Waiting to go outside (not very quietly) the puppies will certainly let you know they want to be out of their pen and exploring the garden. Unfortunately today some of the local wildlife decided to attach itself to one of the pups!
Poor puppy was exploring the hedge at the bottom of the garden and was unlucky enough to get a tick attach itself to pups ear. A quick trip to the local vet soon sorted it out. I can't find my tick remover and as the vet is only a couple of hundred metres from my house it was not a problem to pop in there. Adam Masri is the kind vet who removed the nasty insect.
The pup was very good and the tick was safely removed. It is ideal conditions for ticks at the moment, so it is important to check the puppies thoroughly when ever they have been outside playing in the grass.
Ticks carry some nasty diseases, the most commonly encounted disease is lymes disease, down on the south coast the ticks are known to carry babesia, which most people think is a disease not found here in the UK. Farmers and land owners may recall the 'Red water fever' outbreak in cattle in the 1970's which was caused by ticks carrying babesia.
I had to research an article for the dog press on ticks and was very lucky to get an interview with Prof Sarah Randolph who is considered to be one of the leading experts on ticks in the world. So as we think he picked it up when exploring the top of the garden we now have a new barrier. This stops them going under the currant bush as well.
The puppies were not impressed with the new barrier, they have tried burrowing under it, scrambling over it, going through it, pulling it down and even trying to jump over it! Crazy babies.
I think they are discussing just how to get rid of the barrier, they certainly look as though they are planning some mischief.
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