I went out today to finally mow the back yard. I guess I have had a mental aversion to yard work these days thinking "this" may be somehow related to this crap. Of course, contrary to my normal habit, i wore long pants and a long sleeve shirt.
Then as I am mowing, I notice a small rabbit off near the bushes. OF COURSE, me being me, and having been the consummate bunny rescuer----I had to investigate the situation. It did not run, so I figured it was either sick or injured and rescued it with a bucket and cardboard. I had at least gotten smart enough long ago to realize that wild animals can be sick and carry diseases.
Well, GOOD OLD TICKS!!!! This poor bunny looked as if it had a purple corn kernel collar. The ticks were eating it alive. Deer ticks- small ones. I LIVE IN TOWN!! Walmart is 4 blocks away. I immediately ran for my flea and tick shampoo (which I had for my cat.) and kept my distance. I pored some on and it obviously started killing them. I called the emergency vet clinic as I ran bath water for myself and bathed in peroxide/ salt and washed with the flea/ tick shampoo. Never before would I have been that freaked out..................
. I was going to have a friend take it over (in the back of his truck) to the emergency clinic where they said they would put it down if it did not perk up. Well, poor baby did not make it even past me getting my scrubbing done.
I felt awful. Not only do I fear planting and gardening. Here I was proud of myself for buying some outdoor flowers the other day (which have yet to be put in a pot).
But, now I fear small animals for what they may transmit to me. I cannot count the number of wild baby bunnies we had (either the lawnmower got the nest and mom wouldn't come back or we moved the boat out of winter storage and discovered "them" or something). None-the-less, we nursed MANY babies (and most lived- which is unusual) and turned all but one loose out in the woods. We kept one because he just could not re-acclimate to outside. He amazed my vet by living 7 years!
Up until this scourge, I never "FEARED" baby animals. Yes, I started using precautions because of all the hype and it had been years since I had anything wild in the house for that reason. I also never feared yard work or being in the woods. Geesh, I backpacked Pike National Forest into the high country- actually that was my first tick experience. Thinking about it now, I would be too afraid to do it now because of morgs. I am now petrified of ticks, digging in dirt or even putting my feet in the ocean! (Another one of my all time favorite things to do.) I say i am not going to let morgs ruin my life, but it has taken a year+ of life away from me, and, now that I think about it, it had made me fearful of good life experiences. Truthfully, that sux!
Linda