Ticks

JohnG28 · September 18, 2014, 05:34:29 PM

Hi all, just wondering if anyone with experience with dogs and ticks has any advice. I found a tick on myself a couple months back after coming in from the back yard one day. Been pretty leery of them since. Check my pup about every time we go out there. Well today there was something on his belly when we came in, but before I could grab it it jumped away. So I start going over him with a flashlight and see the little bugger again. Thought I had it for sure but had empty fingers and now can't find it anywhere on the dog. Went through him with a pretty fine comb and still nothing. Also out on his flea/tick repellent/killer for the month after seeing it, although this treatment is probably a few weeks late. :( Anyway, got me worried that I missed it or its in the house now, one or the other. Any advice is appreciated, we have only had the dog about a year and he's our first dog, just don't want anything to happen to him! Going to the vet tomorrow just in case too. Thanks!

Den Socling · September 18, 2014, 06:07:18 PM

We were using one of those long lasting lotions that you put on the back of the neck. That didn't work. The groomer found a bunch of fleas. She advised a special and expensive collar that you can buy from a vet. I think it was about $60 but will last a year or so. Apparently, it works.

gspren · September 18, 2014, 06:14:38 PM

It sounds more like a flea, ticks aren't very fast.

Den Socling · September 18, 2014, 06:22:31 PM

I was going to say that, too. It's not hard to grab an attached tick but you don't want to do that. The head can pull off and stays embedded in the skin and that can lead to infection. You need a tick twister that gets under the mouth parts and twists the little monster loose.

sandhills · September 18, 2014, 06:38:58 PM

We use Frontline on our dogs, it works good here but other areas may vary. I think we've applied it twice now this summer, if we get behind or it wears off it's easy to tell, nothing to find 4 or 5 ticks on one of our outdoor dogs. And yes ticks aren't fast, think you were probably chasing something else.

Den Socling · September 18, 2014, 06:42:14 PM

yeah, Frontline is what we were using. And fleas are impossible to grab.

BradMarks · September 18, 2014, 06:55:59 PM

Try using the search engine at the top of page, lots of discussion on this. Fleas and ticks, entire Forum, search.

JohnG28 · September 18, 2014, 08:12:51 PM

Well I did a search, it now brings up this topic when I search ticks, so I guess now there's something to search. I didn't get a good look because it was moving as I said, and wasn't black as I'd seen before, but looked black and yellow/yellowish brown. Google search brought up something similar looking as a tick also so thought it was just a different one. Wood tick? I use the frontline also, liquid on back of neck each month during summer spring and full-we have wooded area behind the house and camp up in Adks in the woods. Had heard about collar from my buddy too so maybe I'll look at them again. Had one when he was a puppy but he's little over 1 now and was told the liquid was better for them. Thanks for the replies so far.

sandhills · September 18, 2014, 09:43:33 PM

Alright, now we need to see a picture of him, with a name of coarse

. I know there's different kinds of ticks around the country but the ones we have around here we don't worry about too much, I've probably pulled ten off me this summer, and a few off the dogs when we got behind on the frontline. Why do people find it odd that I know people's pet's names, children's names, so on and so fourth from the forum when I've never met them? :D

JohnG28 · September 18, 2014, 11:11:34 PM

Here's my boy. This picture was last fall when he was less than 6 months old. His name is Chibbs. He's a German Shepherd/Black Lab with a little hound in there. He's a great dog! Think I'm going to skip the vet in the morning for now, I think he's OK and whatever I was chasing was fast, so doubt a tick. Thanks for all the responses! ;D

JohnG28 · September 18, 2014, 11:16:00 PM

These are more recent.

Southside · September 18, 2014, 11:26:35 PM

Do a google search on Neem, it is a natural insect (flea / tick) repellent that you spray on. You can also use a dusting of diatomaceous earth on his coat, it is a natural wormer / insect killer. Basically it is a form of silica that has microscopic rough edges, the bug ingest it and rupture from the inside. As far as the Frontline goes, you can actually spread the treatment out to about 6 weeks rather than monthly and the results will be the same. Where we are ticks are a major issue, as in I have literally had to comb them off of me at times, and we use the above products on our 9 dogs. I also have about 150 guinea fowl and another 100 laying hens that free range across the farm to reduce the bug population overall.

Chibbs looks like he is pretty happy.

JohnG28 · September 18, 2014, 11:37:08 PM

Thanks. I tried to do it every 4-6 weeks this time of year, not much during the winter if at all. Yeah he's happy for sure! Note last 2 pictures being happy on couch and bed!

sandhills · September 19, 2014, 12:12:34 AM

I like Chibbs already, never met a dog I didn't like (old saying, well sort of anyway ;)). Thanks for putting up the photos, looks like he's as spoiled as ours!