Hampshire dog owners

[tinstar]

Just after some advice. DH are hoping to relocate somewhere rural and Hampshire meets a lot of our requirements. However, we have dogs and, I've got the impression that Hampshire, particularly the New Forest is a high risk area for ticks and Lyme Disease. Anyone with experience of the area?

[Skyejuly]

I lived in new forest for 28 years and always walked my dog there. X

[BiteyShark]

Yes new forest is high risk for ticks. I pull loads off my dog all the time and it must be tick season again as I noticed one on his eyelid a few days ago. I treat monthly with nexgard spectra which kills ticks within 24 hours of them biting him which should be sufficient before lymes disease can be transmitted.

I have also pulled ticks off me as you are just as much as risk

[harrietkatie]

I live in the new forest, two dogs and an avid dog walker. Never have had to remove any ticks!

[BiteyShark]

We get loads, but my dog is a hunter and jumps about in lots of forest undergrowth which deers and other wildlife roam about in. I suspect if you stick to the paths through it you probably won't get as many.

[OverFedStanley]

Quite a lot of Alabama rot cases in the area but these are also increasing in other areas so just something to be vigilant of. Also small number of cases in regard of number of dogs walked in the forest.

[tinstar]

Fairly mixed responses then! They're not the type to stick to paths I'm afraid. Biteyshark - is there nothing you can use to repel them or is it a case of having to wait until they die and drop off/remove them yourself?

[BiteyShark]

You can get seresto collars that I think are meant to repel them. I have a friend who says since using one they never found another tick on their dog. However for us the collar wasn't really effective but I wonder if that was because he was always swimming in streams even though water isn't meant to make any difference. I also found it a pain having to have two collars around his neck. The tablet on the other hand is great because within 24 hours they can be easily pulled out and it also kills fleas and most worms including lung worm so we have just one treatment for all.

[tinstar]

That's interesting - what do you use? We use advocate which covers them for fleas and lungworm. But our vet always tells me that they can't give me something that includes ticks as well.

This time last year one of our dogs picked up about half a dozen ticks in one week and the vet's suggestion was either a collar or to apply advocate for ticks 2 weeks after the advocate we normally use. We did neither in the end as she didn't pick up any more ticks. I'd hate to live somewhere where I was having to regularly pick ticks off them (though I am a dab hand with a tick hook).

[BiteyShark]

Nexgard spectra which is a monthly tablet from the vets.