Fleas, Ticks, Joints and Alfie

Cyndi:  We have lots to talk about today so let's just dive in so we can get to the good parts, the freebies.

Micah:  We were glad to have an opportunity to try some Pet Naturals of Vermont products.

Cameron:  Unfortunately, we needed Jan to open the products for us, which she did before taking photos.

Marcus:  She not only opened them first, but she wrote on them.  *paw to head*  Oh, the shame of having to post a used product photo.

 

Merci:  Here is Jan using a towelette to apply the natural Flea & Tick repellent on Sam's back.  She started out using one of these on each of us dogs for a couple of days and then changed to every two or three days.  We line up for a turn because we get a full body massage with it.  Oh, does that feel good.  To us.  Jan kind of creaks and groans. 

Percy:  The wipes are for dogs, cats and horses.  Jan was supposed to try the towelettes on the dogs, but she decided to also ry to use the wipes on us kitties to see how we'd do with them.  She wimped out after wrestling with three of us.  We were totally uncooperative. 

Sam:  * grin*  There's no nip scent.  That's why the cats don't like them. The towelettes are moistened with the oils of lemongrass, cinnamon, sesame and castor. These oils mask your pet's scent and repels pests. Jan thinks the towelettes smell good but she's not a flea or tick. 

Buddy:  I have the most sensitive skin and allergies, so Jan was anxious to try this product on me.  I haven't been using it long but Jan is pleased I seem to be scratching and chewing less and she hopes it continues. The other dogs are scratching less.too.

Pet Naturals is offering a special deal. The first 100 submissions at http://www.petnaturals.com/fleaandtick-offer/ will receive a FREE 8 oz. Bottle of the Flea and Tick Spray and a valuable coupon.  After the first 100 entries, a valuable discount coupon will be emailed. So if you would like to try this natural repellant for your pet, don't delay.

Rusty:  Jan thought it would be best to let me try the Hip + Joints for Cats since I am such a large cat.  I have been receiving two twice a day.  She took some photos when she introduced me to the chews but most were too blurry to see more than a mass of fur because I was moving so fast.  Here I am taking one from Jan's fingers. 

Rusty:  This is me after I finished.  She made it black and white so I'm not a total blur.  I have been eating my chews with gusto each day.  When the bag is opened, the other kitties (and woofies) rush to try to steal them.  They smell appetizing and are tasty.  I'd have to take them a lot longer to know if they are helping me but Jan says the main ingredients are very good for joints:  Glucosamine HCl, MSM, Condroitin Sulfate, Ascorbic Acid (Vit C), DMG, EPA, DHA and Manganese.

Pet Naturals is offering a special deal. The first 100 submissions at http://www.petnaturals.com/hipandjoint-offer/ will receive a Free Bag of Hip + Joint for Cats and a valuable coupon.  After the first 100 entries, a valuable discount coupon will be emailed. So if you would like to try this natural product for your cat, don't delay.

Sam:  I'm such a big dog Jan is concerned for my joints as I age.  So she suggested I try the Hip + Joint bone-shaped chews for medium and large dogs.  This was my first one.  Please explain to Jan that I am not a pig just because I swallow them whole.  Marcus is doing a dance.  Percy is trying to steal the bag.  All the Funny Farmers want to steal my chews.  I have to swallow them whole!  Well, that and I want more.

Sam:  Uh, what do you mean I only get 3?  I'm a big boy.  I should get more.  Okay.  I'll wait till dinnertime, if I have to.

Pet Naturals is offering a special deal. The first 100 submissions at http://www.petnaturals.com/hipandjoint-offer/ will receive a FREE BAG of Hip + Joint for Dogs and a valuable coupon.  After the first 100 entries, a valuable discount coupon will be emailed. So if you would like to try this natural product for your dog, don't delay.

Pet Naturals provided us with the products to try but we were not compensated.  Any opinions expressed are strictly our own.  We prefer to use natural products whenever possible. 

Percy:  And now for our Funny Farmer Felines Friday interview.  We are excited to introduce Alfie of the blog Mollie and Alfie. Some of you might already know Alfie and his woofie sister Mollie, but he brushed up on his English just for this interview, so don't miss it.

Cyndi:  Yes, be sure to go by Mousebreath, the ezine written by cats for cats, to read Alfie the Social Siamese.

Be sure to join the Pet Parade blog hop hosted by Rascal and Rocco.  Don't miss the Featured Favorite.  And don't just join the blog hop.  Lets grow our social media together also! Use the link up below the main blog post hop to share you favorite social media sites; Twitter, FB, Bloglovin', any or all.

The hop is co-hosted by Bionic Basil, Barking from the Bayou, Love is being owned by a husky and us (Jan's Funny Farm). 

An InLinkz Link-up

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Percy, on Spike, Visa and Frontline

Hey, Percy here. We Funny Farmers have been very busy trying to learn to juggle and, like Jan, we're not very good at it, so if our posts are short, erratic or invisible, please forgive us.

We will be reopening jansfunnyfarm fair soon. Meanwhile, we hope you will visit our new blog, jff designs. Yesterday we posted the story of Rescue Pets Rock design.  It's a place to showcase our designs from our store, but not a sales blog. Our designs are unique and we're trying to spread the word inside and outside the entire blogosphere. We appreciate any and all help to do this.

I was a tiny kitten when Merci found and rescued me, so I asked if I could introduce today's video of two-year old Spike the pit bull and 2-month old Visa the kitten. Merci and I used to play like this, but we don't remember breaking any plates and cups, which evidently they did during filming. (Not seen in the video.)

I love the last line of their description, "And remember, pit bulls are not dangerous; people with video cameras are.  It made me smile.  They must be referring to Jan about the video camera. (Remember the goose convention?)


If the video doesn't play, click here.

On Tuesday, we posted a warning on counterfeit Frontline. It was updated today and the update is enough to tick off those who use Frontline. There is now a controversy over whether the counterfeit frontline refers to repackaged frontline product or if it was all a scam to send consumers rushing to their vet to buy from them so the sales reps can get their commission. You can read the details here.

Zoolatry Human and Poppy Vic

As many of you are already aware, Poppy Vic from Zoolatry is starting chemotherapy again. This is a hard time for the entire family and they are very much in our prayers.

About a week ago Jan made this graphic for Ann & Vic and we posted it in our sidebar. If you would like to use it, please feel free to do so. Ann has been such a help to so many bloggers and we would like to help encourage them through this. The link to their blog is http://zoolatry.blogspot.com/.

We are updating this post to include a warning about counterfeit Frontline purchased from online stores that can kill your pet.

Cyndi on Permethrin

Hey, Cyndi here with a short PSA.  It's past my nap time. Actually, in this humidity, it's always nap time.

Years ago, Jan tried the "flea killing" products sold in stores but didn't like them and they didn't work so she stopped using them. One of the ingredients in a number of them is permethrin. She has seen folks buying flea collars, flea shampoo and spot-on products from Wal-mart or other stores, with no idea or any interest in what the products contain or whether they could harm the animal.  Thus, a number of cats have died because consumers knew nothing about the ingredients and the product didn't provide a clear warning that permethrin should not be used on cats. Or that a dog flea product should never be used on a cat.

Many might not have heard of permethrin. But we hope you will all remember the word. You never know when this tiny bit of information might come in handy.

FAB (Feline Advisory Board) has an article, Feline Permethrin Poisoning, by Lara Boland of Australia.

"Cats are highly sensitive to permethrin and are more likely to develop signs of toxicity than dogs. Permethrin is metabolized (broken down by) the liver. It is suspected that cats may be more likely to develop permethrin toxicity because they have different liver metabolic pathways to other species"...

We hope you will read this article or an article on another site, if you prefer. There are many warnings online.

The reason this is on our mind is because Jan often sits on the steps or walks around the pen to scoop poop or cut the grass with a swing blade when the weather is nice, and she is being driven crazy with itchy bites all over her legs and feet. The bites are most likely from fleas, so she will be spraying the backyard with a product containing permethrin, and the dogs will not be allowed outside until the spray dries. Rusty will have to wait a little longer.

UPDATE:We barely posted this when we got a Facebook message to please include Tiny Timmy's Healing Journey. We're glad he caught our post right away and reminded us of his story!  What he has to say is important.. Please go read his story: Life & Times of TT, neurologically damaged from exposure to toxic OTC flea & tick products.

We apologize for not being around as often as we'd like lately but Jan says working toward green papers for food and shelter takes priority over blogging. She's been working hard on new designs for our store and wants me to sign off so she can have the computer back.

We have been trying to keep up with special occasions, illnesses and bridge departures, though. Be safe and healthy!

Hammock, Litter and Flea Products

Tamar of CatAbove.com has cats of her own and volunteers with C.A.T.in Wilmington, NC. "The Cat Adoption Team (C.A.T.) is a non-profit, state licensed no kill cat rescue organization, dedicated to finding homes for cats & kittens and to educating the public in reducing the cat over-population through spaying and neutering.

Tamar's cat hammock, which she sees as a means to fundraising for cats, is among the 6 finalists in a design contest. Voting runs Sept 29 through Fri, Oct 1. You only need to vote once.


Cat Hammock for Apartment Therapy from Tamar G on Vimeo.

If the video doesn't play -- and to read more about this cat hammock -- click here.

To vote, go here, scroll down to  "Vote for your favorite," ( We tried to get an answer from Tamar as to why the voting area is grayed out so we can't vote, but after Khyra ran into the same problem, she discovered you have to register in order to vote. If they want you to sign up to vote, they should say sign up to vote, not register to "take survey." Very poor voting site directions, if you ask us.)

We hope you will take a moment to go vote for Tamar's cat hammock and help C.A.T. win $100.



We had a couple of emails asking if a vote was counted because nothing happened when a shelter was picked at the World's Best Cat Litter voting site.  We couldn't answer the question because we'd already voted that day but we checked today and what happens is -

We clicked on the white circle to the upper left of the shelter we wanted to vote for and our vote went through. The page changed to the message, "Come back tomorrow to vote again."   If this doesn't happen, it must be your browser settings. http://www.givelitter.com/


Cats and Dogs Naturally has a good article on how to tell counterfeit flea products.  This is especially useful information if you shop online.

JoJo and Lyme Disease

Coweta County, GA - The Georgia Humane Society  (GHS) learned about Old Yeller on Sunday morning, they made the decision to pull the dog from the Coweta County Animal Control and take him into their organization as one of their sanctuary pets - in other words, offer the dog, whom they were told was 15 yrs-old, a permanent, safe and loving place to live.


This is one of those stories that make you shake your head in disbelief. How could any "shelter" allow an animal to suffer so much and have their "facts" so screwed up, not to mention they couldn't tell the difference between a dead and a living dog. And it happened here in Georgia! Please click on the title of the story below and do something in memory of JoJo -- called Old Yeller by the Coweta County AC and renamed JoJo by the Georgia Humane Society when they rescued him and took him to a vet.  As the writer requests, Please take a moment and write to the state officials in Georgia and let them know that you have had enough of this backwards mentality.  The information to do so is included.

You can read the rest of the story and comments - Gross failure at Georgia animal control leaves dog suffering needlessly.  Unfortunately, Coweta County is not the only Georgia shelter - or US shelter with a who-cares-it's-only-an-animal uncompassionate mentality. 


We are posting this video by Mercola Healthy Pets on lyme disease after receiving an email on the subject, including a comment about a personal experience with having a dog vaccinated. 

Some of you seem to be getting the wrong idea on the purpose of posting this video. It is not intended to send you running to the vet to get your dog vaccinated for lymes disease.  This vaccine is usually not necessary and can cause a serious, even life-threatening reaction. We are not giving medical advice. This is provided for your information only, to help you make an informed decision. And perhaps to spur you to further research.



If the video doesn't play, click here.

Have a purring and tail wagging day.

Teeth and Fleas

Yes, we do realize this is a strange title. Teeth and fleas don't have anything in common, do they? Well, actually they often do. Your vet.

This is not to knock your vet. There are many good vets who care about their patients and will work with your humans to do everything possible to help you to get well or to stay well.

But since we don't have a voice or a vote at the vet's, it is each human's responsibility to make a wise and informed final decision on what is done for us. There's a lot they won't understand and they just have to rely on a vet's expertise, but in non-emergency/non-lifethreatening visits, decisions will arise such as which vaccinations we should receive.

Some of you are already aware of the current controversy over some vaccines and their repeated use in relation to cancer. If your human isn't already aware, this is only one of many sites on the pet vaccination controversy.

Yesterday Jan's friend Mark sent her a link to one she'd never heard of. Dog dental vaccine. (From what we can find, there is not yet one for cats, since the bacteria in a cat's mouth is different from a dog's.) It has evidently been around for a year or so and is now being heavily promoted.

We have been reading a number of kitty and woofie blogs recently where they were visiting the vet for dental cleaning or tooth removal. We can only imagine the shock of one poor kitty mom who had no notification the vet intended to take out 7 of her kitty's teeth. Aside from the horror of her furbaby losing 7 teeth, from some of the prices other cat owners are saying they were charged, the increase to the bill was likely several hundred dollars. (Jan would faint!)

So we got to thinking, since pet tooth removal is happening more often, how willing would humans be to pay for a vaccine to save them green papers and save their furbaby's teeth? So we checked the link to the vaccine company. Although we don't believe we want to try the vaccine, the information looks innocuous.

But wait, Jan's friend emailed her back telling her to check the MSD info. We hijacked her email and scrolled down the site page. At the bottom is the Material Safety Data Sheet link. If you can't open this link, just use the link to the vaccine company and scroll down.

What? Formaldehyde! Who injects dogs - or any living being - with formaldehyde? It's a potential cancer hazard!

Mark further emailed: My major was chemistry. Formaldehyde is a semi cyclic (unattached cycle) hydrocarbon because it's missing a connective molecule like a halo benzoic or halogen ion. That crap is interactive degenerative with LIFE.

Okay, we admit we have no idea what that means. Except for the degenerative with life part. (Degenerative: Of illness; marked by gradual deterioration of organs and cells along with loss of function.) Jan says she would never allow us to be injected with formaldehyde, but, unfortunately, if a vet ever suggested we should have the vaccine, the word "formaldehyde" would never be mentioned by the vet.

And now for the fleas. There has been an email circulating on the dangers of the new flea product Promeris which is available only from your vet. If you check snopes.com or other rumor sites, the validity of this is still unresolved. But on About.com there is a link in the comments below the email to a statement confirming the incident from Fort Dodge, manufacturer of the medication. There are other Promeris complaints on the internet. Some vets will not carry the product. Others are waiting to see how the new product does over time.

Jan had a problem last year with a couple of us and Advantage. She doesn't intend to try Promeris on any of us, so we aren't pro or con from personal experience. But we hope any human planning to use it - or any other potentially toxic product - on their furbaby will do some research and make an informed decision.