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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

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Original poster

Dogs legs covered in ticks

26 replies

Doggiedodo · 14/08/2013 10:39

My dog had a walk on the Downs through long grass where sheep graze and now her lower legs are covered in ticks (Black bugs that pop when squeezed and ooze blood). I have now given her a flea tablet, flea spot on and sprayed her legs with flea and tick treatment.

Anything else I should do?

OP posts:

rubyrubyruby · 14/08/2013 10:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

mistlethrush · 14/08/2013 10:49

We keep ours covered with the back of the neck treatment throughout the summer - its a more regular dose for ticks than flees. I would have thought the tick spray should do it - but you'll need to check her all over to make sure there's not one hidden somewhere. Don't squeeze the ticks off though - you need to make sure that you get their mouthparts out otherwise it can all get infected.

toboldlygo · 14/08/2013 12:38

What brand were the treatments?

Frontline will kill the ticks in the next 24-48 hours and they'll drop off, or you can remove them with a tick picker using an unscrewing motion.

Original poster

Doggiedodo · 14/08/2013 12:55

Bob martin....yeah I know . Some seem to be dead already. I'll give it 24hrs. Then if some are still alive I'll either try frontline or last resort the vet.

Her paws are literally covered in them....poor thing

OP posts:

SleepyFish · 14/08/2013 13:08

Vets should be your first port of call, not last resort.
Bob martins products are useless and toxic, best to seek professional advice.

BeerTricksPotter · 14/08/2013 13:20

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MakeMineACafPow · 14/08/2013 13:25

Are you sure they are ticks. Just that they are usually pale/grey not black.

Bakingtins · 14/08/2013 13:29

Go and get them removed by a vet or vet nurse. Risk of disease transmission (chiefly Lyme disease but increasingly others brought in from Europe) increases with the length of time they are attached.
Buy a tick hook from the vet and get a demo how to use it.
Advocate does not have any effect against ticks, frontline has a licence for tick prevention but is not much good.
Best bet would be seresto collar, advantix or certifect spot ons. You need to take whatever you have already applied to show the vet and make sure you have not given a toxic combination of products.
Do not squish the ticks you are running a real risk of giving yourself Lyme disease, not to mention leaving the mouthparts in your dog.

OneHolyCow · 14/08/2013 13:35

Get yourself a tick hook and get them off! The longer you keep them on, the more chance you get of them transmitting Lyme diseases! Don not squash them as they will vomit into your dog and make him or her sick. Honestly.. If you do not know how to deal with them then get to a vet today and let them show you what to do.

quoteunquote · 14/08/2013 13:38

vets now, they can get them off in the least stressful way for the ticks, when ticks are stressed they regurgitate which is when the problems begin,

don't forget to spray and vacuum your car for the ones that fell off on the return journey.

mistlethrush · 14/08/2013 13:53

If they're that bad, vets now - with the can that you have used.

Original poster

Doggiedodo · 14/08/2013 15:09

They have mostly fallen out of her paws now, so what ever I gave her worked. I'm not going to the vet to be charged £60 and given a dose of Frontline that I could buy myself.

OP posts:

Spider7 · 14/08/2013 15:33

Great that most have fallen out. It does only take one tick to cause a problem though & your poor dog has had a bunch of them munching on him/her.... and still has some clinging on. Your post seems to indicate that you may have popped some, so heads may still be attached. I would still take your dog to the vet ASAP. £60 for peace of mind alone is worthwhile & I'm broke, but would happily pay. It could cost a lot more in the future if you leave it & wait until symptoms occur. You should take one of the ticks with you. Your vet may want to give your dog a course of antibiotics. You don't have to buy anything off your vet. If your vet reccomends a treatment you can buy cheaper elsewhere just tell them thanks for the advice but you'll buy it elsewhere. Ticks are serious... Google. This time of year esp use preventative treatments.

Vibbe · 14/08/2013 15:37

I've always been told that ticks need to be removed within 48 hours to avoid transferring disease to the dog (or human or cat).

We use the o'tom tick remover, which is very good. And cheap.

There are loads of advice online about removing ticks in other ways - such as burning the tick/rubbing stuff on it/making it dizzy and so on, but it should be avoided as it will make the tick regurgitate bacteria that can make the dog very ill. And not removing the whole tick can cause infection.

Also, flea-products should not be over-used. It can make the dog very ill.

CunningAtBothEnds · 14/08/2013 15:46

You sound like you care more about your wallet than your dog!

Solo · 14/08/2013 15:56

Ticks are serious. I'm sure you could pay the vet over a few weeks/months. I used to do that.

Arisbottle · 14/08/2013 15:58

Our dogs sometimes have one or two which we remove ourselves . Would do to the vet for more .

The worst thing our dogs have brought home was a leech.

BistoBear · 14/08/2013 16:02

Are you sure they're ticks? Dogs will remove ticks with their teeth which is why the ticks will normall latch on around the head and shoulders area to avoid being bitten off.

It would be difficult to burst a tick when they're in the small and black stage too.

Solo · 14/08/2013 16:13

But when she burst it, it was full of blood. Sounds like ticks to me.

Original poster

Doggiedodo · 14/08/2013 16:14

I know a tick when I see one.

This is exactly how it looks: www.flickr.com/photos/cradlehall/3545518553/

OP posts:

Katnisscupcake · 14/08/2013 16:27

Please use Advocate not Frontline. Our vet gave our dogs their yearly check last month and said that fleas/ticks no longer react to Frontline, they are becoming immune to it.

unlucky83 · 14/08/2013 16:29

My DCs have both had ticks - caught when they had been on less than 24 hr - they are very small and black - look like a mole but hard.

Have also seen on on a dog that had been on for a while and they are much bigger and look grey and sort of wrinkly.
We have deer in the woodland near by.
You need to check yourself too if there were so many about. Clothes help but they have got up sleeves, down socks - on the 3 yo- must have gone down her neck as was on her back hidden under her hair.
Followed NHS direct advice and guidelines and removed with tweezers.
I would say drop them straight into boiling water -the first one escaped up the tweezers - which I dropped but then managed to find and kill it...
You need to remove them as quickly as you can ...
I was just told to keep an eye on the sites (no infection or red circle ) and watch out for flu like symptoms...difficult I guess in a dog ...

Bakingtins · 14/08/2013 17:05

Advocate does not protect against ticks

BeerTricksPotter · 14/08/2013 17:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MakeMineACafPow · 14/08/2013 17:08

Most things would be full of blood when burst, me included, doesn't make me a tick though glad to hear you seem to have it under control op

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