Tonks Tuesday with the Letter D

Shall we start with today's contribution to the April A to Z Challenge?

To again give a recap, for this year's April A to Z Challenge, since I love to write and am working on a series of books, I'm sharing A to Z doodles relating to my stories. Much like my usual doodles and weekly poems, the stories I write are weird, wacky, and star lots of animals. That leads us to today's letter, which is D. So, what does D stand for?

D is for Dreary Lane

This is perhaps the doodle I was most excited to scribble up for this month. That might seem strange given that it's kind of, well, dreary. But, I've always really liked this kind of aesthetic. And as for this street known as Dreary Lane, for this reason and that, it's a concept that has been in my head for some sort of eternity. You know that nursery rhyme about that muffin man who lives on Drury Lane? Well, I've always thought Dreary Lane sounded way better than Drury Lane, and so I decided to create it. At least that kitty character, who does indeed live on Dreary Lane, brightens it up a bit.

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Don't worry, we're not letting you go today without a dose of Tonks. So, how about a cute little flashback of Tonks politely asking me to play with a strip of cloth she brought to me?

Do you see that corner protector this little calico is rubbing on that really roughed up coffee table? Tonks has chewed it off of the table since this photo was taken. You can probably see the teeth marks already on it in that there photo. The corner protectors were mostly on that table for giant, rambunctious pup Astrid's sake. Tonks, however, has removed all of them. I need to find an alternative that perhaps she won't try to eat.

Happy Tuesday, friends!

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Tip of the Day

We just finished our series of tips on heartworm, in honor of April being Heartworm Awareness Month. Since we're on the topic of pesky parasites, we're going to keep it going. Today, we'll be talking about fleas. We have indeed discussed this topic before, but perhaps this is a good time for a refresher.

When it comes to fleas, it's important to realize that essentially any and all animals are susceptible. Even indoor-only cats and dogs can get fleas, such as if the tiny pests come into the home by hitching a ride on humans, or on other animals who go outdoors. What's more, fleas can be present even when you might think they aren't, even in the winter. If fleas have already made their ways indoors, they can thrive in the warmth of a home any time of year. Even outdoors in the winter, though, they can still potentially be present. Especially if there are warmer days here and there, and if you're starting to see some green grass outside, then there is always the chance that fleas can be present and active. So, this is just one reason to keep your furbabies on flea prevention.

To really drive home this tip, though, we're also going to remind you of just some of the side effects that can come with fleas. First, of course, fleas can cause all sorts of itchiness. In some cases, an animal can even have flea allergy dermatitis, which is of course when a cat or dog is allergic to flea bites and can therefore display significant itching, hair loss, lesions, and so forth. Itchy skin is not the only potential result of fleas, though. Fleas can also lead to a tapeworm infestation in your furbaby, something which we will further discuss tomorrow. In addition, anemia and other bloodborne and potentially dangerous diseases can result from fleas and their bites. The health and safety of your furbaby is of course, therefore, an incredibly good reason to be sure that you keep up with that flea prevention year round.

We will also note here that you should discuss with your veterinarian which flea preventative is likely to be both the safest and most effective for your furbaby. Not all preventatives are created equal. Some cheaper, generic, over-the-counter versions have even been found to cause incredibly dangerous or even life-threatening side effects. This is not something for which it's worth risking your furbaby's life, so discuss preventatives with your veterinarian, and select a quality, safe product. Also, in the event that your entire home needs to be treated for fleas, also be sure that you discuss this with your veterinarian, so that you might get tips from them on safe methods for this extensive type of treatment.