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

[F, Calla & Luca]

I use Frontline and get the doodles the Lyme vaccine every year. Not everybody gets their dogs the vaccine and I'm sure some don't even use spot preventatives. On light doodles you can spot tiny ticks because their shape is regular unlike lots of "dirt". Also, the move. I pick them off and flush them. As soon as I spot one or two I know they are "in season" and I look for them. Usually I find them near the dogs head, tiny little things. They can be anywhere though.I have found a few engorged ticks over the years. I only once found a tick on the nape of my neck. I don't go in the woodsy/shrubby areas nearly as much as the dogs. But the dogs get them right on my fenced, no deer property probably carried by mice, another host.

The human vaccine was pulled off the market some years ago and there is no new one I know about. On humans there is not always a bulls eye rash. I do get an annual test for Lyme, thanks for reminding me : )

[Gail and Bailey]

F...I wonder if you would try to answer a question for me.  If we have flea and tick meds that we put on our dogs (and in some cases give them pills) for prevention.....,  then I want to know why there is not a similar product for humans.

I am serious about this question and it seems nobody can give me an answer.  My dog does not get ticks because I give her a preventative but my husband and I do get ticks!   When we work in the yard we wind up having to check each other all over for the tiny little deer ticks and they are really hard to spot!  We catch them right away so they have not been attached long but it is creepy!  I would feel a lot safer if I knew that a tick would die if it bit me like they do on a dog who has been treated!  I am always afraid we will miss one of these small ticks because they can look just like a small faded freckle.  Someone needs to come up with a method of protection for humans like we have for our dogs!  Why do you think this has not been done??

[F, Calla & Luca]

I believe deet products like Off do repel ticks.  It too  has side effects. But Frontline is really nasty stuff that I use on the dogs because I think their risk of undiscovered ticks is great. I get mosquitoes bites daily now but I hate to use deet all the time, partly cause the dogs lick me.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Ticks are everywhere in CT and Lyme disease originated here in Lyme, CT.  My dogs get the vaccine each year and I use Frontline Plus year round.  They don't go away when the weather gets cold....I've found them in Nov and Dec.  Whenever we take the dogs to run in the state land (all wooded) we do a thorough tick check when we get home.  If we miss any, we usually find them the next day and they are up around their heads.  If they've "dug in" it's important to get the whole thing out.....rubbing alcohol helps to get them to let go.  I also flush them.  I've had Lyme disease and I did have the bull's eye rash, but when my grandson had it there was no rash.  For me the worst part of it was the heavy-duty antibiotics that are prescribed for several weeks.....they made me feel pretty lousy.  Anyway, I HATE TICKS!  I'm so sorry they have decided to move into Ohio.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Yeah, Jane. Who wants to move here?  Go West with the Gold Rush and Hollywood. 

Thank you for the advice. I really got some great information here.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Late fall is usually the worst for my dogs too.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Thanks, F.   I am going to use the Spot on all year now.

[Donna K & Quincy]

Ticks have never been an issue for us either but when we went to the vet a couple of weeks ago there was a huge poster on the front desk. I asked about it and they said they had several reports of dogs that had picked up ticks in our area. I am not happy that there is something else for us to worry about. I'll have to try and remember to ask the vet about it when we go on Friday.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

We asked here Donna, and the vet said at this time it would be a special order vaccine.  As of yet, it is not kept in stock.  We do use K9 Advantix because of the very high mosquito and other tick population.  Sounds like the information I got here says this may be all that is needed. 

[Linda, Webber and Seda]

Advantix is supposed to take care of the deer ticks.  It is not always 100% according to my Vet.  Webber tested positive for E. canis two years ago, a tick born disease, and had no symptoms but I treated him with a month of doxycycline anyway.  He has been on Advantix Plus since he was a puppy.   In my area in NC we do an annual blood test for heartworm, E canis, Lyme and one other I can't recall.  The Vet has not recommended the Lyme vaccine but we get the leptospirosis vaccine because of the deer.  I think they vaccinate for what is showing up in the community.  You can see the deer tics, or feel them, if you check Spud routinely. I haven't found any on Seda this year, and one on Webber.  A human can have Lyme without the bulls eye rash.  Usually there is a flu like syndrome.  After I find one on one of the dogs I am more vigilant about looking for them on myself since I suspect they bring them in to me.  Make sure you check your back in mirror.  They like to attach around the bra strap and above the panty line.  I trap them in scotch tape and put the date on the tape so I can remember when I got bitten.  Some years they are really bad around here.

[Ginny Nightingale]

See my post below--if they are still crawling around, you are safe--they need to be on you and embedded for at least 24 hours--

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Thank you Linda!!!   Great information. I am totally clueless but wasn't going to ask.  So glad I did.

As for the mirror, please see video on the next page!