Tick

Horrible things, I've had them attached to me and my dogs after walking on Exmoor. Our current dog had several when we returned from a short holiday and although I managed to remove them from his body he got very snappy when I tried to remove them from his nose. I absolutely loathe them! He gets a three monthly dose of Bravecto now and hasn't had a tick on him since.

I’ve never had to deal with one thankfully but do have huge collection of tick removers just in case I do. Having said that I don’t really know how to remove one. Is it clockwise/anti clockwise? I don’t know why I’ve never come across one given that we walk in fields that have sheep and deer.

I smother them in Vaseline leave it for a time to suffocate them, then whip them out with some tweezers.

He gets about one a year - sheep usually.

I wonder if that’s in my 1,000 uses for Vaseline booklet that I’ve had for thirty years…..

I regularly pull off ticks from my golden retriever, we live in a rural area and it’s always the case from around April to September although found some in the Winter as it was mild. I check her every day after walks, one today, none for the previous few days then 4. She loves to roll and wander. I use a tick remover, she’s fine with it, the hook goes under the body and pull. Then I put it in a tub of bleach to kill. Or traditionally you should put it in whiskey!

Hate ticks - not sure what purpose they serve. Please do not cover ticks with Vaseline it isn’t advised by the Veterinary professionals. Don’t pull them off either, or burn with cigarette, or cover in alcohol all frowned upon. It is recommended a tick remover is used. I carry one in my purse and in my mobile phone cover. Very cheap to buy. Either clockwise or anti-clockwise just keep twirling until it is removed. Bravecto certainly works but I won’t use it on any of my animals.

I can’t get on with the removers. He only gets them so very rarely and I’ve always used Vaseline with no adverse affect.

Oldbat1 will you not use Bravecto because it is so powerful? I do worry about the chemicals in worming and flea /tick medication. I don't give my dog the medication every 3 months as advised; I try to space it out to about every 5 months instead. She is already on anti-inflammatory medication for her arthritis, so try to keep other medication to a minimum.

MayBee70

I’ve never had to deal with one thankfully but do have huge collection of tick removers just in case I do. Having said that I don’t really know how to remove one. Is it clockwise/anti clockwise? I don’t know why I’ve never come across one given that we walk in fields that have sheep and deer.

It depends if you are right handed or left handed, but either way is fine. You mustn't come back on yourself, just keep twisting.

I keep meaning to spray my dog with Avon skin so soft which is supposed to repel fleas and ticks and is (I believe) dog safe. Need to start using it myself as well as had my first mozzie bite last week.

The worst place to remove them is on the eye lid. Very tricky.
There's a lot around on the moors and in the fields at the moment.

I'd also like to know why someone won't use Bravecto. I know some dogs react to it but it was recommended by my vet. I've been using it for two years now without a problem, deer are becoming very common in many rural areas and they carry Lymes disease, which I really want to avoid. So, more information please.

Ellianne when we lived in the Highlands one of our cats had one attached to his anus. Grim, but perhaps not as tricky as an eyelid

I had heard of whippets having adverse reactions to some tablets. For some reason I feel happier using a spot on flea treatment than a tablet but only use that very infrequently. I bathe her in stinky stuff flea treatment sometimes.

GrannyLaine

Ellianne when we lived in the Highlands one of our cats had one attached to his anus. Grim, but perhaps not as tricky as an eyelid

They can get them in their mouths too.

GrannyLaine yuck!

I took Bravecto back to the vet for a refund because our dog page on Facebook made me wary.

I once had to remove one from a male friends pubic hair area.
His wife was too scared to do it. Wimp ?

Removed my 50th tick of the year from my person today. Roe and red deer tramp through our garden and that helps spread them so every time I do any gardening they get me. Hey ho.

Midges are worse when it comes to pestiliferousness.

The vet gave me special tick removers which have been very useful. I even used it for myself on one occasion followed by the doc giving me special antibiotics which meant no alcohol and no sun for 3 weeks. If it was tipping with rain it would turn to sun as soon as I stepped outside! Felt like a vampire going out at night only!

Have you tried killing one when you’ve got it out? Very difficult to squish so I flush it down the loo. Probably get a septic tank full of them! They can live for a year with no host.

The islands on Loch Lomond are hoaching with the things. I now tend to stay on board but if I have to go ashore I wear socks pulled up over long trousers and a long sleeved top, most uncomfortable in the recent really hot weather. I warn others to check themselves and their dogs daily. Most are completely unaware that the problem exists.

merylStreep that is something you’ll never forget. Please elaborate more ? How did they ask you to remove it? How did it get there (normally ticks go for areas not covered by clothing) when did this happen? So many questions ?

Vile things! A tick remover is a godsend because it's so important not to pull and maybe cause part of the tick - like the head - to be still embedded in the dog or cat's skin. That way they'll get an infection. The tick removers - ours come in two sizes in a packet - work by simply sliding the little fork 'tines' under and around the tick, between it and the dog, and then simply twirling it/pushing it around and around with the front of a finger. After a good twirl, no tick will hold on. I then drop it onto a tissue, fold over the tissue and stamp on it with my shoe. The resulting flattened beast then goes down the loo. The dog's skin at the site of the bite is then sprayed with antiseptic.

I know that ticks will drop off once they are completely engorged - but then where do they go? Horror! Although I hate it all, I just can't rest until they are removed and despatched.

We are lucky I think as I have never seen a flea on our dog and as I said he only gets a tick about once a year I suppose.

We have had worming stuff from the vet but we never give him any flea or tick stuff, so he’s never had any chemicals at all except shampoo?.

Please be careful with Bravecto. I gave it to my border Collie and he became very poorly. Bloody diarrhoea, it went on for about 3 months. I took it back to the vets and got a full refund.
Look online and read up about it.
I have Finn on old fashioned Panacur, it's probably the safest one you can use. Granular or liquid and much cheaper than those awful tablets. Maybe that's why the vets don't tell you about it.
We live in country, and use a tick remover, wonderful things.