We adopted our little Fitzgerald a few months ago from Underdog Rescue, a nonprofit pet rescue, rehabilitation, and placement organization. He is one of the best things that ever happened to me (more on that in a subsequent post). We are together pretty much 24×7.
Fitz checking out his new environment
I don’t know what it is about him, but he is a real tick magnet – even with preventative meds from our vet. Maybe it has something to do with him being a stud at a puppy mill for two years… get it… chick magnet…
Anyhoo, last night I was innocently watching “Shark Tank” and petting Mr. Fitz when lo and behold I found a tick stubbornly attached to his cute little nose. I don’t know about you, but blood-sucking insects creep me out. I was too freaked to grab my phone and take a picture of the parasite, but this is what it looked like:
American Dog Tick
My strategy in situations like this is to interrupt my husband and make him do the dirty work. Because he is wonderful and he loves the Fitzenheimer like crazy, he drops everything to help. Last night, however, he was engrossed in an email for work and thought our crisis could wait five minutes. WHAT??? Five minutes was an eternity for this fanatical dog mama, so I had to take matters into my own hands.
I certainly wasn’t going to pry out the bugger, so I had to put on my thinking cap. Then the lightbulb came on. There is an essential oil for everything! I took out my handy dandy Essential Oils Desk Reference, the holy grail for Young Living distributors, and looked up animal care. Among several other “hot” oils or blends (Cinnamon, Thyme, Oregano, Mountain Savory, Abundance, or Exodus II), which I don’t have, the YL experts also suggested Peppermint. B-I-N-G-O, that I could do!
Young Living Peppermint Oil
I took gentle hold of our white fluff ball, put a wee drop of Peppermint Oil on my fingertip, and completely covered the blood-sucking invader’s body. One one thousand … two one thousand … and I lifted said finger. The tick released its head and frantically crawled down Fitzy’s nose. I bravely grabbed it and flicked it into the toilet. I am a machine!
That was it … crisis averted! In a battle between peppermint oil and a wood tick, it was no contest!
Until next time,
Amy