Mrs. Drax came in from walking Cadfael the other day, and whilst removing his collar let out a cry, to the effect that he had brought home a visitor - a tick. To cut a long story shorter, she was...disinclined to remove said parasite, having done so a few times in the past and having been - rightly enough - disgusted with the whole process.
Luckily, whilst she was out I'd been painting, and it was at this pointI realised that my modelling supplies could in fact double as a makeshift amateur veterinarian surgery.
By the time I'd soused the little blighter in my surgical spirit [US: 'rubbing alcohol'] and blotted the same with my handy kitchen roll [paper towel], I had only to reach for my tweezers and a some quick de-ticking advice from the web, and lo! The little bloodsucker was deposited wriggling into a sheet of my newspaper...and crushed, like all the enemies of mankind. Luckily the scalpel was not needed.
Here's the patient this evening - I should point out that the poor fellow's in the Cone of Shame for an unrelated issue. He's a noble hound though, and it does at least afford his ears and nose some protection from the baby, who's now crawling, and always heads straight towards him!
Much more modelly stuff coming again more regularly soon: I should finish another squad tonight!
- Drax.
*stolen from http://fredsrx.com/Fifi/Price.htm
In my best Dug voice...
ReplyDelete"I do not like the cone of shame."
We got the little things around here too. Seems like a really bad year for them.
Strange... I always thought you sort called newsprint "fishwrap"... ;-)
ReplyDeleteEither way, it's always nice to hear more and better justifications tobuy more (and better) hobby tools!
Well crushed sir! The Emperor would be proud.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was at school someone told me that if you try to remove a tick and the head stays in then you'll die...
At first I thought Cadfael was looking down-in-the-dumps because of his cone. But after reading more, I'm guessing he's looking glumly at Baby "Dog Flesh Shaper of Slaanesh" Drax!
Way to go killing that 'nid! (even if it's not a tyranid, it's an arachnid)
ReplyDeleteWe have a supply of little green question mark shaped 'tick hooks'. These are great and actually unscrew the little blighters.
ReplyDeleteAnother trick is to smother them in vasaline. Ticks breathe through their skins and this suffocates them, causing them to cease their parasitic feeding in order to begin grooming. I've always had tick hooks to hand so I've not really ever tried the vasaline trick but have been assured that it works.
And your picture does look like a Tyranid (shudder).
Thanks, All.
ReplyDeleteMrs. Drax actually read this post too...and was pleased. She calls them 'vampire beans' as they suck blood and look just like...well...beans.
I like the idea of 'tick hooks' although my stomach did turn a little as I wrenched the blighter out. The Vaseline's an interesting idea too - thanks!
Mrs. Drax was worried about the blue smear that came off with the tick, but we were relieved to realise it was in fact the ancient paint removed from the tweezers by the surgical spirit!