by Ellie Goldstein

Courtesy Debbie Warner

What’s the matter with my dog? He’s got a lot of blazing red circles all over his stomach. Is it Leukemia? Is it Lyme? He looks like he’s been hit by shotgun pellets!Is he gonna die?

NO! NO! NO! Your dog’s not ill at all. He’s simply been attacked by this past Spring’s monumental invasion of super gnats! Our long cold Winter seems to have allowed ticks to multiply madly; perhaps the same is true for the extraordinary numbers of gnats that are pestering our pets and us.And what does one do about the red circles? NOTHING!

The spots will be gone before too long only to be replaced (or added to) by the new day’s bites. This is the penalty for having a dog with a hairless belly. Our greyhounds don’t seem to be bothered by the bites at all. There’s no licking or scratching or permanent harm done. They really can be left alone unless the area is badly bitten with bits of dried blood in evidence. In this case, a bit of gauze or cotton moistened with warm water or peroxide will clean the area. This, too, shall pass.

WAG TALES

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