Ticks

[Flamingoknees]

Help! I look after a family member's dog, as a favour, a few days a week. All of a sudden, last year, he started picking up ticks, despite a spot on type treatment from the vet. New vet switched him to tablets - seemed to solve issue. Takes them all year round. In the past 2 weeks he's been bringing them in the house, despite me hosing, brushing and combing after a walk. They don't attach to him - but I have been bitten. They hitch a ride on him it seems. Today, I totally avoided the likely problem areas of the wood amd country park. Boring walk bless him. He still carried at least one in. I was a dog owner for many years, and never had this problem, as long as dog was protected. What can I do? The treatments don't seem to repel or kill, unless they attach, which they aren't, unless you count the one I pulled off my own leg😢

I'm not sure there is much you can do. Most treatments only kill ticks once they have bitten, so they can still hitch a ride. One of my dogs is white and I see ticks crawling on her practically every day after our walks.
Unfortunately ticks seem to be getting hardier too. It used to be you only needed to treat dogs during the warmer months. But I got three off my puppy in February when there was snow on the ground.
Sorry. That wasn't any help at all, but I can empathise.

I think it's only Seresto collars that claim to actually repel ticks.

We used Neem oil on ours this past week in Scotland, I think it helped but wasn't 100% successful (I forgot to apply it one day as well and both dogs got them on their faces where I hadn't applied). We still removed lots of crawling unattached ticks though.

Thanks for answering. I'm finding it a bit triggering now. I can't relax in my own home. I think I'm going to have to have a break for a few weeks,but I feel awful. He loves coming here,and family member arranges work around my days. I've been putting pressure on DP to get a new dog, as ours died 5 years ago. This is putting me right off. Never thought I'd say that.

Advantix claims to repel ticks too.
Perhaps you could suggest your relative switches to one of those treatments.
I'm sorry you are finding it triggering and are unable to relax. I hate them, but I live in Scotland so have accepted it's part of life now. Didn't stop me ranting about them in February though.

I also live in Scotland so ticks are part of daily life, horrible things. I pick any I see crawling on my (white) dog, hold them between thumb and finger so they can't bite, put them on loo paper and flush them. I don't think there's anything you can do to prevent them hitching on other than limiting your dog going through eg bracken.

I don't think I've ever got a tick by dog's brought in though, and he picks up a lot of ticks. Maybe you also picked it up on a walk?

You can add a tick collar - ticks are the bane of my life as one of my dogs got lymes disease 2 years ago and he nearly died, is still on medication for it, and we used all our pet insurance so they whacked the premium up so high we had to cancel it.

Some dogs are more prone than others - i have two of the same breed and one attracts them and the other doesn't, even on the same walk. Some breeds are more prone too.

Some people seem to attract them too. Two of my nephews get them regularly, but touch wood I haven't and I'm out with the dogs every day.

I would say to add a tick collar and brush after a walk. With ours, the ticks tend to gravitate to their face, so they are easier to spot.

And keep away from places you know are particularly bad. I live next to Richmond Park but will not take the dogs in there because it is full of ticks, absolutely awful. But our dog got lymes from a tick in Scotland on holiday.

Horrid little buggers - they seem to be everywhere this year.

Seresto is meant to repel ticks but is no way 100% effective.

You can lint roll your dog or use a tick mitt whih will pick up some of the unattached ticks at the end of a walk.

I got a natural tick collar from pet shielded uk called a bio collar. It’s infused with essential oils. No idea if it works but the dog smells nice. We used it on a holiday recently in the Lake District . I put it on after he had a tick on his face and he didn’t get any more all week 🤷‍♀️ we don’t seem to get them round us but when we were in exmoor at Easter he was covered in them 😫

Thanks everyone. I've asked for a break.They are fine about it. They've had a years free dog care. My walking holiday this year is also looking less attractive 😕I'm no stranger to dogs and woodland/moors/country parks walking - been doing it for decades. I'm worried that they are now in the garden and he's not going to be able to come back. I can't cope with having them in the house and being bitten, due to the risk of Lymes. He's a (non)Working Cocker and into everything, if allowed.