You can tell it's the peak of summertime by just looking at Ralphie's back. He has bumps and little bald spots along his back. He's definitely a bug magnet at the dog park. At first I thought he had an allergy from the chlorine in the pool but now I'm thinking its those annoying bugs of FL!
I've been spraying Ralphie and myself with deet bug repellant before going to the dog park. My son questioned isn't spraying such chemical on a dog not good. So I began to do my googling on deet ... NO it's not good for dogs and humans. Truly, is any foreign chemical good for anyone??!! Shame on me for not doing my research before using it on my boy.
There are tons of different homemade bug repellant recipes on the internet. The following recipe is a heavy-duty healthy insect repellant that I'll be making today. Sounds like it'll be stinky but so is the deet stuff. I'm sure once the vinegar dries the smell will go away. Here's the recipe...
Inset Repellant
- 1 32 ounce bottle of Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 TBSP each of dried Sage, Rosemary, Lavender, Thyme and Mint
- Quart size glass jar with airtight lid
- Put the vinegar and dried herbs into large glass jar.
- Seal tightly and store on counter. Shake well each day for 2-3 weeks.
- After 2-3 weeks, strain the herbs out and store in spray bottles in fridge.
- To use on skin, dilute to half with water in a spray bottle.
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| You can see the little bumps and tiny bald spots on Ralphie's back in this picture |
I also found this great blog entry worth reading. It's amazing how valuable and useful lemons can be. Check this out...
http://ottawavalleydogwhisperer.blogspot.com/2013/01/lemon-safe-natural-misquito-repellent.html
I will be at the open air market today buying a big bag of lemons!!!
The first summer I had my first V I rushed her to the vet because of all the bumps she suddenly had all over her body. Turns out they were mosquito bites! lol Because V's have such short hair close to their body you can see EVERYTHING! All the other dogs are getting bites too, you just don't usually see them under all the fur. I use Avon's Skin So Soft on my dog and it helps - but we are city folk so no real wilderness. I love following you and Ralphie and Ollie's adventures!
ReplyDeleteThanks Robyn for writing! Thanks for your suggestion. I may try Skin So Soft too...anything but that deet stuff. I'm surprised his bumps are itchy. That's why I thought it may be an allergic reaction to the pool chlorine. Gosh, Ralphie loves the pool...couldn't take that away from him. I'm glad you're enjoying my blog. It's just my way of sharing my love for Ralphie and Ollie.
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