# Ticks



## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

We have 5 dogs, 4 cats, goats, chickens and at least 500 ticks each day on the dogs.
This summer has been horrendous as our dogs have and still are crawling with what we presume are ticks.. although they look like bed bugs to me.. the cats etc dont have them only the dogs. We have had all different manner of collars and drops on them all summer plus they washed with an anti tick shampoo regularly. The vet has said its a mystery to her.. does anyone have any clues and advice on their eradication and prevention? They dont seem to itch.

Thanks for any suggestions 

Maiden


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

If you google 'Las garrapatas de perro imágenes' there are many images for you to compare also various treatments

Hepa


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

Hepa said:


> If you google 'Las garrapatas de perro imágenes' there are many images for you to compare also various treatments
> 
> Hepa




Thanks for that... I think they may be garrapatas, and it tells me that they are very dangerous for the animal but no mention on a treatment, any suggestions please.


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

p,s the dogs live outside surrounded by fruit trees... it does say the garrapatas,come from trees, strange the cats dont have them,


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

ahhh now reading that garrapatas means ticks.. but these just look like little bed bugs but as I say they dont seem to make the dogs itch but they are a parasite as they are feeding on their blood


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## Seb* (Mar 22, 2009)

Are they lodged into the skin or crawling around?


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

This may be of interest Treatments for Ticks on Dogs | eHow.com


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

Seb* said:


> Are they lodged into the skin or crawling around?




Both but they do not swell up like a bean as I would expect.. they seem to be laying eggs in the coat, this is the first time in 4 years we have experienced anything like this..


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

Hepa said:


> This may be of interest Treatments for Ticks on Dogs | eHow.com




Thanks... we have tried front line, tea tree oil, collars all to no avail in fact you would think we had not bothered if you could see the amount on them. I have some lavender oil and will try that.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

It seems that the word _garrapatas_ covers a variety of bloodsucking insects. This site has a lot of information and recommends a combination of Scalibor and Frontline to protect the dog.

Garrapatas en perros


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

Alcalaina said:


> It seems that the word _garrapatas_ covers a variety of bloodsucking insects. This site has a lot of information and recommends a combination of Scalibor and Frontline to protect the dog.
> 
> Garrapatas en perros




We have tried front line not sure about Scalibor, one of our dogs has sensitive skin and we cant use chemicals of any sort on him.. we have tried natural natural flea and tick collars but these dont work either. To be honest the dogs dont seem too bothered but these blood sucking critters cannot be doing them any good


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

MaidenScotland said:


> We have tried front line not sure about Scalibor, one of our dogs has sensitive skin and we cant use chemicals of any sort on him.. we have tried natural natural flea and tick collars but these dont work either. To be honest the dogs dont seem too bothered but these blood sucking critters cannot be doing them any good


No, there is a scary list of diseases associated with them. Las garrapatas transmiten enfermedades graves

So glad I only have a cat, and an indoor one at that.


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## zilly (Mar 9, 2010)

I got desparate this spring with garrapatas on my dogs-tried everything and they were still picking them up.I started spraying the dogs with Supona once a week and that has sorted the problem.However-Supona is sheep dip and an organo phosphate.I decided that the risk from garrapatas was greater than the risk from Supona- but other people may disagree.As Alcalaina says though-I do think you ought to check that ticks are the problem. Good Luck !


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## Seb* (Mar 22, 2009)

MaidenScotland said:


> Both but they do not swell up like a bean as I would expect.. they seem to be laying eggs in the coat, this is the first time in 4 years we have experienced anything like this..



This doesnt sound like ticks. Ticks do not lay eggs in the coat. They fill up on blood (increasing their size dramatically), then climb up on tall bushes or trees and lay their eggs their (several thousand). Any chance for some photos?

If they are ticks and resistent to the usual collars and drops, they are really hard to combat. There are some lotions for kettle which are quite effective, but very strong and potent.

If you have a big tick infestation on your lands some people say keeping Guineafowl helps to control the ticks, they eat vast amounts of ticks and other small insects.


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## 90199 (Mar 21, 2010)

There is an oil that I use to kill all types of plant insect pests. It works by preventing the insects from breathing and thus killing them. A complete shot in the dark but it might work, if you can locate the source of the insects. It is washing up liquid vegetable oil and water.

Gardening Australia - Fact Sheet: Horticultural Oils


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## Seb* (Mar 22, 2009)

MaidenScotland said:


> We have tried front line not sure about Scalibor,


Scalibor is the most effective protection against fleas, sandflies and ticks. I recommend the use of it on any dog in Spain. Especially the sand fly protection is very very important! Scalibor keeps ticks away in most cases, so give it a try. Frontline is fine for basic flea protection, but it's not very effective against sand flies and only for a short time (50% effective after 7 days and nearly gone after 20 days). Leishmaniasis is a real killer and imo a bigger worry than ticks!


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## zilly (Mar 9, 2010)

My dogs wear scalibor collars all year--but they still get plenty of ticks! In my opinion scalibor collars are a waste of time vis a vis ticks-but it may depend on where you live.I live out in the campo-and do need to use Supona.Tick fever in dogs can be a killer-- as well as leishmaniosis.


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## Seb* (Mar 22, 2009)

zilly said:


> My dogs wear scalibor collars all year--but they still get plenty of ticks! In my opinion scalibor collars are a waste of time vis a vis ticks-but it may depend on where you live.I live out in the campo-and do need to use Supona.Tick fever in dogs can be a killer-- as well as leishmaniosis.


The only time I get to see ticks, is when they fall dead out of our dogs coats. Scalibor does the trick for us, but it seems to vary greatly from region to region and the amount of ticks around.


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## jimenato (Nov 21, 2009)

MaidenScotland said:


> We have tried front line not sure about Scalibor, one of our dogs has sensitive skin and we cant use chemicals of any sort on him.. we have tried natural natural flea and tick collars but these dont work either. To be honest the dogs dont seem too bothered but these blood sucking critters cannot be doing them any good


You have used two of the words which push my red buttons - "Chemicals" and "Natural". 

There is nothing inherently wrong with "chemicals" everything is made of chemicals. They can be good or bad or indifferent. They cannot be avoided. 

There is nothing inherently right with "natural". Natural can kill. Ticks are Natural. 

Frontline is a chemical - fipronil 

Scalibor is a chemical - deltamethrin




> mammalian exposure to deltamethrin is classified as safe


Compare to tick borne diseases



> Tick-borne illnesses are caused by infection with a variety of pathogens, including rickettsia and other types of bacteria, viruses, and protozoa. Because ticks can harbor more than one disease-causing agent, patients can be infected with more than one pathogen at the same time, compounding the difficulty in diagnosis and treatment. Major tick-borne diseases include Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, relapsing fever, tularemia, tick-borne meningoencephalitis, Colorado tick fever, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, babesiosis and cytauxzoonosis.


I wouldn't worry too much about scalibor.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

jimenato said:


> You have used two of the words which push my red buttons - "Chemicals" and "Natural".
> 
> There is nothing inherently wrong with "chemicals" everything is made of chemicals. They can be good or bad or indifferent. They cannot be avoided.
> 
> ...


???

Maidenscotland didn't say anything about there being anything "wrong" with chemicals or "right" with natural products.

She said her dog has sensitive skin.

Go back to neutral and turn the red light off


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

We have used Advocate and Advantix with good effect.


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## jimenato (Nov 21, 2009)

Pesky Wesky said:


> ???
> 
> Maidenscotland didn't say anything about there being anything "wrong" with chemicals or "right" with natural products.
> 
> ...


You snipped what Maiden said at an important point

She actually said one of our dogs has sensitive skin and we cant use chemicals of any sort on him the implication being that chemicals are inherently bad for his skin? No? :confused2:


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

Exactly thank you x

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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

jimenato said:


> You snipped what Maiden said at an important point
> 
> She actually said one of our dogs has sensitive skin and we cant use chemicals of any sort on him the implication being that chemicals are inherently bad for his skin? No? :confused2:


Yes any chemical brings him out in a reaction.... Yes any chemical is bad for his skin I tried natural and they didn't break his skin out but they didn't combat the problem.

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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

I will get a photo when I get home..

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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

I think what Jimenato meant was that there is no such thing as "natural" treatments - they are all made up of chemicals. From sun protection cream to the salt we put on our food - all chemical.

"Natural" is one of these weasel words used in marketing to make things sound less harmful.


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## donz (May 5, 2010)

Some dogs can't wear flea or Scali collars as they cause irritation but usually a minority

I am not into pumping/spraying my dogs full of harsh chemicals if I can help it BUT I do use Scali's and I do vaccinate.

My other big tip is GARLIC

I have used garlic all my dogs lives in their food once a day and now we have been here almost a year (I have 7 dogs) I have found only 2 ticks between them and I live properly out in the campo on the side of a mountain in the middle of nowhere. My dogs rummage around in the long rubbishy grassy stuff and get covered in those sticky bud things but always ok.

Easiest is garlic powder that you an get from the spice rack in the supermarket (or if you are horsey then a good horse suppliers) PLEASE do not give garlic salt as one person did when I recommended garlic powder and then wondered why his dog was sick!!!

For an average sized labrador no more than half a level teaspoon a day - adjust accordingly for size 

It is fantastic for the immune system and keeps the little bugs at bay - have NEVER had fleas or any of these type of parasites and the 2 ticks we did find were not quite attached. I am really hoping it helps with sandfly as well even though we use the Scali's.


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## dunmovin (Dec 19, 2008)

this might be a stupid question, but have you sought the advice of a local vet?


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

donz said:


> Some dogs can't wear flea or Scali collars as they cause irritation but usually a minority
> 
> I am not into pumping/spraying my dogs full of harsh chemicals if I can help it BUT I do use Scali's and I do vaccinate.
> 
> ...


I think the garlic tip sounds like a great idea!

Can't do any harm and it's cheap and easy.


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

dunmovin said:


> this might be a stupid question, but have you sought the advice of a local vet?




Yes .. she said its a mystery


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

We have had problems all summer at our perrera. You can imagine how horrendous that is with two hundred dogs...
Without tempting fate, I think we managed to get it under control. We did a monthly treatment with Frontline and our volunteers groom and inspect our dogs regularly.
We also hired equipment and cleared the campo immediately around the dogs' runs (each pen has an indoors and a long outdoor run with trees for shade).
For Our Little Azor we use a Scalibor collar plus Avantix.
He hasn't had a tick for two years...
That was when he had been sleeping on our bed and I found a great fat tick on the sheet.
We took immediate action......


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## littleredrooster (Aug 3, 2008)

We once took in an old english sheepdog in Spain that was covered in them.
One great big one dropped off and next thing we knew was seven or eight tiny ones emerged from it and started walking off in all directions.

I don't see mention of ppl being bothered with them here, but up in Sweden there's loads of folk ended up in hospital this Summer with brain infections from tick bites.
For some reason they seem worse there than anywhere else, including those great big nasty moose ticks.

Last time I was over there doing some fencing under a tree, the first thing I knew was when I saw blood streaming down my hand. 
I never felt it bite and it must have hit the jackpot and gone straight into the vein.

They don't seem so bad in the UK, though I do recall many years ago seeing some sheep which had been infected by ticks.
There brains were obviously badly affected and they became very shaky and unstable before wasting away and having to be destroyed.


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## dunmovin (Dec 19, 2008)

littleredrooster said:


> We once took in an old english sheepdog in Spain that was covered in them.
> One great big one dropped off and next thing we knew was seven or eight tiny ones emerged from it and started walking off in all directions.
> 
> I don't see mention of ppl being bothered with them here, but up in Sweden there's loads of folk ended up in hospital this Summer with brain infections from tick bites.
> ...


that sounds like you bitten by an African blackfly, unlike a moquito, which has a sharp"needle" like nose(beak, mouth or whatever) these flies settle on you, spit a local anethestic on the where they bite , but unlike a mozzie, they have two powerful jaws and gnaw the skin until blood flows out the wound


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## TiaTula (Mar 25, 2011)

Hi there.
We have Spanish Water Dogs and Mastines del Pireneo so have lots of tick and fleas problems with the long coats. This year has been very bad. 
All the anti-tick and flea shampoos, drops, collars are rubbish. Go to your vet and get some Sanivir Plus. It is a very strong disinfectant insecticide. 
You must use it with a sprayer to do kennels, yards, sheds, pens etc. If using in an enclosed area the safety period is 48 hours. If in the open air we just leave the area free of animals overnight. 
You can also use it like a sheep dip and dunk your dogs in it. 
Keep some in small spray bottle as well to use on the animals. 
It must be freshly made up as the heat affects it. 
IT IS VERY STRONG, READ THE INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY. IT MUST BE DILUTED. 

Look on Bioplagen

Ticks start off as tiny black specks. They can only crawl and climb up walls, plants etc. and wait until the next host passes by and drop on board. The next stage is they look like tiny seeds. These then become the tick spider that digs in with its legs. The tick spider then gorges on the hosts blood to become the big fat greyish tick we all hate to find. 

Hope this helps......


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## zilly (Mar 9, 2010)

TiaTula said:


> Hi there.
> We have Spanish Water Dogs and Mastines del Pireneo so have lots of tick and fleas problems with the long coats. This year has been very bad.
> All the anti-tick and flea shampoos, drops, collars are rubbish. Go to your vet and get some Sanivir Plus. It is a very strong disinfectant insecticide.
> You must use it with a sprayer to do kennels, yards, sheds, pens etc. If using in an enclosed area the safety period is 48 hours. If in the open air we just leave the area free of animals overnight.
> ...


Thanks for that info. on Sanivir Plus--- means I can get away from spraying Supona.The ticks here too have been dreadful this year. !


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## MacRov (Oct 26, 2010)

Off topic a bit but whenever we put food down for our 2 dogs (who are picky eaters and just nibble away all day) we always get an army of little reddish ants finding their way to the dogs dishes. It doesn't seem to matter where we put the damn things.
Anyone else have this problem and are they harmful to the dogs ?


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

MacRov said:


> Off topic a bit but whenever we put food down for our 2 dogs (who are picky eaters and just nibble away all day) we always get an army of little reddish ants finding their way to the dogs dishes. It doesn't seem to matter where we put the damn things.
> Anyone else have this problem and are they harmful to the dogs ?


Try putting the food in a bowl which is in another bowl with water so the ants can't get at the food. That's what I did with my jar of honey and it worked, although different foods, different circumstances... Don't know if it will work


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## MacRov (Oct 26, 2010)

cool will give it a try, knowing my 2 they'll either drink it or knock it over.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

MacRov said:


> cool will give it a try, knowing my 2 they'll either drink it or knock it over.


Yes, probably, but I suppose it depends on the bowls you have available. If the food bowl is almost as big as the water bowl they might not be able to get at it.


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## MacRov (Oct 26, 2010)

I'll pass it on to the mrs as I'm offshore just now, see how it works. Ta


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## zilly (Mar 9, 2010)

I put talcum powder under and around my cat food bowls that stay out all day.Ants won't walk through it to get to the cat food-- I don't know why-but works a treat round window frames-doors etc too !


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## Seb* (Mar 22, 2009)

zilly said:


> I put talcum powder under and around my cat food bowls that stay out all day.Ants won't walk through it to get to the cat food-- I don't know why-but works a treat round window frames-doors etc too !


Works 100%, if they try to get through they die!


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## MacRov (Oct 26, 2010)

aaah perfect, thanks.


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

Pesky Wesky said:


> I think the garlic tip sounds like a great idea!
> 
> Can't do any harm and it's cheap and easy.


Not only that they won't be bothered by vampires....


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## JoCatalunya (Mar 16, 2011)

donz said:


> Some dogs can't wear flea or Scali collars as they cause irritation but usually a minority
> 
> I am not into pumping/spraying my dogs full of harsh chemicals if I can help it BUT I do use Scali's and I do vaccinate.
> 
> ...


The problem with giving Garlic to dogs is it poisons them, honestly, alongside onions, tomatoes and chocolate, my vet told me this and advised me to google it if in doubt. However, saying that, garlic is really good at repelling flies etc. So it's a case of you pay's your money, you takes your choice.


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## JoCatalunya (Mar 16, 2011)

littleredrooster said:


> They don't seem so bad in the UK, though I do recall many years ago seeing some sheep which had been infected by ticks.
> There brains were obviously badly affected and they became very shaky and unstable before wasting away and having to be destroyed.


Sounds like Scrapey to me. Also known as Mad Cow Disease.


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## JoCatalunya (Mar 16, 2011)

Whilst I use Scalibor collars on my dogs during tick season I also use NEEM OIL on all my animals, around my house and last but not least on my plants. It is a natural insect repellent which has a slight odour that takes getting used to, but which works a treat. It is 100% organic so it won't harm the environment or your dogs. I get mine through ebay and amazon but I reckon you could Google other possible suppliers if you decide to give it a try.


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## jimenato (Nov 21, 2009)

Interesting about garlic and dogs - I hadn't heard that before.

There's a lot on the net about it although as usual it's worth being sceptical about what you read...

This looks pretty convincing though...



> Perhaps most revealing is the study published in the American Journal of Veterinary Research in November 2000. Four dogs were given measured amounts of garlic and four dogs received none. After only seven days, blood tests on the dogs taking garlic revealed decreased levels in hemoglobin, hematocrit, and red blood cell values. Heinz body formation, an increase in erythrocyte-reduced glutathione concentration, and eccentrocytes were also detected, although none of the dogs developed hemolytic anemia.
> 
> Veterinarians conducting the study concluded that garlic has the potential to cause hemolytic anemia and that food containing garlic should not be given to dogs.


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## donz (May 5, 2010)

and yet I have been told the opposite (but as per bad luck happens I cannot find the article) - garlic although it is from a similar family as the onion, does not contain the layer that an onion has which is poisonous to dogs

I am not an expert however so it is a case of make your choice, can only call it as I see it


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## littleredrooster (Aug 3, 2008)

JoCatalunya said:


> Sounds like Scrapey to me. Also known as Mad Cow Disease.


Lyme disease in sheep is caused by ticks and also affects other animals and humans. 
The ticks are often carried by deer in the first instance.
The symptoms vary but in sheep can often be similar to those of mad cow disease affecting the nervous system causing brain disorder and lack of balance.


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## JoCatalunya (Mar 16, 2011)

littleredrooster said:


> Lyme disease in sheep is caused by ticks and also affects other animals and humans.
> The ticks are often carried by deer in the first instance.
> The symptoms vary but in sheep can often be similar to those of mad cow disease affecting the nervous system causing brain disorder and lack of balance.




Did you know you cannot graze horses on the same land as Deer. Also it is unwise to graze horses on land which is frequented by donkey's, they (Donkey's that is) can carry a lung worm which is most harmful if caught by a horse.

There was a case of a woman round these parts becoming ill with Lymes Disease after being bitten and sucked on by a tick. Makes me itch just thinking about it.


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