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dandaz
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There nasty thing arnt they?....

 

Had to soak them in alcohol and get them out with twizers I think the dog liked it even less....

 

The tool that the vets use does anyone know if you can buy one on-line???

 

Going to fronline the mutt just b4 I come next-time so maybe that will help as well ,although he was frontlined this time and it did`nt stop them....

 

Is it only gundogs that get em???

 

Mick

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I would advise you against using Frontline as I think it has stopped working, the little blighters have adapted to this particular poison!

Before you scare all those that use Frontline (and I am sure it is a lot) would you mind just justifing why you believe that frontline no longer work? 

I have no idea if you are correct or not but am just a little mistified how it could come about so am willing to be enlightened.  

Being the first to admit not being an expert (or anything near ) in biology or such like,  I am confused how ticks have learnt about the specifics of frontline and how to fight it's effects.  I would have thought that those ticks that have come in contact with it have 'hopefully' died and so unless some living tick comes along and had a feast on that dead tick (or did some other thing I would not like to even imagine ) I don't see how the poison gets passed on to living ticks for it to adapt to it.

I could see that there may be a possibility that dogs that have been treated with Frountline for a log time may loose some of the effect from the treatment but again I would not be able to say if it is actually possible for that to happen.

Last point for the original poster...I don't think you can expect any tick treatment to stop your dog actually getting a tick so you can expect to be removing quite a few (if the start of this year is anything to go on) but if the dog is treated for ticks then at least you will be removong dead'uns

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Just a quickie (which you probably know anyway), Frontline DOES NOT STOP the ticks attaching.  They still attach but it kills the little blighters before they get a chance to eat their fill and pass on diseases (usually within 24-48 hours) then they drop off.  It's always a wise precaution to treat with something (personally I think Frontline is fine) and groom, groom, groom!  Since grooming (and keeping the grass on my 13,000m2 short - a mammouth task in itself) I've only found one tick attached.  Before with long grass and only Frontline used one of mine got piroplasmosis hence the obsession with grooming and mowing!!!  The little green tic toc things are great too, just hook, twist and pull - job done!
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I'm not an expert in biology or veterinary medicine either, and consequently I can't explain how ticks or fleas or any other parasite adapts to certain poisons, but I know that they do. I have been told by my vet, who is also a good friend, that he has seen numerous cases of flea- and tickinfested dogs in particular who were treated with Frontline over the past year. My own dog developped a huge allergy to a flea bite just recently even though he had been treated only two weeks before. I am merely passing on information that was given to me by my vet, and he's got nothing to gain from recommending another product as they cost the same. What I do know, however, is that in cases of wormers, for example, you are advised to change product every once in a while as the parasite adapts to the product and is no longer destroyed by it.
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[quote]I'm not an expert in biology or veterinary medicine either, and consequently I can't explain how ticks or fleas or any other parasite adapts to certain poisons, but I know that they do. I have been to...[/quote]

Then again, my lab had a huge allergic reaction to a flea bite just after we got here. I've been using Frontline ever since and no fleas and only piroplasmosis in one out of my two dogs (funnily enough the lab who DOES NOT go exploring in the long grass). 

Are you sure any vet has nothing to gain by recomending another product?  They may well sell similar products at similar prices to their clients but do we know how much they actually pay the manufacturers for them or what the markup is?  You can bet your bottom dollar that they are not all the same cost price and different drug companies  have special promotional prices for certain products.  Lets face it, vets and drug manufacturers are running a business not a charity.

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I've always been led to believe that if you try to pull a tick off the animal, you may leave the mouth parts in the skin which can cause an infection.

A generous dollop of 'Germoline' on the tick, and it will fall off within 24 hours. The added benefit is that it is an antiseptic.

I don't know if there is a french equivalent to Germoline - we bought a large tube with us when we moved across, specifically for tick treatment.

Regards

David

81 Tarn
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Suffacating ticks is really not the way to go! 

Most health professionals agree that smothering ticks with petroleum jelly, finger nail polish or other such substances do little to reduce chances of infection or contracting disease.  A tick that is coated or smothered still has enough oxygen to live long enough to continue its feeding.  It is during this feeding that transmission of organisms takes place.  More drastic measures such as burning the tick or killing it with a sharp object can actually increase chances of more fluids being released into the tick's host.

It is after the first 24h that the chance of disease being past is increased and it seems that those little blighters can hold their breaths pretty good  

Worrying about moving the head, at apprears, is really not abig issue.

1. Grab the tick by the head or mouth parts right where they enter the skin. Do not grasp the tick by the body.
Without jerking, pull firmly and steadily directly outward. Do not twist the tick as you are pulling.
2. Using methods such as applying petroleum jelly, a hot match or alcohol will NOT cause the tick to "back out". In fact these irritants may cause the tick to deposit more disease-carrying saliva in the wound.
3. After removing the tick, place it in a jar of alcohol to kill it. Ticks are NOT killed by flushing them down the toilet.
4. Clean the bite wound with a disinfectant. If you want to, apply a small amount of a triple antibiotic ointment.
5. Wash your hands thoroughly.

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[quote]I would advise you against using Frontline as I think it has stopped working, the little blighters have adapted to this particular poison! There is a new product out which is applied in drop-on-skin f...[/quote]

I'm not a vet and not involved in the industry so my 2p worth is just comment:

The British authorities are quite paranoid about tick diseases and Frontline is still one of the approved treatments for dogs entering the UK. If it were no longer effective I would have expected the UK to remove it from their list of approved treatments (overlooking the traditional comments about how fast the UK Civil Service works – they are often quick to ban things, etc.).

I thought about Advantix but had seen a few “scary” stories about bad reactions in some dogs (stories on the internet). I guess its much stronger stuff and given that I don’t like these chemicals much anyway that made me a bit less enthusiastic. Maybe there are always these types of “scare stories” and evert insecticide carried risks. However, I know my dogs are OK with Frontline and it seems to work OK so for the moment I’m sticking with that. Also, people with cats should be aware that it is very poisonous for cats and I’m sure I read somewhere that dogs living with cats should not really be treated with Advantix. This might not be the case but do check yourself.

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Don't forget that ticks sometimes go on humans and occasionally cause disease. I have found a tick on myself 3 times, twice fastened on - ugh! so now I check every night when getting undressed. They are the small brown ones . Also when you remove a tick dispose of it in a jar of alcohol so the it doesn't re-attach itself. Pat.
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You might want to check yourself when you get up in the morning as well if you let your dog or cat sleep on your bed  

That is how my neighbour got hers, it dropped off the cat onto her bed and then moved onto her for desserts 

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Be very careful about ticks biting humans esp. if you live in an area with a dear population as ticks can carry Lymes [?sp] Disease. My brother in law caught this in Belguim and was very ill. If you have a reaction to the bite get right off to see the doc.

Sarah. 

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Don't wish to add to any scares (see previous post by Deimos) but our labrador here in the UK had a pretty major fit shortly after we used Advantix, and several minor ones after that but fortunately none for six months - fingers crossed. Our vet says he can only state that no adverse reaction of this kind has been reported in the literature - but there's always a first case, of course. Needless to say, we have not repeated this treatment!
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Guest CFrost

Bit scary about ticks on us humans Is there a human form of frontline or advantix available I wonder, may be an opportunity there! Still, food for thought

Kimberley

chadeniers 17

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Have just checked various websites, and in the US, where Lyme disease was first found (hence the name, from the town concerned) it is suggested that you smother yourself in DEET insect repellent before gardening or walking. Worth a thought, though not sure what these products smell like, so you may repel more than just ticks!!

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Do they have these tick things in the UK?? It's new to me, but not to Marie (my French partner).

I found a couple of ticks stuck into my Dogue de Bordeux around her ears the other night and they were much bigger than fleas....Marie told me not to try and pull them out by hand but I had no choice and there didn't seem to be any visible remenants.

Do I really need to get some dedicated removers if they return? And isn't squashing the things to death a lot easier than soaking them in alcohol??!

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There are Ticks in the UK but just not SO many but I do believe it is on the increase.

Your chosen method of exacusion is up to you BUT if you squash them you would have to be very very careful as you would be releasing and nasty disease that the tick may have been carrying and so putting yourself in danger of catching it.

My neighbour (strong stomached woman that she is) puts the tick in a twist of paper and sets in alight.  She has informed me that the tick will then explode but I will just take her word about that.

If you remove the tick with your fingers there is a possibility that you may squash it releasing the yuck stuff as above.  When you touch a tick you really should wash your hands.  Using the gadget makes it easier to remove the critter and prevents it coming into contact with your skin.

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As far as I've been able to find out via Google there are 2 main types of tick. One is the fat leathery grey ones and the others small flat brown ones. I used to think that the small ones grew up to be the fat ones, but now I think they are 2 separate types. Any specialists around that know for sure? There's no doubt that they are pesky creatures.Pat.
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Oh dear; I'm afraid I should've looked into this before removing the blighters...

I thought the most effective method was to suck them out, whilst I was at it I decided to swallow them rather than drop them on the carpet....

Not really.

I used a piece of paper but next time I'll be VERY carefull and definately get hold of some special tweezers.

A trip to the vets is long overdue anyhow...but then so is a trip to the gp and the e106's still haven't arrived!!

This is the second pet fiasco I've had since moving here last year; the first involved Lola licking a toad....her reaction was funny in hindsight: no harm done! Still you live and learn.

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Found this:

When travelling in Europe with your pet, be aware that there are several different species of ticks which not only transmit the above diseases but can also seriously affect your pet's health by transmitting:

European Ticks


Rhipicephalus
(Transmits Ehrlichiosis)


Dermacentor
(Transmits Babesiosis)

 

http://frontline.uk.merial.com/flea_tick/dogs_tick.asp#ticks

The Rhipicephalus is the Brown dog tick and that other one sure looks like the 'fat leathery grey one' you discribes to well

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hi everyone,

I got a tick on me today and we got it out with the crotchet hook thingy and put germoline on the wound.I am now paraniod that I will get more Is there anything I can do I dont fancy Frontline !!

regards Lorraine

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