Ticks Driving Us Mad!

[DaisyDog]

My girl is a total tick magnet. Luckily we're not in a paralysis tick area (yet), but nothing works to stop them on her. We've tried sprays, tablets, collars, injections, washes and still they are always there. Is it possible she's allergic to them? You can alway see where she's had a tick because the area swells and she gets rashes. She's always covered in scabs from tick bites and is starting to lose her fur. I'm so at a loss on what to do. We pull ticks twice a day, and she's not getting any mature ones any more, but is still getting tons of tiny little bush ticks. Her poor skin is so red and itchy, especically her feet and tummy. Any suggestions?

[dianed]

My girl is a total tick magnet. Luckily we're not in a paralysis tick area (yet), but nothing works to stop them on her. We've tried sprays, tablets, collars, injections, washes and still they are always there. Is it possible she's allergic to them? You can alway see where she's had a tick because the area swells and she gets rashes. She's always covered in scabs from tick bites and is starting to lose her fur. I'm so at a loss on what to do. We pull ticks twice a day, and she's not getting any mature ones any more, but is still getting tons of tiny little bush ticks. Her poor skin is so red and itchy, especically her feet and tummy. Any suggestions?

You are obviously talking about the bush/grass ticks. A few years ago we had a bad bush/grass tick problem here on the coast, it even got some of our young cattle down in condition to a point that they nearly died. My dog would come home with them on her tummy which was red and covered in spots.

I used Advantix,they either dropped off dead or died on her. It is only a short term tick killer but it sure worked. Failing that what about mixing up some Nucidol and rinsing her in it.

Edited December 12, 2010 by dianed

[Braithwaites]

We live in paralysis and brown tick country and have always had borders and kelpies. We went a less toxic route after alot of trial and error, with good results. We used advantix and collars, advantix was good but only lasts for 2 weeks in the middle of tick season so it ended up being really expensive on 2 or 3 adult dogs. The collars are just toxic. Our kids would have to watch where they poat the dogs, you had to take them off if the dogs want to play fight/ chase or swim with each other.

A fresh food diet that is rich in garlic, potato and pumpkin has done the trick. The tick numbers we find on the dogs is about the same as the advantix and much better than the collars. The garlic and starch makes their blood/ flesh much less appealing, and the fresh diet reduces fat deposits which makes the dogs attractive to parasites.

Our friend makes up an apple vinegar and citrus spray for her dogs, possibly with garlic in it too, and she has even better results than us. After a while you get use to your dogs smelling like a big salad, she says.

[GeckoTree]

I'd also look at chiggers where you are, not many people have talked about chigger problems on this forum, but it reads to me your dog has got chiggers as well as those little bush tick plagues.

Apart from medicated washes I don't know what else for the rashes, the only way i know how to cure chiggers on people is with Vaseline. It took a month on itching misery for me to figure that one.

[Braithwaites]

I'd also look at chiggers where you are, not many people have talked about chigger problems on this forum, but it reads to me your dog has got chiggers as well as those little bush tick plagues.

Apart from medicated washes I don't know what else for the rashes, the only way i know how to cure chiggers on people is with Vaseline. It took a month on itching misery for me to figure that one.

What is a chigger?

[GeckoTree]

Trombicula (eutrombicula) hirsti or the Scrub-itch mite. - everyone I know has only ever called them Chiggers. As babies they bury under the skin and put up a snorkel to breath and the itching rash is insane.

Edited December 13, 2010 by -GT-

[DaisyDog]

I've gone back to Fido's Fre-itch wash, doing it every 2 days instead of 3 and she seems less itchy, but still ticky. I'm worried as we're moving to NSW next year so need to find something that works.

Edited December 13, 2010 by DaisyDog

[DaisyDog]

Will take her to the vet when i get paid next, I've asked them about mites before when she went through a period of itchy ears that were losing hair and was told it was sandflies

[Hairy Maclary]

When we had a really bad outbreak of brown dog ticks at our old place in FNQ our vet nurse suggested soaking the dogs in the laundry tub with Permoxin (OK if you have small dogs). Spray the yard and bedding with it as well.

A quick Google suggests that Fipronil (Frontline) deals with chiggers. See what your vet thinks anyway.