Ticked Off

on June 30, 2011
in All Posts

Good morning! 

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Yesterday, I pulled a giant tick off James.  How gross is that?  I nearly vomited while I yanked it off him.  We have a vet appointment next week to make sure he’s okay.  In the meantime, I’ve rubbing the wound with some oregano oil from our clinic; if you’re looking for a natural cure for bug bites, cuts, warts, etc. – that stuff is amazing.  I used it to get rid of a ‘lady lump’ on Maggie that the vet insisted would have to be surgically removed.  Pretty neat, huh?

 

Mostly, I feel like a bad fur mom because God only knows how long that tick was on him!  Hopefully not long!

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Breakfast was something a little different – an omelet.  I love omelets but just never remember to make them for breakfast.

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Stuffed with goat cheese and spinach, with some GF toast on the side.

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Here’s my How to Make a Perfect Omelet technique!  Pretty easy and guaranteed to look beautiful.

 

Ready… set… WORK.

{ 73 comments }

 

  • Katie June 30, 2011, 10:30 am

    I HAAAATE ticks damn it! I pulled 3 off me the other night woke up with another on my leg :/ The hazards of trail running I supposed. You’re not a bad fur mom those things are sneaky. You’re omelet is gorgeous btw I don’t eat eggs but man that makes me almost want to it’s so pretty!

  • Errign June 30, 2011, 10:31 am

    As long as you got the tick’s head off with the body, James should be fine. I’m not sure if ticks are common in the south, but in New England, we get TONS of them. I get super grossed out if I find them on me – I feel like there are bugs ALL over me.

    • Errign June 30, 2011, 10:31 am

      Also, did you mean oregano oil will remove warts?

      • Caitlin June 30, 2011, 10:32 am

        It did for my friend! He got rid of warts on his foot.

        • Errign June 30, 2011, 10:35 am

          Oh cool. Did he apply it or ingest it? I was just reading about it, and people were doing both!

        • CaitlinHTP June 30, 2011, 12:37 pm

          I think he took a drop orally and applied it topically. it’s super strong stuff.

  • Jenna H June 30, 2011, 10:38 am

    Ugh, ticks are gross. I haven’t noticed any on my dog, thank god. Do you guys use the liquid flea/tick stuff every month or the pill? I use the liquid for my pup, and wanted to switch over to the pill because it seemed easier, but my vet told me the pill only prevents fleas, not ticks. So that may be why James got one if you use the pill. You’re lucky James and Maggie have short hair though! Sandy is a pomerianian mix so her hair is LONG and inspecting for fleas/ticks is a huge ordeal. That’s awesome about oregano oil! It reminds me of “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”, where the dad’s answer is always “put some Windex on it” no matter what the problem is. Hah!

  • Liz @ Blog is the New Black June 30, 2011, 10:41 am

    I picked a tick off my FIANCE the other night!!!!

  • Lisa Fine June 30, 2011, 10:42 am

    That photo of James is GORGEOUS! Love it.

  • Rose and Thistle June 30, 2011, 10:42 am

    Ugh, I feel your pain with the tick situation, one of my dogs got a couple last year. Our vet ended up giving me little plastic scoop thingies to get them off easier. You just have to be careful not to leave any of their legs in…
    Great tip about the oregano oil though, I’d never even heard of it and given that I’m allergic to citronella I’m all about the natural bug bite stuff as I can’t use the natural repellents!

  • Donna @ Love, Run & Travel June 30, 2011, 10:42 am

    Poor fur baby! Makes me want to run home from work and check mine out, lol!
    Good tip about oregano oil, i will have to remember that 🙂

  • Andrea @ Onion in My Hair June 30, 2011, 10:45 am

    Aww, James is such a cutie!

    I have a cat named James and your James is the only other (animal variety) James I have ever seen! 🙂

  • Aine @ Something to Chew Over June 30, 2011, 10:46 am

    I’m sure he’ll be fine, brave puppy 🙂

    Your omelette looks gorgeous, I love putting spinach in mine too. I’ll have to try goat’s cheese with it. I like omelettes for lunch!

  • Gina @ Running to the Kitchen June 30, 2011, 10:48 am

    Don’t worry, he’ll be fine 🙂 We seriously pull 10’s if not 100’s of ticks off our dog between spring and fall. She’s constantly in the woods around our house and it’s almost a daily occurance. Did James get a lyme vaccine last check-up? We decided to do that with ours since she gets so many. Definitely gives me some peace of mind 🙂

    • Caitlin June 30, 2011, 9:59 pm

      ohmigod – thats creepy! i would die. i think we’ll take him in for a lyme disease check up for sure.

  • Ashley O. @ The Vegetable Life June 30, 2011, 10:51 am

    Ewww everytime I go for a run outside I always get sooo nervous that I am going to have a tick on me! I’m sure James will be fine but its always good to double check!

    Your omlette looks fantastic! I love omlettes but never make them right because they always fall apart. I’ll have to check out your technique!

  • giordin June 30, 2011, 10:52 am

    when i was little we used to go camping every year, and i always remember mom made us do a tick-check every night before bed. i always got sooo freaked out that id have a tick on me and i still have an irrational fear of ticks. im fortunate to live in a place where we dont really have them, but i like taking my dog camping and to the lake and woodsy areas. i have no idea how id find a tick under all his fur though!

  • Kate (What Kate is Cooking) June 30, 2011, 10:53 am

    Ewww! I thought I wouldn’t have to worry about anything gross with my bird because he stays indoors, but he got mites last year. It looked like his face had barnacles!

  • Samantha Angela @ Bikini Birthday June 30, 2011, 10:56 am

    What’s a lady lump?

    • Caitlin June 30, 2011, 9:59 pm

      It was this weird growth. I called it a lady lump for fun. It went away!

  • Emma June 30, 2011, 10:57 am

    Aw poor James! It’s funny to hear stories from people who aren’t used to ticks! I grew up in CT where you can pretty much find a tick on your dog every day in the summer. I’ve actually had Lymes Disease 3 times as a result of the crazy amount of ticks in our area. I’m sure James will be ok 🙂

    • Amanda/RunningOnCoffee June 30, 2011, 1:23 pm

      CT is where Lyme Disease got its name, right?

      • Emma June 30, 2011, 1:23 pm

        It is! Lyme, CT is where it originated!

        • Caitlin June 30, 2011, 10:00 pm

          Fun factoid!

    • Molly June 30, 2011, 4:38 pm

      I was thinking the same thing! I live in Missouri, and our dogs spend a lot of time outside running through the woods. I probably pull a tick off each of them at least once a day. Would never think to make a vet appointment for it!

  • Kelly June 30, 2011, 10:59 am

    I hate ticks, too, and we do get a lot of them down South. I have this handy dandy tool for removing them, though, that works a treat: http://www.theticknipper.com/. It ensures the head doesn’t get stuck inside you (or your pets), which is not something you want. I’m actually the one everyone yells for when there’s a tick on them because I just love to jerk them out with the tick nipper. I’m sure James will be okay. Our dogs have had a lot of ticks on them, as have we, and we’re all okay. Kind of. 🙂

    • Caitlin June 30, 2011, 10:00 pm

      That is AWESOME.

  • Paj June 30, 2011, 11:02 am

    Tick season in New England has been awful this year!!!! My dog has been bitten twice so far (and is fine) and a friend’s dog came home from a hike with 20+ ticks on him one day… The Frontline or whatever brand you use only does so much. My vet said as long as it is removed not to worry unless there is a red ring around the bitten area.

  • monicanelsonfitness June 30, 2011, 11:05 am

    Ticks and Fleas…UGH! Tis’ the season.

    I too get the willies when seeing them. Good to know about the Oregano oil.

    Yummy omelet too! Ready… set… work… I go too. 😉

  • Julia H. (The Petite Spiel) June 30, 2011, 11:06 am

    I am LOVING that photo of James. It looks like he’s about to take flight with those big ears!

  • Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat June 30, 2011, 11:19 am

    Eww ticks are gross.. but omelets are tasty!! Yours looks awesome! I’ve heard oregano oil is pretty strong stuff. I’m glad James is all better!

  • Khushboo June 30, 2011, 11:20 am

    I’m eating dinner whilst reading this and kicking myself for not adding goat cheese to my eggs- d’oh!

  • Amber @ Busy, Bold, Blessed June 30, 2011, 11:28 am

    I hate ticks! I’d bet it wasn’t on there very long before you found it. James is so cute! And now I want to make that omlet!

  • Yolie @ Practising Wellness June 30, 2011, 11:32 am

    Ah, poor James! please give him a hug from me and the toher blog readers, lol! 😉 well done for being a great fur mummy and rescuing him from the bug…hope his wound heals soon! 🙂 xyx

  • jen @ taste life June 30, 2011, 11:35 am

    I’ve never heard of oregano oil, but I’ll have to look into it. Are James and Maggie on any of those medication things that you rub into their necks to prevent ticks and fleas?

    • Caitlin June 30, 2011, 10:01 pm

      Yea they are on Frontline – I hate putting it on them so I only do it when I notice fleas.

  • Jazmine June 30, 2011, 11:37 am

    I have never seen a tick before, but I am pretty sure it would make me nervous.

  • Annette @ EnjoyYourHealthyLife June 30, 2011, 11:41 am

    yikes! I have had a tick on my head before, my dad burned it off with a match! (He lit it and blew it out, it kills the tick and you can remove the whole thing<—do this if the tick is buried, or else tweezers might miss the remnants of the tick.)

    love Oregano essential oil!!!

    • Paj June 30, 2011, 12:09 pm

      I recently read that burning the tick whole while still attached isn’t a good idea because it causes the bug to secrete more of its fluid through the mouth into the victim. Not sure how true that is though since burning is so common.

      • Caitlin June 30, 2011, 10:01 pm

        EW. Either way, ticks are gross.

  • kristen June 30, 2011, 11:46 am

    I hate ticks! but i think they fall off after a few days, right?!?!
    My aunt put a match to a tick that was on my cousin’s leg and it CRAWLED OUT! it was SO gross!

  • Kori June 30, 2011, 11:46 am

    Oh ticks are SO foul. When I was younger I found one in my hair. DISGUSTING.

  • Ashley @ the fit academic June 30, 2011, 11:51 am

    oh man, the last apartment we lived in a few years ago, our upstairs neighbors had 4 dogs, 2 adults + 1 child (in a 1000 square foot apartment) and all of their dogs had horrible ticks. It was terrible – I felt like it was abusive to the dogs AND to the child that was living in those conditions! Plus, it made it miserable for OUR dog because there were always ticks in the plants/foliage outside in the shared grassy area. Thank GOODNESS they didn’t live there long!!!

  • BeckyH June 30, 2011, 11:51 am

    I used to live in area where ticks were a common occurrence, so they no longer gross me out =P

    That being said, my vet told me only some types of ticks cause lyme disease. If you’re ever worried, take the tick to the vet and they can send it away free of charge to have it tested (at least mine didn’t charge me).

  • Maryea @ Happy Healthy Mama June 30, 2011, 11:57 am

    Poor James! You’re a good mama for pulling it off. I probably would have made my husband do it! 🙂

  • Lindsey June 30, 2011, 12:02 pm

    I love omelettes but suck at making them, I think I need to check out your tutorial!

  • Anne Marie@New Weigh of Life June 30, 2011, 12:03 pm

    Eek! Ticks freak me out! Hope James is okay!! I think you’re an awesome fur mama for being able to pull it off!

  • Angela @ MyPinkyToes June 30, 2011, 12:05 pm

    I had to pick a tick of of my little doggie a few weeks ago! I felt so bad for her!

  • Sarah for Real June 30, 2011, 12:13 pm

    Eeew ticks are so gross. I think they fall off once they’ve sucked enough blood right? So it must not have been on him too long.

    I’m so paranoid about bugs this year because the winter and spring weather was just right that we have a bazillion more bugs than normal! It’s so bad they were cancelling recess at the schools a while back because the kids were getting bitten by flies.

    • Paj June 30, 2011, 2:55 pm

      They don’t fall off unfortunately. Once in, they’ll continue to burrow and if left unnoticed the person/dog’s skin will grow around it. Super gross!!

  • Julie (A Case of the Runs) June 30, 2011, 12:17 pm

    Ack, I am so paranoid about those sorts of things, especially since I have a dog. I don’t think flea treatment wards off other bugs, right? I don’t think ticks are common in my area, but you never know…

  • Kris June 30, 2011, 12:23 pm

    Somehow, two years ago, I did not notice a tick on our dog until it had fallen off (huge!) and laid eggs. We ended up w/ a massive outbreak. I had to have pest control out two times and take the dog to be deticked and bathed. They found 26 ticks (tiny) on her (in my defense, she had a massive undercoat and wouldn’t let me check her private parts). Talk about feeling like a terrible furmom! Luckily, it never happened again. Makes me ill to think about it.

    • Caitlin June 30, 2011, 10:02 pm

      OMG. Poor pup!

  • Chelsea @ One Healthy Munchkin June 30, 2011, 12:25 pm

    I’ve been so freaked out about ticks ever since my boss told me that since the farm where I work is out in the country, there are lots of ticks in the area. I’m tempted to wear pants and long sleeves to work now, even though it’s boiling hot out! 😛

  • Sydney J June 30, 2011, 12:26 pm

    I know this sounds weird, but I work in medical entomology (ticks and mosquitoes!) at NC State. If you’re really worried about the tick, keep it! Its much easier for them to test the tick than the pup. You can put it in a little vial with some alcohol- the rubbing kind and give it to the vet. In general, it’ll take NC ticks about 8 hours to get set in their target, so if you use a fine comb once or twice a day on the pups, the ticks- and their pinchers!- will come off!

    Hope the pups stay safe!

    • Caitlin June 30, 2011, 10:02 pm

      I wish I had saved the tick! But I flushed it immediately.

  • Lauren June 30, 2011, 12:36 pm

    Hi Caitlin! I have been reading your blog (which I love!) for a few months now but have never commented. I was wondering if you know of a good online resource where you can type in a sympton and get natural cures?

    • Caitlin June 30, 2011, 10:02 pm

      Hi there!

      i do not know of any sites like that – someone should invent one!

  • Lauren June 30, 2011, 12:41 pm

    The other day, I had to pull one off of my dog’s inside lip. That was the worst!!

  • Jessica @ Healthy Dairyland June 30, 2011, 12:58 pm

    Triathlon training has made me a faster runner! Who would have guessed that would happen? Not me!

  • Sarena (The Non Dairy Queen) June 30, 2011, 1:12 pm

    Ticks are horrible. I don’t understand their purpose! We have to do nightly checks around here to make sure none of us has any on us. The omelet looks perfect! I love spinach omelets! I hope you have a great day!

  • Mary @ Bites and Bliss June 30, 2011, 1:23 pm

    ACK I hate ticks!!!! my dogs used to get them all the time..and I wasn’t sure which was worse, when they were still mobile or after they were super fat and full of blood but helpless. Gross!

  • Claire @ Live and Love to Eat June 30, 2011, 1:28 pm

    Ticks really creep me out!

    Love that omelet!

  • chelsey @ clean eating chelsey June 30, 2011, 1:29 pm

    Gaaah! I hate ticks! One year I was a summer camp counselor, and a little boy ended up having a tick in his head. I made a boy counselor pick it off.

  • Tammy Root June 30, 2011, 1:30 pm

    OK Caitlin, I have to ask — what is a lady lump? My cat has a tumor looking spot that is filled with fluid and I am wondering if that is similar and would work for my cat. The vet drains it every now and then. It is not harmful.

    Here in Durham, NC, there are tons of ticks! I am shocked you have never had one on you! My cats have had lots of ticks (even though they use Frontline). You must not hike too often. Just last weekend a tick was on my leg!!! YUCK!

    • Caitlin June 30, 2011, 10:03 pm

      It was like that! It was a raised lump filled with nothing – no pus so it wasn’t a bug bite or anything. But I oreganoed it and it was fine!

  • Amanda/RunningOnCoffee June 30, 2011, 1:33 pm

    PS, I’m in NJ. By the way, ticks were not an issue with my family dog where I grew up in western NY!

  • Sana June 30, 2011, 5:40 pm

    It’s ok my mom found a tick on me and she did not know how long it was on me when I was a baby.
    I turned out fine!

  • elliebelle June 30, 2011, 6:19 pm

    My parents live out in the country in Northern Wisconsin and last summer my mom kept a tally of how many ticks she pulled off of their dog throughout the summer – it was over 1,000!!!! She has to check him for ticks every single night! He did end up getting lymes, but he took the medication and is fine.

  • Karlee @olivewineandfood June 30, 2011, 6:23 pm

    oh my gosh i am terrified of ticks! when we were at the lake a couple weeks ago we found over 10 of them. our dog olive was getting them from swimming and then rolling around in the grass. we had just given her flea/tick medicine before we went though so they’d bite and then let go and crawl on us. one morning i woke up with one on my face! i didn’t sleep the rest of the night. yuck yuck yuck.

  • Rachel S June 30, 2011, 8:11 pm

    I don’t comment much but I have a good suggestion for an all-natural toothpaste. Jason Powersmile! It works really well and I’ve been very pleased with it so far. Here’s a link: http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=jason+whitening+toothpaste&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=14775275959753081358&sa=X&ei=-g8NTqzlAcrUgQflxPGBDg&ved=0CF0Q8wIwAg

  • Laura @ Cookies vs. Carrots July 1, 2011, 10:01 pm

    I’m sure your pup will be fine. It probably wasn’t on there for too long!

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