Oh poor Ginger. May all the rest of your days this week feature traffic free roads and pirate ditties.

I would say it's normal for a holiday week.

I agree completely. Peace of mind to you soon JZ. The holidays can be so jerk-aroundy.

Tick on dog question.

I just pulled an engorged tick off Bartleby. He clearly got it in the woods in Rockville.

I didn't realize it was a tick as I was yanking it off. Now I'm a bit put out that the Frontline Plus didn't protect him.

The blood in it seemed to be almost completely dried up...so I wonder if it bit him, gorged and died happy. While attached.

Here's the question. The head is still in there. There does not seem to be any infection but there is a bit of a lump. Is there something in particular I can do without heading to the vet? A warm compress? Peroxide?

Aside from all the articles I found that said make sure you pull the whole tick out I found this:

Following tick removal, the bite area should be inspected carefully for any retained mouthparts, which should be excised.

Do you have a small scissors, like a nail scissors?

I've got some fairly pointy tweezers, with which I tried to pull the left over bit out. A teeny bit broke off, but there is a black dot. Laga, does the article suggest that I dig the skin away to get the bits out?

It didn't say anything more explicatory than "excise" lemme see if I can find something better.

this article is a little more helpful.

and this one is kind of reassuring

here's one more

bonny, I've had to leave the head in a couple of times and nothing horrible happened. And that's weird about the Frontline not working. Iirc, Frontline works for ticks for a month and fleas for three months, or vice versa.

Lot o' help I am!

That IS reassuring and just what I needed to hear. Thanks so much Laga. I've disinfected the spot and clipped away the fur so I can monitor the spot.

Java, it is weird about the Frontline. I don't really get it...and the thing apparently being dead. Just peculiar. But I'm glad to hear you haven't had a problem with the left in bits. I'm voting for that in this case!

Does anyone remember the link to that lavender jam recipe that... somebody posted earlier today? I had it on an open tab, but firefox went funny on me at work and it's gone. I've found another recipe online, but I thought I'd like to compare them.

I think Plei was talking about lavender jam? But I'm too addled to remember a link.