# TICKS - question (gross pictures!)



## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

I found three ticks on Kenya the other day. I carefully pulled them with a tweezer. I *think* I got the whole tick, there's 8 legs, a tear-dropped shaped body, and two pinchers on the end so I assume I got the head too? I keep inspecting her for more just in case. These weren't huge like you see on Animal Cops, smaller than a grain of rice yet. My question is whether it's normal for the area where the tick was to be like a little lump and scabbed over? She actually had the bumps and scabs before I removed the ticks, that's how I found them. I was scratching her neck and felt these lumps and scabs, then upon closer inspection, found legs kicking. Is this just a reaction to the tick or should I be worried? 

example 1









example 2 (this one bled b/c I thought there was a second tick but it was just a scabbed I picked off, and the specs are dried scab)









As of today, the lumps are still there and scabbed over, the skin looks pinkish white (not red/inflamed). I did call the vet about the ticks and they said tick diseases here are extremely rare and they didn't think she needed to come in. Obviously I need Frontline ALL year long. I think maybe tomorrow I'm going to bring her to the walk-in pet wash b/c when I use the high velocity dryer it lets me carefully inspect every inch of her skin. I'm just not sure if these lumps/scabs are normal, never dealt with ticks before.


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## Papanapa (Mar 1, 2008)

I am not sure about the red spots?? Someone here will chime in I am sure.

For tick removal I usually put a glob of vaseline on it and wait a few minutes and then remove with tweezers. They let go and come off so easy that way.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

thanks. i'll have to use vaseline on my next tick removal.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Wow, I am surprised you found ticks so early in the year! I better keep an eye on my gang. Ticks are the worse part of warmer weather!


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## allieg (Nov 4, 2008)

I think it's OK.It's just a normal reaction to a foreign body.I would keep an eye on it and if in a few days it looks worse or not any better I would check with your vet.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: onyx'girlWow, I am surprised you found ticks so early in the year! I better keep an eye on my gang. Ticks are the worse part of warmer weather!


It's ironic that I found them right on her neck/shoulder, right where the Frontline goes! I have no idea where she picked them up. The only time I've seen ticks in the past 10 years was two that were on ME at our cottage.


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## LisaT (Feb 7, 2005)

You did the exact right thing in the way you removed the ticks. Please do not put anything on them first, as that increases the odds that they regurgitate more into the body. 

My dog reacted that way to her tick bites. 

Btw, MI is a place where there has been an upswing in tick diseases. 

The body doesn't mount a good response for weeks, sometimes a couple of months, so you either 1) treat prophelactically with doxy, 2) wait and watch for the next several months for *anything* out of the ordinary, or 3)maybe treat with something like Cat's Claw, just in case. 
Do make sure, at some point way down the road, a SNAP 4 test run.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

So should I get some doxy just in case?


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## 3K9Mom (Jun 12, 2006)

> Quote:
> Please do not put anything on them first, as that increases the odds that they regurgitate more into the body.


Apply nothing. Don't use a match.









Don't pull them in a way that will squeeze the body (which injects the fluid into your dog's body like a syringe). 

Grasp at the mouth with your tweezers and gently pull straight back until you've pulled the whole tick out. 

These rules apply for humans too! 

You can have ticks tested. There is a fee for doing so, but the peace of mind may be worth it (see the bottom of this page): 

http://www.anapsid.org/lyme/removingticks.html


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## lucymom (Jan 2, 2009)

The tick issue is one I learned too much about when my Lucy got rocky mountain, erlichia and lyme at ONCE. She nearly died. Her recuperation was so unprecedented that she became the subject of study at the Tick-Borne disease lab at NC State U--the world's leading tick doc is there. I had to send her blood twice a year....

Anyway, it was strongly recommended to me that Frontline was good, but (had not been invented when she got sick...) Preventic collars were optimal and can be used with Frontline.

Very reasonably priced--about 15 bucks for months of protection. I live in a tick-intensive area and found maybe 4 attached ticks in the subsequent years. I *think* that it may be problematic to have in a home with cats though, check first. 

Check with your vet about the doxy--when Luce WAS bitten again, I was told not to put her on doxy by Dr. B at NC State. You may want to check with your vet though.

It is thought that ticks need 24-48 hours to infect a dog. Were the ticks you pulled off engorged? If not, perhaps they had not been there that long. Here we have mainly deer ticks and it is pretty obvious (and gross) when they are engorged. I don't know what you have where you are so I don't want to guess.

It's a subject to be taken seriously. Lucy died of a very aggressive strain of hemangiosarcoma on Christmas--it was not responsive to chemo or holistic at all. NC State is studying her spleen and the overall topic of tick-borne diseases taking such a toll on the immune system that it may make dogs more prone to cancer.

Consider Preventic, I have no doubt it has kept my dogs from having more tick problems. I hate the little [word changed by Admin. WiscTiger] SUCKERS!

Jennifer


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## lucymom (Jan 2, 2009)

And yes, the scabs can look like that for a day or two, the ticks hold on to the skin as they are pulled off. Blech.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

3K9Mom said:


> > Quote:
> >
> > You can have ticks tested. There is a fee for doing so, but the peace of mind may be worth it (see the bottom of this page):
> >
> ...


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## Doc (Jan 13, 2009)

You can always drop them in alcohol. I think these look small compared to some that have been feeding for days! My main concern with ticks is Lyme disease. A blood test can test for it. Catch it early, its not that big of deal - catch it late it can be fatal I think.

Skin attached isn't unusal, I can't really see the other two very well. If you are unsettled, tell the vet you want to test for Lyme's because you recently removed 3 ticks.

The spots on the body will go away. Sometimes those critters can get as big as your finger nail! I'm not a fan of the Lyme vaccination, but there is one. I don't like the risk associated with it so i don't use it.


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## Kaylas Mom (Oct 6, 2007)

I pulled a tick from my little Shih Tzu 3 weeks ago, look just like that, and I can still feel a little lump.


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## LisaT (Feb 7, 2005)

In some parts of the country, ehrlichia, anaplasmosa, and rocky mountain spotted fever are much more of a concern then lyme. Depends on the area and the type of ticks. 

There is a lyme vaccine, but as Doc said, it carries risk, none of the vet schools recommend it, and my dog is a poster case for the damage it can do to a dog. 

You're right Doc, lyme can be fatal, or severly debilitating if not caught it time. So can the other tick diseases. 

Interesting the post above against the use of prophelactic doxy. Depending on the part of the state I'm in, if I find an engorged tick, that's what I do. That vet that recommended not doing it doesn't have to deal with the aftermath of a dog with a tick disease. The vets that are dismissive of the tick diseases also drive me bonkders - they are still finding new types or strains of tick diseases and ticks that carry them that they didn't think possible before. And there is no good reporting system for these things, and the tests are notoriously fallible.


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## LJsMom (Jan 6, 2008)

Last November we were on our way home from tagging our Christmas tree when I discovered a tick on Lady Jane. I called our vet and she prescribed an antibiotic. Better safe than sorry.


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## Papanapa (Mar 1, 2008)

Odd you say not to use vaseline. Our doctor and vet recommended it as they both said that ticks have to breath from their backs. Putting vaseline on them first will force them to unnattach themselves, thus cutting the risk of leaving any part of them in the host.

Might want to call your own vet and ask for their opinion. I am sure they all have different ideas on ticks.

They are very common in our part of the State. During a bad tick season we remove one a day from dogs/kids/adults.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

what's Doxy, Cats Claw and a Snap 4? how are they used?


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Doxycycline is an antibiotic. I mainly know of it b/c it was used as a malaria prophylactic when I went to east Africa.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

Here in NE PA, I swear we are the tick habitat extroidinaire!!!!! So, sadly, my dogs do get embedded ticks all time (yes, I am vigilant, yes I use Frontline, yes they still get thru the defenses!!!).

If you saw the 2 pincher prongs when you pulled them out, you did get the head. I frequently (almost always) have a similar red inflamed area on my dogs after pulling out the ticks. Think it is a bit of an infection and possibly slightly an allergic reaction to the tick at the site they bite. The photos you showed seem to show the entire tick, and you are right that the bit of your dogs skin in their mouth shows you got the heads.

I've never been to the vet for them, just keep an eye on them to make sure they heal over then scab and fall off. Probably I do put a bit of Neosporin on the ones that my dog's can't lick but seem a bit redder then normal. Just to help with the healing.

Only if they seemed to not be healing after around 3 days or so would I then head to the vet......

And you want to get them out ASAP you see them. I just pull them out with my fingernails, you many need tweezers if you don't have fingernails. I would NOT recommend using just vaseline, I want them out NOW and not to wait for the vaseline to work and for them to die.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

^ Thanks! That's reassuring. I'll have to use tweezers b/c I don't really have fingernails. Also, I have this "issue" with spiders, and a tick looks too much like a spider. I would probably have a panic attack if I pulled one off that big, then I'd drop it and it would escape. I've found them on me before, but very very tiny and I just flick them off and stomp on them.


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## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

The best part about ticks (vs. spiders or even fleas) is they are very very very slow. So easy to catch even if they fall off and are found wandering.........


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## SunCzarina (Nov 24, 2000)

> Quote:I wasn't sure how to kill them


Hold them in the tweezers and light a match (or cigarette lighter) under them. Hold them in the flame until they pop. It'll make you feel better too!

The big one in the picture looks like it grabbed quite a bit of skin. OUch, Poor Pretty Kenya! Hug her for me.


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## srfd44-2 (May 20, 2004)

Just as a FYI, I heard that Frontline will be phased out by the company in the next few months. The reason is because ticks and fleas have become immune to it since Frontline has been out for 11 years. The newest product out is called Vetra-3D. In the other products the tick or flea has to bite to die. In the Vetra-3D all it takes to kill the flea or tick is for it to jump on the dog and the chemical is absorbed thru the skin.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: MaggieRoseLeeThe best part about ticks (vs. spiders or even fleas) is they are very very very slow. So easy to catch even if they fall off and are found wandering.........


Phew! We had a flea incident once. One hopped off the dog into the carpet and I was chasing it around. I pinched it until it popped but it still hopped a foot into the air!

I'm grooming her tonight to make sure there are no more. She's been blowing coat so she needs a good brushing and blow drying anyway.


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

> Originally Posted By: srfd44-2Just as a FYI, I heard that Frontline will be phased out by the company in the next few months.


Do you have any links for this?


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## LisaT (Feb 7, 2005)

Again, please, no vaseline, no matches, etc. It isn't about suffocating them, or making you feel better, it's about minimizing disease transmission. And disease transmission can occur within an hour, depending on where in the tick the bacteria is. 

Doxy is the antibiotic that is effective for the most number of tick diseases, SNAP 4 is an inhouse test at the vet's that tests for 3 tick diseases and HW. It is very sensitive for lyme, not as sensitive for ehrlichia and anaplasmosa (more false negatives for those). Cat's Claw is an herb that folks have used in fighting tick diseases. I have not used it myself.


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## Doc (Jan 13, 2009)

I wouldn't grab the tick with your bare hands. Some literature mentions that tick diseases can be transmitted by just touching a tick or having it crawl over your skin. I'm not sure about that but I think some disposal gloves would be helpful. I always put them in plastic bag (sealed) in the freezer for a few days just in case there are any delayed reactions. That way you can still send them to a lab for testing if need be. Ticks are common in North Carolina, and we do have a great Vet school at NC State Univ. Ticks love tall grass and under brush.


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## srfd44-2 (May 20, 2004)

Lauri, I don't have any links to this. Heard it from the sales rep that came to the hospital.


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

i've backpacked in Africa several times. i had to get a malaria shot, yellow fever shot and collora (sp) shot. i had no idea what was used in the shots.



> Originally Posted By: LiesjeDoxycycline is an antibiotic. I mainly know of it b/c it was used as a malaria prophylactic when I went to east Africa.


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## Parsifal (Feb 1, 2006)

Links for tick removal:

http://www.placervillevet.com/ticktools.htm

If the tick is deeply embedded and you can't grasp it:
http://www.tickremoval.org/

Lisa T is right -- you don't want to do anything that will cause the tick to regurgitate disease-carrying tick stuff into whatever you're removing it from. So don't try to burn it out or smother it out or poison it out unless it's in so deep you have absolutely no other choice. IN any case, all teh "smother it with vasaline or dishwashing liquid" advice is bogus.

And just to panic you further, the very tiny nymphal ticks are amongst the worst for disease transmission. So use a good tick repellant, always, and take your clothes off, boil them (well, wash them in as hot a water as you can get and rinse them twice, anyway, and don't hang them with tick-free clothes), and take a shower whenever you come in doors if you're in tick country. Brush and check your dogs every time. 

I use a combination of K9-Frontline (and I'll check into the new stuff, thanks) and essential oils on the dogs, and essential oils and Deet on me, which has worked very well so far. Many anti-tick substances only kill ticks (after a few hours) but don't repel them. 

Take it from me, as much work as it seems, it's no work at all compared to actually getting a tick-borne disease. TBDs can stop your life in its tracks.


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## 3K9Mom (Jun 12, 2006)

> Quote:
> Brush and check your dogs every time.


I use a flea comb and comb my dogs several times over -- that's just at the trailhead. Then I do it again at home, in the bathroom, where it's really easy to see the black ticks on the white flooring, if they drop. 

And we comb ourselves too, and check each other out. Ticks like warm moist places (the warmer and moister the better). So check EVERYWHERE on your and your dogs' bodies.


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## middleofnowhere (Dec 20, 2000)

Do not count on "stomping" on them to kill them or flushing them down the toilet either. Use an old pill bottle & put some alcohol in that (rubbing or cleaning not drinking kind). Drop the tick in & it will die. 
The ticks you showed are not engorged and the pics you showed of your dog's skin is typical of my dog's skin reacting to a tick bite. My dogs have occassionally had ticks imbedded, too. So has my horse. 7 years in tick country and we're so far OK.


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

I put them in a plastic zip lock bag - dated and who/where if they were imbedded
I don't kill them or anything.
And, yes, I grasp by the head with tweezers and slowwwwwly pull out.
3.0 reading glasses (cheap at big box stores) are good for seeing them


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## asja (Mar 22, 2011)

lucymom said:


> The tick issue is one I learned too much about when my Lucy got rocky mountain, erlichia and lyme at ONCE. She nearly died. Her recuperation was so unprecedented that she became the subject of study at the Tick-Borne disease lab at NC State U--the world's leading tick doc is there. I had to send her blood twice a year....
> 
> Anyway, it was strongly recommended to me that Frontline was good, but (had not been invented when she got sick...) Preventic collars were optimal and can be used with Frontline.
> 
> ...


I know this thread is old, but I just read your post and wanted to respond. 

My German Shepherd Boris nearly died from Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever in 2007. One day he fell over and couldn't walk. Long story short, we ended up at a vet neurologist two days later, and he was diagnosed with RMSF and treated with doxycycline for at least three months. It took him a month before he could walk again, and six months before he was almost normal again. His joints were wrecked. I was so happy he recovered, only a few months later he was diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma. He lived three weeks with the hemangiosarcoma, and 13 months after the RMSF infection. He died October 18, 2008. I, and my vets, thought the RMSF infection and hemangiosarcoma were related.

I wanted to add, I noticed your Lucy was born in 1997, and passed away in 2008. Boris was born January 7, 1997, and passed away October 18, 2008.


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

Wow that is old - I responded to it today because it showed up as a new post.
Go figure.


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