A bit earlier than usual, but please check your pets for....

Have you got one of those little green plastic tick removers? They are very good - if you can catch your cat/dog first

These are soooooo tiny I don't think the tick grabber would work.

They have 2 ends - would the small one wtill be too big? Our only experience was of rather larger things

for wtill read still duh!

Yes, previously I've only encountered the bigger ones, I remember visiting friends in Spain and spendidng a happy half hour de-ticking their dog!

The ones Digby has are really small, smaller than a pin head , don't think the grabber would get them. I have removed a few more to be sure, and under the magnifying glass I can see the legs.

I hope he doesn't end up with little bald patches on his ears!

I've just informed my neighbour, (she has 4 greyhounds and a Labdrador) and she was surprised at ticks this early in the year.

Just having a snigger, as the thread titles a moment ago read "A bit earlier than usual, but please check your pets for......"

Followed by "Silvio Berlusconi"

I know he's only a short arse person, but I don't think we need to furtle about in our pets' fur to see if he's lurking there!

hee hee. Vintage phoenix' Instead of a flea in the ear, a berlusconi under the tail? Nasty. Sucks teeth and shakes head.

Those cleggs, I hear, can be a bit of a pest come the summer.

I thought this was a wiki page badly in need of a stiff bit of editing.
But no, on a second look, it is a wiki page about clegs written in phonetic scotland speak.
http://sco.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleg

JessM a cleg is a horsefly in Scotland. Annoying and bites can be very nasty on susceptible victims.

well yes. as i was typing i thought.... seemed to fit phoenix's train of thought.
try again for illustrated live link

sco.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleg

Love it Jess.
Never sunbathe - even if it's hot! - in a forest clearing in Scotland!

When in Africa check behind your pets ears for mugabes.

Or if you take your pet to Venezuela check between its toes for Chavez

Minus 10 or less, so no problem with ticks around here. Be very careful when removing ticks with normal tweezers, it is easy to pull the tick and leave the head inbedded, which can cause very serious infections. Get a proper tick remover which allows you to grab the head and gently twist it off, from vet or pet shop.

Don't go for a comfort break among bracken. I speak from experience.

So did I !

My doctor said she'd never seen a tick in that position before.

oh no! Note to self. Choose short grass when peeing in the countryside.
I had one down my neck after visiting a garden. It had not really got a grip. I stuck it down under a bit of sellotape and peered at it through a magnifying glass.

I had a comfort break in the garden too. Came out in a rash a week later so went to the doctors. Unfortunately my doctor was holiday and I had to see an Italian locum. After explaining what a tick was I then had to explain where it was. Ummm!