Tuesday in the Heartland

[IrishIroamed]

Mornin' ladies~~~
How's everyone doing today? Up early here because it's a moving day with a longer drive into Minnesota for me to visit some friends. And today's wind is already starting, may be a tail wind that would br nice.

Lunch yesterday with Pat (Dpf). Always nice to meet a forum sista. Only took a ride around the dam here. No other sightseeing.

That's all from me. Have a good day ladies.

[carolb]

Gmorning Cheryl & all to follow

Cheryl, I've enjoyed following you on your travels! Can't remember if there is a "home base" for you, or are you a fulltimer now? Liz, I've been meaning to post congratulations on your original announcement, but never got around to it. Really happy for you! Aren't you the one who started a thread about what to do "after the road?" Well, I don't think finding happiness in a new spouse was part of that conversation--you & Bob are an adorable couple! Soos, welcome back--your memory had lived on here after you left, Rabbits Roll-call the first of every month

Not quite three weeks since I returned to home base in central NY. Finally have all chores up-to-date & now settling into a daily routine. Veggie garden growing well, flower beds getting there. I lost a few perennials over the winter & others are slow to start--has been a cool spring, so I imagine as soon as we get more warmth they'll be thriving.

Wishing y'all a great day & safe travels always...

[havingfunnow]

I woke up thinking "dogs!" today and grinning. Last night, Drew just had his first agility class in ten months. He was SO HAPPY! The A-frame! The tire jump! The tunnel! Wheeeee!

And of course he had to yodel when too many other dogs had their turns before he got his second pass.

Roxanne said, "He just wants all the turns he missed while you were away. THEN all the other dogs can have their turns." Of course, she was so right! She's got his number, for sure.

[BarbaraRose]

Good morning gals!

I have a new issue to deal with now. I found more fleas before I left for MN so I put more flea stuff on the cats hoping that would keep it under control while I was gone. Nope! My house is totally infested with fleas! Even my bedroom which was my only "flea-free" zone with no cats allowed, is loaded with fleas. I will have to get better stuff to put on the cats and then bomb the house and wash everything, rugs, bedding, clothes (I left clean clothes in the basket on the floor), etc. Yikes!

cloudy and humid this morning. Not sure what time I work today but pretty sure it is in the afternoon sometime. Will have to call once the shop opens, to find out.

Cheryl, what part of MN are you visiting?

Have a good day!

[Irmi]

Barbie, what flea meds are you using? At one point, we were using either Frontline or Advantix on Teddy, until they no longer worked. Then our vet prescribed a pill for him, which was very effective. See what your vet recommends. He/she will probably sell them in their office.

[avalen]

Good morning
Not much going on, just put in a few hours at work and now done for the day. Been trying to clean out closets and drawers, re-arrange and still finding stuff i should have pitched. But ig gives me something to do during the heat of ALL day while I'm hunkered in under the ac .
Have some cooked chicken breast out thawing to cut up for chicken salad later on but no cranberry
to go with, but it will still be good.
Ok, back to doing my sorting. Ya'll have a great day, be safe.

[Acadianmom]

Ava, I try to stay in the house/AC all day and our temperatures are probably 10 degrees cooler than your's. It's hard to get everything done that I want to do outside between 6:00 PM and dark.

Barbie, you are going to have a fight on your hands with the fleas. I use Revolution on the house cats and the Hartz drops on the outside cats. I think what saves us is treating the yard. There is a pill that works right away. I think it's called Capstar and I think I saw some at Walmart. I know, getting a pill down a cat is not easy. I need to find something cheaper than Revolution. The last box I bought was $25 a dose. I was surprised that the vet couldn't find any fleas on Hank because I'm not very faithful about putting a flea treatment on him.

My sister found someone to look at the air conditioner at the camp on Thursday and my motorhome is in the shop. I could go in my car but I know I would end up there without my underwear or tooth brush. There is always so much stuff in my motorhome that I could leave for a month without packing anything else.

Martha

[BarbaraRose]

I just got some Advantage II and some spray to use on the floors, rugs and furniture. I combed both of them to get as many fleas off them first.
I also want to do the outside area but need to find something that won't hurt the lizards, squirrels and bunnies.

edit: just ordered Diatomaceous Earth (food grade) to use inside and outside. Just used the spray out in my porch and closed it off to the cats. Will do my bedroom and bathroom before going to work. The rest of the house I will do tomorrow. got bedding and throw rugs in the wash right now.

[JudyJB]

I agree that you really need to spray your yard. And, you might have to do the whole thing over again in a few days to kill any eggs that hatch. I once had a dog that got infested with fleas over and over again when my boys took her to visit their dad on weekends. He, like you, had just bought a new house where the previous owners had had a big dog. I had to spray my yard and bomb my house each twice, about two weeks apart, but I am not sure of the exact number of days apart it was. Also treated the dog and told kids they could not take her to dad's unless he did the same thing with house and yard. It finally cleared up, but I spent a fortune in bombs and lawn spray, and I was very unhappy about the situation. Anyway, good luck.

Going to be catching up with grading papers for next couple of days. Can't go to Napa son's house anyway as daughter-law and grand-daughter are both very sick with sore throats, and I have a weak immune system. Son and grandson stopped by yesterday to help with a couple of things, however.

Looking forward to heading out to Yellowstone this coming Sunday. Hoping my vehicle will start as son had to use emergency start feature with generator to get it from storage to campground on Sunday. May try it on Friday and go for a drive to check it. May need a new battery. Should also probably get two new tires for front on Friday anyway.

[Cudedog]

There is a pill that works right away. I think it's called Capstar and I think I saw some at Walmart. I know, getting a pill down a cat is not easy.

My apologies to Martha, but I cannot advise everyone strongly enough to use EXTREME CAUTION when using these anti-flea pills. Research CAREFULLY before you do it. Keep in mind that what you are basically doing is feeding your pet a slow-release insecticide (poison).

I WILL NEVER USE THIS "PILL" EVER AGAIN.

I used the pills - twice - a few years back, on just one of my dogs, on the advice of my vet. The pills were obtained at the vet's office. The first time, for several days afterwards, my Sweet Girl was just a little "off". The fleas came back, and I gave her another pill about a month later (as was prescribed). The second time she was more than a little off, and went into full-blown pancreatitis. I tried everything, but within a couple months more my dog was dead. Canine pancreatitis is dreadfull. I believe that the medication severely damaged, and then destroyed, her pancreas. Which meant that she no longer had the enzymes to digest food. Think daily bloody diaharrea, vomiting, severe weight loss (from a well-fleshed dog to a walking skeleton in a matter of weeks), to canine cognitive disorder (she was starving to death).

After trying everything to keep her alive (she was still eating, but received no benefit from the food), I sent her to the Rainbow Bridge. I will never forgive myself.

She had been a loving, healthy, happy, active, high-energy dog, with absolutely NONE of the usual risk factors for pancreatitis.

Of course, my vet denied that this poison pill was the culprit. After she became ill, I spent literally thousands of dollars trying to bring her back to health. No go. My vet certainly benefited from her illness. I was in his office with her three or four times per week.

DON'T DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For the record, Dawn dishwashing detergent kills fleas. I now bathe my dog every day or so during flea season (Dawn kills the fleas on dog, unfortunately, the next flea that comes along can hop on without problem). I also bathe my cat, who seems not to mind it, so long as I go slow. I use a blow dryer on her afterwards.

LOTS of vacuuming (floors, carpets and furniture) and doing laundry. Flea season here lasts about six months, because the climate is very warm. In colder places (where is frequently freezes in the winter), fleas don't get such a foothold.

Actively looking at properties in Klamath Falls. If anyone knows of anything for sale there, please do let me know.

Thanks.

Anne

[BirdbyBird]

Just here to report that the woman who never cleans her RV just spent the better part of the day sorting through all the inside cabinets and drawers...tossing, sorting, reorganizing. I haven't done anything quite this extensive since trading rigs four years ago. Oh the clutter of "valuable" things that, oh, might be needed. After 13 years of RVing I do at least recognized the illogic of some of the collections. Two full laundry baskets of stuff came inside to be either put away or thrown in the Thrift store basket. Note to self: it is not any cheaper to haul disposable products around on the shelves taking up space than it is to stop and purchase more IF you happen to be out on the road long enough to run through 6 bars of soap. And guess what even if it is, I would rather clean out the shelves and un clutter the spaces. Did I mention that apparently there have been mice visiting the rig drawers from time to time but luckily none of them have tried to live in the real estate.

I did leave the drawer full of books and games un sorted as I also left the drawer full of orphaned electrical cords and cables. Life must hold some mysteries for another day. And about the outside storages areas that I know carry sand and leaves from journeys of at least the last four years? Since I haven't swept them out since purchasing the rig.....Part of me wanted to go there but I knew that I had at least re-sorted many of those items last year...I remembered that I am now retired again and didn't want to flirt with any issues of OCD'ness. So I am inside happily sipping a cold lemonade and ready to read a book instead. Audrey, Josef and I are heading out to Kalamazoo, MI, tomorrow morning to attend the annual UKC Premier. Several of the dogs have been invited over the years for achieving wins that place them in the Top Ten. This is the first time I have attempted to attend. Josef is the one who really strongly qualified but I remind him that Audrey placed #9 because on certain days, certain judges did actually like her best. I try to keep him humble.

[IrishIroamed]

Carol ~ I took early retirement & am basically fulltime, but will be back in IL for a couple of months to deal with some Ma things. IL us still home base for now.

Barbie ~ I'm only in MN for a couple days to meet up with some work friends in St Paul, then I'm off to WI & home.

Personally, not thrilled to be back in the midwest, with humidity, bugs, and tornado weather.

[Pooker]

Barbie - I have had huge flea infestations twice! Persistence is the only cure. I had professionals "do" the house while the cat and I spent the day in the car after I dipped the cat. Surprisingly, not one flea on the cat, but they sure liked my legs! Had the service come back 3 times. Don't believe anyone or any company when they say they will get eggs and all - never happens. Three days later you have teeny, tiny little specks biting your ankles again! Here is what I finally did the last time:

I dipped the cat(s) in flea shampoo. Not easy, but if you use a small narrow wastebasket deep enough to come up to the cat's neck they have less room to flay around and scratch. Dry cat with towel and put in the car or trailer or wherever there are no fleas. Set off 2 or 3 bug bombs, one in each of the main rooms (after you have removed or protected food things, of course). Join the cats and wait the required amount of time. Leave cats where they are and go in and open as many windows and doors as you can to totally air out the house before bringing animals back in. You may have to do this again after 3 days, but here's how to tell if fleas are still there:

1) Cats will act strangely. They will hesitate to go where there are carpets (because that's where fleas are!) and may cross a room by jumping from table to table.
2) Before you go to bed, put a nightlight or two in lower outlets in a couple of rooms with small dishes of water under the light. In the morning, if there are fleas in the dish you know you still have some. Do that again the next night. Still find bodies in the water? Then you know you will have to repeat the dipping, bombing, etc.

I didn't need to spray my yard because my flea problem came from some critter living under my house (I believe), but most yard bug sprays on the market are pretty safe for animals. My battle with the little buggers took weeks and I had to keep calling the bug company back over and over. They guaranteed their work, so I made them make good on that promise, but the second time I got the job done myself. Good luck!

Evie

[Azusateach]

I didn't need to spray my yard because my flea problem came from some critter living under my house (I believe) ...
Evie

Evie, this is what I think is causing the problem, too. In all of the years I've owned dogs AND cats (I've had two until a year ago, and now only have one), I just haven't had an issue. I treat the dogs, but have never, EVER treated my cats. Nor have I treated the yard and house, simply because it wasn't necessary.

Barbie, if you're feeding critters, it's hard to know what they're bringing with them besides their appetite. Much as they're cute and you'd like to help them out, you're just asking for trouble, as evidenced by your ongoing flea issue.

It might be time to bite the bullet and get some licensed people out to button up the skirting on your house -- and get a guarantee on it -- and then get someone to professionally treat the interior WITH a warranty that they'll come back if the fleas return.

Good luck, Barbie.

[BarbaraRose]

I did do the bowl of water with Dawn in it with a light in my bedroom yesterday while I was at work and came home to about 30 fleas in the bowl. I left it again overnight and hardly any after spraying my room earlier.

My bedroom seems to have the worst of the fleas. I am pretty sure they came from the dog. This all started after I got her. I left her kennel in my room and still had the blanket in it. I think there must have been a large batch that hatched in the kennel that invaded the bedroom. I have since moved the kennel outside for now.

My ankles have gotten the worst of the bites and are very itchy and sore. Am using hydrocortizone, aloe vera and baking soda paste on the bites. I dusted my sheets with baking soda last night and seems to be no fleas in bed with me. I check my legs before I get into bed in case some jump on me from the floor to hitch a ride on the bed. Also tucked in my dust ruffle so they can't climb up on that.

If all this doesn't work by next week, I will call in the pros. Thank you for all your suggestions!