Ticks

[sam09]

Watch out folks these wee blighters are out in force. Check yourselves and pets for them after a walk.

If Found, If no tools are available, rather than delay use a cotton thread. Tie a single loop of cotton around the tick’s mouthparts, as close to the skin as possible, then pull upwards and outwards without twisting. DO start by cleansing the tweezers/tool with antiseptic. After tick removal, cleanse the bite site and the tool with antiseptic.
DO wash hands thoroughly afterwards.
DO save the tick in a container in case a doctor asks for evidence that you have been bitten (label it with date and location).
DO NOT squeeze the body of the tick, as this may cause the head and body to separate, leaving the head embedded in your skin.
DO NOT use your fingernails to remove a tick. Infection can enter via any breaks in your skin, e.g. close to the fingernail.
DO NOT crush the tick’s body, as this may cause it to regurgitate its infected stomach contents into the bite wound.

DO NOT try to burn the tick off, apply petroleum jelly, nail polish or any other chemical. Any of these methods can cause discomfort to the tick, resulting in regurgitation, or saliva release.


Alternatively, kill the tick by crushing it and flushing it down the toilet, or by folding it in a strip of sticky tape and placing it in the waste. Be aware that engorged ticks will contain potentially infected blood, which may splatter when crushed. Do not crush the tick with your fingers and do not allow the crushed tick or the blood it carried to contact your skin.

The tick that generally bites humans can be as small as a poppy seed or full stop on this page. Small children are generally bitten above the waist—check their hairline and scalp. Do NOT use eyebrow tweezers to remove a tick as this may squash it. Use a proper tick removal tool.

[Kevin Milkins]

Thank you for the heads up sam09, some useful tips to rid these unpleasant little critters.

[Dadie]

Been bitten already...piriton..paracetamol..antiboitics...sigh !
Autan bought and will be used as a detterent.
Wristbands impregnated with DEET obtained.
Prevention measures.
Apply insect reppellant with DEET.
Wear long sleeved tops tucked into trousers with a belt.. Trousers tucked into socks.
Stop and check and brush off clothing regulary to get rid of crawlers.
If possible change your clothes after the walk and bag them to be washed at 60 deg when you get home.
When you get home check yourself all over....and have a bath/shower.
Check again over the next couple of days....
Tick hooks can be bought at the vets.
Tick lasso was bought at Horsing around.
Saw a you tube video on how to remove ticks with a moistened q tip ...you roll the tick anticlockwise and it drops off.

[raymac]

http://www.otom.com/how-to-remove-a-tick This is what we use.

[George Brims]

That thing looks good Raymac. Does it come in a larger size? Don't think it would have handled the last one we took out of the dog!

[Dadie]

You get a pack of 2 at the vets.
A smaller one and a larger one!
The smaller one is a bit big for tiny ticks but they do work well!

[Lavenderblue2]

Poppy, my nine year old Bichon had been rubbing her bottom for a couple of days. Yesterday I found a tick embedded in the rim of her anus!! Poor thing, luckily I have a hook as seen in raymac's post and removed it post haste... dirty little blighters. [evil]

[sam09]

Watch out folks these wee blighters are out in force. Check yourselves and pets for them after a walk.

If Found, If no tools are available, rather than delay use a cotton thread. Tie a single loop of cotton around the tick’s mouthparts, as close to the skin as possible, then pull upwards and outwards without twisting. DO start by cleansing the tweezers/tool with antiseptic. After tick removal, cleanse the bite site and the tool with antiseptic.
DO wash hands thoroughly afterwards.
DO save the tick in a container in case a doctor asks for evidence that you have been bitten (label it with date and location).
DO NOT squeeze the body of the tick, as this may cause the head and body to separate, leaving the head embedded in your skin.
DO NOT use your fingernails to remove a tick. Infection can enter via any breaks in your skin, e.g. close to the fingernail.
DO NOT crush the tick’s body, as this may cause it to regurgitate its infected stomach contents into the bite wound.

DO NOT try to burn the tick off, apply petroleum jelly, nail polish or any other chemical. Any of these methods can cause discomfort to the tick, resulting in regurgitation, or saliva release.


Alternatively, kill the tick by crushing it and flushing it down the toilet, or by folding it in a strip of sticky tape and placing it in the waste. Be aware that engorged ticks will contain potentially infected blood, which may splatter when crushed. Do not crush the tick with your fingers and do not allow the crushed tick or the blood it carried to contact your skin.

The tick that generally bites humans can be as small as a poppy seed or full stop on this page. Small children are generally bitten above the waist—check their hairline and scalp. Do NOT use eyebrow tweezers to remove a tick as this may squash it. Use a proper tick removal tool.


They are back with ever increasing numbers

[Green_not_greed]

Watch out folks these wee blighters are out in force. Check yourselves and pets for them after a walk.

If Found, If no tools are available, rather than delay use a cotton thread. Tie a single loop of cotton around the tick’s mouthparts, as close to the skin as possible, then pull upwards and outwards without twisting. DO start by cleansing the tweezers/tool with antiseptic. After tick removal, cleanse the bite site and the tool with antiseptic.
DO wash hands thoroughly afterwards.
DO save the tick in a container in case a doctor asks for evidence that you have been bitten (label it with date and location).
DO NOT squeeze the body of the tick, as this may cause the head and body to separate, leaving the head embedded in your skin.
DO NOT use your fingernails to remove a tick. Infection can enter via any breaks in your skin, e.g. close to the fingernail.
DO NOT crush the tick’s body, as this may cause it to regurgitate its infected stomach contents into the bite wound.

DO NOT try to burn the tick off, apply petroleum jelly, nail polish or any other chemical. Any of these methods can cause discomfort to the tick, resulting in regurgitation, or saliva release.


Alternatively, kill the tick by crushing it and flushing it down the toilet, or by folding it in a strip of sticky tape and placing it in the waste. Be aware that engorged ticks will contain potentially infected blood, which may splatter when crushed. Do not crush the tick with your fingers and do not allow the crushed tick or the blood it carried to contact your skin.

The tick that generally bites humans can be as small as a poppy seed or full stop on this page. Small children are generally bitten above the waist—check their hairline and scalp. Do NOT use eyebrow tweezers to remove a tick as this may squash it. Use a proper tick removal tool.

Good advice and yes they are out in force! I've taken about a dozen off the cat so far this year - 2 large ones off his face in the past week :(

[sam09]

Further medical advice is to insist on a blood test for Lyme disease. Don`t be put off by any doctor, insist on this being done. Its for your own safety.

[SteveMarquis]

This device seemed to work well for me recently
http://www.tickcard.co.uk/
All the other types failed.
I'm holding off on a blood test as advised that there is no need if the tell-tale bulls-eye doesn't show up within a couple of weeks. The bite shows red, surrounded by lighter coloured skin and that surrounded by another red ring. I'm keeping a daily./nightly eye on it.
I had the team at Thurso Hospital remove it and they tried several methods and the card was by far and away the better option for me.

[gunnlass]

We have been using Bravecto for the dogs, although expensive does last the three months.

[Fulmar]

I ordered the tick card only yesterday and it came in the post today so well pleased!

[Kevin Milkins]

I got a pair of "Twisters" from the vet as this year seems to have been bad for ticks with our two Boxers. Mrs M likes using them as she is very sadistic, but at least she leaves me alone now looking for black heads to squeeze.

[SteveMarquis]

Here's a bit on ticks from the guardian (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/aug/22/ticks-lyme-disease-matt-dawson-harm)

[sam09]

Here's a bit on ticks from the guardian (https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/aug/22/ticks-lyme-disease-matt-dawson-harm)

Thanks for that Steve. Good reading and advice for all. I would still advise a course of antibiotics if bitten by a tick. Too late when symptoms show.

[sam09]

Ticks are in ever increasing numbers again this year. Take care and check yourselves and your pets.

[iain]

Get a blood test. You can have Lymes with no rash,I know as I tested positive,don't wait until you feel unwell as it's not a lot of fun!!!

[sam09]

Well said Iain. Insist on blood test always. It is to late when bullseye appears.

[sam09]

The media are at last covering the rise in Tick population and there are is a lot of medical research now going on about Lymes Disease.

[sam09]

Later Signs and Symptoms (days to months after tick bite)


Severe headaches and neck stiffness.
Additional EM rashes on other areas of the body.
Arthritis with severe joint pain and swelling, particularly the knees and other large joints.
Facial palsy (loss of muscle tone or droop on one or both sides of the face)

. (https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/signs_symptoms/index.html)

[sam09]

Ticks this year are in ever increasing numbers.

[dragonfly]

Been pulling them off my dogs for the last 2 days now after a visit to Dunnet Forest! Dosed them with Bravecto so hopefully the little blighters will die if they latch on now

[sam09]

Ticks this year are in ever increasing numbers.



Lyme disease is common throughout most of the world. There are now more than 10,000 medical papers on Lyme. But even as the knowledge surrounding this infection by the Borrelia burgdorferi spirochete (one of a family of corkscrew shaped bacterium) increases, there remain many unanswered questions about this disease. Lyme is spread by the bite of infected ticks of the genus Ixodes. Host animals include deer, mice and other mammals as well as birds.The symptoms of Lyme mimic over 200 other conditions and it is often misdiagnosed as rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, lupus, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and even some psychiatric disorders.
Blood tests for Lyme are notoriously unreliable (JAMA, 1992; 268: 891-5; Ann Intern Med, 1991; 115: 533-9), and a negative test cannot fully rule out infection. A better diagnosis can probably be made on the basis of careful assessment of symptoms and patient history (Arch Intern Med, 1990; 150: 761-3; Clin Courier, 1991; 9: 5-8). But even here you should not necessarily let yourself be satisfied by an "all clear" or an alternative diagnosis. In a small, informal study by the American Lyme Disease Alliance, 90 per cent of those diagnosed with CFS actually had Lyme disease.
Initially, it was thought that 75 per cent or more of those with Lyme would initially produce a round red rash. Now we know that the rash neither has to be red nor round and that the figure is closer to 50 per cent. In one study in Finland, only 16 per cent had the rash (Ann Med, 1993, 25: 349-52).
The most common and disturbing symptoms are those which affect the nervous system. Hands, fingers, feet and toes may twitch or go numb again and again, even though they may appear to be normal on examination. Vision can become blurred, and sharp electric pains may suddenly rip through the body.
The most common treatment, with long term antibiotics, has other implications for an already compromised immune system (WDDTY vol 8, no 1) and is unreliable. The FDA has not approved any drug for the treatment of Lyme disease and the dose and type of antibiotic which you are likely to receive varies wildly from physician to physician.
Several studies have shown that the Lyme disease bacteria can be present, without producing symptoms, in the spinal fluid of individuals who have been "cured" by aggressive antibiotic treatment (Infection, 1989; 17: 355-8; J Clin Microbiol, 1993; Aug: 61-63) and that symptoms can persist even after therapy (Ann Intern Med, 1994; 121: 560-7; Antimicrob Agents Chemother, 1995; 39: 1127-33; Clin Infect Dis, 1995; 21: 380-9; J Am Acad Dermatol, 1993; 28: 312-4; Eur Neurol, 1995; 35: 113-7).
Another problem with antibiotic treatment is that a two week course of oral antibiotics, given for instance on a just in case basis, is thought to be enough to cause a Lyme positive patient to test false negative for the rest of his or her life.
One question which has not been asked is why some become symptom free even if the spirochete remains in their bodies and others don't. It seems reasonable that genetic factors and the overall health of the immune system play an important part. So while there are no specific alternative remedies for Lyme disease, you can help yourself greatly by supporting your immune system, especially with supplements of copper, evening primrose oil, vitamin C and pycnogenol and by increasing your garlic intake. Herbal remedies which enhance immunity include echinacea, golden seal, alfalfa, dandelion root, Oregon grape and milk thistle.
WDDTY panellist Patrick Kingsley also recommends that a homeopathic treatment with Borrellia burgdorferi may be of benefit but cautions that, as with antibiotics treatment, improvement will often be slow and treatment may need to last for 40-60 days. In addition, aconite is indicated when your symptoms include fever; rhus tox for rheumatic symptoms; and ledum for joint and muscular pain

[Bill Fernie]

An NHS Guide to Ticks and Lyme Disease can be found at https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/infections-and-poisoning/lyme-disease

See also https://www.nhs.uk/news/medical-practice/concern-about-rise-in-uk-lyme-disease-cases/#what-is-lyme-disease

[Bill Fernie]

A short film about using a tick remover https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0ow_yWLZoM

[Kevin Milkins]

This year seems to have been particularly prolific for ticks and we have been removing them from our three Boxer dogs on a daily basis, we treated them with some stuff we got from the vets about three weeks ago and haven't had one since.

[sam09]

Whilst bringing in my washing the other day I found 7 Ticks stuck to it. Check your washing when you bring it in and always treat your pets monthly.

[mi16]

I like do give my dog a treat most days.
He is a good boy

[sam09]

I like do give my dog a treat most days.
He is a good boy


Likewise Mi6. L.O.L.

Not treating your pets for fleas and ticks every month is asking for problems, this year there seems to be more of the little blighters. America is reporting a great upsurge in tick bourne diseases.

[mi16]

Likewise Mi6. L.O.L.

Not treating your pets for fleas and ticks every month is asking for problems, this year there seems to be more of the little blighters. America is reporting a great upsurge in tick bourne diseases.

I get a tick treatment tablets from the vest that last 3 months, a big chink of a thing that he hates to swallow but its done, then some drontal for the fleas and job done.

[Bill Fernie]

Rare tick-borne infections diagnosed in England

Public Health England (PHE) calls for people to be tick aware as the first case of a babesiosis is diagnosed in England.

Public Health England (PHE) can confirm the diagnosis of a case of babesiosis and a probable case of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) in England. This is the first record of a UK-acquired case of babesiosis and the second case of TBE being acquired in the UK.

Babesiosis is caused by a parasite which infects red blood cells whilst TBE is a viral infection that affects the central nervous system. Both are rare infections spread by the bite from an infected tick.

Read the full article at https://caithness-business.co.uk/article/11443

[orkneycadian]

Arrrrgh! A probable case of a viral infection that affects the central nervous system? Right, shut everything down - Close the shops, offices, workplaces, schools, pubs. Lets just tell everyone to stay in their houses and wear masks. We cannot have yet another virus spreading around the country. We must take every step possible to eradicate this TBE virus, no matter how painful that may be to our economy or wellbeing.

Fortunately, ticks are not something we see that much of here on Orkney. Must be the wind that blows them away!

[Better Out Than In]

They believe that rise in number of ticks in UK is caused by the milder winters, allowing more of them to survive. So that part is self-inflicted by us humans. They also need food - so increased numbers of rodents, deer, dog-walkers all helps. The solution is easy. Stop burning fossil fuels, stop having children (or at least more than one), reduce the number of pets and bring back wolves and lions.

[dragonfly]

Think the rise in numbers of ticks is related to the stopping of dipping sheep. Sheep on the hills pick them up and then when they were dipped the blighters were killed off, now no dipping of sheep so number of ticks increasing