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?

If you seriously sent your dog to friends without telling them that you don’t treat for worms /fleas/ ticks then yes you are very irresponsible and it is a big deal . They’ve not only had to deal with ticks but you’ve also put them at risk of a flea infestation . Horrible .

Dude. That's not cool. Not even anyway vaccinations?

Seriously you need to up your game here as a responsible pet owner.

If you pull a tick off you, and it's got a big ring around with the bite in the centre like a bullseye, then that can mean it's Lyme disease. If you run in places like Dartmoor - trail runs through long grass - you can pick up ticks on your lower legs. When he was about 6 or 7, my son got one on his head once when we were camping - I think it was from repeatedly scrabbling in undergrowth looking for his football. Luckily he didn't get Lyme disease but it was a worry and I took him to the doctors about it.

I'd be livid with you.
You're a neglectful dog owner. You owe it to your pet to tend to its basic requirements ie flea/worm/tick treatments.

Yeah, sorry this is on you. There are tick and flea treatments available for a reason.

Um, what's the dog's vaccination status? A vet would talk about fleas, worms and ticks at the booster appointments.

Or is he busy spreading multiple diseases over the area?

It’s fine if you want to take risks but you shouldn’t assume that risk for someone else, especially when they are doing you a favour.

Id be furious and I’d find it difficult to view you through the same lens as before. You’d be in my view “irresponsible, sloppy, cavalier, risk-taker”.

Not someone I value or see myself spending time with nuturing a trusted relationship.

Sorry but you blew this.

Have you met anyone with Lyme disease? It’s a horrible long term disease that’s extremely debilitating. Why would you expose your friends to a risk of this?

If you want to take the chance, go ahead. But mostly you seem ignorant and stupid. That’s not a defence though. If you own an animal you need to be a responsible owner and understand properly all the risks. Educate yourself. Now.

I'm not excusing not treating your dog for parasites (and definitely not vaccinating them, if that's the case - that is so irresponsible) but I didn't know tick prevention was really a thing. Mine are on the Itch plan but I thought it just reduced the likelihood of ticks rather than preventing them altogether? I am sure I've pulled a tick off my dog while they've been on the plan, but maybe I'm imagining that!

@Dogowne91 lyme's disease is chronic and causes a lot of pain. Treat your dogs so that ticks don't get dropped from your dog in human areas where dogs shouldn't really be and affect someone. Your friends were not overly dramatic and you should offer them some of the money they had to spend.

It's wrong to treat animals for conditions they don't have and it's leading to massive environmental issues on land and in waterways.

This trend has come about largely as a result of chain style veterinary companies pushing monthly preventative strong drugs as part of pet club schemes and propaganda just to make money.

The fact you're referring to it as 'drama' is telling. You've caused a lot of work for your friends.

This the likelihood of Lyme disease is not that bad minimises to the extreme.

A friend actually got Lyme disease from a tick brought in by one of her cats, so it can happen.

Ticks have been rife over the last few weeks with the hot damp weather, it seems worse here than it has for the last few years. I treat mine for ticks- but it just puts them off biting and I often see the little bastards on the fur and flick them down the loo or sink.

I wonder if they have started noticing them because your dog is there or does your dog have light fur and they are more noticeable?

Im not saying you were right- but I don’t think their dogs are completely blameless

My dog has regular anti-tick meds but he’s a springer, nothing he loves more than long grass and this time of year he pretty much always has a tick or two on him after a walk (we check him in the garden before letting him inside). It’s weird/irresponsible not to look out for your pet’s health, but your friends are over-reacting to the mere presence of ticks on a dog who goes into long grass regularly. The presence of ticks just means the dog has been in the grass, nothing more. (The fact you’re not picking them off/looking out for them is another matter.) If you have the kind of dog who sticks to the path, I can see how it would freak you out though - they’re horrible little buggers.

Have you apologised profusely and paid for the treatment they gave your dog?

How do you know? Do you take everyone's email address and send them a questionnaire a month later?

You do realise they assumed because good pet owners who love their pets get them the treatments they need, vaccinate them etc. Its not a question i would ever think to ask someone.

Have you ever seen the effects of
lyme disease!! Disgusting and unacceptable to put them at risk like that, never mind the risk to the dog itself. If you can’t keep up with basic dog care you shouldn’t have one.

They are being ridiculous. We also live in the countryside in the South West. Our dog has had frontline and we still pull about 4 ticks off her a day (and ourselves). One of my dc has had Lyme’s disease years ago (successfully treated), despite being absolutely fastidious and checking everyone every night at bathtime and doing all the right things. Ticks are a way of life if you live in rural areas and it’s an unusually bad year for them. My guess is the dogs were playing more than they normally would with a friend there or they took them on a different walk to usual. At the moment, meadows are very tall waiting for cutting so it’s a perfect storm.

Yep you are being completely unreasonable and a neglectful dog owner to not prevent.

We have had a genuine mistake before where our dog was within the 3 month window of treatment but towards the end and was mortified that she picked a flea up and stayed with friends. But you have deliberately sent your dog without bothering to do the bare basics.

You have some serious apologies to make and I will bet they will never take your dog again.

Exactly “it’s not that big of deal”… until it actually is.

OP

Go and join a Lyme disease Facebook group. There are loads. See the suffering, the never ending suffering. It’s really really awful, Op should be ashamed.

Then you are very irresponsible dog owners and don't seem to have the first clue, or care for that matter, about your poor dog. Does he have annual boosters? What made you get a dog?

Are you not mortified writing this? They’ve washed everything, cleaned the house, had to move furniture to check for ticks all because they were doing you a favour. It can’t be helped now but my god, I’d be mortified to cause this fuss.

Dog owners don’t fork out for tick treatment for a laugh, it’s really bloody expensive. I hate paying for something I can’t really see or get benefit from, but I have the same dog as you who loves exploring fields and I’ve never once found a tick - so the treatment obviously works. If you were finding so many before he stayed with your friend, you really should have thought about this.

A proper kennel or proper dog sitter would never accept a dog that wasn’t up to date on jabs or having flea / tick and worm treatment.

I don’t treat my dog routinely for ticks fleas and worms. He was ill as a puppy, and the wormer made him worse. I treat him for worms if I suspect he has them. Maybe every two years or so? He has had fleas once in 13 years. No ticks ever. At one point I used diatomaceous earth and neem oil in an attempt to keep everything at bay then realised there wasn’t anything to keep at bay.

All that insecticide for prevention. It can’t be good for the dog or the environment. Maybe some dogs are more prone than others. We know some areas are worse than others. We may just be lucky.

This must be the most CFery combined with wide-eyed astonishment at the reaction I have ever seen from an op on mn. I mean I’ve read about it 2nd hand but not a straight from the CF’s mouth with little or no awareness of just how C a F they are!