't get to take a nap, so I'm looking forward to an early bedtime, and wishing I could slow down time, so I can stay asleep a little longer. For those of you wondering what I was humming at the tournament all weekend:
.
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Theiving landlady the sequel
So, quick recap for those just joining us here.
when I was living in Victoria I was renting a camper from a couple on Vancouver Island.
I initially made a $200 deposit on this camper, to be refunded when I returned the trailer in good condition. About a month later, still before my move in date, I received an email explaining that the insurance deductible for the trailer had gone up from $200 to $300, so would I please send another $100 deposit for the trailer.
I was a little miffed, because we'd already entered into a contract and I felt it wasn't entirely fair that they change the deal after we'd come to an agreement, but I went ahead and paid without complaint because the email clearly stated that I would receive my deposit, $300, in cash, when I moved out without having damaged the trailer.
When my move out date came, I was shorted $100. The landlady claimed not to be carrying enough cash, or a cheque book, or a bank card I guess, but that if I emailed her when I got back to Calgary she would send me a cheque for the missing $100.
An email battle ensued, during which she tried several different excuses for what amounted to a raise in my rent for the duration that would allow her to keep that $100 still owing to me. The recurring theme in her defense was 'my husband has cancer'. And while I think that is terrible, I still don't see why I should have to pay for it. When I made my case as clearly and to the point as possible, with our entire correspondence included I had had enough and told her to shut up and leave me alone (in more, politer mature language), that she can keep MY $100 because I don't have the time or the energy to deal with her over it, but politely suggested she read her province's landlord tenant act before ever renting to another person, she shot herself in the foot and contacted the BC tenancy department. I guess she wanted someone to tell her that she was right and I was wrong. So, instead of taking her get out of jail free card and leave me alone, she was blown away when BC tenancy told her she did, indeed, owe me $100. She told me she would pay me in April 2010.
April came! So I sent her an email letting her know that I had a new mailing address. I waited a week, and got no response. Then I sent her a second email, and waited two weeks with no response. With April drawing to a close I sent her a registered letter by mail that included a very idle threat of legal action (who has time for lawsuits or $100?), then went off to a flyball tournament.
When I returned I had an email in my inbox dated April 30. It is a rather long email, considering all it needed to say was that she received my letter and that my cheque would be in the mail. Instead she felt it important to lecture me on the money I wasted paying for a registered letter (despite the fact that my emails were going unanswered) and to tell me all about how her husband's cancer treatment was a failure, implying the whole while what an impatient and horrible person I was for wanting the money I should have got from her in the first week of December 2009 nearly 5 months later. Her email says she's sending a cheque, but that it will be post dated for June 27 and that I must cash it on the 27th, no sooner, and no later. what?
A second email, sent a few minutes after the first was TYPED ALL IN CAPITAL LETTERS LIKE THIS and corrected the date. I only have to wait until May 27 to accept the money she owes me... but I must cash it exactly on that date or apparently I am completely out of luck. So, everyone mark your calenders and remind me to cash my cheque, should it ever actually arrive, on May 27.
So, she managed, in the process of telling me she would send the money to nag me, play the guilt trip card, and YELL AT ME ON THE INTERNETS.
At the end of May my $100 will have been nearly 6 months overdue. I should charge interest, but I don't want to be typed at in capitals anymore.
I will keep you all updated as to whether or not it bounces on the 27th.
.
when I was living in Victoria I was renting a camper from a couple on Vancouver Island.
I initially made a $200 deposit on this camper, to be refunded when I returned the trailer in good condition. About a month later, still before my move in date, I received an email explaining that the insurance deductible for the trailer had gone up from $200 to $300, so would I please send another $100 deposit for the trailer.
I was a little miffed, because we'd already entered into a contract and I felt it wasn't entirely fair that they change the deal after we'd come to an agreement, but I went ahead and paid without complaint because the email clearly stated that I would receive my deposit, $300, in cash, when I moved out without having damaged the trailer.
When my move out date came, I was shorted $100. The landlady claimed not to be carrying enough cash, or a cheque book, or a bank card I guess, but that if I emailed her when I got back to Calgary she would send me a cheque for the missing $100.
An email battle ensued, during which she tried several different excuses for what amounted to a raise in my rent for the duration that would allow her to keep that $100 still owing to me. The recurring theme in her defense was 'my husband has cancer'. And while I think that is terrible, I still don't see why I should have to pay for it. When I made my case as clearly and to the point as possible, with our entire correspondence included I had had enough and told her to shut up and leave me alone (in more, politer mature language), that she can keep MY $100 because I don't have the time or the energy to deal with her over it, but politely suggested she read her province's landlord tenant act before ever renting to another person, she shot herself in the foot and contacted the BC tenancy department. I guess she wanted someone to tell her that she was right and I was wrong. So, instead of taking her get out of jail free card and leave me alone, she was blown away when BC tenancy told her she did, indeed, owe me $100. She told me she would pay me in April 2010.
April came! So I sent her an email letting her know that I had a new mailing address. I waited a week, and got no response. Then I sent her a second email, and waited two weeks with no response. With April drawing to a close I sent her a registered letter by mail that included a very idle threat of legal action (who has time for lawsuits or $100?), then went off to a flyball tournament.
When I returned I had an email in my inbox dated April 30. It is a rather long email, considering all it needed to say was that she received my letter and that my cheque would be in the mail. Instead she felt it important to lecture me on the money I wasted paying for a registered letter (despite the fact that my emails were going unanswered) and to tell me all about how her husband's cancer treatment was a failure, implying the whole while what an impatient and horrible person I was for wanting the money I should have got from her in the first week of December 2009 nearly 5 months later. Her email says she's sending a cheque, but that it will be post dated for June 27 and that I must cash it on the 27th, no sooner, and no later. what?
A second email, sent a few minutes after the first was TYPED ALL IN CAPITAL LETTERS LIKE THIS and corrected the date. I only have to wait until May 27 to accept the money she owes me... but I must cash it exactly on that date or apparently I am completely out of luck. So, everyone mark your calenders and remind me to cash my cheque, should it ever actually arrive, on May 27.
So, she managed, in the process of telling me she would send the money to nag me, play the guilt trip card, and YELL AT ME ON THE INTERNETS.
At the end of May my $100 will have been nearly 6 months overdue. I should charge interest, but I don't want to be typed at in capitals anymore.
I will keep you all updated as to whether or not it bounces on the 27th.
.
Bed bugs vs Fleas vs Mange
I just don't know anymore.
There was something in my apartment, biting me ruthlessly in that tell tale 3 bites in a row pattern. The possibilities were two, bedbugs, which have been reported in Lethbridge in recent years, or fleas, extremely uncommon in the dry climate of southern Alberta. The first thing I did was look for fleas on Kodi, but I found none. All my symptoms suggested bedbugs. So, lets have a look here at the evidence for each.
Bedbugs - more likely to bite people than fleas
-I never noticed being bit, suggesting I was bit in my sleep
-Something was biting Kodi too, so it wasn't just spontaneous sensitive skin
-my landlady told me that the floors/carpet had not been cleaned when the last tenants left
-I bought a new couch, which could have carried bedbugs in with it, even though it was brand new
Fleas- I work in a dog kennel
The things in favour of bedbugs as you see, far outweigh those in favour of fleas. Fleas don't generally bite people, aren't common here, and dogs I've seen with fleas before, you could see the fleas on their bodies when you look.
So it's obvious right? I had bedbugs.
Or did I?
Bedbugs don't just 'go away' with some revolution on a dog (given to prevent bedbug bites) and some laundry, and some vacuuming. They live in walls, under carpets, and inside mattresses and couch cushions. They crawl in through wall sockets and are immune to many pesticides. They need to be sprayed for by professionals, and even then they can come back if you don't kill every single one, which is impossible to do because they can hide from the spray by living in the walls for months before needing to feed again.
And yet...I have not been bitten again since that first spree of bites that have since, after turning into horrible rashes, disappeared.
But where could we possibly have gotten fleas? Kodi had been treated previously after contacting a dog with fleas in BC, and we'd been in Alberta over a month before this started. The dogs at the kennel ought not to have had fleas, and I checked the cat. I didn't find fleas on any of the dogs that I checked, and I checked all the dogs that I handled (I actually tend not to touch the dogs at work, less likely to be bit that way).
I was absolutely convinced that all the evidence lead to bedbugs.
About 2 weeks ago, however, a frequent boarder came to pick up his dog and had a very interesting question for me. He wanted to know if we'd had fleas in the kennel. His son had, shortly after they'd returned from their previous trip, become covered in what they thought might be bedbug bites. They began as the three in a row bites, then turned in to rashes before finally starting to go away. This all sounded very familiar to me, so I checked the bookings, and his dog was in the kennel at the same time that I was getting bit myself.
Could we both have been bit by the same fleas?
Very possible. The week that happened was extremely busy at work, I may have not noticed I was being bit because I was run off my feet. Kodi would have picked up fleas from my clothes or from in the car but because so few would have hitch hiked he would not have been covered in them like the other dogs I'd seen, and the dog in question at the kennel was black and skittish, which meant I wouldn't be able to see them from a distance, and I wouldn't have subjected her to a flea inspection due to my desire not to be bitten by a dog as well as bugs.
So... mystery solved?
What about Badger's mange then? While it developed in the same pattern as mange, my vet found no mange mites, only evidence that something was biting him, and none of his litter mates were showing the same reaction, none of them had that terrible rash he came home with. His breeder did later find fleas on his remaining litter mates, and remembered she'd been training a dog on her property who she'd found fleas on. Her vet, and the vet here in Lethbridge both suggest that Badger had fleas too, but the reason he reacted differently from his bothers and sister was that he likely has flea bite allergies. So bites on him, break into nasty scabby rashes that look like mange. Revolution was the solution for him too.
Fleas, bedbugs, and the sarcoptic mange mite can all be killed in dogs by the same thing. I didn't get mange, which I likely would have if that's what Badge brought home, and the bites have stopped, which I wouldn't expect with bedbugs. (It should be noted that Badger's fleas and my bites occurred at different times. I didn't have Badger during my epic bug battle).
I would like to cautiously conclude, given the story as it stands now, that I was victimized by two separate flea infestations. One likely from the kennel, and one from Badger's breeder. It is possible that damp weather these past few seasons have encouraged the survival of fleas in southern alberta, or otherwise that a dog came into the kennel from out of province and brought fleas with him.
My precautions against bedbugs, which may have lessened their impact on me, would likely have eradicated fleas from my household completely. Everything I used to help slow down bedbugs, outright kills fleas.
So, not exactly a losing situation for me. I'd much rather have had fleas, and been rid of them, than to still be fighting a daily battle against bedbugs.
It's just too bad that now I live in a state of complete paranoia, where I check the mattresses at hotel rooms during flyball tournaments, and still can't convince myself that its safe to take my clothes out of the ziploc bags.
Bedbugs, mange, or fleas, both my dogs are now on Revolution until the end of September at least. Bogdan does not believe in flea control (or vaccinations for that matter, as he tried to argue with me about us not needing a rabies vaccination for a guest. Hello! I'm the one most likely to get bit! If I want to see proof of rabies then I'm going to insist on proof of rabies!) But his insistence that flea control is horrible terrible stuff only prompts me further to use it on my dogs. Bogdan can talk down about flea control all he wants after he has experienced what I've been through for the last three months and is pulling his clean underwear out of ziplocs every morning and wondering if every little itch might be a bite.
I'm still not entirely convinced, and I still worry I've got bedbugs somewhere in this house, but I have entered a stage of gradual disarmament. I have removed the tape from the walls, but keep it on my bedlegs. I have vacuumed up the DE, but have left it in the power outlets and behind the light switches. I still spritz cedar oil regularly, but I have removed the cover from my mattress (it was way too hot to sleep on). I still bag my clothing, but I wash in cold water again, instead of hot.
Very very slowly, and with a great deal of vigilance and caution, I am returning to a normal life.
On the upside... I'm now an expert on Bedbugs, and am probably damaged enough by this event that I will take preventative measures for the rest of my life. So maybe I won't ever have to go through this again.
Someday I'll stop putting my clothing in the bags.
Someday.
.
There was something in my apartment, biting me ruthlessly in that tell tale 3 bites in a row pattern. The possibilities were two, bedbugs, which have been reported in Lethbridge in recent years, or fleas, extremely uncommon in the dry climate of southern Alberta. The first thing I did was look for fleas on Kodi, but I found none. All my symptoms suggested bedbugs. So, lets have a look here at the evidence for each.
Bedbugs - more likely to bite people than fleas
-I never noticed being bit, suggesting I was bit in my sleep
-Something was biting Kodi too, so it wasn't just spontaneous sensitive skin
-my landlady told me that the floors/carpet had not been cleaned when the last tenants left
-I bought a new couch, which could have carried bedbugs in with it, even though it was brand new
Fleas- I work in a dog kennel
The things in favour of bedbugs as you see, far outweigh those in favour of fleas. Fleas don't generally bite people, aren't common here, and dogs I've seen with fleas before, you could see the fleas on their bodies when you look.
So it's obvious right? I had bedbugs.
Or did I?
Bedbugs don't just 'go away' with some revolution on a dog (given to prevent bedbug bites) and some laundry, and some vacuuming. They live in walls, under carpets, and inside mattresses and couch cushions. They crawl in through wall sockets and are immune to many pesticides. They need to be sprayed for by professionals, and even then they can come back if you don't kill every single one, which is impossible to do because they can hide from the spray by living in the walls for months before needing to feed again.
And yet...I have not been bitten again since that first spree of bites that have since, after turning into horrible rashes, disappeared.
But where could we possibly have gotten fleas? Kodi had been treated previously after contacting a dog with fleas in BC, and we'd been in Alberta over a month before this started. The dogs at the kennel ought not to have had fleas, and I checked the cat. I didn't find fleas on any of the dogs that I checked, and I checked all the dogs that I handled (I actually tend not to touch the dogs at work, less likely to be bit that way).
I was absolutely convinced that all the evidence lead to bedbugs.
About 2 weeks ago, however, a frequent boarder came to pick up his dog and had a very interesting question for me. He wanted to know if we'd had fleas in the kennel. His son had, shortly after they'd returned from their previous trip, become covered in what they thought might be bedbug bites. They began as the three in a row bites, then turned in to rashes before finally starting to go away. This all sounded very familiar to me, so I checked the bookings, and his dog was in the kennel at the same time that I was getting bit myself.
Could we both have been bit by the same fleas?
Very possible. The week that happened was extremely busy at work, I may have not noticed I was being bit because I was run off my feet. Kodi would have picked up fleas from my clothes or from in the car but because so few would have hitch hiked he would not have been covered in them like the other dogs I'd seen, and the dog in question at the kennel was black and skittish, which meant I wouldn't be able to see them from a distance, and I wouldn't have subjected her to a flea inspection due to my desire not to be bitten by a dog as well as bugs.
So... mystery solved?
What about Badger's mange then? While it developed in the same pattern as mange, my vet found no mange mites, only evidence that something was biting him, and none of his litter mates were showing the same reaction, none of them had that terrible rash he came home with. His breeder did later find fleas on his remaining litter mates, and remembered she'd been training a dog on her property who she'd found fleas on. Her vet, and the vet here in Lethbridge both suggest that Badger had fleas too, but the reason he reacted differently from his bothers and sister was that he likely has flea bite allergies. So bites on him, break into nasty scabby rashes that look like mange. Revolution was the solution for him too.
Fleas, bedbugs, and the sarcoptic mange mite can all be killed in dogs by the same thing. I didn't get mange, which I likely would have if that's what Badge brought home, and the bites have stopped, which I wouldn't expect with bedbugs. (It should be noted that Badger's fleas and my bites occurred at different times. I didn't have Badger during my epic bug battle).
I would like to cautiously conclude, given the story as it stands now, that I was victimized by two separate flea infestations. One likely from the kennel, and one from Badger's breeder. It is possible that damp weather these past few seasons have encouraged the survival of fleas in southern alberta, or otherwise that a dog came into the kennel from out of province and brought fleas with him.
My precautions against bedbugs, which may have lessened their impact on me, would likely have eradicated fleas from my household completely. Everything I used to help slow down bedbugs, outright kills fleas.
So, not exactly a losing situation for me. I'd much rather have had fleas, and been rid of them, than to still be fighting a daily battle against bedbugs.
It's just too bad that now I live in a state of complete paranoia, where I check the mattresses at hotel rooms during flyball tournaments, and still can't convince myself that its safe to take my clothes out of the ziploc bags.
Bedbugs, mange, or fleas, both my dogs are now on Revolution until the end of September at least. Bogdan does not believe in flea control (or vaccinations for that matter, as he tried to argue with me about us not needing a rabies vaccination for a guest. Hello! I'm the one most likely to get bit! If I want to see proof of rabies then I'm going to insist on proof of rabies!) But his insistence that flea control is horrible terrible stuff only prompts me further to use it on my dogs. Bogdan can talk down about flea control all he wants after he has experienced what I've been through for the last three months and is pulling his clean underwear out of ziplocs every morning and wondering if every little itch might be a bite.
I'm still not entirely convinced, and I still worry I've got bedbugs somewhere in this house, but I have entered a stage of gradual disarmament. I have removed the tape from the walls, but keep it on my bedlegs. I have vacuumed up the DE, but have left it in the power outlets and behind the light switches. I still spritz cedar oil regularly, but I have removed the cover from my mattress (it was way too hot to sleep on). I still bag my clothing, but I wash in cold water again, instead of hot.
Very very slowly, and with a great deal of vigilance and caution, I am returning to a normal life.
On the upside... I'm now an expert on Bedbugs, and am probably damaged enough by this event that I will take preventative measures for the rest of my life. So maybe I won't ever have to go through this again.
Someday I'll stop putting my clothing in the bags.
Someday.
.
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