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Original poster

Ticks and lime disease in Scotland - should I worry?

21 replies

LaCerbiatta · 13/07/2007 14:53

Read a very worrying article about ticks and how lime disease is on the increase. Apparently the Highlands are one of the high risk areas. Should I worry? Does anyone? And what precautions should I take with dd (20months)? Have been reading that you should get an insect repellent but all the ones I can find that are strong enough for ticks are too strong for small children....

Any thoughts greatly appreciated!

OP posts:

MamaGryffindor · 13/07/2007 14:54

I got a tick on my back a couple of months ago in SCotland

I didn't get Limes Disease though!

Check you rDD thoroughly at the end of the day inc armpits, crotch etc as tey like warm places

Rantmum · 13/07/2007 14:57

Wear long trousers and tops and tuck trousers into socks when in long grass, or avoid long grass. I live in Scotland and have never had a tick despite the fact that I used to do alot of hillwalking, even in shorts.

Our dog once got a tick, in Cambridgeshire.

Original poster

LaCerbiatta · 13/07/2007 15:24

I'm in Cambridge!

OP posts:

Rantmum · 13/07/2007 15:25

lol

Carnoodleusfudge · 13/07/2007 15:27

They're coming south.

Is nowhere safe?

chevre · 13/07/2007 15:28

check dd every evening you are there. the sooner you remove the tick the less likely the risk of limes. don't panic if you find one. remove them carefully so as not to squirt anything back into your dd, or leave bits of the head. stay away from areas with sheep or deer.

the ticks are pretty bad this year but don't let it ruin your holiday the highlands are fabulous.

AttilaTheMeerkat · 13/07/2007 15:32

I would be concerned and would agree with Rantmum's comments. There is plenty of information regarding ticks in Scotland and the Highlands is one of the high risk areas for ticks. Not all ticks carry the bacterium that causes Lyme disease but precautions such as she has suggested must be taken by people.

MrsMills · 13/07/2007 15:40

We have to check the children regularly for ticks and they get one probably every couple of weeks during summer. However they have both been vaccinated against lymes disease and tbe, perhaps ask your g.p. if it's available in your area?

Otherwise, check them daily, particularly under arms, in and around ears , and around their bottom.

Original poster

LaCerbiatta · 13/07/2007 16:19

Where are you MrsMills? Never heard of any vaccination in the Lyme disease prevention websites I visited

OP posts:

MrsMills · 13/07/2007 16:28

We live in Sweden, I appreciate that you may not access to the same vaccinations, but it does exist. Tics (fästing) are quite common here, and as we have deer in our garden all year round I feel alot better now that they have had it.

It might be worth asking though.

Macdog · 13/07/2007 16:28

Ticks tend to be found in areas with sheep, deer and long grass (any or all) as a general rule.

Rantmum's advice is excellent, and is what most agencies recommend.

Try not to get yourself into too much of a tizz over it

Macdog · 13/07/2007 16:32

Info here on Lyme disease

Pinkveto · 13/07/2007 16:36

Ha ha - I got bitten by a tick in Orkney whilst 17 weeks pregnant, and copped a fortnight of amoxycillin for my trouble - "just in case".

Can I suggest you take your own tweezers with you - they were a little tricky to purchase on Orkney, and when my husband did track some down they were a mutlipack of 5...

If you do get a proper bite - i.e. you dont realize the tick has bitten you for some time (I found my tick at 11am after having been out walking the day before), or cant remove it, the trend now is to treat on spec rather than wait - lyme is a sneaky disease with poorly consistent symptomatology, treatment is easy with very well tolerated and tested antibiotics (amoxyl or erythromycin in the first instance) so risk/benefit is in favour of taking a course without confirming blood tests for infection.

Do what you can to not get bitten as already suggested.

Original poster

LaCerbiatta · 13/07/2007 16:44

Thanks everyone!
Dh mocks me when I say this but you can trust mumsnet to know EVERYTHING!!

Do you know about any efective and child friendly repellents?

Thanks

OP posts:

Macdog · 13/07/2007 16:44

I got Tick Twisters in Pets at Home and keep them with us when walking.
They are really good for tick removal

Macdog · 13/07/2007 16:48

What about this?
It says it's suitable for children

Skribble · 17/07/2007 22:00

Can you buy the tick removers in the high street pet shops, my kids quite often get them when we go to a certain place, and I have not been that good at removing them before but haven't been that worried, I would like to get a tick remover tomorrow just in case.

kirstyh1 · 21/07/2007 12:24

My daughter had a tick on her shoulder after visiting the local childrens farm, The tick was probably there for a few days before I could see, I thought at first it was a small mole as she had a few but then upon looking closer could see the small legs, I took her to the hospital where they were amzed and got all the tudents to have a look, The nurse in the end after reading some book suffocated the tick with vaseline then used some tweezers to remove the thing bvefore applying some antibac stuff on and giving us a rundown on what to watch out for, Never remove a tick yourself either from animals or children as it is possible that you can remove the body leaving the head behind causing problems. The nurse did show me how to do the removal safely but i would not do it

Skribble · 22/07/2007 21:04

I'm getting a tick remover from the pet shop. They actualy recommend you don't do any of that suffocation thing or squeezing etc, the tick remover doesn't suash the body and you twist it to pull the head out intact.

LittleB · 23/07/2007 12:29

I've got a tick remover from the vets, they told me how to use. I work as a Countryside Ranger and cover a local wood that has lots of deer and long grass and is teeming with ticks! (I'm in Somerset, they are all over the coutry). I check myself and my dogs as I walk around the site, I was only there for an hour last week and my dog had 7 in that time, I got all but 1 off him before they had started to bite so was able to just brush them off, the last was easy to remove as it hadn't fastened on well (well once I could keep my 5mth puppy still enough to pull tick from his armpit!) I didn't get any, I was wearing long trousers tucked into socks. They go for animals much more than people but I would say check yourself thoroughly as soon as you've finished walking, much easier if you can get them before they latch on. I think boots do a sunlotion for kids containg an insect repellant. might be worth trying.

FeelingOld · 23/07/2007 13:15

I had lymes disaese about 4 years ago. I had been to a party in a friends garden which backed onto a field with sheep in it. There were about 40 people at the party but I was the only one affected (we are in Lincolnshire btw). I was quite ill for about 3 weeks and the effects lasted on and off for about 18 months. Sorry can't help with how to protect your dd except what everyone else has already said but just wanted to let you know that it can happen in lots of different areas of the uk.

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