Adventures with Astrid and the Letter D

Today, Astrid wanted to take you all on one of her walks.

That particular photo was snapped last Thursday, on Take a Walk in the Park Day. Astrid actually got both a morning and evening walk through the park that day, which made her one happy pup.

Astrid enjoying the great outdoors is a decent enough segue into today's April A to Z Challenge doodle.

As I've mentioned like the broken record that I am, my theme for this year's A to Z Challenge is "These Are a Few of My Favorite Things". Today's letter is D, and my D is for dogs.

Of course, given that my C stood for cats, I do love me a good doggy who loves cats. Astrid is indeed one of those dogs, and she tries to make friends with all the neighborhood cats. Most of them don't want to be her friend, but that won't stop her from trying to win them over. That said, if a kitty doesn't want Astrid's attention and let's her know with a sharp swipe, Astrid will take the hint and give the kitty some space. She learned that lesson at a very young age.

Astrid and all of us here wish you a happy Wednesday, 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. This is yet again a repeat series of tips, but it's a significant topic, so we'll go with it.

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.