Dutch Shepherd Forum

All,

Last weekend I spent 5 days in central Southern Illinois with the dogs in the Rend Lake area.

They are up to date on shots, HW, and flea meds.

I found a tick on Cino this evening. I found ticks on me and the dogs while we were camping and I removed them before they had bitten.

What I'm wondering about is how do I deal with the ticks that have 'anchored' on the dogs? With Cino's shorter hair I can probably do a search and find them, but with Abby's long fur there is no way I'm going have any success finding them.

My question - since they are current on HW and Frontline Plus do I just do my best at removing the ones I can find? Then just not worry about it?

Thanks,
eric

icvanstra wrote:All,
What I'm wondering about is how do I deal with the ticks that have 'anchored' on the dogs? With Cino's shorter hair I can probably do a search and find them, but with Abby's long fur there is no way I'm going have any success finding them.

My question - since they are current on HW and Frontline Plus do I just do my best at removing the ones I can find? Then just not worry about it?

Thanks,
eric

Myself, I check for them at least daily during tick season, and I had a GSD, so her coat was probably more difficult for this than Abby's (assuming she's a DS, too, of course).

I'd always do a check after hiking, as they are so much easier to just take off the dog before they're attached. I also carry a small flea comb with me when hiking, and I have developed a habit of looking for the damn things and flicking them off with the flea comb while out in tick areas.

Once they're attached, yes, they're harder to find, but I still prefer to get them off as soon as possible. So, I'd comb her hair backwards and check that way, and also, carefully rub my hands over her entire body. This doesn't work as well for the damn nymphs, of course, but I'd tend to find them this way.

And, what I couldn't find this way, I'd rely on the Frontline to take care of.

One thing I've learned that I use for both my dog and humans...apply some iodine as soon as you remove the tick, which is supposed to kill any bacteria that may have come from the tick, if it has any.

God, I hate ticks!

Abigail is my mutt. she is a collie/golden/chow/something mix with very long fur. It is her picture is my current avatar.

I'm also having a problem with burs on her from last weekend. I've been picking them out as much as she will let me, but the scissors are coming out this weekend and she is getting the rest of them cut out.

icvanstra wrote:Abigail is my mutt. she is a collie/golden/chow/something mix with very long fur. It is her picture is my current avatar.

I'm also having a problem with burs on her from last weekend. I've been picking them out as much as she will let me, but the scissors are coming out this weekend and she is getting the rest of them cut out.

Well, you have my totaly sympathy! Her coat would make finding tics so difficult. And the burrs thing...that really sucks.

Myself, I am looking forward to dealing with the DS coat, as opposed to the GSD coat.

I'm also having a problem with burs on her from last weekend. I've been picking them out as much as she will let me, but the scissors are coming out this weekend and she is getting the rest of them cut out.

If you have some spots where you want to remove the burrs without butchering coat, try this--go to the horse supply, like a big feed store or a Tractor Supply, and get a bottle of "Cowboy Magic." it is a detangler. Rub that stuff in around the burr and I bet in a short time you can tease it out with a regular detangling grooming comb, the kind with the bigger teeth. I used to use it on my Chow mix. I use it on me, my Poms, the horse, and anything else I can catch when they see me coming with the bottle in my paws

Ticks, ugh. I saw an entire kennel wiped out with Ehrlichiosis once and I am tick-paranoid. I had poultry until recently--seems I also had a weasel or some other chicken-loving predator--but in the years I had chickens I did not have ticks, ants, fleas--anything. Now I use Frontline Plus when I see a tick and the fleas are not bad--my fleas are totally resistant--or Advantix when they are. You can't use the Advantix if you have cats that groom your dogs. Lots of folks use amitraz collars or dips but I once lost a dog to an amitraz (sp?) reaction so I don't like the nuclear-powered poisons much.

It's best to remove the ticks before they bite to avoid the tick fevers. impossible of course. BTW Advantix has repellent properties.

Ellisa