Solomon enjoying a satisfying roll in the grass!
Every spring, dog and cat owners everywhere begin to plan for keeping our pets pest free. Different recipes and alternative treatments to conventional chemical applications begin to circulate the internet, often leaving apt owners in a quandary.
A few days ago, I was texting back and forth with a dog walking client who was instructing me to apply a natural spray alternative that she made to apply to the pups before we went walking. Ticks have been terrible in Michigan since the beginning of April this year.
I expressed how paranoid I was becoming every time one of my dogs wanted to take a roll in the grass on the beautiful trail and field we have in our community. You see, two of my dogs are senior aged (12 and 14) and I really avoid chemical treatments and preventatives at this age…I’ve seen firsthand how it can lessen quality of life and cause other problems.
I also realize how awful treatment and rehab can be for heart-worm and Lyme’s disease, so it really is a catch 22. For this reason, I am anal about regular fecal exams, and many other preventative measures that I take with my beloved pack. However, it is still a risk.
Anyhow, I sent a picture of one of my dogs happily wiggling in the grass to the client I spoke about above. The response was one that caused me to stop my paranoid thinking in its tracks. She replied “awww, just enjoying life. That’s good!”
I looked at the text again… “awww, just enjoying life. That’s good!”
There are so many things that can go wrong in life which can cause us to not to enjoy the every day things…like the happiness of seeing our dogs being dogs, rolling in the grass, digging holes, sniffing flowers (or grosser organic objects)!
Sometimes we get so caught up in the minutiae of preventing this and taking care so that this or that doesn’t cause harm or discomfort to our pets. Then something happens; a simple, sweet text, looking at a picture that oozes happiness and contentment, a wet nose urging you to put the tablet or laptop aside for some quality cuddle time.
These are the moments that are reminders of the real reason we share our lives with our furry family members.
So, even though I’ll still be a vigilant fur mom against all of the summertime pests that we battle every year on behalf of our resident pups, I’ll not neglect partaking in and relishing the blissful moments that make me so happy to share my life with my dogs and the countless others that I am fortunate to be caretaker of.
Be happy and free everyone! It’s a dog’s life.
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