So Eddy and I were having a discussion in the Hijack that we thought belonged in a post.

It's spring! And with the warm weather in NE, I wanted to be sure that Hailey and Koda were covered for ticks (we don't have many flea problems). Ticks we have a lot of. They are not native to the Adirondacks just north of us, but just to the south we have them in abundance.

Anyway, my question was... I'm concerned about the topical application. Koda and Hailey love to wrestle and bite at each other a lot. How do other multiple dog owners deal with that? Do you not let them near each other for a couple of days? Or will the gentle play even if they are mouthing around that area not hurt them? I put it on last night before bed so they had about 8 hours for it to sink into their skin but they were definitely playing this morning. Any ideas?

you know i keep thinking about this and i have not used anything on ours. being in CO do i need to?????? i know we do not have flea issues out here but with added camping and hiking wondering if we need a tick treatment, im not about the drops there have been many bad sides to it that i don't like.

We have yet to run into ticks. I know they're out there. It seems to be more of a problem in the below 8,000' mountains. Check out this thing-> http://www.tickedoff.com/

I'm thinking on hikes that they will get checked at the lunch break, back at the van and once more at home/campsite.

As far as preventative stuff, I seem to remember something about one of them and cats not being a good mix. Gonna have to search that out after the dog friendly mosquito stuff.

Reactions to known flea/tick products like frontline, vectra, and other prescription meds can happen but they are rare and limited to not very serious. Something serious would be Lyme disease which is carried by ticks. The biggest problems with topical meds like that would be purchasing them over the counter bc it is not regulated very well and either doesn't work or can cause other problems that are usually superficial (skin rashes, etc), but in cats OTC products can cause seizures or even kill. If you part the hair where the topical med is applied than placing that hair back into it's normal position should be protection enough, but 8 hours is definitely enough time for it to sink in. The biggest problem you could have if they tasted it is increased salivation or maybe vomiting. But if any of those problems would persist than that would be a good time to call your vet and let them know what happened. Lol, I feel like I am at work:) o answer questions like this all day:)

Is the thing about a tick needing to be attached for hours to transmit Lyme true? Because I have felt that I will catch the thing on them within a few hours since I'm checking halfway through a hike anyway. My preference would be to NOT give them any additional meds.

Thanks Brit! I love that you're on here

I'm not 100% sure on that. I think that the tick attaching would transmit the disease as soon as the saliva enters the bloodstream... I will ask the doctors tomorrow. I know that the only real way to prevent Lyme disease is the lyme vaccine. I will ask to make sure tomorrow morning. Sorry guys. But if you do find a tick on your dig be sure that you don't touch it bc any exposure to you can cause Lyme disease too, easiest way to be safe in removing a tick is to use tweezers... And disinfect them aftetwards.

¿What about the ticked off thingamajig?

Heh, let me Google that for me...

(Emphasis mine.)

New York State Department Of Health wrote:

How is Lyme disease transmitted?

Not all deer ticks are infected with the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. Ticks can become infected if they feed on small animals that are infected. The disease can be spread when an infected tick bites a person and stays attached for a period of time. In most cases, the tick must be attached for 36 hours or more before the bacteria can be transmitted. Lyme disease does not spread from one person to another. Transfer of the bacteria from an infected pregnant woman to the fetus is extremely rare.

I know in PA lyme disease is a HUGE thing and there are many cases each year, i don't think i have heard of many cases in CO... have you eddy or chad?

Lyme sucks, but it IS curable in dogs if caught soon enough. Koda was lucky. He was a stray when the shelter took him in and he was diagnosed with Lyme. When we got him he was just finishing his medication.

My sister's dog was recently diagnosed too. The early warm weather took a lot of people by surprise. Ticks are a big problem in the Northeast, especially from PA up towards central New York and New England.

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I asked one of the doctors today and he said that for an infected tick to transfer Lyme disease to a dog it would have to be attached for 24 hours, and frontline takes care of a feeding tick well within that time frame. I stand by my statement about OTC flea/tick products. They are not regulated therefore the range of reactions is limitless. I have seen dogs and cats die from the application of seargants or hartz flea/tick products and that is not something I am likely to ever forgive or forget. I know that there are tons of other OTC products but the problem is the same, no regulation, and besides, some of the drugs that are used in OTC flea/tick products are the same as the dinosaurs of prescription products, so if entomology has taught us anything it is that bugs adapt, so the products are not as effective as prescription. Which means that tick kill can take longer than 24 hours meaning your dog can pick up Lyme disease even on a product. There are more products out there than frontline and advantage( for the record advantage only takes care of fleas, it's counterpart advantix takes care of ticks) and I would encourage the use of prescription drugs over OTC any day. Preventick collars also are pretty effective. Any OTC drug use should be discussed with your vet before administration. There opinions are backed up by schooling and experience, which in my opinion beats the Internet anyday.

I should have noted that was for humans. This post will note that*.

I'm thinking that we are going with what we've done for all of our dogs. Our vet has more concern for Lepto in this area than ticks. Great stuff there, brit.








* See first sentence in this post.

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Well I like vectra 3d, I have used it on icon frequently. It also has some protection for biting flies and Mosquitos but it is no replacement for heartworm prevention. I would see if your vet carries it. Be careful purchasing those products anywhere but at a vet though because those drug companies that produce them sell them only to vets so there is, sadly, a big black market appeal for those kind if things but the effectiveness of the products cannot be garunteed unless purchased from a vet.

Hey Brit!
Since you happen to work for our Vet, I tend to have faith in what you say! We use the topical product that has flea, tick & heartworm preventative (for the life of me I can NEVER remember the name of it!) Which reminds me, time to call you guys & reorder. They'll be due in a week or so. Kay is the one who recommended it to me and it has worked well. WHAT is it called? It's gonna drive me crazy!

Revolution! That's what we put on our dogs! I looked it up. I do have a question, tho. It says it takes care of "Dog ticks". I thought it worked for deer ticks, too. I'll have to ask Dr. Lindsay when I order it. Anyway, been using it 2 years, this year will be 3. We have been happy with the results. We just have to make sure the hair is separated enough so it gets on their skin.

Revolution only kills the American dog tick, and i do not believe that is a spieces that carries Lyme disease... Sorry it took me so long to get back on that.