Advice on Deer Ticks. Never before in Ohio. We have been Warned

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Never before found in Ohio, Deer ticks have been found in 22 (52 said another report)  out of 88 counties. Once thought to be unheard of in my area, new warnings are beginning to appear in the past few months.

Columbus News

Toledo News

I have ignored your posts of Lyme Disease and deer ticks for the most part because of it not pertaining to me or my dogs.  But, now I'm clueless.

From this map, it is not in my county yet, but I am surrounded. Only a matter of time-days   Opps, they are here. I read the map wrong.  Welcome Deer Ticks.

• So how do you all handle this in your area? 
• Do all your dogs get a Lyme Vaccine? 
• Is this just routine in your area, similar to rabies and other vaccines? 
• Can humans get a vaccine?  
• Do Spot-on Tick and Flea repellants such as Advantix II work on Deer Ticks?
• I can spot a large tick but do you have a routine for searching yourselves and your dogs? Is there ALWAYS a bull eye rash?
• How the heck do you find a tiny tick in a dog?
• Should I call Spud's vet and get the vaccine?  Does this  need updated every year?

I have deer living just 100  yards away in the back. I'm thinking this is just a name and not related to deer as we have had deer for a long while.

 Fill this clueless girl in!  Thanks

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

My vets have never mentioned the Lyme vaccine to me, although Dog knows they've mentioned every other vaccine. I use Frontline Plus, but my big concern is fleas. I have never found a flea or a tick on JD, happily. They are supposedly mostly found in wooded areas, especially along trails.

Here's a good article about deer ticks :

http://www.orkin.com/other/ticks/where-are-deer-ticks-located/

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Thank you for the link, Karen.   Yep, my vet never brought this up.  These ticks have only been reported in the State since last year.  So this is all new. 

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

I guess it is time for me to get my head out of the sand.

I too worry about ticks. We have a new city fishing hole just about a mile down the street and glory bee, dogs are welcome. We planned on going but two sets of friends went on separate occasions and BOTH said they came out with ticks on them....they said this so nonchalantly as if the ticks were worth the fishing NOT!

Daisy is on Frontline + and has never had a tick nor flea. I have no idea how I would ever tell however as her hair is thick, and dense. It really worries me that I may miss one, I can honestly say I have never seen her skin except on the underside.

No Vet has ever offered up the Lyme vaccine to me, I assumed because we have not had a lot of deer ticks UNTIL NOW! Thanks Joanne for the heads up.

We have also been affected by dying deer here in NE OH, if anyone is interested here is an article about that. It is caused by midges biting the deer (a big population of these annoying little gnat like insects near the big lakes). Here is the link to a short article. http://www.cleveland.com/outdoors/index.ssf/2012/09/outbreak_of_dis...

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Lisa, Spud got a tick as a puppy.  We have firewood and they hang out there all winter. But these ticks are something completely different than has ever been in Ohio.  First report was Fall of 2011!  But sounds like they are moving fast  :(   Something to keep in mind.  As Ginny said, I am not going to stop living because of them but I do need to be informed!

[F, Calla & Luca]

We just had an article on this Hemorrhagic disease in deer here in NJ. We do need something to reduce the deer herds which are wiping out the understory in our woods and forests.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Update: my vet's office, asks I call around noon to speak to a Doc. She said she does not know, as of yet, how they are handling the surge of our new insects. She did tell me recently several have called asking for help and advice, and a few infected pets. All calls are being referred directly to the doctors. So, more on this issue later.
We do have Wood Ticks year round especially in the fireplace logs and we are surrounded by woods.
I think I had one on me last year, but thought , " no, we don't have them in our area" Mean little creep and that area on my ankle took a long time to clear up.

Thank you all for letting me know how you handle this in your area and with your doodles

[Jennifer]

We get the Lymes vaccination for both our dogs each year and we use Frontline during tick season (generally March - August) here. Unfortunately even with the preventative measures, dogs can still get Lymes. :-(

If we're out in the woods we do a thorough tick check on everyone (dogs included). I've found the nasty little things crawling across the floor in my house before. Yuck!!!!

[Ginny Nightingale]

OK--where to begin--I don't want to repeat what others have said, but here is my story. I live in Columbia County NY--the  one with one of the highest incidents of human and dog Lyme in the northeast--and the US most likely. The good news is that the tick must be embedded for at least 24 hours to transmit the Lyme so if you find one right away and it is still crawling around, you are OK.

My hubby and I have had Lyme more then once but I have not had Lyme in my dogs since I started using Advantix--my dogs had fleas and ticks when on Frontline+ and it is the common belief in my area that Frontline does nothing at this point (insects have become immune to it). I never had a rash when I had Lyme, but my husband did--not everyone gets the rash. When a dog has Lyme, one of the first things you notice is the fact that they don't want to or can't walk. Their feet become very sensitive and it is painful to walk--at least, that is what we have observed up here.

My vet does not give the vaccine as it rarely works and gives people a false sense of security--dogs get Lyme when vaccinated against it all the time--mine did many years ago. (pre-doodles) Oh, and it was WINTER when my dog got Lyme --if it is a warm day, the ticks will quickly come out even in February. Some people skip Advantix for the winter months-not a good idea....

Oh and by the way, there are lots of false negatives and false positives with the Lyme test in humans and once your dog has it once, there are false positives if tested again--welcome to our world!! It really is an epidemic here that has caused lots of long-term health issues because it sometimes takes so long for people to get the treatment that the nerves have been damaged. I once had it for over a month while the doctor tested and considered--I ended up with a mild form of fibromyalgia that never went away and I think it was due to the Lyme--and I am by no means alone.

The ticks are being carried by mice--despite having three cats in my yard (strays that hang around for a free meal) there is no shortage of mice here--we have lots of deer too, but it is really the mice that carry the tick to your dog's area. There is no way to avoid this. And, yes, the ticks are very tiny--you can check the dog over, but it is very hard to find them--they are the size of the period at the end of this sentence. But with the Advantix, I have not had any issue despite the fact that my dogs are outside all the time. 

Oh, boy--now I have probably scared you---sorry--but we have had this here for over 20 years and everyone is an expert--we all go out and live our lives, but we need to be vigilant and you will have to be too now.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

PERFECT!  Thank you, Ginny.  No fear  :)  Not happy, but no fear. 

[F, Calla & Luca]

I agree the mice carry them into my yard I'm sure. The ticks are tiny but they do catch my eye, well, I hope all of them do but I have missed a few. I use Frontline but I may switch. I do use it year round.

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

We have a nephew that is currently being treated for Lyme's.  He is in the Army and stationed in Missouri.  He went out hunting and came home and realized he was covered in the tiny little ticks which were already attached.  Unfortunately after he was in the house where he has a 18 month old and a pregnant wife.  She pulled over 100 of them off of him with tweezers.  Not sure how long it was before the rash started to appear! 

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

L&S's  Mom.  I'm so sorry to hear about your nephew  :(    I'm hoping all is well with the whole family.

BTW-did you find yourself on the map?