Latest news with #petowners
BBC News
8 hours ago
- BBC News
XL bully dog attack in Cambridge injures two owners
Two people have been seriously injured after being attacked by their pet dog, which is understood to be an XL were taken to hospital after the attack in Topper Street in Cambridge at about 14:00 said they were called to reports of a dog out of control."Officers attended and the owners have been taken to hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries," a spokesperson said. Cambridgeshire Police said the dog had been seized. Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Washington Post
2 days ago
- Health
- Washington Post
Ask a Vet: How do I know when it's time to say goodbye to my pet?
Q: How do I know when it is time to say goodbye to a pet? A: Choosing when to let go is one of the most difficult decisions pet owners face. The timing differs for every owner-animal relationship, depending on your pet's medical condition, the strength of your bond, your resources for caring for them at home, and your access to veterinary care. Ultimately the decision is yours, but your veterinarian, trusted friends and family, and licensed mental health professionals can help.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
18 Plants That Keep Ticks Out Of The Yard
A pleasant day spent outside can quickly turn into a nightmare if you are bitten by a tick. If you want to keep ticks out of the yard, planting certain species may do the trick. While no plant is a sure-fire deterrent against ticks, there are multiple plants that have the ability to repel them from your yard. Many feature strong aromas that affect the ticks' ability to detect hosts, such as humans and pets, using their sense of smell. You may recognize some of these plants for their ability to keep away insects, such as mosquitoes. Ticks are not insects (they're arachnids) but researchers commonly find the same efficacy as insect repellents for many of these species. Ticks live throughout the United States. Many can transmit serious illnesses such as Rocky Mountain fever and Lyme disease. Creating a tick-repellent garden is one crucial step to ensuring you have a healthy, safe backyard for your family and pets. Doing it alongside other mitigation steps to stop ticks from taking over your lawn is best for active prevention. As you add any of these plants, also make other changes to reduce chances of a tick encounter. Adding a mulch barrier around the perimeter of your yard, trimming your grass, and pruning overhanging branches to introduce more sun can all make a big difference. As a bonus, many of these plants can attract pollinators to your yard and fill it with a glorious scent. They can also add a bright dash of color, all the while helping you mount a defense against the bothersome tick. Most require full sun and well-drained soil, unless otherwise noted. If ticks are driving you up the wall, these plants can help. Read more: 12 Reasons You Should Put A Bar Of Soap In Your Garden Catnip Drives Cats Wild And Ticks Away If you want a plant that will make your cat happy while deterring ticks, try adding catnip (Nepeta cataria) to your garden. Rich in an active chemical called nepetalactone, the weedy herb is a promising tick repellent. Studies are still underway ongoing, but researchers find that nepetalactone can offer similar performance for tick repelling as DEET. Adding catnip to your yard might bring in a few neighborhood cats for a grazing session, but it can also welcome bees when it flowers while sending ticks running the other way. Ticks Sour On Lemongrass Lemongrass' (Cymbopogon spp) lemony scent may thrill cooks, but ticks are among the pests repelled by lemongrass. Acadia University researchers discovered using lemongrass oil may repel ticks and interfere with their ability for detecting potential hosts' chemicals. Ticks navigate heavily by scent, so introducing anything confusing their navigation system can be helpful in keeping them away. You can grow lemongrass as an annual in cooler areas, and as a perennial in warm, humid spots like Florida. Keep in mind this is an aggressive grower, and can quickly take over without proper management. Rosemary Is Nothing Sweet To Ticks Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) serves your yard as an ornamental, pollinator attractor, and fragrant floral. Lyme disease experts recommend planting it to repel ticks thanks to its slight mint-pine scent. Promising studies show that rosemary features three molecules that can drive ticks away as efficiently as DEET. The plant's essential oils of cineole, camphor, and borneol also do the trick. Rosemary grows quickly with a minimum of six hours in full sun. It doesn't require much water and doesn't like frequent watering, whether used as a ground cover or container plant. Oregano Makes Ticks Say Oh No The culinary herb, oregano (Origanum), is a must-have in your tick repellent garden. In addition to the savory flavor it packs, this herbaceous perennial features scents the pests hate. One experiment found significantly fewer ticks on a blanket treated with oregano oil, letting scientists conclude 5% oregano oil may be as effective as 20% DEET. Like other fragrant herbs, oregano's scent likely overwhelms the tick's scent receptors so they avoid it. Growing leafy oregano requires full sun, with well-drained soil or dry soil. Expect growth of 6 inches to 3 feet in size. Wormwood May Cause Ticks To Worm Their Way Out A plant that sounds like it's from a fantasy novel, wormwood (Artemisia absinthium L) does double duty. First, it's often avoided by popular tick hosts like deer and wild mice because it features the compound absinthin. As for the ticks themselves, they also dislike the compound and may steer clear of anywhere it grows. You can grow it in full to part sun, but you may want to avoid planting in the Midwest, where it's considered a noxious weed. Take caution around wormwood with pets, because it can be toxic when ingested. Lavender's Sweet Scent Is Terrible To Ticks Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), also known as true lavender, not only helps your garden or yard smell amazing, but it also repels ticks. Studies show lavender's essential oils may repel them as effectively as DEET. Lavender's power is that it contains linalool, a compound commonly used in insect repellent. Upon exposure, linalool affects ticks' nervous system so they stay away. You can showcase lavender's fragrant flowers in a container or as a border to get the great effects. Be careful planting lavender as it's toxic to pets. Ticks Don't Consider Basil Basic The next time you feel the need to whip up some pesto, you might deter ticks in the process when growing basil (Ocimum ssp.) Basil contains linalool as well as eugenol, a common compound used in natural tick remedies to repel ticks, both adults and larvae. The most commonly-grown basil is sweet basil and it's very easy to grow, requiring soil with good drainage and bright light for six to eight hours a day. This herb thrives both in the garden and in containers. Peppermint Isn't Minty Fresh To Ticks A cross between watermint (Mentha aquatica) and spearmint (Mentha spicata), the oil of strongly-scented peppermint (Mentha x piperita) has a notable effect on ticks. Try growing it in the yard to deter ticks as the potent aroma may keep them away. Peppermint contains menthol, the same compound as another popular way to repel ticks naturally with an item from your medicine cabinet, Vicks VapoRub. It grows aggressively, however, so plant in a pot that's 12 to 16 inches or keep regularly trimmed, using the leaves for fresh peppermint tea. Rue Will Make Ticks Rue The Day They Entered The Lawn Rue (Ruta graveolens) is a pretty, small shrub with multiple benefits. Sometimes called herb of grace, it's considered deer resistant, so the mammals may steer clear of your yard, reducing chances of visiting ticks. As an ornamental, it's prized for its yellow blooms, while also repelling pests, such as ticks, and attracting pollinators. Use caution and wear gloves when handling, however, to avoid skin irritation. Rue has a medium poisonous factor, so be careful planting it around pets as it's toxic and may be fatal when consumed in large amounts. Thyme Tells Ticks Think It's Time To Move On Thyme is another mint family member worth planting to keep ticks out of the yard. You can grow it as a "carpet," so the leaves release their scent when walked on to make ticks avoid it. Thymol, a key compound in thyme, has been used as a natural agricultural pest repellent. Low-maintenance and easy to grow, thyme can tolerate periods of little to no moisture, provided its soil is well-drained. Once it's established, you'll also have a savory plant you can use in culinary creations. Garlic Can Ward Off The Vampires Of The Yard Ticks are sort of like vampires with their blood-sucking capabilities, so logically, you can plant garlic (Allium sativum) to keep away ticks! They hate the scent, and studies of Swedish marines saw promising use in humans, with a noted reduction in bites among participants who ate garlic versus those who had a placebo. Often grown as an annual, it likes full sun and organic, rich soil with good drainage. Tansy Isn't Tantalizing To Ticks A popular medicinal herb, common tansy (Tanacetum vulgare) grows like a fern and produces yellow flowers, quickly brightening your lawn. Tansy features a series of compounds, including lpha-pinene, beta-pinene, pinocamphone, 1,3,3-trimethylcyclohex-1-ene-4-carboxaldehyde, and 1, 8-cineole, in its flowerheads. All of these compounds have shown promising results against ticks. Give it well-drained, ideally dry, soil, and full sun to partial shade. It's highly toxic and must be kept away from any pets and children. In addition, it can disturb native plants and self-seeds, so plant carefully. Geranium Makes Ticks Journey Away The classic garden favorite, geraniums (Pelargonium) are rich with the compound (-)-10-epi-γ-eudesmol, which researchers found has high capabilities for repelling ticks. Plus, while you may love the smell of geraniums, ticks don't, so they should steer clear. You can enjoy these repellent properties when you ensure the geraniums have six hours of sun daily. Whether planted in a garden bed or decorating a container, geraniums will add a sunny burst of color to your home. Keep them away from pets, as the flowers are toxic to cats and dogs. Citronella Isn't Just For Mosquitoes You may know citronella (Cymbopogon nardus) for mosquito-repelling properties, but ticks will deter from it as well. Citronella oil is prevalent in pesticides, because it masks the smell of targeted hosts, making it harder for the pests to locate them. Thanks to its compound β-citronellol, citronella may be an effective tick repellent. Upon the brushing of its leaves, citronella releases its lemony scent and aromatic compounds, sending these pests packing. You can grow this low-maintenance plant as a perennial in USDA Zones 9-11 and an annual elsewhere. It's drought-tolerant and loves full sun. Pennyroyal Offers Ticks A Royal Goodbye Long used as an ancient medicine, pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium) is a creeping plant in the mint family commonly used for repelling ticks. A compound called pulegone is thought to be the key, which pennyroyal emits with its scent. Pulegone is a neurological toxin to insects and likely to ticks, causing them to stay away from your yard. It's easy to grow, needing only full sun and moist soil. Use caution planting pennyroyal if you live within a wetland area. It's an aggressive grower with the potential for displacing native species. Ticks Scurry From Sage A member of the mint family, Sage (Salvia officinalis) boasts a powerful smell when crushed that may keep away ticks, thanks to the plant's aromatic compounds of camphor, thujone, and cineole. Camphor, in particular, is the same ingredient in some natural tick repellent sprays to ward them off. Hardy in USDA Zones 4 through 8, sage grows best in full sun. When it's not steering away ticks, it can add some delicious flavor to poultry dishes. Chrysanthemum Don't Having Ticks Staying Mum Chrysanthemums, or mums, are a fall mainstay. But did you know they do more than just decorate your home's exterior with brilliant vibrant color? Mums feature pyrethrin, a natural pesticide commonly used in insect repellents. The pyrethrin has a strong neurological effect on pests, paralyzing them until they eventually die. They're easy to grow, quickly flourishing in the garden or container. The diverse range of chrysanthemums lets you add a rainbow of colors to your landscape, and you may grow them as an annual or perennial, depending on your location. Pampas Grass Doesn't Make Ticks Feel Pampered Pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana) is an ornamental grass from South America with a fluffy appearance. Because of its native region, it features very low water needs and is a popular plant in xeriscaping. Adding pampas grass to your yard lets you have a flourishing grass plant without the need for constant watering. The dry conditions don't give ticks the moist, shaded environment they like, however, so some homeowners plant it as a deterrent. However, since it's considered invasive in some areas, such as California, check your local guidelines before planting. Enjoyed this article? Get expert home tips, DIY guides, and design inspiration by signing up to the House Digest newsletter! Read the original article on House Digest. Solve the daily Crossword
CTV News
2 days ago
- Health
- CTV News
Pet owners warned of ticks transmitting Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
A Rocky Mountain wood tick (left) and American dog tick (right). (Source: Public Health Agency of Canada) Grand Erie Public Health is urging pet owners to be extra vigilant about tick removal after Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever was found in animals who had recently visited Long Point. 'RMSF can be life-threatening in both humans and animals if not treated early,' the health unit wrote in a social media post Sunday. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, like Lyme disease, is a bacterial illness spread through the bite of an infected tick. It is found in several species, including the American dog tick, the brown dog tick and the Rocky Mountain wood tick. The most common symptoms are fever, headache and rash. Medication can be prescribed once symptoms start but, if left untreated, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is potentially fatal. Preventing tick bites Tips to reduce the risk of tick bites: Avoid tick-infested areas Wear light-coloured long sleeves and pants outdoors, as well as closed-toe shoes Tuck pant legs into socks before walking through long grass Use insect repellents with DEET or Icaridin on skin and clothing Conduct tick checks after outdoor activities, feel for bumps or look for tiny dark spots (ticks can be as small as a sesame seed) Take a shower or bath within two hours of being outdoors Use tick prevention products on pets Removing and disposing of ticks Ticks need to be removed within 24 hours to prevent infection. Here's what to do if you find one: Use tweezers or a specialized tick remover to grab hold of its body as close to the skin as possible Pull it straight out Apply antiseptic ointment on the bite Write down where you found the tick on your body, as well as well as the time and place you may have picked it up Call your doctor if you feel unwell, are unable to remove the tick yourself or if it has buried itself too deeply into the skin Do not: Use petroleum jelly or other products Burn the tick Crush or damage the tick while trying to remove it Experts recommend killing the tick by drowning them in rubbing alcohol or putting them in the freezer for several hours. Once dead, they can be thrown into the garbage. Physical symptoms If you have been bitten by a tick, here are some of the symptoms to watch out for: Circular red rash around the bite Fever Chills Swollen glands Headache Diarrhea Weakness Dry cough Joint pain Muscle ache Stiff neck Reporting ticks If you find a tick, on yourself or your pet, take a photo and submit it to for expert identification within 24 hours. An email will be sent with the results. You can also check out the public tick map for other confirmed sightings.
Gizmodo
3 days ago
- Business
- Gizmodo
Better Than Prime Day, This Roborock Q10 X5+ With 10,000Pa Suction Power Is Selling for Pennies
Roborock is a well-known luxury brand of robot vacuums with certain models reaching over $1,500 for those willing to spend money on the absolute best. However, Roborock's Q Series enters a far more budget-friendly range without sacrificing premium features: The Roborock Q10 X5+ has only just hit the market in early July, and Amazon is already selling it for $319, a full 36% discount from its regular $499 price tag. See at Amazon The Q10 X5+ outdoes most of its rivals with a massive 10,000Pa suction which easily vacs up hairs, crumbs and ground-in dirt from carpets, tile, wood, vinyl, marble, and laminate. The enhanced dual anti-tangle brushes also mean you don't have to worry about pet hair getting wrapped around the rollers, and reduces clogs and the necessity to pause mid-clean to detangle. The self-emptying dock is a complete game changer for busy families as you get up to 7 weeks of hands-free cleaning without the need to empty the dustbin every day. That's a huge win for pet owners, families or anyone who's tired of daily maintenance. The Roborock Q10 X5+ vacuums and mops with the capability to tackle solid messes and stubborn stains in a single pass. Water flow is controllable through the app which makes it easy to dial in cleaning for spills and dirt at the door or kitchen. This two-in-one cleaning functionality saves hours a week and leaves hard floors sparkling. Using sophisticated PreciSense LiDAR, the robot quickly maps your home, charts efficient courses and adapts in real-time as furniture moves or doors open. You're in control with a robust smartphone app where you can set No-Go Zones, plan custom cleaning or customize cleaning settings. The robotier automatically detects carpets and increases suction for deep cleaning, and raises the mop to keep any rugs dry. This all-in-one vacuum and mop at $319 is an opportunity that's hard to beat, make sure you don't miss it. See at Amazon
