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Found a tick

*Pauline*

Well-known member
I'm still shaking, thank goodness I found it while it was still tiny and I definitely got it all out as I could see the pincers (if that's what they are called). It was still tiny. I can't believe I did that bare handed, I hate bugs but I did it for Dylan!

I feel sick :yuk:

Just put Frontline on Dylan, I never use a flee treatment on him unless I see something which I haven't for 2 years, lucky. Poppy had Frontline on 15th last month and Advocate on 5th this month as she eats slugs.

Dylan's coat is SO think now I'm dreading checking him now incase I find a big swollen white tick :grnyuk:
 
Pauline,

We found one on Sonny when we returned from Skye last year. It was gross to say the least. I was a bit annoyed as we treated Sonny for the 8 years we had him and never had any probs before. I mentioned this at the Vets when I was collecting Sonnys MVD medication as when i went to collect Sonnys flea treatment in may we were given Advocate instead of the usual Frontline and the receptionist said Advocate does not protect against ticks.

We exercised Sonny in the Braes near our home and a neighbour said you can get ticks in field area etc so I went back onto Frontline.

I now use Frontline on Kaley as I like taking her up the Braes for a walk and just want to be on the safe side. I'm not too good with creepy crawlies myself!!
 
I had always used Frontline every two months but last summer I found a tick on Dylan just as the two months were up. I pulled it out, nothing left behind, but the area still got infected and he had to have antibiotics. I now Frontline my two every month during the summer as their coats, especially Dylan's, are so long and thick it is very difficult to spot anything on them.
 
They are VERY common up here at certain times of year, you would have thought the hard winter would have killed them off but they seem to be thriving :mad:


The best thing to do is to the brush and comb the dog straight after a walk to take them out of the coat, and basically just to go through the coat thoroughly at least once a day. They tend to like areas with little fur - ie the belly, face, armpits etc. It takes quite a few hours for ticks to pass on any illnesses such as Lyme disease, so if you act promptly you should not have any problems. {Many of the farm collies up here are COVERED in ticks at this time of year, they don't seem to treat them but you rarely hear of any problems}.

You can buy tick hooks {like a wee crochet hook} at your vets or online - or you can do it with tweezers or your fingers. Remember to always rotate ANTI clockwise as this disengages the mouthpiece. Don't try to burn them off or smother them in vaseline etc

Some vets recommend wearing glvoes when handling ticks - but just make sure you wash your hands very thoroughly afterwards. You can kill the tick by drowning it in alcohol or putting it down the toilet - do NOT squeeze them.


We found that for some reason, an Amethsyt crystal in the water bowl seems to help the dog build up a resistance to ticks. I'm very into complementary therapies but this one seemed a step too far even for me! I had an Amethyst so thought I would try it...it takes a few months to build up, but it really does seem to work! :eek:

The dogs still have ticks in their coats but they do not attach very often - obviously you still get the odd one, but nothing like as many. I really do not like things like Frontline - I think from having had an epileptic dog in the past, and having to be so careful what I used.

The Amethyst is a very good flea deterrent too - we have wild rabbits in the garden so lots of fleas about, but the dogs rarely pick them up. The last time I used anything was Stronghold over a year ago for a rabbit mite infestation {if anyone knows anything natural to treat that which actually works, I would be very grateful!!}

I also give them a Brewers Yeast tablet and a pinch of garlic granules daily; and use the salve from http://www.karenruggles.co.uk/index.htm {but not as often as I should!}
 
I think I got Dylan's tick before it was latched on properly as it was so tiny, I still twisted like they say to get them off. I think Dylan was trying to show me, he was sitting by me and kept inching his way closer and closer to my face. The tick was by his eye so it was easy to see. I read Frontline kills ticks in 48 hours but I'll have a good look when I get home, just popping out for 2 hours.

Doesn't help that I'm itchy all over due to stress, especially my scalp, and I'm on pills to stop that but they are not working 100%. This has really freaked me out!
 
I have a funny story about a tick. Years (and years) ago I found what I thought was a growth between our German Shepherd's eyes. I watched it for a few days and it seemed to be getting bigger overnight. We called it her unicorn horn because of it's location and it was big enough to be really visible. Finally decided to take her to the vet to have this "growth" checked out. Turned out it was a tick - and that had never ever crossed my mind. The vet removed it and luckily she never got any illnesses from it. This thing was fully engorged and had been there for days - so we were really lucky everything turned out O.K.
 
Sorry Nicki, I didn't see your post. I turned cock wise but I'l try to remember I should go anti clockwise if anything happens again. At least I'm sure I got all of it out. I wrapped it in tissue and put it in the wheely bin :sl*p: didn't think of throwing it down the toilet.

I made the mistake of grooming after using Frontline. But it had had a couple of hours to sink in and Dylan doesn't groom himself, only his privates, which I haven't got round to brushing yet. All grooming equipment has moved to the salon I made for Antonia in the shed.
 
Nicki wrote: Don't try to ... smother them in vaseline

A couple of weeks ago we were at a Companion Show and Aled got a tick on his eyelid - an impossible place to twist it off, though I did try (and gave him the dog equivalent of a black eye!). I didn't have my tick hook with me, and when I asked around nobody else had one. But someone did produce vaseline and I put a good blob on the tick and 20 minutes later it pulled out easily and Aled had no after effects. So in an emergency vaseline is better than nothing! Oliver and Aled now get a (smelly, not odourless) garlic pill every day, which seems to be working OK.

Kate, Oliver and Aled
 
Yes I wondered about the vasaline. Is there a reason for not using it? My friends cat came home with a tick she used vasaline and it apparently smothers them (the tick not the cat) and they drop off.
 
Ment to say Pauline, well done you were very brave. I think they are disgusting horrible things.:yuk::yuk::yuk:
 
If the ticks in UK and Ireland carry the horrendous diseases that our over here carry (Lyme Disease, Erlichiosis, Rocky Mtn Spotted Fever), it is a good idea to save the tick in a little plastic zip-loc type bag and freeze it. Then, if the dog (or human) gets ill within 30 days, you have the tick for lab study.

Do your ticks carry diseases, or are they just a nuisance?
 
I actually just found one on Lady three days ago. I'm not sure if it was a big or small one (it was about the size of 1/2 a fingernail). When we go to the beach, I check her regularly (particularly her ears and belly) and have never found one, but this one was right on her back, buried in her black hair (so glad I caught it!). I pulled it off of her with tweezers then burned it in the sink. Is there anything I should be looking out for (in terms of behavior) that will let me know the tick was carrying something? And how long before any symptoms arise if it was?

Thanks!
 
Very well done Pauline!! I'd have been grossed out too.

Do you have Lyme disease in the UK? In certain parts of the US it's very common for deer ticks (especially) to transmit Lyme disease.

In any case, you really don't want a tick feasting on Dylan. I'd have been really stressed about it as well. Good job getting it off him.
 
Yes I wondered about the vasaline. Is there a reason for not using it? My friends cat came home with a tick she used vasaline and it apparently smothers them (the tick not the cat) and they drop off.

It does smother and kill the tick, but it also causes them to regurgitate into the host (your dog). That potentially passes the disease(s) if the tick is infected.
 
I remember once a few years ago seeing a small white thing on Phoebe which I thought was a tick. I did the whole vaseline thing because I had heard it mentioned on 'Animal Hospital' but nothing happened. It didn't get any bigger but I decided to bring her to the vet anyway as I wasn't too sure of the proper way to remove a tick safely. The vet checked her and it turned out not to be a tick at all. It was a wart. :rolleyes: Just as well I was too scared to try and twist it off.
 
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