Friends Upset Over Tick Situation – Are we really in the wrong?

[Dogowne91]

Hi everyone,
Would really appreciate some honest opinions on something that’s left us a bit stunned.
We just got back from a 2-week holiday and had left our dog with close friends who kindly offered to look after him. They also have two dogs, and they spent loads of time together — running around the house and their big garden, playing, sleeping near each other, out on plenty of walks, the usual.
When we picked up our dog, they told us they’d found 8 ticks in a matter of days — some on our dog and some around the house (sofa, bed, floor) which explained why they had asked if our dog was on tick prevention whilst we were away. We were honest from the beginning: he wasn’t and hasn't been for at least a couple of years. Totally our fault, just hadn’t gotten around to it. We also discovered they have treated him straight away once they discovered he wasn't up to date with it (they spoke with a vet first).
They’re clearly really upset and, honestly, we’re a bit taken aback. We obviously didn’t mean to put anyone at risk and feel bad — but also, we live in the Devon countryside where dogs are running through fields and long grass all the time and if we find ticks, we normally simply remove them from him. Ticks are kind of unavoidable here and the likelihood of Lyme disease is not that bad.
We’re now wondering… did we seriously mess up? Should we have flagged this before leaving him with them? We never thought it would cause this kind of fallout.
Would really appreciate some honest thoughts. Is this as big a deal as they are making it seem?

Oh, gross. I'd have been so cross. I think you need to apologise profusely and offer to pay for the tick treatment.

It’s a bit crap. They treat their dogs to prevent ticks, they do you a massive favour, and they end up with ticks in their house.

I’d be quite embarrassed if I were you.

How could you forget to treat for a couple of years if you are often picking ticks off of him?

I’m quite laidback about things like that, but it’s different when you’re sending your dog into someone else’s house for a week. In that case I’d have gone through a mental checklist of vaccinations, tick, worm treatment etc.

I really hate ticks so would have been quite upset to have to deal with them on a visiting dog and a bit sad for the dog that you hadn’t prevented it happening.

But I think if you apologise profusely and reimburse them over and above the tick treatment that should sort it.

I imagine you will keep up with the treatment from now on!

It’s like sending your kids to a sleepover with headlice.

Sorry, that’s awful.

I thought tick prevention stuff doesn’t stop them biting but kills them off when they ingest the blood. Not great though I’d be giving them an apology hamper of goodies.

I would be absolutely furious with you.

Yes, you messed up. I doubt they will have your dog again and honestly, just treat your dog for ticks regularly if you live in that environment. Forgetting is not really an option is it?

Google tick diseases in dogs, my vet does a blood test end of every season to check if we've accidentally picked up anything. My dog was recently unwell and we took into account the two ticks she'd had this year. They also have those flu type looking tests for tick diseases (not sure which ones) we put dogs blood and wait for quick results.

So that aside that dogs can get sick, so can people. By introducing ticks to the home environment where they won't die because of the chemicals of a spot on treatment isn't nice and some ticks can live in the home environment.

Ticks introduced to the home can bite humans, which isn't nice again. Then there's the risk of Lyme disease and other illnesses with varying amounts of symptoms (please google)

Overall they lowered their exposure and risk as much as they could and then your dog came along. Tbh I'm surprised people don't do basic maintenance for their pets and it always catches me off guard, I always assume that it is the norm as uk vets have monthly subscriptions and reminders etc.

Regardless, you are in your right not to use available treatments - but you are not to be inflicting that onto others. I'd definitely be vocal next time with the treatments your dog is lacking so that the people doing you the FAVOUR can make an educated decision.

Reimburse, apologise, offer a cleaning service to thoroughly vacuum idk.

Well they were helping you out and now they’ve ended up with ticks in their house, despite paying to treat their own dogs. My dog’s flea and tick tablet costs £80 for three months worth. If they have two dogs they obviously fork out quite a bit of money to prevent ticks. I don’t think they’ll be offering to dog sit again.

Ticks are horrible and your dog had loads. You need to apologise and pay them back. Sorry but you are in the wrong here.

I think it's any contact the tick has with the dog, even the fur! At least that's how my vet explained it. We had two this year though but in a very heavily tick populated area! They had eaten, but seemed dead. 😬

You have been very lax by not treating your dog. Ticks are nasty little critters, and if a human is bitten can cause Lyme's Disease. I know someone who was bitten in the summer of 2023, and she still has long-term effects from the disease. It's not a condition people should take lightly. Specific blood tests have to be run to detect it, and even then it's not easy to diagnose. Not only have you put your own dog at risk from ticks, but yourselves and now other people, from being bitten. You need to apologise, pay the vet bill/medication, at the very least.

I would be furious and I wouldn’t be having your dog again! You put their own dogs at risk by you not taking this seriously.

I love how you say you were “stunned”. Not half as stunned as your kind friends to find ticks in their home after doing you a favour and then having to deal with the problem for you.

You owe them a huge apology, the offer of a cleaning service, reimbursement of everything they spent and a generous gift.

You can get all in one flea, worm and tick treatments. How could you forget? Are you not worming or using flea treatment either?

No we haven't given any meds

It is but to take that actually to a like for like comparative….lice while annoying is harmless. Ticks can cause Lyme disease and other things. Eight ticks in two weeks isn’t just the occasional random tick. It’s a problem.

Lymes disease is a nasty illness.
My once fit and healthy friend got it when running through Dartmoor on training .
He’s never been the same since.
You’re a bit dopey if you think Lyme disease isn’t that bad .

the likelihood of Lyme disease is not that bad

Lyme disease is absolutely terrible. How on earth can you know which ticks are carriers and which ticks aren't?

You seem to be very irresponsible pet owners. Sort yourselves our, you are putting people's health at risk.

Then not only are you a shitty friend, you’re a shitty dog owner. Flea and wormer is a pretty basic requirement. How can you care so little about your dog being infested by bothersome parasites?

Why?

Do you not want your dog to be happy and healthy? I’m struggling to see a reason a dog owner wouldn’t do one of these very basic things, let alone none of them.

They said they have already cleaned the house fully, checked everything, passed lint rollers everywhere and washed everything in high temperatures. They even moved furniture to check all corners etc and deep clean there too so they went quite extra on it already, don't think they'd need a cleaning service too

That’s really poor on your part and they have every right to be upset, I would be. You should’ve been up front or treated the dog. I’d not ever be having your dog over again if you’d done that to me