I am being ignored.  I had the audacity of applying flea medication to my dog.  She’ll letting me know that she is suffering the indignity in silence.  She’s afraid of the flea medication tube which why I am being ignored.

I had to put her bed and blanket next to my computer chair so she could do it in comfort.

It had to be done.  She has been itching like crazy the last couple of days.  Last night, I finally found the perpetrator.  Oh, how I hate fleas!

It’s Not Easy Getting Flea Medication on Misha

As with all things that involve getting something from a tube onto my dog, it wasn’t easy.  First, she’s afraid of the tube.  Don’t ask me why.    Most things she is afraid of make noise.  She’s afraid of the roll of aluminum foil because of the sound it makes when you tear off a sheet.

Second, she’s incredibly curious.  Her desire to flee is at war with her desire to see what I have in my hand.

I use restraint and distraction so I can get the topical flea medication on my dog.

The Tips: This is How I Do It

As with most things involving my dog, I have to have a plan of attack before I jump in.  Getting flea medication on her involves two things:  the leash and a really good dog treat.

I put her on leash on her first.  I need to keep her within reach.  Otherwise, she might run off and hide under the bed or dresser.  If she does get away from me, I can grab the end of the leash and reel her in.

Next, I break up her favorite dog treat and put the pieces on the kitchen chair just where Misha can see them.  It’s important that she knows where they are.  She should be more worried about missing the dog treat than what I’m doing the medication tube.

As expected, she was excited about the treat but leery about the little white tube in my hand.  I grabbed the leash and got ready to squirt.  She likes to make it challenging so it takes a few attempts.

As I get ready to squirt, her curiosity gets the better of her.  She turns around in circles trying to see the tube that I’ve got pointed behind her.

I point out the treats to her.  She’s forgotten, but she’s shifted her focus back to them.

We Finally Get the Job Done

It took a few tries, but as you can see from the wet spot on her coat, I finally made contact.  I’m not sure if I got it all the way to the skin, but beggars can’t be choosers.

I’m lucky to have hit the dog with the flea stuff at all!

She gobbled up her treat.  Then, she followed me for 10 minutes with an accusatory look in her eyes.  She was also trying to bum another treat off of me for the horror she had to endure for 3 minutes.

Do you have an easy time doing similar things with your dog?  Do you have any tricks or a special method that makes it go easier?  If so, tell us about it in the comments!