Ticked off
Apr 14th 2011, 12:36 am
#1
Not actually a squirrel
Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2010
Location: England
Posts: 3,446
Ticked off
Have spent the past two days removing ticks from dogs. Had to learn how. Yeuch! Don't like it, particularly since they're indoors dogs.
Have since dosed dogs with anti-tick stuff but am told this may not be a cure all. Is that true? What is the likelihood they will get ticks if they're treated?
Tick advice please.
Have since dosed dogs with anti-tick stuff but am told this may not be a cure all. Is that true? What is the likelihood they will get ticks if they're treated?
Tick advice please.
Apr 14th 2011, 12:58 am
#2
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jun 2008
Location: Brisvegas
Posts: 5,461
Re: Ticked off
Have spent the past two days removing ticks from dogs. Had to learn how. Yeuch! Don't like it, particularly since they're indoors dogs.
Have since dosed dogs with anti-tick stuff but am told this may not be a cure all. Is that true? What is the likelihood they will get ticks if they're treated?
Tick advice please.
Have since dosed dogs with anti-tick stuff but am told this may not be a cure all. Is that true? What is the likelihood they will get ticks if they're treated?
Tick advice please.
With the flea and tick treatment stuff you have to use it fortnightly instead of monthly for full coverage apparently.
Apr 14th 2011, 4:27 am
#3
Gone Senile Member
Joined: Sep 2001
Location: Sydney
Posts: 3,014
Re: Ticked off
Tick and flea preventions can be good and we use them but still regularly check the dog for ticks. Not worth one getting through depending on dogs they can make the dog rather ill and the paralysis tick can be a killer.
Like other people have learnt to remove tick from the kids as much as the animals but had to do this also in the UK too after some camping trips.
Our dogs are fairly short haired (labs) and we groom regularly with short wire brushes so we see pretty quickly if they have anything attached remember to check underneath in leg joints and soft folds of skin (kids too
). The eldest did not appreciate the tick that attached itself to underneath his privates.
Like other people have learnt to remove tick from the kids as much as the animals but had to do this also in the UK too after some camping trips.
Our dogs are fairly short haired (labs) and we groom regularly with short wire brushes so we see pretty quickly if they have anything attached remember to check underneath in leg joints and soft folds of skin (kids too
). The eldest did not appreciate the tick that attached itself to underneath his privates.
Apr 14th 2011, 4:57 am
#5
...giving optimism a go?!
Joined: Jun 2007
Location: Brisbane (leafy, hilly western suburbs)
Posts: 2,202
Re: Ticked off
Ticks are killers - make no mistake.
Our dog has had 2 paralysis ticks in her life - the first had her hospitalised for 2 days and a $1000 bill. When we took her in to the the vet we couldnt see any tick - but she was unusually lethargic and just started to skid on the floor. We were told we did very well to spot the symptoms and any extra delay would likely have resulted in death.
The second time (some years later) the symptoms were even more subtle and once again we didnt see the tick. On this occassion the dog spent a week in hospital and racked up a bill of over $2000. The vet stayed with her throughout one night saying he really didnt think she'd survive as she kept stopping breathing so he had to jump up and resucitate her several times.
Suffice to say we are now extremely paranoid about ticks as we've been told in no uncertain terms that another would probably deliver a fatal dose before any symptoms whatsoever could be detected.
Frontline applied fortnightly will prevent ticks - but a cheaper and effective method is to use "Preventic" collars and remember to replace them ever 5 or 6 weeks.
I once picked up a tick on my arm in our garden when painting a fence and although it was removed within an hour or so of attaching I had a sore aching arm for a week afterwards (no wonder they have such a nasty effect on a dog that weighs less than a 10th of what I do) - they are EVIL little bastards!
Our dog has had 2 paralysis ticks in her life - the first had her hospitalised for 2 days and a $1000 bill. When we took her in to the the vet we couldnt see any tick - but she was unusually lethargic and just started to skid on the floor. We were told we did very well to spot the symptoms and any extra delay would likely have resulted in death.
The second time (some years later) the symptoms were even more subtle and once again we didnt see the tick. On this occassion the dog spent a week in hospital and racked up a bill of over $2000. The vet stayed with her throughout one night saying he really didnt think she'd survive as she kept stopping breathing so he had to jump up and resucitate her several times.
Suffice to say we are now extremely paranoid about ticks as we've been told in no uncertain terms that another would probably deliver a fatal dose before any symptoms whatsoever could be detected.
Frontline applied fortnightly will prevent ticks - but a cheaper and effective method is to use "Preventic" collars and remember to replace them ever 5 or 6 weeks.
I once picked up a tick on my arm in our garden when painting a fence and although it was removed within an hour or so of attaching I had a sore aching arm for a week afterwards (no wonder they have such a nasty effect on a dog that weighs less than a 10th of what I do) - they are EVIL little bastards!
Apr 14th 2011, 5:33 am
#6
Officially Bewildered
Joined: Nov 2006
Location: Blue Mountains, NSW
Posts: 5,523
Re: Ticked off
Our dogs are fairly short haired (labs) and we groom regularly with short wire brushes so we see pretty quickly if they have anything attached remember to check underneath in leg joints and soft folds of skin (kids too ). The eldest did not appreciate the tick that attached itself to underneath his privates.
). The eldest did not appreciate the tick that attached itself to underneath his privates.Like DadAgain, one of our labs picked up a paralysis tick (which was never found) and we were only aware of it when the symptoms showed - weak in his back legs, excessive drooling, louder than usual snoring. He almost died and was on a fortnightly tick preventative treatment AND was being checked regularly. They're bastard things.
All of ours, cats and dogs, also seem to be much more clingy when they've got a tick, as if they know there's something wrong and want you to make them better.
Apr 14th 2011, 8:09 am
#7
Not actually a squirrel
Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2010
Location: England
Posts: 3,446
Re: Ticked off
Wow, this is not good news... but thanks folks for the advice. Will keep my eyes on the dogs. One of them had a paralysis tick yesterday, but we noticed it very early so, fortunately, so far so good re symptoms.
They are terrible, aren't they?
They are terrible, aren't they?
Apr 14th 2011, 9:43 am
#8
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Dec 2003
Location: Gold Coast Hinterland
Posts: 2,359
Re: Ticked off
Horrible. We get bitten by them a lot. I can now recognise the feeling of a tick starting to bite within seconds, but it's still hard to pull them off and I still have a bad reaction no matter how fast I can zap them. We now keep a special tick removal kit ready at all times! (Mortein, tweezers, magnifying glass, StopItch and anti-histamine tablets)
Apr 14th 2011, 11:18 am
#9
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Feb 2009
Location: UK
Posts: 14,284
Re: Ticked off
My cat had a paralysis tick last November. I only recognised the symptons (wobbly back legs) because I read about it on here two weeks earlier, we were using preventative treatment. We took him to emergency vet at 1am in morning, if we had not gone then he probably would not have survived. He was in an oxygen tent for two days and the bill was extremely large.
He was always primarily a house cat, but just popped out once in a while. He won't be going outside again.
He was always primarily a house cat, but just popped out once in a while. He won't be going outside again.
