Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2007 11:43 am Post subject: what do you do about tics...
Tic's,, i have a few questions about tics,
what do they look like?
how do i know if zak has them?
how do i find them amongst all this black fur,
how do you keep your dog still while your looking?
what do you to get rid of them?
and finally
is it best to use a preventative measure to avoid them?
sorry its a bit long, zak is doing lots of running in the fields and long grass at the moment, its a bit hard to avoid round here, and i have noticed a few crusty type spots on his head 3 right on top and 1 just behind his ear, they don't seem to be bothering him, unless i am trying to get a close look, then he just wont deep still till i stop, i don't know if they are tics or just spots, i would be glad of your help and opinions,
Hi I just googled it and clicked on images and nearly threw up it's horrible i did find this though:
Ticks seem to be the product of one of Nature's foul moods. A real little nasty critter, it hides out in grass and catches the unsuspecting passerby. Crawling up to bare skin, or digging for it, if you're a dog, the tick will bury it's head under the skin layer and proceed to drink all the blood it can get.
If you live in tick-country, a daily check during the summer season is essential. Rub your hands all over your dog's body, and your fingers through his fur, applying pressure, enough that you can feel any abnormalities in the skin. If you feel a small lump, pull the fur apart to investigate it further. An embedded tick will look like a small black or brown pimple, sometimes flat-ish, depending on location, and sometimes legs are visible.
How to Remove a Tick
You've located the little vampire and now you need to get him out of your dog.
1. Pull the surrounding hairs away from the ticks body.
2. Take the tweezers and grasp the tick as close to the buried head as you can possibly get.
3. Do not squeeze, but pull gently up and away from the dog, slowly to be sure not to break off the head of the tick.
4. Toss tick in toilet and flush. Wash your hands and your dog's skin with anti-bacterial soap.
If you suspect you may have left a piece of tick still embedded under your pet's skin, please seek veterinary care immediately. The resulting infections could be horrible, and ticks carry a plethora of nasty diseases.
thankyou Alison, that was most gruesome, following your lead i also googled it and clicked on images, just wish i had waited till after my lunch had settled a bit, OH and i will be closely investigating the spots we found on zak tonight, and off to the vets tomorrow if need be, hopefully they are not ticks, but there is plenty of long grass and sheep round here so better make sure,
You can buy specialist tick removers from the vets and pet shops - I have one but have never used it (thankfully!)
I think that you have to twist round when removing the beastie or else it tends to leave its head behind - yeukkk
I think that you should be able to persuade the verterinary nurses to remove them for you as well.... my preferred option I think, but then I was always a born coward!!!
You're lucky in the UK.
In Australia our ticks paralyse and kill dogs every day
I had to put down one of my dogs once because although I'd suspected a tick due to coordination issues, I'd checked all over and couldn't find it... 2 days later we found Sharma under a building immobile and struggling to breathe... that was the absolute hardest thing I have ever done in my life. I lived on an island, there was no vet, so I had to take care of things myself
The best tip ever for ticks?
Keep a bottle of cheap/old aftershave around. Put a capful of this on the tick, and it will usually back right out itself, so no need for you to remove it with tweezers (it's soooooo easy to leave the head inside when you remove ticks with tweezers!).
I've used aftershave on ticks successfully in the past.
But just like everything, prevention is far better than cure... we use Frontline to protect against ticks, it gives 1 month tick protection and 2 months flea protection, so in summer we dose monthly.
To avoide any of the nasty illnesses that ticks can spit out into the blood stream, it is recommended that they are removed with a tick hook or tweezers. If you smother, frontline or otherwise kill or discourage them while they are attached to their host they can regurgitate as they breathe their last
The incidence of Lymes Disease is rising, and its something everyone should be aware off, particularly those at risk such as sheep farmers, gamekeepers, shooters/beaters and hill walkers.
Tic hooks are fantastic Ruby has had 3 tics - first time I did the tweezers and left the head in so vet had to get it out. Next one the tic hook is sooo easy even with a wriggling pup. We walk in forests heavily populated by deer so I am surprised she doesnt get more. I frontline every 4 weeks too
Oooh Sadie gets lots of ticks, its mainly the areas we walk her where she picks them up, so we've kinda stopped walking her in those areas, but she still gets them
We use the tick tool, green plastic thing, its great, you twist them anticlockwise and it pulls them right out!
I'm constantly checking her, especially round her face and neck area, this is where she tends to pick them up the most!
Here's the link showing it..
[quote="_joanne_"]All great advice there for you Sheila.
Now here is the offending beast:
thanx for that jo, i nearlly threw up but at least i know what i am looking for, as the great coward that i am, i am waiting for OH to come home tonight before we tackle anything nasty, thats if they are ticks
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just wish i had waited till after my lunch had settled a bit, OH and i will be closely investigating the spots we found on zak tonight, and off to the vets tomorrow if need be, hopefully they are not ticks, but there is plenty of long grass and sheep round here so better make sure,
