Just removed the first tick ever from Charlie - I'm sure I botched it up! And squished the thing while it was still attached! I kept it in a small box (it appears to be dead though :-[ ) in case Charlie falls ill and I have to show the vet the tick. I bathed the site with hibiscrub.... Darn it! So much easier when we were using advantix...he never got ticks all summer last year. I've checked him over, can't find more. I think he picked it up in the sand dunes this morning, it was on his face, so I noticed right away.
Re: Tick... We get a few ticks around our way because of the sheep. We tried using tweezers but have bought an O'Tom Tick Twister. Its what our vet uses and is so easy that even I can do it. There are instructions on You Tube.
Re: Tick... Murphy used to get loads of ticks when we went to Scotland or the lakes. For years I didn't know they could catch nasty things off ticks I just knew you had to be careful how you removed them to not leave the head in. He was never ill from a tick. Sometimes ignorance is bliss. : I'm sure Charlie will be fine Julie but I know you'll be worrying just incase. ???
Re: Tick... Have you got a tick remover hook, Julie? Without advantix my dogs would be covered in hundreds of ticks, where I live is prime tick country.
Re: Tick... I ordered a tick twister thing and it arrived - in London, after I left. Darn it. Have ordered 3 more! 3 seemed a good number to have. I've looked at the site with a magnifying glass (OH bought me a funny old fashioned one like a big lollypop but with a modern lens for Christmas, its come in surprisingly handy) and all I can see are tiny red marks. I'll keep a close watch on it. Heidrun - yes, I had Charlie on both advocate and advantix all last summer while we in Cornwall, but a new vet said that was too much to use all summer, but the advocate was necessary. He said drop the advantix, and just remove the ticks if any attach! : I've got advantix here, so I'll apply some tonight and then go back to the vet for a sort out of the various wormers and tick protection.
Re: Tick... You might find that your vet in Cornwall sells tick removers, mine does and we don't live in a tick infested place! So you could go and get one today ;D As the risk of Charlie having fleas, is virtually nil in my opinion of owning dogs for 43 years and the risk of getting ticks while you are in Cornwall, so far is 100%, I would stop the Advantage and take the Advantix. You could as your Cornwall vet what the incidence of lung worm is in Cornwall and make a decision.
Re: Tick... Yes, I can see if the local vets can sell me a tick thingy. I can drive through to the next town this evening (no vets here in the town I'm in). I use advocate for fleas, ear mites, lungworm protection and as a wormer, with drontal added for tapeworm. I'm not sure you worm on a schedule Stacia? (Sorry, can't remember if that's something you do, I know you don't like some of the routine drug prescriptions). So I would want to know that I had a programme, rather than just stopping the advocate. He isn't due any advocate for a bit though, so I can get back to my own vet for a review well before then.
Re: Tick... I'm sure he will be fine, just monitor for any signs of infection. I thought I botched a tick removal on one of my GSDs in my kennels but it ended up ok - he had one on his ear so I got the tick remover and set about taking it off, then horror of horrors there was blood everywhere!! Turned out I had burst the tick as I got it off! Ewwwwwwww. Obviously the worry because of that was that the head had been left behind but he had no ill effects after. I've had an afternoon session of removing ticks from a stray ferret - I think we got about 25 in total, all different sizes. Ferret was fine after.
Re: Tick... A stray ferret? Did you just think "that's a stray ferret - let's check for ticks"? What's the stray ferret story?
Re: Tick... This is totally anecdotal but a vet nurse once told me that you would be very,very unlucky for your dog to fall poorly with just one tick,i have nothing to back that up Julie but I tell you it to make you feel better,although I'm sure you got it all out ;D I need one of your magnifying glasses ( oh and a trip to the opticians to be honest!) Dexter had a little black mark on the soft bare skin around his groin last week,Chris and I couldn't tell what it was....was it a tick? Was it moving?was it a scratch?we just couldn't blummin see !My sister called in ( she's not a doggy person ) she got pulled in to the investigation,turns out she's as visually impaired as us ;D,I rang my friend....interviewed her first on the state of her eyesight and when satisfied she could see ;D asked her to nip over.....ridiculous state of affairs!It was a scratch,or a tiny little prick mark probably from a bougainvillea !x
Re: Tick... [quote author=Jane Martin link=topic=6855.msg93126#msg93126 date=1404468689] A stray ferret? Did you just think "that's a stray ferret - let's check for ticks"? What's the stray ferret story? [/quote] Hahaha when I worked at the first rescue centre I was at we took in stray dogs as well as stray cats and small animals, so rabbits, ferrets etc. someone brought in a ferret they had found and when we looked at it we saw it was covered in ticks so had obviously been straying for sometime, we showed it to our vet (all incoming animals have a full health check with a vet within their first 48hrs or sooner if it's obviously in a bad way). You would be surprised at the number of stray ferrets and rabbits that are found - most of them are obviously escapees but some must be dumped I suppose. Unfortunately not many people think about getting their rabbits and ferrets microchipped so it's virtually impossible to reunite lost ones without the owner coming up and having and having a look for it of their own accord.
Re: Tick... Don't worry, Julie, I'm sure he'll be ok. Here in Oz people who live on the coast (paralysis tick country) use Advantix every two weeks for half the year because that's the frequency needed to kill the kind of ticks that live in that area.
Re: Tick... Blech. I have put Advantix on my dog for the first time ever last night. I have owned two (three, I guess, including Simba) for a total of close to 25 years and have never used any flea/tick protection on them. But...he is going to the kennel today as we are off for the weekend to the mountains on a weekend holiday he can't join us on and in discussing with the vet he thought perhaps to use it if he is going to be in the kennels, etc this summer as there are some flea/ticks in the country due to the resident coyote/deer population. So...not sure I applied it right, his fur is a little shiny where I out it on so maybe that's wrong? Anyhow, not sure I will put it on again as I'm not convinced I need it, as I said. I have never had to pull a tick off a dog, even my collies who had lots of off lead walks roaming in the woods, etc and Simba, at this point, gets very little of that.
Re: Tick... JulieT, I sometimes walk with a vet and she confesses that she doesn't worm her dogs three monthly. I really think we can over medicate our dogs. I worm once a year unless I saw evidence of worms. If we had lung worm in this area, then of course I would use Advocate monthly, but until then I keep away from unnecessary medication. However, when I took my dogs for a holiday in Cornwall i did use a tick preventative,
Re: Tick... Thanks, Stacia, I prefer to have my dog on a regular worming programme. I'm sure the views of vets do vary, but I've not met one yet who recommends not, so I'll stick with that advice. I've had another good look, bathed all with hibiscrub and there is no sign of a problem, no lump or swelling, or rash. So far, phew, anyway. I'll keep an eye on it though.
Re: Tick... Do you worm yourself frequently? I am sorry, back on my soapbox again! I just get worried that these days dogs are getting far too many chemicals into their bodies when they don't need them.
Re: Tick... No, Stacia, I don't. Neither do I eat fox poo or dead mice, stick my nose in rotten seagulls, or walk along the street licking it. I do understand why you think the way you do. But faced with an army of vets saying otherwise, I'm going to go with their advice I'm afraid.
Re: Tick... [quote author=JulieT link=topic=6855.msg93242#msg93242 date=1404500978] No, Stacia, I don't. Neither do I eat fox poo or dead mice, stick my nose in rotten seagulls, or walk along the street licking it. [/quote] That's not what I heard standard practice in Cornwall! (Joking!!!)
