Help with how to check for ticks?

[IonaD]

Hi all,

More help and advice needed I’m afraid!!

Tick season has started here in Italy and I found Bella’s first one of the year last week completely by accident.

We use the Seresto collar which is for fleas and ticks but the odd one or two still seems to latch on.

Does anyone have any hints/tips that they can share on the best way to check for ticks or anything that they have found particularly useful for finding the little buggers 

Any help or advise is welcome as always.

Iona & Bella
x

[lescef]

I'm interested in any tips too. We've had three in the last week. I know some people check them over but if your dogs have a dark coat like mine how do they see them?! I've only ever seen one crawling on Bramble and that was on her white head!
I do run my hand over the areas they are likely to burrow but rarely feel one. Saw two on their muzzles this weekend but often I only see them once they've dropped off... I feel a bit guilty admiting that but the little b.... know where to hide!

[bizzylizzy]

We‘ve had several here in Germany too. I still find the best way is to just feel for them, I usually find them when we‘re having a cuddle in the evenings (which is why the tick tweezers and a packet of tissues are a permanent center piece on the coffee table in our house!  )
They seem to turn up more or less always in the same places as Humphrey picks them up in the undergrowth, so my first port of call are the ears, which is where I find the most, then down his chest and along his tummy. By the time he‘s been massaged all over, he‘s usually pretty chilled, so he doesn‘t put up much resistance and I can get them out without too much fuss!
I read an article just yesterday incidently, which claims that very few dogs actually become ill with Borreliose, most who have already been bitten are likely to be carrying antibodies already and unless they don‘t have very good immune systems for whatever reasons, its unlikely to cause any great problems. The article is based on research by a couple of renowned vet. colleges here. Obviously there are other diseases which can be spread but they reckon that the panic that exists here about Borreliose is unfounded.  Nevertheless I have bought a Scalibor collar for Humphrey this year as last year was a nightmare!

[Jaysmumagain]

Every year I worry about Ollie and the fact I never can see them with him being black, and the fool I made out of myself a few years back when I asked the vet if Ol had a tick embedded and found it was skin tissue build up by his micro chip!

I have used Advantix applied on his skin last few years, but resisted the vets Bravecto idea.

Would like to use a collar just wondering if it can cause problems to humans as Ollie is a very velco cocker and half the time he is either lying on me or in reach. At present he is lying head on my foot snoring.....quite loudly

[IonaD]

Phew!! I’m relieved I’m not the only one who struggles with this. When I have found them on Bella they have always been on her head. Last year I had to take her to the vets to remove them as I was too scared to do it myself...finally plucked up the courage to take this out out and I left the head in!!

Vet told me not to worry and Bella’s body would eventually work it out of her skin like a splinter (which is a good job as I can’t now find it through her mass of black hair).

We have had her hair cut shorter given the fact it’s getting warmer and hopefully to make ticks easier to spot.

The Seresto collar we use was recommended by the vets and seem to be very common out here. My understanding is that it’s not harmful to humans...at least we’ve been using them for over a year and I seem ok?!? This is with Bella sleeping on the bed and lying next to me on the sofa etc.

I did read somewhere that spraying your dog with apple cider vinegar before going on walks may help repel ticks...I’m open to trying anything.

[elaine.e]

I check my two over, by eye and hand, as soon as we get home from walks. That's the best time to find the little monsters as they'll probably still be strolling about and not yet attached. It's much easier on my orange roan boy with his pale coat than on my blue roan and tan, who has a lot of black in his coat.

[elaine.e]

The Seresto collar we use was recommended by the vets and seem to be very common out here. My understanding is that it’s not harmful to humans...at least we’ve been using them for over a year and I seem ok?!? This is with Bella sleeping on the bed and lying next to me on the sofa etc.

According to Noah Compendium, dogs wearing a Seresto collar should not be allowed to sleep in bed with people. http://www.noahcompendium.co.uk/?id=-446724

[IonaD]

Oh!! I mean she doesn’t sleep in the bed just on the bed...and not all night..I’ve not suffered any ill effects (yet).

Thank you for the heads up though and the tips of giving her a good check as soon as we come in.

[bizzylizzy]

There are advantages and disadvantages of all repellants, I finally decided on a collar as, should there be any adverse reaction, it can be removed whereas the spot-on liquids would presumably be more difficult. Disadvantage is that I have to remember to take it off if Humphrey goes into water. I haven‘t experienced any reaction myself and Humphrey‘s also a very „affectionate“ dog  , the scalibor doesn‘t smell unlike other ones I‘ve had in the past. (One of the collars shouldn‘t be used on cats I believe but not sure whether its seresto or scalibor  ).
I‘ve heard of all sorts of natural repellants, from cidre vinegar, to coconut all, black carraway seed oil is very popular here, then there are amber stone amulets which some people swear by, garlic etc etc but the problem with the oils is, not only are they a bit messy, they have to be constantly reapplied and I‘ve not personally found them to be much help. (I was removing up to 10 ticks a day arpund this time last year!) I hated the idea of using any sort of chemicals but weighing up the pro‘s and con‘s, I reckoned being infested with that many ticks over a longer period is probably doing more harm than a collar, but its a bit like being between the devil and the deep blue sea unfortunately! 
The easiest way to remove the little ***** is either with special tick tweezers or there‘s a little hook thing on the market now which is also very efficient (I got mine from the pharmacy).
 

[IonaD]

Are these the tick remover hook thingy that you mention?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/OTom-02-3785-Otom-Tick-Twister/dp/B0089BOK12/ref=zg_bs_471431031_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=WMRBVMRYT2DVXTN2XD2N

I’ve seen these mentioned on another post as being one of the best.

It really is a minefiled out there with all the information and do’s and dont’s of products when it comes to things like this.

[bizzylizzy]

Yes, those are them, they work really well. (Although they now tell you not to twist/turn them, I‘ve always done it like that, and I‘ve rarely had a problem)

[lescef]

Yes, those are them, they work really well. (Although they now tell you not to twist/turn them, I‘ve always done it like that, and I‘ve rarely had a problem)

So how do they recommend to use them now - just pull?

[Jaysmumagain]

While I have never used it....folks say Billy No Mates herbal remedy is great, you add it to daily food.

With me I forget to add the salmon oil many a day - so how I would go on with something else

[bizzylizzy]

Yes, those are them, they work really well. (Although they now tell you not to twist/turn them, I‘ve always done it like that, and I‘ve rarely had a problem)

So how do they recommend to use them now - just pull?

Yes, that‘s what it said on mine, but I still twist them, can‘t see what difference it makes TBH, but they always have to make a science out of everything these days! 

[Mari]

The o'tom is my favourite tool! Use it on myself and my dog when we get ticks. And we do occasionally get ticks unfortunately, because we live in an area where there are a lot of them. It works really well, the ticks let go when you twist them. Maybe it's better to pull them without twisting, but I think the main thing is not to squeeze them or kill them before removal.

I have used repellants previous years on my dog. I feel like exspot works well, at least for three weeks after applying it. Even with a dog that loves swimming. I just have to make sure she doesn't go swimming the first day to make sure the spot-on has a chance to absorb into the skin. I also feel safe using it as very little actually gets into the body, most of it stops in the fat under the skin. This year I am trying tablets instead. Nexgard. So far the effect has been good, Laurië had a few ticks the first week, but none (that I have seen) since. Which is very strange since it is not a repellant, could be a coincidence. Either way, the ones I did find died and dropped off like they were supposed to.

Finding them before they start feeding seems impossible to me. Short coat helps. And I've noticed that they "surface" if I shower the dog after a walk. Sometimes I'll find one when brushing after a walk. But I usually find them after they've fed a day or two, yuck! I think repellants are the best options for avoiding ticks.