One of the very cool things about being a professional pet blogger is receiving some fantastic pet products from small home-based businesses to large companies.  It seems like the delivery guys are here almost daily and even one day, the UPS and FedEx fellas showed up at the same time!  Often I am still sporting bed-head in the morning and wearing my puppy-print pajamas if it's an early delivery surprise.  I think it keeps the neighbors talking too. 

 I offer product reviews and with receiving many smaller items, am starting to group them together.  My readers get to see what's out there on the market and the peeps who send me products are happy to be in front of pet-lovers everywhere.  So watch out for upcoming cool product reviews and be sure to check out their websites and social media pages. 

The Tick Key - The Easiest-to-use Tick Removal Device on Earth

With summer almost here, you can be guaranteed that the ticks of the world are ready to latch onto dogs everywhere.  Ticks can cause pain and much worse, disease.  When discovered, they must be removed as soon as possible. This handy little device is so plain and simple but it works.  The Tick Key. 

The nice folks at TickKey.com send me a whole box of these colorful devices, which I was very happy to take to a heavily wooded near-by resort, The Outback.  They have hundreds of families stay at the resort and being a very dog-friendly place, that means hundreds of dogs over the course of the year. 

I found this handy reference card from MA Department of Public Health illustrating deer and dog ticks   The actual size won't apply on the computer but it does give you an idea what to look for.  I also see the females are almost twice the size.  Interesting. 

On their website they mention ways NOT to remove ticks which is worth knowing.  

• Don't remove ticks with your fingers
• Never squeeze, crush or squash a tick. (NOTE: You do however have permission to do so once they are off your dog.  As much as I love creatures of all kinds, ticks unfortunately do not make the cut in my compassion book.  Squish away.)
• Don't apply substance to a tick. 

You can purchase your Tick Key through various retailers listed on their site.   They also offer clever opportunites to use Tick Key as a promotional item for your business or for your fundraising program.

Thank you Tick Key for sending all those wonderful keys.   The dog visitors of The Outback especially thank you.