Ticked off with ticks!

[SaligoBay]

I cleaned up after him before he was house-trained, I can clean up sick, none of that bothers me.   Dog hair everywhere?  C'est la vie.  I even like the way he smells spicy after not being able to have a bath for a month! 

But ticks!  [+o(]   Average of 1 or 2 a week.  I don't know if this is a lot, but it's more than enough for me!  This is with Advantix.

As recommended by a hospital doctor......... I put a big blob of Vaseline on the offending beast, let it suffocate for about 15 minutes, then pull it out with tweezers.  So far they've all come out whole with this method.

How do you deal with them?

[Deimos]

Vets sell these plastic (green normally) tick hooks.  They are very cheap.  You normally get two in a pack (one for small ticks and one for large ticks).  They are excellent as you do not have to kill the ticks first (i.e. no Vaseline), just hook between skin and tick and twist and tick comes out – see web site.

 

Also much safer that tweezers as, with tweezers, if the tick has had a “meal”, squeezing the tick can put meal back into dog with any disease !!  Hooks avoid this as ticks are gripped round head.

 

http://www.lymediseaseaction.org.uk/information/tick_removal.htm.  Most vets sell them for very little money.  Very easy to use, very quick, etc.

 

Ian

[Rob Roy]

It works on humans too - as I found out to my cost the other day [+o(]

[zeb]

Buy him a collar SB - Preventic - available at most vets!

[Dick Smith]

Our vet told us to take an old credit card and cut a V in one end. Slide the tick into the V and flick it off.

Never tried it, but the vet had just charged us £24 to get one off our old cat...

[Catalpa]

http://www.otom.com/

These are the little hook things with which you unscrew the tick from the host... of whatever species! No tweezers, no credit cards needed. Tweezer removal (as the pretty pictures show) tends to squeeze tick body fluids (all go: buerk!) back into the host leading to an inflamed spot at best, a greater likelihood of disease at worst. Flicking the tick off will probably leave the tick's head in the host ready to rot and cause a nasty septic spot. Dabbing with oils, surgical spirit etc will be viewed by the tick as a very personal attack and cause the tick to shoot bodily fluids... etc. Don't know whether suffocation by vaseline is interpreted by the tick as an attack.

The hooky things can be bought at most vets and pharmacies.

We find unscrewing them anti-clockwise seems most effective. Remember to ensure you don't drop your tick onto rugs or carpets as it will lurk, hoping to re-infest a passing blood source... [+o(] Personally I like squishing them underfoot. Wear shoes if you try this at home. [:-))]

[Dick Smith]

Actually, Catalpa, the credit card method looks exactly the same as the one on the website...

[Rob Roy]

I wonder if dog tick collers could become the new human fashion accessory necklace [8-|][Www]

[Lou]

1 or 2 a week!!! if only......we regularly remove them from our two

cats at a rate of at least 1 a day. The record so far I think was 7 in

one day.  And this is using Frontline combi flea and tick stuff on

them.  Not convinced it works.

Lou

PS we were given a free tick hook by our vet and have also discovered

it works just as well on humans.  We like to put our ticks in the

woodburning stove......and watch them explode when they get

warm......buerk! as someone else said!

[Ron Avery]

A friend of our's dog is just recovering from a severe illness , Canine Babesiosis caused by a tick, the dog had to have blood tranfusions with all the available dogs in the area rounded up as donors.  Bet you never thought where dog blood comes from for transfusions did you?

The dog had had frontline applied as per the instructions and it was due for its next treatment.  A tick was found and removed quickly but not fast enough to prevent infection.

 The vet treating the dog told the owner that ticks this year are particularly nasty and many more are infected with piroplasmosis than has been seen up to now.  So they are recommending that the treatment period for frontline and similar products is halved from the normal bi- monthly to monthly. now this might be an attempt to sell more tick treatments but the owner of the dog which thankfully is now making a good recovery is certainly taking notice as are all the other owners whose dogs were used as they do not want their pets going through a similar experience.

[vervialle]

I am starting to really panic about these ticks, I am taking my cat to France for three months in the summer as I cannot leave her in the U.K. for that long she is very precious, my house is in the Limousin, is this a common problem all over France and when you say treatment what do I need to do,I know I have to go to the vets 24hours before I return to the U.K.but it seems I need her to have this treatment as soon as she gets there.Can anybody reccomend whats best she is 1 year old.

[Deimos]

[quote user="Lou"]1 or 2 a week!!! if only......we regularly remove them from our two cats at a rate of at least 1 a day. The record so far I think was 7 in one day.  And this is using Frontline combi flea and tick stuff on them.  Not convinced it works.
Lou

[/quote]

 

Frontline does not stop the ticks attaching.  However, it kills them (within 24 hrs and before there is a disease risk) and they then drop off – dead.  Some other treatments are meant to repel ticks (as well as kill them).  And example of such is Advantix – which is what prompted this thread (too many ticks not being repelled).

 

I guess with all these things its statistical.  A low percentage are not caught by the treatment and thus the more ticks that animal is exposed to, the greater the chanc one will get through.  However, with Frontline you will expect to find ticks (and if you find them I guess its best to get the hook/credit card out and remove them).  I would say that even removing them when you find them, do keep treating as well as you are bound t miss some on occasions (I’m sure everybody does anyway).

 

Ian

 

[Patf]

Ron mentioned piroplasmosis. We were warned about this when we got our

first dog and told to look out for dark brown or red urine, blood in

eyes as well as lethargy and loss of appetite. If you catch it early

there's a good chance of cure. At age 5 months Tip did show some of

these symptoms and we took him to the vet who said he thought it was

piroplasmosis.He said Tip's spleen was enlarged. He injected him and

said by the morning he would either be dead or completely well. Thank

God he got better quickly. So we check them daily for ticks and as any

dog owner would do keep a watch for  symptoms. Pat.

[SaligoBay]

[quote user="vervialle"]I am starting to really panic about these ticks, I am taking my cat to France for three months in the summer as I cannot leave her in the U.K. for that long she is very precious, my house is in the Limousin, is this a common problem all over France and when you say treatment what do I need to do,I know I have to go to the vets 24hours before I return to the U.K.but it seems I need her to have this treatment as soon as she gets there.Can anybody reccomend whats best she is 1 year old.[/quote]

I don't know if it's everywhere, vervialle.  We're not even what you would call very rural, there are no farm animals around.   At least, there are a few fields of bulls raised for the local bullfights, but from here the nearest one is probably a mile away.

I asked about which treatment to use a while back.  There's Advantix, Frontline, and a couple of others in the supermarket.   Whatever you use, you need to make sure it's for "les tiques".

 

[PossumGirl]

I really don't think that any of the spot on treatments are enough for ticks on their own, which is why I also use a tick collar (the  only two that are considered really good are Preventic and Scolibor).  The combination of both types of treatment gives you a better chance, in my opinion.

PG

[Catalpa]

[quote user="vervialle"]I am starting to really panic about these ticks...[/quote]

Don't panic! [:)]

You won't let your cat out immediately on arrival will you? You'll have plenty of time to sort out Frontline or whatever at a local vet - and anyway, the Frontline for cats that deals with ticks is probably available in the UK. Have a word with your vet.

Ticks are a common problem in France and also in southern England for that matter. I used to pick them off our cats and dogs when I lived in Wiltshire. They are definitely in the Limousin and they're also carried by deer etc so it's not necessary for farm animals to be around, wildlife is sufficient. Long grass wet grass seems to be more of a problem. I don't walk through long grass without wearing trousers normally.

Use Frontline or similar, get the hooky things to twist the ticks off and just check you cat once a day. Emphasis on twist as that ensures the tick comes out whole and doesn't leave mouth parts behind. It is surprisingly simple. If she's a short hair, you'll have no difficulty in locating them and removing them. Pay particular attention to the neck / throat area as that's where I find most of them. If she's a long-hair - I have two Maine Coons with very thick coats - locating them and twisting them off is a bit more challenging. Anyway, don't panic. Tick Check just becomes a routine and if your cat likes being stroked, she'll love it.

[Georgina]

This all sounds pretty gross to me, are there areas of France where this is more problematic.  Is it usually associated with country areas?

I have read that if someone gets bitten by a tick, it can leave them feeling ill for weeks.

Georgina

[Deimos]

[quote user="vervialle"]I am starting to really panic about these ticks, I am taking my cat to France for three months in the summer as I cannot leave her in the U.K. for that long she is very precious, my house is in the Limousin, is this a common problem all over France and when you say treatment …[/quote]

 

[quote user="Georgina"]

This all sounds pretty gross to me, are there areas of France where this is more problematic.  Is it usually associated with country areas?

[/quote]

Piroplasmose is pretty well everywhere in France, though infection rates vary in different departments.  Merial used to publish a map showing rates in different departments but seem to have stopped now.  Either way, it is worth taking precautions as there is always a risk.  One needs to keep it in perspective.  It is a risk but one you can do something about (i.e. anti-tick treatments, check for ticks regularly, etc.).  Once a tick has attached I am told there is not a disease risk for 24-48 hours (whilst it glues itself in, before it starts feeding).  This regular checks are very worthwhile.  Loads of pet owners in France and loads of happy pets so do not be put off or scared, just aware.

 

With respect to dogs, you can have your dog vaccinated against Piroplasmose and Lyme (the other tick disease).  However, the vaccinations are not 100% and as far as I can establish are not “routine”.  Most people I ask do not vaccinate their dogs against Piroplasmose or Lyme except it seems most hunters do vaccinate their dogs.  However, this is just me asking people at my dog club and who live around me.

 

I’m afraid I do not know about cats – can they catch piroplasmose (or Lyme) ?  I’m sure loads of cat owners will know and can clarify here.

 

[quote user="Georgina"]

I have read that if someone gets bitten by a tick, it can leave them feeling ill for weeks.

 [/quote]

People are probably talking about lyme disease – which can be serious in people.  Some say you should visit a doctor if you are bitten by a tick, I imaging others don’t bother and I am not is a position to advise.

 

 

Ian

[Deimos]

Ps.  I did find a map on the internet but it different completely to the one Merial used to publish.  For example, it showed where I live as not being a “risk” – but it is (according to my vets) and I have seen others post about dogs catching Piroplasmose in departments the map shows as “not a risk” – so be careful about such maps and if unsure, call in and ask your local vet.  Checking and treating for ticks in not difficult or expensive.

 

Ian

[SaligoBay]

Thank you for the tick-hook recommendation.  Aren't they good!  [:)]

Removed THREE today already, completely painlessly.  I still don't like them, but it takes a bit of the fear away!

We really truly have no animals round here, it's too built up for deer or anything like that, and with his leg in plaster we've only been doing local walks for the last 3 weeks.   So I have no idea why there are so many.

The vet said not to bother with the tick collar if he's already on Advantix, he said it would be like poisoning him.   Maybe that wouldn't apply to bigger dogs, I don't know, I didn't think to ask, sorry! 

 

 

[Deimos]

[quote user="SaligoBay"]

The vet said not to bother with the tick collar if he's already on Advantix, he said it would be like poisoning him.   Maybe that wouldn't apply to bigger dogs ...

[/quote]

I’ve not used Advantix, but with Frontline the dose depends on the size of dog (larger get more).  That is both for the pipettes and the spray.

 

Ian

 

[Ron Avery]

PG

A word of caution, I just came back from the vets where I asked about ticks and treatments, this was the same vet who treated my friend's dog, he told me that a collar and drops like Frontline are OK for a big dog, but the two together could have an have an adverse affect on a smaller dog. He recommended a monthly treatment with Frontline as sufficient to prevent infection from a tick on the average pooch[:D].

[Maddie]

My lab got piro despite monthly Fronline treatment.  I live in one of those areas which were described on the map Deimos mentioned as very high risk.  The otom thingy is fab but since keeping the grass super short chez nous and feeding each dog a low dose garlic capsule each day I am happy to report that so far this year I have seen NO TICKS - not on my dogs anyway!!

[PossumGirl]

[quote user="Ron Avery"]

PG

A word of caution, I just came back from the vets where I asked about ticks and treatments, this was the same vet who treated my friend's dog, he told me that a collar and drops like Frontline are OK for a big dog, but the two together could have an have an adverse affect on a smaller dog. He recommended a monthly treatment with Frontline as sufficient to prevent infection from a tick on the average pooch[:D].

[/quote]

Maggie is about 24 Kg, so she probably qualifies as a "bigger" dog. I find she seems to do better with Advantix than Frontline, which I always had the feeling left her feeling a bit sick.

I keep a close eye on her health and so far, haven't noticed any adverse effects from the combination.  Thanks for the warning though.

PG

[Georgina]

Thanks Deimos, just got back from holiday.  I found the first ever tick on her.  Got it out no prob, disgusting!!!!

 

She has a tick collar though but obviously this did not work, although she smells much fresher.

Georgina