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Ticks
I noticed a very large, engorged deer tick today on my dog's neck. I'm guessing she got that on that long hike she took with my brother a week or so ago out in the hills(same time she really hurt her poor paw). It's too large for me to remove on my own(don't feel comfortable pulling it out because it's so big), so I'm taking her in tomorrow to get it removed. I'm wondering what I should be looking for with her behavior and all of that, to see if she may be sick from this or if it causes any problems. What are the symptoms for limes disease? Anything else I should be looking for? I think I want to ban my brother from taking the dog anywhere! lol.
We are going through a tick nightmare here in Sugar Land, Texas. They are all over my dog each time we make a potty trip outside. We use Advantix and it does not work. Neither does a commercial flea and tick mist. Some of the ticks are size of half an apple seed, others are huge, engorged. We do have deer in the area. I am going to call a pest control today and see if they can treat my lawn. This is a nightmare.
Her old medication didn't prevent or kill ticks and was purely to get rid of fleas, so I don't think she couldn't have built up a resistance to a new medication.
I keep checking her daily until hopefully all have been pulled off and killed. I just feel bad for my poor dog, as now she has tiny little scabs/bumps all over from tick removal, especially where that huge one was. :( Plus I don't want to keep pulling off ticks, that's not exactly something fun I look forward to. They would have to be in my backyard now because she keeps getting more. I've gone through her outside dog house looking for ticks(found one and killed it), looked through her indoor bed(found nothing), and just looked around the yard with no luck finding more.
I live in Southern California. She originally most likely got all the ticks while on a hike in the Chino Hills state park, but she's been getting a bunch continuously since then. We really don't have deer running around, but there are those large white colored ticks that look like deer ticks(don't know if that is what they are). Then we have the other small, regular sized ticks as well.
I keep checking her daily until hopefully all have been pulled off and killed. I just feel bad for my poor dog, as now she has tiny little scabs/bumps all over from tick removal, especially where that huge one was. :( Plus I don't want to keep pulling off ticks, that's not exactly something fun I look forward to. They would have to be in my backyard now because she keeps getting more. I've gone through her outside dog house looking for ticks(found one and killed it), looked through her indoor bed(found nothing), and just looked around the yard with no luck finding more.
I live in Southern California. She originally most likely got all the ticks while on a hike in the Chino Hills state park, but she's been getting a bunch continuously since then. We really don't have deer running around, but there are those large white colored ticks that look like deer ticks(don't know if that is what they are). Then we have the other small, regular sized ticks as well.
COMMUNITY LEADER
Gosh I don't know for sure. Where I live there are certain "hot-spots" for ticks that I tend to keep away from in the summer months, such as a couple of woods that I like to go in with my dog.
But one of the woods never used to have ticks. Now it has, and every time we go there she will get at least two or three on her. I check her over thoroughlybefore we even leave the field next to that woods, and take any off. They are easy to see on her as she is light coloured and short haired.
But you see, I believe that if a dog comes home with ticks and then shakes in the back yard, quite a number of them would end up in the grass there. And Ticks will just basically hang around in the grass till they find an animal to climb on.
They can creep around for quite a while, too, on the fur without biting or getting stuck to the skin. Quite a few times I've found a tick crawling on her in the evening when she's on her bed -hours after having been out!
They have increased in certain areas. And here, they have appeared where they never used to be. The fields near my house for example, never used to have ticks in them, now occasionally my dog picks them up even there.
In my case it could be the weather conditions (very warm very dry Springtimes)
There may be someone else who will post here with a much better idea than me about Tick prevention products. I just carry on removing them when I see them on her, simply because I am so wary about chemicals on my dog. And I do believe it's possible for the ticks to become resistant to the products.
Deer are the main carriers where I live (uk)
But one of the woods never used to have ticks. Now it has, and every time we go there she will get at least two or three on her. I check her over thoroughlybefore we even leave the field next to that woods, and take any off. They are easy to see on her as she is light coloured and short haired.
But you see, I believe that if a dog comes home with ticks and then shakes in the back yard, quite a number of them would end up in the grass there. And Ticks will just basically hang around in the grass till they find an animal to climb on.
They can creep around for quite a while, too, on the fur without biting or getting stuck to the skin. Quite a few times I've found a tick crawling on her in the evening when she's on her bed -hours after having been out!
They have increased in certain areas. And here, they have appeared where they never used to be. The fields near my house for example, never used to have ticks in them, now occasionally my dog picks them up even there.
In my case it could be the weather conditions (very warm very dry Springtimes)
There may be someone else who will post here with a much better idea than me about Tick prevention products. I just carry on removing them when I see them on her, simply because I am so wary about chemicals on my dog. And I do believe it's possible for the ticks to become resistant to the products.
Deer are the main carriers where I live (uk)
Thank you. I ended up pulling off the two ticks myself, but since those 2 that we found, she's had 5 more... in total(so far, we keep finding more as time goes on): 3 large, white colored deer ticks and 4 small, regular ticks. After I pull the ticks out, I give my dog a full body check. Pat her down and make sure there are no others. Yet a day or couple days later, she'll have another one. I don't know where they are coming from!?! Originally, we thought they were from the hike my brother took her on, as he dragged her through some bushes as a "short cut" to the next trail instead of just staying on the dirt path. But since she's been back and the original ones were removed, she keeps getting more. I trimmed her hair yesterday and found the 3rd large tick on her back right hind leg. Pulled that out, felt her down to make sure there were no others and gave her a bath. Well this morning, she had another small tick!! I don't think these are all from the hike? But then they would have to be from our own back yard? I don't know.
3 days ago, I put on the flea/tick medication(Advantage II) we bought and it's supposed to work, but she's had 2 ticks on her since applying the medication. I don't get what's going on. I've tried scouring the backyard looking, maybe for any dead animals or something that might be a carrier. We do get possums, raccoons, cats, rats, many birds, etc that have come through our backyard before, so the ticks can really be from anywhere. I really don't know what to do next. The medication isn't working and she keeps getting more and more. She's now used to the tick removal process and will let me just move her around and pull at her, but I hate having to keep removing ticks.
Any ideas on where the ticks may be coming from or what to do next?
3 days ago, I put on the flea/tick medication(Advantage II) we bought and it's supposed to work, but she's had 2 ticks on her since applying the medication. I don't get what's going on. I've tried scouring the backyard looking, maybe for any dead animals or something that might be a carrier. We do get possums, raccoons, cats, rats, many birds, etc that have come through our backyard before, so the ticks can really be from anywhere. I really don't know what to do next. The medication isn't working and she keeps getting more and more. She's now used to the tick removal process and will let me just move her around and pull at her, but I hate having to keep removing ticks.
Any ideas on where the ticks may be coming from or what to do next?
COMMUNITY LEADER
OK try not to be too worried or horrified at this. For a start, many ticks that do transmit Lyme disease are very very tiny. Also not all ticks carry Lyme disease.
A tick that has been feeding for a while will swell up a lot and look pretty gross. The longer they get to feed, the bigger they look.
It's wise that you decided to get the vet to remove this. If there is ever any doubt about how to take off a tick sucessfully, it's always better to get the vet to do it. If the head or mouth parts are left in, that can sometimes cause an abscess or infection. But if you are confident about removing ticks,it can easily be done at home with tweezers.
(Place the tweezers right up next to the dog's skin, right where the head of the tick meets its body, and pull straight out firmly and carefully. NEVER try to smother the tick in vaseline or burn it off with a cigarette, or anything else. NEVER squeeze the Tick's body. ALWAYS make sure the head is fully removed. ALWAYS bathe the area afterwards thoroughtly with aniseptic. Keep the tick in a jar because if a few weeks later your dog does develop any worrying symptoms, the tick can be tested for Lyme, so the treatment can be tailored. Unfortunately it is a fairly long course of antibiotics, but usually does cure it.)
I must remove at least 3 ticks a week from my dog and have had to do that for years. She has never developed Lyme disease or any worrying symptoms as a result. Nor did any antibodies for Lyme show up in her bloodwork when I had her tested.
Of course I know it does depend on where you live, and whether Lyme is present in your area. Occasionally there have been cases of Lyme in my area, but they are quite rare.
At a guess, I would say that most likely about 99% of the ticks here do not transmit Lyme.
It's always wise to fully check your dog for ticks after a walk in woods, or brush of any kind. Of course they are easier to see in a light haired or short-haired dog! Long black hair makes it harder to spot them. They look like tiny "money" spiders, but they walk slowly instead of running as spiders do. I always kill them by squishing them between my nails, then wash my hands well afterwards.
A tick comb is a good idea.
Also there are tick repellent products. Frontline will help, and is safe. I try not to put too many chemicals on my dog, but if the problem with ticks is very bad, or there is a lot of Lyme in your area, then it might be a wise move.
It is always better to get the tick off as soon as possible, as apparently it takes a while (even if the tick does happen to be infected) -for Lyme disease to be transmitted. It's said that if the tick is removed within 24 hours the chance of contracting the disease is almost nil.
A tick that has been feeding for a while will swell up a lot and look pretty gross. The longer they get to feed, the bigger they look.
It's wise that you decided to get the vet to remove this. If there is ever any doubt about how to take off a tick sucessfully, it's always better to get the vet to do it. If the head or mouth parts are left in, that can sometimes cause an abscess or infection. But if you are confident about removing ticks,it can easily be done at home with tweezers.
(Place the tweezers right up next to the dog's skin, right where the head of the tick meets its body, and pull straight out firmly and carefully. NEVER try to smother the tick in vaseline or burn it off with a cigarette, or anything else. NEVER squeeze the Tick's body. ALWAYS make sure the head is fully removed. ALWAYS bathe the area afterwards thoroughtly with aniseptic. Keep the tick in a jar because if a few weeks later your dog does develop any worrying symptoms, the tick can be tested for Lyme, so the treatment can be tailored. Unfortunately it is a fairly long course of antibiotics, but usually does cure it.)
I must remove at least 3 ticks a week from my dog and have had to do that for years. She has never developed Lyme disease or any worrying symptoms as a result. Nor did any antibodies for Lyme show up in her bloodwork when I had her tested.
Of course I know it does depend on where you live, and whether Lyme is present in your area. Occasionally there have been cases of Lyme in my area, but they are quite rare.
At a guess, I would say that most likely about 99% of the ticks here do not transmit Lyme.
It's always wise to fully check your dog for ticks after a walk in woods, or brush of any kind. Of course they are easier to see in a light haired or short-haired dog! Long black hair makes it harder to spot them. They look like tiny "money" spiders, but they walk slowly instead of running as spiders do. I always kill them by squishing them between my nails, then wash my hands well afterwards.
A tick comb is a good idea.
Also there are tick repellent products. Frontline will help, and is safe. I try not to put too many chemicals on my dog, but if the problem with ticks is very bad, or there is a lot of Lyme in your area, then it might be a wise move.
It is always better to get the tick off as soon as possible, as apparently it takes a while (even if the tick does happen to be infected) -for Lyme disease to be transmitted. It's said that if the tick is removed within 24 hours the chance of contracting the disease is almost nil.
I have never seen a tick that big in my life. I have removed small ticks from her before, but never seen anything of this size. She had another small tick on her hind leg that I found and I removed that one. But this big one is just huge. This is not my dog, but this is what the tick looks like(http://bensoncheng. files .wordpress.com/2010/03/itchtick_americandogtick_2.jpg - remove the spaces). I don't know what to do with that thing.
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