Tons of ticks!

[Harper]

Help!  We went on a hike with Harper and came home with at least 50 ticks on her. 
We are trying to get them off as best we can but she has long dark hair so it is hard. Vet said her Frontline kills ticks but she is due in a week for her next dose. We bathed her before calling the  vet and vet said we should give her Frontline again but have to wait two days since her last bath. 

Anyone ever deal with a horrible tick problem before and have suggestions?

[Elizabeth & *Kosci*.]

Please check everywhere especially between toes,ears, armpits any nook, also a hairdryer can blow the hair apart, but I think I would be inclined to comb section by section.Pull out with tweezers, make sure you take the head and don't squeeze the body.
(Any conciliation some ticks in Australia can cause paraylias - even death.)

[Angie, Hudson and Lily]

Wow- that it a lot of ticks! The offcial Frontline website says that it can be applied after a bath, and you only need to wait until the hair is dry- not 2 days. It also said you can use other flea/tick products (like sprays) in conjunction with Frontline but they recommend that you wait 24 hours between applications of two different products.

 

I would apply her next dose now.

 

Also, if you have cats, don't use K-9 Advantix. It is toxic to them and there have been problems of cats getting sick from just licking it off of a dog's coat.

 

I think the best way to remove them is the tweezer method/ and or kill them quickly. I have read that ticks can survive for a long time without air, and that the slow killing home remedy methods just allow the ticks longer to spread their diseases and release toxins. The best way is to kill them quickly and get them off. 

[shelly]

OMG!  I HATE ticks!  I feel bad!  I don't even let tori out in the grass now... I have heard that the tick problem is soooo bad this year!  I wonder why?  I too would go to the ER vet (but would they even do that? remove them I mean?)  I don't think tori would stay still to remove ONE tick, much less 50!  -  a preventative course of antibiotics is a great idea!  I wil be thinking of you! So SORRY! :o(

[Jennifer and Jack]

do you have an update for us?

 

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

Poor Harper-I hope you find them all and that he will be ok, they said they were bad this year but that's terrible!

[Pam & Trixie]

Sorry Double post.  My PC was stuck on Clock 

 

Here is a Link I just found on Tick Removal & info:

http://www.uihealthcare.com/topics/prepareemergencies/prep4927.html

[Jennifer and Jack]

Geeze what kind of thing was my vet telling me to do??? It clearly says there not to use vasoline.. I wonder why my vet told me that... Gosh I would have used it if I found a tick on Jack, Thanks for posting that....I am printing this to bring to drop off at the ER vet... That ticks me off, literally!!

 

[Pam & Trixie]

Unfortunately just because they are a Vet doesnt mean they know all the right things.

 

 

[Jennifer and Jack]

I should know that by now, I took down my crappy advice!!! Thanks for pointing that out....I book marked that site for future use.. Thanks again.

[Pam & Trixie]

Oh My! That is a ton of ticks. : (   I freaked out when I found 8 crawling on Trixie & they were just crawling!

I would not use the vaseline...If you google that- Most say Do Not use it.

 

I hope you or someone can get them all out.

If they are Wood ticks/Dog Ticks you should not have to worry about Lyme Disease .

 

Like Angie said- Frontline does not say you have to wait after a bath...Although all the vets seem to say you have to.

 

Let us know how Harper is doing when you can.

[Harper]

Hey everyone!  Thanks for you advice!  I tried to reply a few times on my phone but it wouldn't go through.  To complicate matters we are on vacation, so I can't just pop over to my vet or to a big pet store (we're in a remote area).  I took people's advice and we went to get another tick medication to apply now.  The stores didn't have any of the high end brand preventatives, but they had some cheaper applications, sprays, collars, and shampoos.  We decided to go with the shampoo and used it this afternoon according to the directions.  I think the Frontline is working b/c there are plenty of dead ticks now.  I haven't seen a live one since the shampoo.  

 

Oh and it turns out there were closer to 100 ticks on her!!!  I am going to leave a voicemail with her vet so that we can get a prescription for antibiotics (if she will write one) for Monday afternoon when we get back.  

 

The ticks are "dog ticks" according to pictures I've seen on the internet.  We live in Northern California and the vet on the phone said that diseases from ticks are very rare in our area.  Thank goodness!! 

 

Harper seems fine and is very happy and normal now, btw.  I think the diseases would take awhile to kick in anyway, but that is just my guess.  It has now been about 28 hours since we first got the ticks on the hike and at this point we are hopeful all the ticks are either gone or dead.  

[shelly]

Oh my goodness!  I am shivering reading your posts!  Was harper IN the woods or just on a path?  I can't believe how bad they are this year and all over the US - not only in one area!  Let me say that you are one BRAVE woman too!  did Harper just sit there and let you take them off?  I'm glad she is acting normal!  Good luck!  I'll be watching!  Hope you enjoy the rest of your vacation!