Feelin' a bit sheepish...

[Beekissed]

I had put up fly traps in the sheep shelter and over the water wagon, but I got to thinking about that.....though they caught MANY flies, I hadn't really SEEN many flies until we put up the traps. I think the baits in those actually brought in more flies than we actually had, so I removed all of that. Checked the shelter and animals this evening and not a fly on any animal at all.

I had noticed Rose running from a nasal bot fly yesterday, so this morning I put a rub of SWAT on each sheep's nose, just because. Been using that ointment on the dog's ears this season and not a fly bitten ear to be seen...they rub it off along the ground but they can't get it all. If they want ear rubs and pets, they are getting it with a little SWAT in my palm now and again.

The dogs are looking GREAT now that we are back to their regular dog food~cheapy stuff from Rural King~and their continuous feeder. They both jump in and out easily now and seem very fulfilled by getting to sample their food all day instead of eating it all at once each morning. The Wondercide seems to be keeping them flea and tick free and I don't have to apply it much at all....only twice since I got it and not because I've seen they need it but just because I thought it was likely time.

The sheep are currently grazing the milkweed paddock....we'll see how they do with that.

 

[Baymule]

SWAT, what is it and where do I get it? Sentry has one ear that is fly bitten. Just one ear and no other dog. I’ve tried different stuff, but nothing keeps them away.

 

[Mini Horses]

It's a heavy fly ointment, about like petroleum jelly. Horse area, hand sized jar.

 

[Beekissed]

SWAT, what is it and where do I get it? Sentry has one ear that is fly bitten. Just one ear and no other dog. I’ve tried different stuff, but nothing keeps them away.

What she said! It's relatively cheap compared to other treatments, the ointment goes a long way and the dogs can't see I have it in my hand, ready to apply it, like they can the spray bottles. If I'm real sneaky they can't see me dipping into the container.

It doesn't have a strong smell, though the dogs still don't like to have it on them....I just give their ears a good massage with it, then continue on down their bodies, wiping my hands off in their fur along the way. They think they are getting some good lovin' until the smell hits them...and it's really faint, so they have good sniffers.

Blue doesn't mind it as much as Pinky....she will stay far away from me if she sees me anointing Blue with it, but if I start to talk to Blue about being the best dog, the favorite dog even, in my sweety voice, she simply cannot help herself and MUST come and shove in between us. Then I anoint her too.

 

[Baymule]

Pinky is jealous! Hahaha!
Thanks for the information on SWAT, it’s on my list now.
Carson was flapping his ears, so I loaded them down with ear mite stuff. It makes my face and tongue tingle, just smelling the stuff. But he knows I’m helping him and let’s me rub his ears and massage it in. Have him a treatment yesterday, today no ear flapping.

 

[Beekissed]

Pinky is jealous! Hahaha!
Thanks for the information on SWAT, it’s on my list now.
Carson was flapping his ears, so I loaded them down with ear mite stuff. It makes my face and tongue tingle, just smelling the stuff. But he knows I’m helping him and let’s me rub his ears and massage it in. Have him a treatment yesterday, today no ear flapping.

I can pet Blue and I can give Rose a good scritchin' all I want.... but I have to do it quietly....if I start saying loving things, Pinky has to squeeze herself in between me and the offending animal to get that special kind of loving all to herself. She's a sucker for this and I've tolled her in several times when needed, just by using the lovey voice.

 

[Baymule]

Sheba is the same way. She and Sentry have two young rams in their pasture. Every evening I sit in a lawn chair for attention time. The rams come up to be petted and scratched. Sentry adores his special time. Sheba wedges herself between me and the other 3. She even gnaws the rams heads. They know she won’t hurt them. I just need an extra set of arms.

 

[Beekissed]

Sheba is the same way. She and Sentry have two young rams in their pasture. Every evening I sit in a lawn chair for attention time. The rams come up to be petted and scratched. Sentry adores his special time. Sheba wedges herself between me and the other 3. She even gnaws the rams heads. They know she won’t hurt them. I just need an extra set of arms.

Yeah...those unsocialized LGDs, living outdoors all the time and never getting any attention from humans, unable to be handled. Every time I hear about such animals and people's stereotyping these working dogs in that way, I have to laugh. I have velcro dogs living out there and it sounds like you do too! Never saw the inside of a house, never trotted down the aisle of TSC, but love, love, love to be handled, loved on, talked to, etc.

Makes me wonder about this Eli Dog and his nature....he had to have been neglected as a puppy to develop such a standoffish nature, because I've not had a dog yet that didn't love to be petted and would come willingly to get it.

 

[Beekissed]

Well....found out the fly traps were not attracting flies instead of getting rid of them....the flies are back, with a vengeance. So, ordering the better traps but reusable, so we can get more life out of each trap. The green netting ones were crap, waste of money. The Rescu fly traps were the bomb diggity!

 

[Beekissed]

Found Pinky Pie this morning with massive facial swelling and edema, unable to open her mouth without screaming, drooling and overall a very downcast dog. I couldn't find a single wound on her, but couldn't open her mouth to see if she had punctured herself inside....she chews on sticks constantly...and the area was not hot to the touch.

So, figured a vet visit was needed, as I didn't have the kind of meds on hand to help her with the swelling~but I will from now on!!! Will be ordering some home vetting meds ASAP so we can do these things at home. I'm a nurse, so most things I can assess here and treat here....if I feel I'm out of my league I can always take them to the vet. Why would I want to do it here? Because ALL the meds given to her today were twice what they'd charge a human for them, sometimes 3 times the price.

An exam, a shot of prednisone, one of Benadryl and a rabies vax(HAD to...they won't let you escape without one but I would have refused if I could have done so), plus a bottle of PO Prednisone all cost us $325!!!!!!

Let me recap....a steroid shot, an antihistamine shot, a rabies shot and a bottle of pills that would cost me $11 at the pharmacy~plus a very brief exam~ cost $325!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Now, I know that's not much to you folks who vet frequently, but it was sticker shock to someone who rarely darkens a vet's door....mostly just for spay, neuters and emergencies, which are all few and far between....sometimes many years between.)

I was so very proud of Pinky....never been in a crate, hadn't been in a car since she was 8 wks old, never been inside a building, HATES to walk on the leash but did so like a trouper, didn't make a peep all the way to town, while in the clinic, and all the way back. Never been tied up, but was tied in Joel's back yard for a bit while we kept an appointment.....laid down and didn't make a peep....and was just the sweetest love bug throughout the whole experience. She stuck to me like glue, followed where I led her, and was just the best dog all day long. She is currently tied to the zip line so we can monitor her and give her meds the next few days...didn't make a peep about that either. First time away from Blue and her flock and hasn't shown a bit of anxiety all day long.

What a good dog!!!!! And she weighed 76 lbs, at 9 mo., so she's got some growing and filling out to do yet. I'd say she'll make it to 90~100 by adulthood, which is exactly where she should be. Blue is likely already at 90 and will likely top out at 110-120 by 4 yrs of age and that's exactly where he should be too.

They saw a piece of flea collar zip tied to her collar and immediately stated she would have to be treated for fleas and I shut them down on that....told her she had an allergic reaction to the collar, hence it being zip tied away from her skin, so I didn't want to risk her reacting to topical or PO flea preparations. So, they hurried to get a flea comb and said if they found any evidence of fleas she would HAVE to have flea treatment.....they couldn't find a flea or flea poop anywhere, didn't even find any dirt on her skin. They seemed amazed! Especially when we told them she'd never had a bath, never had chemical flea treatments except for the one exposure to the flea collar that broke her out.

They also seemed amazed at how well behaved she was~and I quote~"considering how she was raised", after we told them she has lived in the field with the sheep since she was 8 wks old.

All in all, it was an eye opening day, both for us and for the vet staff, I guess. We are going to become better prepared here, that's for sure!