Woohooo! Two females with eggs! Update P.6! BABIES! (PPs)

[wolfnipplechips]

I hope your kitties pull through! I can't imagine how stressful that must be. Fleas are just horrid. When I was a kid, my dog got them once (they aren't too common in AK), and they got in my bedding and made a meal of me! And you can't treat the tiny and sick kitties very well for fleas, right? Not sure how that works.

Got a video today instead of photos.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOHuA5tUiJw

I might try to tweak the contrast eventually. It kinda sucks on my video camera.

Also, iodide trip is on Friday night. That's the earliest we can go because my husband has meeting every day and with the unpredictable apt parking lot paving, his truck is parked like a mile away.

[wodesorel]

Could totally put that video on infinite loop and sit there watching for hours. Thank you so much!!!

[Skymall007]

Wonderful video! I love how they swim lolz so cute!

[wodesorel]

I hope your kitties pull through! I can't imagine how stressful that must be. Fleas are just horrid. When I was a kid, my dog got them once (they aren't too common in AK), and they got in my bedding and made a meal of me! And you can't treat the tiny and sick kitties very well for fleas, right? Not sure how that works.

Thankfully they aren't kittens. The vets have given the go ahead for flea treatment on them, so every cat in the house is being dosed every three weeks. Been fighting those fleas for over a year with every prescription treatment we can find. Nothing is working, but then the vets tell us that everyone is having that problem, so we aren't feeling like horrible owners anymore. 15 years of having cats, and this is the first time ever with fleas. Be glad you aren't in Ohio!!
With Ned it's a waiting game, but he's somewhere between 16 and 20, possibly older, so he's had a good run and our goal is to keep him as comfortable as possible for as long as we can. He has a couch cushion to himself that no one is allowed to sit on but him, and a little nest made out of about five blankets. He's got a lot of fight left in him. Clio.... I don't think she's getting better, but I just don't know. She goes in next week for a check-up so we'll see. I just... yeah. She's my baby of all my babies. Had all her teeth removed, barely survived kitten hood, fat as a cow now thanks to the steroids, and a mess to be sleeping with every night. We'll do everything we can, but I'm not sure if there is anything left. She's not completely comfortable all the time, but as far as we can tell she's not suffering and she's not dying anytime soon.

[rane4102]

Reading that post just made me feel so much better, wodesorel! I've been fighting my dogs' and cats' fleas for what feels like forever, using every flea killer I can find! I'm so glad to know your vet told you this is a widespread problem - I was really starting to think I was doing something wrong.

[wodesorel]

Reading that post just made me feel so much better, wodesorel! I've been fighting my dogs' and cats' fleas for what feels like forever, using every flea killer I can find! I'm so glad to know your vet told you this is a widespread problem - I was really starting to think I was doing something wrong.

They're becoming immune to the drugs. :/ I don't know if they still do it this way, but Raid used to have a little number somewhere on the front of the bottle near the name - that was the formulation number since they were having to change it so often since the bugs were adapting. My mom and I would watch the numbers go up throughout the years when I was little. (How I learned about how resilient bugs are!) Once I found out that they hadn't put out new flea meds out in a decade it was like "duh!" no wonder why they don't work anymore. Two weeks after treatment they're back in force. *pout*

[parrothead]

They're becoming immune to the drugs. :/

Wode, sorry to chime into your conversation, but have you tried the new 'all in one' oral medication called Trifexis? It's only become available in the last few months and it came highly recommended by my vet. It treats and controls intestinal worms, it is also a heartworm preventative, but it also KILLS & prevents fleas. It is the only medication they need! It's pricey though (about $80 for a 6 month supply) but both of my dogs and my cat is on it and I have yet to see a single flee! (I'm a not a spokesperson lol-)


@wolf- I live about 5 miles from the TN aquarium and carry an annual family pass, THEY GOT NUTHIN' ON YOU DUDE! thanks for the video, it's awesome!

[wodesorel]

Pricey ain't the word. $500 for one month treatment for these guys! I'll have to research it more as I haven't even heard about it yet. Thanks for that!

[wolfnipplechips]

Sorry to interrupt the flea chat, but I got some pics.
Here is my improvised brine shrimp hatchery system. Works great.

And here are baby pics.











I may be able to get iodide today. My husband is still in meetings, but he said he would call when he was done and tell me if he had time for a trip. He has to go to the PO, and petco is about 10 miles out of the way, so it's a hassle.

And man I need a hair cut. Every time I do water stuff for the babies, the ends of my hair end up crusty from dipping into the SW. lol.

[wolfnipplechips]

Hi again. It's me.

I got iodide!! Petco had none on the shelves, so we asked an employee and he spent like 20 minutes going through boxes in the back to find some since they got a new big shipment recently. He was really nice and we of course thanked him a bunch for his time. And my husband told him all about our baby crabs! They were both really into it. The employee guy wants us to come back with updates.

I also got a very tiny mesh net for scooping out floating brine shrimp eggs and babies that get sucked up with water changes.

Ok, so this iodide stuff...should I just follow the directions? I'm so scared of killing my babies. 8 drops per 50 gallons of water a day (I'll do the math for a 20ga later). But that probably assumes I am adding it to a cycled tank so...??? Do I have to wait a certain amount of time after a water change? Do I have to down the dosage since I do water changes daily and there is iodide or iodine or whatever in the salt already?

[Skymall007]

Wonderful pictures! I can't wait to hear more. =) My mom and brother are getting annoyed at me for talking about the baby crabs so much lolz

[wolfnipplechips]

This is what their poop looks like:

It's about 2mm long, about the same length as their tails! It's huge for them!

Their water is a ton clearer since I started externally hatching brine shrimp.

Still need help with my iodide questions.

Oh, and I know why my husband was freaking out about money this month...he bought me an $800 lens and surprised me today on a walk. Canon 10-22mm wide angle. Just in time for my Juneau trip.

[Rocky]

This may sound a little harsh.. But have you considered putting some babies in a small tank by themselves, and trying the iodide? I don't know if anyone has exactly been in your position before, so if anything, your trial and error will help future generations of babies
That does sound a bit harsh feel free to blow me off!

[wodesorel]

It's 1 drop per six gallons at the rate on the bottle, and you might want to go less than that to start. So even just 1 or 2 drops for the entire tank per day. No more than 4 drops for sure. The stuff is powerful!

I'm not sure how to safely test it on some little ones since it does have to be so dilute. Maybe put a drop in a small amount of water, and then use a drop of that mixture into the cup that has a baby or two?

[parrothead]

Don't know about the Idodide, but congratulations on the lens!