Ticks?

[Louies Mum]

I've just found a tick on my Louies head!!!  It's blacky/blue in colour and the site where it has latched on looks really bloody.  I feel really sorry for my poor little baby.  He doesn't even know why I am making such a fuss.  I normally give frontline every 2 months ( for fleas) but have just given it early( it was last given to him on the 4th March)

It says that it will kill it within 48 hours but I was wondering if I needed to make an appointment at the vets just in case?  I've never seen one before.  I don't want to risk taking it out myself incase I leave in the mouth part and cause more problems.

Help.  Thanks                    

[*Jay*]

Get yourself a plastic tick remover - that will whip the little blighter out without leaving the head in I tried smothering one in vaseline once as recommended by someone but it refused to die                    

[Louies Mum]

The plastic tick remover sounds just what I am looking for - Where can I get one from?

Thanks                    

[*Jay*]

You should be able to get one from a pet shop or your vets. The ones we use are called O'Tom Tick  Removers-they are dead easy to use, better than the fiddly metal tweezer like ones                    

[Anonymous]

making note for myself to buy one of these just in case I see a tick in the future...                      

[Dessie]

Another good way of getting rid of these horrible ticks is if you have the frontline in a spray put some on cotton wool and place the soaked cotton wool over the tick, should fall off very quickly.  I've also heard that using nail varnish remover is good, same principle as the frontline spray, putting it on cotton wool etc.

HTH

Dessie                    

[Shirley]

Help, it's Sunday in the back of beyond (no shops open) and I've just found a tick on Morgan   - it's quite big!
Should I try to get it off now or leave it until I get a tick remover tomorrow? - trust this to happen on a Sunday  
 

Has anyone tried the nail polish remover as suggested by Dessie?

I think it's irritating him 'cos he's not keen on letting us touch it - he's wriggling away if I go near it.     :-    

Any suggestions?                    

[*Jay*]

If its annoying him, I would try the nail polish remover. Not gonna do any harm so worth a go                    

[Shirley]

Thanks Gill

I tried the nail polish remover earlier on.  Soaked it for a few minutes and then left it.  The little blighter is still stuck fast, though.  I suppose we're stuck with the 'joy rider' till tomorrow now.   :-  At least I know what they look like now - ugly little suckers!!!!                    

[Jo W]

I just pull them off with tweezers - one quick swipe - I think if you fiddle with them, they hang on tight and that's when the mouth parts get left behind.  Then I put some tea tree antiseptic cream on the site  

I know that leaving ticks on can cause dogs to become sick but do left behind mouth parts actually cause a problem?  I've never heard of anything or experienced anything actually happening?                    

[Mike]

One of the diseases they can cause is Limes disease  

If you do use normal tweasers, it's recommended you give a twist as you pull out - helps to "unscrew" the tick and minimises leaving the head (and potential disease) behind. Frontline directly onto the tick is probably the best method, as it falls out naturally (when it's dead) so there isnt any risk of the head staying behind.                    

[Mary]

OK...maybe being a bit thick here but as having had no experience of ticks, just a few of questions:

Can they appear anywhere on the body or are they fussy and like particular areas

Where are they picked up from?

What would happen if they go unnoticed (or do they really irritate the dog so we get the warning signs) :-                    

[Jo W]

They're picked up in areas where sheep and deer graze, generally in spring through to autumn.   In my experience, they tend (but not always) to go for short-haired areas such as the head but I've found them on Amber's side before now.  I would check a dog over thoroughly after walking in tick-like places.  Left unnoticed, they can be fatal.  Warning signs are things like fever, lameness, loss of appetite, lethargy, depression, cough.  I think this occurs in extreme cases, I've only ever known of one dog getting sick and he was a big, long-haired GSD, so the ticks weren't easy to spot!

You can find out more at this site:  http://uk.merial.com/pet_owners/dogs/dog_flea.html but it is an advert for Frontline!                    

[Mary]

Thanks Jo....really interesting.  I shall make sure we check her over when we've done a country walk in future.
Would they be easy to feel                    

[Anonymous]

have been checking over Jessie for these after any rambly type walks as I just didn't know where she could pick them up, and I know of people who's dogs had them and they rarely left their gardens.  

think I might freak when I do actually find one though, but I have a large bottle of frontline here so they better beware *Swining frontline bottle like gun into imaginary holster* v