So, I had to have one of those “talks” with a family member the other day. You know the one- Make good choices, just because you’re old enough doesn’t mean you should, pick quality friends, deal with the consequences of your poor judgement, etc. These are the talks you dread because no matter how much you rehearse it, how much you prepare for it, the talk itself is always awkward and filled with lots of uncomfortable silences.

In this case I was caught completely by surprise. We’d never seen this before, never expected to have to deal with it. The family member had been clean for years, never showed any at risk behaviours and then suddenly, Bam!, they caught something… shall we say, communicable? Symptoms include burning and itching of the affected area and is usually transmitted through close contact…

After a brief period of denial, I got proactive and addressed the issue. Appointments were made, treatment was received(twice), and I got to have that talk I mentioned. I should have had that talk a long time ago so that maybe we could have avoided the anguish and shame. I can tell you that her head is hanging pretty low right now and it will be a long time before the memory of this incident goes away…

So, to all my friends out there, let me tell you right now. Don’t wait to talk to your beloved family members. Talk to them about staying away from the back alleys and the strays; the local inhabitants of questionable character. The burning, the itching, the visits from pest control and the groomer, all these things could have been avoided if I had just talked to my dog about fleas sooner. Don’t make the same mistake I did.