Ticks~Ugly~Nasty~Have Questions

[Sabrina & Savannah]

We live in the woods, have had multiple dogs and never really had a flea problem (knock on wood!) But the little ugly nasty booger the TICK is our problem!!

First~ I have always had very short haired dogs.  Easy to use the tick removal tool.  How do you do this without removing a plug of hair?  Is there something you apply to get them to turn loose instead?

Second~Any recommendations for TICK/flea preventative? Have used Frontline before, but now there are products that combine with heartworm/worms preventative.  Any comments, recommendations, would be very much appreciated.  We removed 5 ticks between last night and early this morning!

[Gail and Bailey]

We live in the woods too so I share your feelings about the nasty little ticks!!  We use Frontline Plus for fleas and ticks and we are very happy with the results.  If you find a tick on the dog, the tick will be dead or dying.  There are lots of discussions on DK about tick medication and preventatives and there are lots of different opinions.  When we first got our doodle the vet put her on Certifect for ticks.....she had a terrible reaction to it so I came to DK and asked for ideas. After reading everyone's thoughts on the subject I liked the idea of using a product that had been around for years and was "proven safe" (so to speak).  That is the reason I chose Frontline Plus.  Some folks don't like the idea of the tick having to bite the dog before the tick will die and they would prefer to have a product repel the ticks.  I don't like this idea because I see that as an opportunity for a tick to get a ride into my house only to fall off and then attatch itself to a human.  I have enough problems trying to keep them off me when I work in the yard!  Tick checks are a regular occurance in my house! LOL! 

Your doodle is beautiful!  I can't imagine hunting for ticks on a chocolate doodle!  Wishing you luck in the battle of the ticks! 

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Do you give Savannah a short cut for the summer? That would help with finding and removing the ticks. Not sure about a good preventative, as Gail says, lots of pros and cons to them.

[Joyce (Casey & Cody's mom)]

We don't like in the woods or in the country, yet I still removed one of these nasty little critters this morning from one of our dogs!  We typically use Frontline Plus but typically don't use it through the winter and haven't started it yet this spring. It's on my list to buy tomorrow!

[Debi and Monty Moose]

We also live in the woods AND on the water, so we have a double whammy.  Ticks are a way of life three seasons out of the year.  Like Gail....we use Frontline Plus and have been very happy with it.  I also agree with Gail that if you use other tick medications that repel.... you could find them in your house...rugs and your bed (Heaven forbid!)...when they hitch a ride in.  Monty had two on him last week...both deader than a door knob, which was fine with me.  We are finding ticks a little earlier this year in East TN...so I am hoping this will not be the start of a really bad season.  Of course...we are already something like 12 inches above in rainfall this year....which doesn't help.

[Marla Norton]

We use Frontline Plus as well.  My husband took our dog for a romp in the field at a state park last weekend and when I cam up to bed after him and the dog, there were 5 ticks crawling around in our bed near her.  We combed though her and found 10 more.  In the morning (I slept in the guest room), there were another 15, some in various stages of dead or dying and others not showing any effect.  She took a nap with my son and he found 5 more in his bed.  4 more that night.  Days later we are still finding active ticks in the house.  All dog ticks.  (BTW, Zoe's coat is now shorter than in the photo, we had to shave her in January due to matting).  But I am wondering if she had a product that repelled if she would not have attracted so many.  We are talking about in excess of 40 ticks from one hike!!

[Gail and Bailey]

OMG!  I think I would have to move out until someone made sure they were all gone!  Don't think I would take her back there for a romp again!  I am wondering the same thing as you are about the repellent.  I do not know how it works....how often you apply it (I assume it is applied) ...or if the ticks actually leave the dog alone right away or if they have to be on the dog and then jump off because of it.  I am amazed at how many you found!  I am going to look at your page to see where you live.  Hope none of you had any of the nasty creatures attached to you!  After all is said and done...think about 40 ticks riding in on your dog and actually attaching to the dog if she had no protection at all!  YIKES!

[Lynda Kamrath]

We use Frontline Plus during tick season (which is now).  It is not a repellant.  It is an insecticide.  When the ticks bite the dog they die and so you find ticks on the dog but they are dead.  I don't like using an insecticide that is put on topically, but it is the best choice for us.  The disadvantage is that you do not use the insecticide on yourself, so you can still get the ticks and we have had many.  Those little critters get right inside of our biking clothes.  How, I don't know.  But we have long pants and shirts and they will be clamped right on to our skin under the clothing.  If they are crawling around in your hair or on your neck, you can feel them.  Another problem is Lyme's disease, but they need to be on you for a while for that to develop.  Bathe and brush your dog after runs in the woods and check out the hair on your children.  It is applied to the back of the neck on the dog monthly.  Use gloves to apply and try not to touch their neck/shoulder for a few days.  Enough to scare you off???

[Lynda Kamrath]

I have had up to 50 (little guys) on one of my dogs after a walk in a tick area.  Get a lice comb to comb them out.

[Sabrina & Savannah]

I have used Frontline with the other dogs I have had in the past.  I found some of them were legarthic for a few days after.  I did a little research and talked to my vet.  They have a tick collar that last about 3 months and it works.  It does not repel, but it does kill the ticks. We do find them crawling in place in the house, on the bed covers and us, but at least they are going to their death already!  We just finish them off with a bic lighter!!  Since we have had the collar about 3 weeks now, we have not found any attached to Savannah.  I think this is the way to to.  For fleas we are using Trifexis (sp?).   It also takes care of heartworms and other internal parasites.  I like the combination we are using and I think I will probably stick with it.