Today’s post is sponsored by Mirum. As always, all opinions are my own. Thank you so much for supporting the brands that make Diary of a Debutante possible!

If you’ve followed me for any amount of time, you know I’m the definition of a crazy dog mom. After we took Nala home, we must’ve bugged the vet at least twice a week for the first 6 months. Seriously, y’all, we stopped introducing ourselves on the phone; they just assumed it was the helicopter couple with the ridiculously cute golden puppy. Then little Nellie Nutmeg came along. As I’ve been told is the case with kids, too, you chill out a bit with the second. Life gets busy, and you stop feeling the need to rush to the vet every time they sneeze… or get fleas, which is convenient considering our girls love hiking and attract pests like magnets. Instead, we started asking around and decided to try PetArmor Plus, a new product that we can get directly from PetSmart, to help fight fleas and ticks year-round.

When I say our girls attract pests like magnets, I’m not kidding. We took Nala hiking once when she was around 4 months old– literally a few days after her last vaccination. I think we counted over 20 ticks, all completely hidden in her fur, when we got home. Shortly after, we started noticing fleas. Honestly, I felt like the world’s biggest failure of a dog mom. What I’ve learned since then, though, is that it happens to the best of us. When you’ve got an active pet who loves exploring, they’re bound to attract fleas and ticks at some point. What matters is that you actively treat the problem and prevent future problems with a vet-quality flea and tick defense, like PetArmor Plus for Dogs.

Because fleas and ticks can be present year round and can lay dormant for months before hatching, you should treat your pets every month throughout the year. That being said, probably my favorite thing about PetArmor Plus is that, unlike the treatments that require a prescription from the vet, it’s available at PetSmart and Petsmart.com– and you can use this coupon to get $5 off the 3-count of PetArmor Plus for Dogs or Cats! We already go every week for food and grooming supplies, so PetSmart’s literally become our one-stop shop for pet care. Plus, it’s nice to not have to run to the vet every time we run out. 

As far as application goes, if I can do it, anyone can. Just follow the instructions on the back of the box and call PetSmart with any questions. The fast-acting, waterproof formula breaks the flea life cycle by killing eggs and larvae for up to 12 weeks. It also kills ticks that may transmit Lyme disease. Just make sure you grab the right product for your pup’s weight and that you only use it on dogs over 4 pounds and over 8 weeks of age. It’s also best to keep treated pets away from kids and other pets for 24 hours and/or until the product is dry to avoid any potential licking or grooming accidents. 

I know I sound like a broken record, but my dogs really are my children. Ever since Nala came home with us last summer, I’ve adopted the whole “If I can’t bring my dogs, I’m not going” mentality to life. That being said, I genuinely appreciate knowing that they’ll be protected on all our upcoming hikes, picnics, and adventures this spring and throughout the year. 

If you’ve got precious fur babies of your own, let’s be real– they’re worth every penny, but they’re not cheap. Don’t forget to use this coupon to get $5 off PetArmor Plus for Dogs or Cats through September at PetSmart! 

Now that the weather’s finally nice, what do you have planned for you and your pups? Nala and Nellie love swimming, but aside from the dog park, we haven’t found any great spots that allow pets. So, if you’re from Central Missouri and you know of anywhere, please let me know! Also, let me know if you’ve got any questions about PetArmor Plus and/or why we chose them. I’m happy to help!

Photography by Catherine Rhodes.