Ticks!!!!

[dragonfly]

My dogs have been picking up Ticks over the past couple of weeks (horrible yucky things!) but I haven't been taking them anywhere different to where I normally take them - around the river and along the beach - not many sheep on these walks for the ticks to live on. Have any other dog walkers noticed if their dogs have picked them up?

Also, how do you get rid of them :confused Know that once they are full you can twist them off (thinks its anti-clockwise twist) but would like to remove them before they gorge themselves on my mutts blood [evil]

[newpark]

I know of three methods and both work well.
1) Smother the tick in Vasaline this suffocates them and the will pull out easy or even drop out.
2) Do the same with nail varnish this also suffocates them.
3) Burn with match or fag end, they pop and you can pull the head out easily.

[sweetpea]

:) I used to get them when I was a bairn on the back of my legs (haking about the long grass in fields)LOL. My mum used to get them out by turning them anti-clockwise, I think you need to get a good grip on them. She did the fag trick with dogs to seal it after, but thankfully not on me.

[flash]

vasaline works well, leave it for about half an hour, if you are going to pull them out, lift the ticks body first so that its back is against the dog ( this opens its jaws a wee bit) then twist, I normally go clockwise. Be carefull not to squeeze the tick otherwise you can put partially digested blood back into your dog. Failing that, you can buy a tick remover from the vets or pet shop. excellant things for prising the little blighters off.

Carefull if you get any ticks on yourself, they can carry limes desease if left for long enough

[dragonfly]

cheers all, think after reading Flash's post I'll head to the Pet shop and see what they have for removing them :confused

I've had dogs for over 10 years and have never had a tick until now (Mum's dogs used to get them and she used the fag on the tick method) - is it cos the seasons are getting milder they are around longer and moving into new areas????

[Saxo01]

One of my dogs had a tick just above her eye a few days ago, I took her to the vet as i was unsure & had heard that the head of the tick can still be imbedded after its pulled out, Cost me £20 for them to tell me yes it looks like she's had a tick but at least i know for again, Frontline tick & flea treatment is recommended for prevention of the horrible things

[buggyracer]

use frontline, protects your dog from ticks and fleas etc for 3-4 months.

you can get spray on or spot on.

[Murchiemannie]

You can also use margarine or if you can spare it any form of spirits..Iv'e used whiskey and it does work, but to be on the safe side about August every year get frontline from the vet it's better to be sure than sorry because if you don't spot it right away the poor dog will scratch himself silly and can become infested.
I found if the dog was in long grass or ferns (they cling to the underside of ferns) after a downpour of rain that is when they tend to fix themselves to the dogs.
Good luck with the treatments and hope pooch is OK.

[pat]

My dog had one a year ago, I used tea tree oil and it just dropped off.

[chaz]

we use nail varnish , it works a treat :) and not a treat for the tick[lol]

[dragonfly]

been to the vets and bought tick remover and frontline so should hopefully be covered against further attacks, kids ran screaming from the room once I had pulled the fattest one off and placed it on a bit of kitchen paper, great big reddish brown lump crawling around looking for another source of dinner! [disgust]

[sweetpea]

Isn't nature wonderful? It's years since I've seen one but I remember them a bit like the film alien, throbbing and wanting to burst out. How do they come about? Are they like a maggot?

[emszxr]

you should try living here then, you cant move with out getting a tick. my 2 year old has had loads this year and the dogs and cats always get them. i am forever pulling them off them.

[lauraspetportraits]

I'm used to ticks, both my Springers got them all the time down in Wiltshire, the most i've taken off at any one time is 7!! I just take hold of them gently, then twist (i go clockwise), they make a satisfying pop noise when they come out :confused !!
You have to be careful to get all of it out though, if you leave the head in it can get infected. You can get special tick remover thingys from the vets and probably pet shop, and frontline if used monthly makes them fall off, but it doesn't stop them attaching themselves in the first place.
The grossest thing is when they've had their fill and fall off and the first time you discover it is coz you've just squashed it on the carpet [disgust]

Laura
--x--

[dragonfly]

Laura, thats gross!!!!!

:eek:

[saffy100]

Hi

My dog had 2 a couple of months ago, i tried Vaseline but it didn't seem to take effect so i dowsed it in whisky, dead by morning...!!!! and i didn't even need to pull or twist, it must have got drunk and let go...lol

Saffy100

[danc1ngwitch]

Wow! I;V learned alot about removal O Ticks.. from reading this .. ty.

[_Ju_]

My dogs have been picking up Ticks over the past couple of weeks (horrible yucky things!) but I haven't been taking them anywhere different to where I normally take them - around the river and along the beach - not many sheep on these walks for the ticks to live on. Have any other dog walkers noticed if their dogs have picked them up?

Also, how do you get rid of them :confused Know that once they are full you can twist them off (thinks its anti-clockwise twist) but would like to remove them before they gorge themselves on my mutts blood [evil]

Clockwise or anti-clockwise, it doesn't matter, as long as you twist the before taking them off( so their mouth pieces let go and don't stay in the skin, where they can provoke foreign body reactions). They do not need to be full, you just have to be able to grip them properly with tweezer or fingers. Some people advocate making them dizzy with a bit of alcohol on some cotton wool before taking them off. I don't find it to make a difference. What you can and should do is apply something like frontline spot-on to stop them from getting the ticks. Your vet should have it. Remember to FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS ( ie: do not give a bath 48 to 72 hours before or 24 hours after applying, or else it will NOT work. )