Product Testing

Miracle Coat "No Fly Zone"

Springtime "Bug Off Garlic"

We're testing a couple new products in the kennel as alternatives to using chemicals.

Miracle Coat "No Fly Zone" is an herbal insect repellent that we have been applying to the dogs' ears to deter flies as these nasty creatures like to snack on the tips of ears and can leave them raw if not tended to properly. So far so good. It seems to work well, however it does need to be applied every couple of days and the dogs have become concerned about the spray bottle pointed at their head. We've begun following the "squirt, squirt" with a treat and this seems to make it tolerable for them.

Springtime "Bug Off Garlic" was recommended to us by Amanda whose kennel we recently visited. Once in the system, it is supposed to repel flies, ticks, mosquitoes and fleas. When the package arrived, I could smell it coming in the arms of the UPS driver! THAT is how strong it is. We purchased the Equine version because it was a better deal for the amount of dogs we have. We've been using it for almost two weeks and it takes between two to four weeks for the garlic to penetrate the dogs' tissue so we haven't seem much difference at this early stage. At first, some dogs loved it and others despised it. We give 1tsp per day and it is sprinkled over their food. Now that there was been a pattern of one meal a day with garlic, the dogs are more accepting of it but do eat quite a lot slower so it may also be a good deterrent for stomach bloat! (Dogs that inhale their food can develop a condition called stomach bloat where there is too much air and/or expanded food in the dog's stomach than it can handle and gas within the stomach is created. It is a very uncomfortable and potentially deadly condition.) The verdict is still out on this product but if it doesn't work out, we've got an awful lot of garlic we'll just add to our own diets!