Fleas

[Andrea Owen]

Help, I have just seen something that looked like fleas on puppy Fergal. He has been treated about 6 weeks ago with frontline sprayby the breader I only have advocate in for 30kg Merlin and cat,has anyone used the frontline spray and is it more cost effective than multiple sizes of the spot on stuff?

[Pippa Wheater]

Hi everyone thought I would add a comment about ticks, if you cover the tick in vaseline it can't breathe and falls off by themselves something my grandfather used to say to us.

[Pat]

My mom raised in the country said if a tick has his head buried don't try to pull him out as his head will stay imbedded and cause an infection. She said take a cap or shot glass, full of alcohol and hold on the skin over the tick forming a seal. They suffocate & hate it so much they will back out and can be disposed of.

[Andy Benstead]

Hi Pippa. have a read of this.

If your pet brings home a tiny hitchhiker clinging to its fur after a romp in the woods this summer, don't panic. Although ticks can transmit many different diseases to both humans and pets, including the much-feared Lyme disease, prompt and proper removal will significantly decrease the likelihood of infection.

Dr. Allan Paul is a professor at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine who specializes in parasitology, which is the study of parasites. Over the years, he certainly has heard his fair share of interesting old wives' tales about how to remove a tick. Contrary to popular belief, "burning a tick with a hot match is not a good method of removal," says Dr. Paul. Doing so actually makes the parasite expel its contents back into the animal and increase the likelihood of the spread of disease.

For all the perfectly manicured ladies out there, it's also not recommended to grab your bottle of finger nail polish at the first sign of a tick either. According to Dr. Paul, "acetone makes the tick more brittle, so when you do try to remove it the tick shatters." Tiny pieces of tick all over your pet isn't the best case scenario, especially since that makes disease transmission more likely.

Although your grandmother may advise you to smother a tick with Vaseline, the only thing that may do is to create a slippery pet. Once a tick attaches to an animal, it buries its head under the surface of the skin. In essence, the tick has already suffocated itself, so covering it with any type of oil won't help.

There is one method that Dr. Paul recommends. "The best way to remove a tick is to grab it as close to the skin as possible with a pair of tweezers," he explains. With a firm and gentle pull you should be able to easily remove the majority of the parasite.

If you see a little black dot left in the area where the tick attached, don't worry. "If the head gets left in, it's not a big problem," says Dr. Paul. Ticks are able to cement themselves into the skin of the pet, so removing their head can be difficult. In most cases, the body will take care of this parasitic souvenir on its own.

The best thing you can do for your pet, short of keeping it in a bubble, is to get into the habit of checking it for ticks after every walk. Although it may be tempting, do not use any human tick and mosquito repellents on your pet.

It is important to note that ticks can transmit severe disease to both man and animal. Cytauxzoon felis, which can be fatal in cats, is transmitted via one tick bite. Rocky Mountain spotted fever is also a tick-borne disease that infects dogs and humans. Currently, the CDC estimates that the death rate in humans is still 3-5 percent.

A swift squeeze of the tweezers, and a gentle pull, should go a long way to keeping your pet healthy. If think you or your animal are becoming sick because of a tick bite, contact your local health care professional or veterinarian.

Andy

[Dianne cook]

Some brilliant ideas you have and thank you for sharing them Pippa and Jennie :) I'm keen to try them.

[Jennie Benstead]

You are very welcome Dianne...all I can say is it works for me..........Also I must agree never stress a tick by putting anything on it yes it may kill it but not before it has empty itself straight into your dog...

[KC and the boys]

Thanks for all this good advice. By chance I have also just started adding chopped raw garlic to Errol's food but only in miniscule measures as I couldn't find a definitive answer anywhere as to how much is actually OK.... However, if others here suggest that a small (!) clove chopped and spread over two meals is OK for a 30kg dog and will not cause any of the known negative side effects then I will continue feeding it raw and increase the measures slightly. Could someone confirm this, please?

In addition I've heard that tickes are spreading in the Brighton area due to the council's preference for sheep grazing on communal land so I will investigate the Billy-no-mates stuff. If we don't get any hard frost down here soon we will be overrun by the suckers (and all manner of other evil pests - thinking of my garden here) come next summer.

What exactly does the Apple Cider vinegar do, please?

 

[Jennie Benstead]

Hi KC and Errol...one bulb is fine I have always fed Garlic with no side effects at all and I do increase slightly in the summer...If you are gonna try "Billy No Mates" start about March as with most herbal remedies it takes time to build up in the body....Apple Cider vinegar is amazing stuff and not only for dogs..we take it as well just some of the benefits are its an Anti-bacerial...-anti fungal...insect repellant...clears itchy feet and ears...helps muscle strains..improves coat condition....increases mobility in older dogs...to be honest it would be best if you googled and had a read about it.....but it must be Raw unfiltered Apple Cider vingar and not the one they sell in supermarkets...I am also praying for frost to kill the ticks off  our country parks also now have cattle etc grazing.....Diatomaceous Earth will kill them in your garden...I use the food grade one to worm Riley and Cassie...that is also ment to be great for humans (not tryed it yet)lol.. 

[Mary Dombrowski]

I was told to try Pert shampoo wash the puppy, fleas don't like the shampoo, advantage or advantix both work once every 30 days.  I suggest after treatment change bedding and give good brushings, washing the brush after use.   If you find any they should be dead ones.  Found one on my puppy last year followed this and nothing since then.

[Andy Benstead]

Are spot on flea killers safe?

Have a look at this to find the answer. http://www.apnm.org/publications/resources/fleachemfin.pdf 

I would never use any of these chemicals on my pets.

Andy

[Dianne cook]

Gee Andy, that's all a bit scary! I'm not one to put much of any flea products on and at present trying some other suggestions from ES members....thank goodness! Just curious....do you have in your country paralysis ticks? Certain times of the year they are in certain parts of Australia :( which makes it vital to use something to prevent that type of tick. A dog or cat is paralysed quickly and treatment must be fast and is expensive. Our pet insurance company require me to keep up a treatment that will control them to maintain cover. I'd love to know any other form of treatment or remedy that I can use, as when we travel to our beach place i need to use frontline spray.....yuk!! Please does anyone have any suggestions :)) thanks Andy for that link.

[Jo Ottinger]

Use to use bugs off garlic suppliment for dogs and horses, but my Irish will not eat it.  Switched last year to Sentinal which is a bill instead of the spot on.  I have had dogs that had reaction to both Advantage and Heartgard.  Had to find something to give Hawk for Heartworms.  So far he is doing ok with it.