Riley’s Tribulations

Published on by Xena, Lucy and Chia

Hi friends. It’s been a ruff summer. There’s lots of fleas where I’ve been living with my Dad, Andrew. Dad had been working hard to get rid of the fleas on me with spray and a flea comb and had even put some top spot stuff on my back. That helped, but I still didn’t want to go in the house or the yard ’cause I was afraid the fleas would get me again. And with my flea allergy, even one bite turned into agony.

Amy the Enforcer decided to help me. She convinced my Dad (she’s his mom) that I should go on vacation to her house and spend time with Lucy and that dam schnauzer. The one that, when Amy brought her home, I cried out, “Oh sh**t! Not another schnauzer!” then jumped off the chair and ran into the bedroom. You know, don’t you, that Amy the Enforcer threatened to kill me with her bare hands if I ever hurt her precious schnauzer Lexi. That opened the door for Lexi to rule over me for years. And Lexi was never one to miss an open door. So you can see why I was so dismayed to see another one become part of the family. Uh, in case you are wondering, I had a DNA test, and I have absolutely no schnauzer in me. I am 50% pittie, 25% lab, and 25% mix of catahoola leopard dog, dog du Bordeaux, and boxer.

Jumping back to the here and now, the first thing Amy the Enforcer did when she got home and saw that Dad had, indeed, brought me here was reach into a box just delivered from Amazon and put a Seresto flea collar on me. Then I got banned to the garage for 24 hours until the collar had done it’s thing. Sure, she fed me and gave me water and walked me and even petted me. But it was lonely and I really missed my Dad.

Finally, I was allowed upstairs with Lucy and Xena. I haven’t seen Xena for a long time, and she seems to be pretty chill with me – well, at least as chill as a schnauzer can be, right? She doesn’t think she can boss me around, and seems to have forgotten that I deaded her favorite stuffie, that racoon, so I’m ok with her now. Lucy’s been her sweet self, welcoming me and letting me know she’s still my friend. We’ve even been playing just a bit. I do feel better now that the fleas aren’t still biting me, and will feel even better when I stop itching.

Then, the next blow (or cut) hit: my nails. I’m a fanatic about not getting my nails cut. I scream. I thrash. And I’m strong, yes very strong. A vet, 3 techs and Jeff all working together couldn’t hold me down to cut them. My nails have gotten very long because I’ve stopped chewing them. I heard that’s a bad habit. Amy the Enforcer said I had to have my nails cut before the dew claws grew into my leg, and she was just the little lady to do it. I thought, “Sure, lady, just try.” Wrong attitude. She dragged my 70 pounds into the bathroom, plopped me into the tub and got the bottom of the tub wet. Then she started cutting. I tried to scream but she gave me “the eye.” I tried to get away but the bottom of the tub was too slick. I started to lift my lip in a snarl to try to scare her but she is one tough cookie. She took the leash off my collar and tied it around my nose and neck, and I couldn’t open my mouth. Just a precaution, she said.

My nails are still pretty long, and I’m glad. Amy the Enforcer said the quick had grown out, which means it would have hurt and they would have bled if she had cut them any shorter. She did get one dew claw to bleed, but I don’t think she meant to. I licked it for a long time afterward and got some pity steak scraps. Not sure if it was worth it, but the scraps sure were tasty. I overheard her say that she will take a quarter of an inch off every week I’m here, and the quick (the hurty part) will recede. Umm, Dad, when are you coming to get me?

32 thoughts on “Riley’s Tribulations”

  5. Oh Riley! I, too have the flea allergies! Butts, they haven’t been too prevalent around here this year, so it hasn’t been so bad. I hopes that collar does the trick! I gets the drops on the back of the shoulder blades, I couldn’t take the tablets, cause they made me puke. ☺ I hopes the nasty fleas keep away! Oh, I knows all abouts the looooong talons! Ma says she wishes Ms. Amy lived closer, cause she needs to cut my talons! I go to the vettie, Ma says she isn’t strong enough to hold me, and I do a FABulous dance to keeps my paws outta hers! heheheee
    Kisses,
    Ruby ♥

    Liked by 1 person

  7. Guud Greef Riley you sure have had a ruff time fore sure…fleass are no fun are they?? An mee iss with you on claw clippin!!! Not happenin….mind you Miss Amy ISS one tuff Hu’man an shee does wantss THE best fore you.
    UGH why do wee have to have clawss that grow???
    Mee iss reeleeved you an Xena are gettin along an that you an iss grate you an Lucy still frendss…..makes mee ***purr*** reel loudlee!!!
    ~~head rubsss~~ BellaDharma~~
    Pee S: You are one hansum Cat-a-hoola-Lab-Pitty an efurrythin else mix!!!!

    Liked by 1 person

  15. When Lexie Lou would get fleas at my daughters house, he would get Capstar from the vet and it would kill them quickly. Flea meds are so important in the South. We never miss them.

    Liked by 1 person

  16. Oh Riley I feel your agony….I too am allergic to flea bites…in fact ‘skeeter bites too.
    I’m sorry this was funny ” Lucy and that dam schnauzer. ”
    This is surely a pittttttieful letter from camp to home.
    Summer has been so hot the creeping villains are thriving.
    Hugs Cecilia

    Liked by 1 person

  18. glad the collar is working. our old vet allowed us to buy the pills 2 at a time or even one at a time. they did that to help people who could not afford them. they opened a box and cut them apart and divided the pills.

    Liked by 1 person

  22. you are sooooo beautiful… your face makes me swoon… Don’t wory X and L, I still love you to… so glad you met your match on the nail cutting thing. great idea on the slippery tub. our dogs, all five of them, have never had a flea bite, we give them the Nexguard chewables. they are really expensive for big dogs but they work. we live in flea country in FL and have to give heart worm pills also. hope dad can get rid of the fleas while you are away.

    Liked by 1 person

  23. Riley Buddy I’m sorry you and your dad are going through all of this. Amy and the girls will take good care of you. Giving you a cuddle.

    Liked by 1 person

  26. Rileys dad will have to bomb the house twice as well as treat the yard. I just knew I had to get Riley out of there. He’s a smart dog, and began to try to refuse to go in the yard and the house,

    Liked by 1 person

  27. Oh man! You are in the right place at the right time, R. Amy will get you squared away. Hopefully, your dad will get the house and yard squared away before you go home. Mom does my nails a couple of times a month. She makes me wear the cone so I don’t lick her eyeballs when she’s trying to see…

    Love and licks,
    Cupcake

    Liked by 1 person

  29. Sorry I gave your Ma the trick to cut your nails. Mine are still so long they go sideways when I stand up. Lucy ate the collar off Xena and their Mom wasn’t happy either. Riley

    Like

  30. We had fleas last year. The hardest part of dealing with them was finding the right answer because there as many answers as there are google results. I tried everything but I think the flea bomb was what finally did the trick.

    Liked by 1 person

  31. Hari OM
    OMD Riley – such traumas! Am glad to read that you and AtheE’s pupsters are getting on okay. You are a gawjuss gal – remind me so much of my darling angel Jade, who was a red dog like you; Rhodesian Ridgeback x English Staffy mostly, but suspect there was a goodly dose of GSD in there too! Hugs and wags, YAM-aunty xxx

    Liked by 1 person

  32. oh that is a super smart trick to cut the nails … maybe we can do that too? we have claws like that freddy kruger guy BOL. We had that collars too, but because we are weird (according to the mama) we removed them from the neck of each other… the mama is furious now LOL

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