Ticks

Ticks are small, ectoparasitic arachnids which feed on blood. Typically, the inhabit areas of dense woodland, particularly near water sources and hardwood trees, which are likely to attract deer (one of the tick’s potential hosts). To latch onto a host, they will perform an act known as ‘questing’, in which they use their third and fourth pairs of legs to hold onto an object such as a plant stem and use their first pair of legs to grab hold of a passing animal. Once they have found a suitable feeding spot on their host, they will cut a small hole into the skin and ingest the blood.

If you walk your dog through areas inhabited with a high population of ticks, you should always check your dog’s fur and skin thoroughly when you get home to ensure that no ticks have attached themselves. As well as sucking your dog’s blood and potentially causing toxicosis and anaemia, they can also act as vectors for diseases such as Lyme Disease.  If an infestation is left untreated, other problems can occur in areas such as the nervous system, lymphatic system and immune system.

If you find a tick on your dog, a special tick-removing tool (available for purchase from most pet shops) can be used to effectively get rid of the tick. It often isn’t advised to use your fingers, as you may pull off the body of the tick whilst leaving the head embedded in your dog’s skin, which can lead to infections. If you don’t have a tick-removing tool, tweezers may be used – grab the tick as close to the skin as you possibly can and pull it away in an upwards movement, without twisting or crushing it. You should then disinfect the bite with a pet-safe solution. It is often recommended to store the removed tick in a safe area (such as a lidded jar) in case your dog develops a tick-borne illness, in which case the tick can be shown to your vet for identification.

Treatment for ticks also includes topical medication which can be used to treat both ticks and fleas.

Good post Eleanor.

I'd just mention that I'm told (never had to do it myself fortunately) that another way to remove ticks is to smother the horrible thing and surrounding area with a thick layer of Vaseline. The vile beast then can't breathe and lifts its head out of the dog's skin (don't know how long this takes) and can then be lifted safely off.

Thanks!

I'd actually heard that. Looked it up and apparently it doesn't work I'd believed it as well

ECdogs wrote:Thanks!

I'd actually heard that. Looked it up and apparently it doesn't work :lol:I'd believed it as well

Oh, bum.

Lovely little things, aren't they?

They are VILE. Viler than fleas even and make me feel sick. I came across many dogs in Greece who had them, and hope never to see one again   

Gotta say, I'm not squeamish, but ticks are nasty! Luckily, Dempsey's only ever had one that we know of.

LyndaW wrote:They are VILE.  Viler than fleas even and make me feel sick.  I came across many dogs in Greece who had them, and hope never to see one again   

Totally agree with you - horrid things!

 OMG if Billy even got one then I would be straight to the vets

I HATE CREEPIE CRAWLIES

  

We rescued a sick hedgehog once & one dropped off it......they are so totally vile! big bloated bodies with miniscule legs that they can't use when they've fed.  

Reviving this old thread, I heard today that dowsing the beastly thing in vodka makes it lift its head out of the dog's skin (don't know how long it takes to make the horrible thing drunk) and it can be then picked off and deleted.

Does anyone know if Advocate protects against ticks, as it does against fleas and other nasties that don't benefit the ecological system one iota?

I don't believe it does.

No, I don't think so.

I think it's Drontal Plus that does that?

No, I don't think this does either, Drontal is a wormer.

Tick prevention

From the above link:

Veterinary licensed tick-control products

There are a number of products licensed in the UK for tick control on companion animals:

ADVANTIX SPOT ON
CERTIFECT SPOT ON
FRONTLINE SPRAY & SPOT ON
PRAC-TIC SPOT ON
PROMERIS SPOT ON
SCALIBOR COLLARS
SERESTO COLLARS

Thanks everyone.

None of my dogs ever got ticks, and I hope they never will. Shudder.

Demps has only ever had one, thankfully, and he had a strange localised reaction to it. Each bite came up in a big, crusty lump. So it didn't take long to find the tick!