cjm

The vet says it's the wrong time of year, but this evening I have taken five well blooded ticks from our dog, on the ears, head and under the muzzle. She has not run wild in pasture, choralled in our garden. They were not there when we saw the vet apres midi.
Treatment is an intravenous anti-biotic, some tablets and a phial to put on her neck in a month (rather like Frontline I suspect).
Ticks were never an issue when we lived in a town, our rural aspect seems to have altered that.
Views welcome.

Ka Ora!

Cant avoid them, Pulled a few out of myself after strimming in the undergrowth. The Frontline stuff is pretty crap especially on me. Fleas are a big problem around these parts and they have become immune to the current brand of house bombs, Salt did the job last year lots of salt.

le plumber

Frontline seems to do the job for me, or should I say the dog. I use the spray rather than the "pipelette" - just have to keep the dog out of water for 48hours after treatment and all should be ok for a few months.

cjm

Perhaps the real world is a tad away from the clinique. Hear what you say. Will watch matters and respond as matters develop.

smithyandlisa

Our little treasure loves digging in the undergrowth. We frontline her regularly all year round. She still gets ticks, but by the time we remove them, with a great little gizmo the vet gave us, they are usually dead. They are poisoned before they get the chance to gorge themselves. We did have her checked out by the vet a few weeks ago after removing 22 ticks from her nose and forehead! She only weighs 5kg. She doesn't realise she is getting checked every day when she's lying on the sofa being spoiled rotten! For us ticks are almost an everyday occurence, all seasons. Personally I'd never seen them until we lived here. She picks up grey ones and red/brown ones. Horrible little things!!

cjm

In one sense your comments 'smithyandlisa' (I'm sure I knew a Smithy and Lisa back in UK, spooky) are reassuring that what we have been experiencing is not in isolation. It was the season aspect I found hard to accept. Ticks seem to live on many hosts, sheep, cows, also foxes and deer. Perhaps our inquisitive terrier is poking her nose into areas where, perhaps foxes, roam or live.
Having found several yesterday, have found two more we missed. I'll try and speak with some French neighbours who have dogs and see what their take is on the issue.
You are right though, a bit of fuss helps the inspection, but when she sees me picking up my glasses to get a better look suspicion starts to set in!

G-J-B

I'm not sure how I'm going to do my gardening with my mortal fear of insects. Yesterday a harmless cranefly got into the bathroom - the scene was pathetic! Ticks terrify me, and I'm thinking of buying one of those tick hooks whereby you can twist them out in one go, in preparation should I get attacked in the undergrowth! I'd much rather encounter snakes, rats or bats than ticks, spiders or craneflies.

Maybe ticks are on the increase - I've read about problems on several French forums recently.

cjm

I never thought ticks hit on humans, but a friend said when they lived in Britanny, she got covered, everywhere, even between her toes. Sorry, G-J-B, my wife is also alarmed when a crane fly comes dangling its legs round her, it doesn't help they seem to have no equilibrium or sense of direction.
Reptiles and vermin will run away, but insects just plough on.

dennerlymum

oh yes ticks are very keen on humans and carry viels? disease in certain areas so be careful!
our cats are always covered in ticks and even frontline only deters them for about a week; it,s just part of the country life!

Martin Parker

Yep, ticks are common on animals and humans that rummage about in the undergrowth!!

We have a little tick "puller" that we got when we lived in Germany, but I know they are available here as well.

I think the most common problem caused by ticks in humans is Lyme disease and although both my wife and I have been bitten in the past, we have yet to contract anything.

We had the same problem living on the west coast of Scotland - ticks are everywhere!!

Ka Ora!

Lyme disease would be a novel change Another trip to the infectious diseases dept would be fun I need my Rabies booster anyway.

cjm

Got two sizes tick puller. Aware of country issues not same as town, but never experienced this level of infection here or UK with several dogs. That Frontline is no good is a worry. Locals tend to use the spray, rather than pipette; also French neighbour has a 'tick' collar on his ex-chasse spaniel.

smithyandlisa

As I said in my earlier post, I do find the Frontline pipette kills them as soon as they bite, which obviously stops them gorging themselves and reduces the inflammation on the skin of the animal. Strange thing though, our dog has never had fleas. Maybe the ticks eat them all!!

G-J-B

A number of years back I read about a lady who was walking through the ferns of a park I used to frequent in the UK, and she got bitten by a tick, contracted Lyme disease, and has been disabled ever since. There's a multitude of contradiction on how to remove these things, and if you only have zero risk of problems if you remove them after 24 hours. I don't want to be checking myself over for ticks every night just because I've been out in the garden. Horrible little things!

Craneflies are an evolutionary abomination. They can't co-ordinate themselves as CJM says "no equilibrium or sense of direction". I can't sleep if there's one in the room - I can hear them bashing into the walks, and occasionally they'll fly into your face. I can't think the eco-system would be damaged if they were obliterated.

le plumber

I think Frontline kills fleas as well doesn't it?

By the way how do you go about looking for tiques on a dark furred dog?