Tick control for pregnant & nursing bitches?

[Susan Stone]

The tick season has started early this year... I'd normally use the Scalibor tick collars for my dogs but this year, with my bitch Erin being in whelp, I am uncertain what to do. The vet says Frontline or Scalibor would be OK - but I hardly dare! On the other hand the risk of tick spread disease is real. I'd welcome your views...

[Nicole Wilson]

I can't believe how nasty those wee beasts are! Mind you, Frontline never worked for Busby either that's why I switched to the Scalibor collar. Sorry I haven't got any better suggestions. I suppose if one had to choose between tick diseases and chemicals from the collar I would also go for the collar.

[ursula wilby]

There are some truly interesting anti-tick solutions about.

A collar made out of amber and little bits of rubber inbetween (said to make the fur static and unpleasant for ticks).
A daily diet of mushed garlic rolled up in mince (said to make the dogs smell nasty, if you are a tick).
A small item with battery that is said to scare off ticks with some (ultra-sonic?) waves.
A small rotating metal-disc scaring ticks (I am not certain as to how) and can be sent back to manufacturer when it stops working (for some sort of reload).
There is the lemon and thyme mixture (home-brew) to be sprayed all over the dog every time it goes outside. Results in a very sticky dog!

All these are said to be non-poisoness for dogs (although the garlic may be doubtful).
I believe they are non-poisoness for ticks as well.
But I personally have met people that will swear to any of the above...:-)

[Susan Stone]

do you have drawings of your setters after a couple of lemon & thyme treatments?

[ursula wilby]

Susan, I just go for the TRUE POISON!!!!!!!!!!!!! I dont want to be nice to ticks!!!
Kill them stone-dead is my motto.
The more poison the better. Also if I had to spray my dogs all over each and every time I took them outdoors, I would have no time for anything else.
But perhaps there is a good side-effect to the lemon and thyme treatment...no hair on the floors and in fact no dirt either! All stuck to the dog :-)
Never thought of that before.

[ursula wilby]

For anyone not having read my text on the previous page, I would like to say that I use the "KILL THEM WITH THE WORST POISON"-method only on dogs not pregnant or nursing! :-)
I just go through pregnant/nursing bitches with a comb. Nothing else.

[yvonne]

there are people who have no good experience with the Scalibor collar , allergic reactions from it til very , very sick , i use scalibor only when i going on vacation in areas where lots of thicks are , normally i use Advantage and very pleased with it , i even use it on my rabbits without any problems , i am not breeding so i cannot telle if it is wise to use it on a pregnant bitch

[Susan Stone]

Thanks Aleksandra and Yvonne,
I have only recently heard of Advantix (although I think it may even be a swiss product?). Usually I'd just go ahead and more or less unthinkingly use these nerve-poisons... but with puppies I don't dare.
With Scalibor the level of poison going onto the dog in one go does not seem as high as with the spot-on products. I think certain breeds (collies and their relatives) can be at risk with some types of tick medication.
I've googled both products and neither sound harmless...

[Monique VIRY]

Je pense que la position de chacun face au traitement antitiques de nos chiennes gestantes ou allaitantes dépend du risque d'attraper des tiques et de transmission des maladies par ceux-ci. Mon vétérinaire traite chaque année plus de 200 chiens atteints de piroplasmose (babésiose) et malgré ses efforts tous ne guérissent pas. Les traitements par antibiotiques ne sont pas l'idéal pour les chiots. Je continue donc de traiter mes chiennes gestantes ou allaitantes. Par contre, dans d'autres régions où les tiques ne transmettent pas de maladie, une surveillance quotidienne de la mère et un passage du peigne me semble suffisant.
Est vous sûres de l'efficacité des traitements naturels cités précedement ?
Une question pour Susan ; Erin est elle gestante ???

[Susan Stone]

Je suis d'accord avec toi Monique, cela dépend énormément du risque dans sa région. Ursula a écrit qu'elle ne croit pas à l'efficacité des traitement naturels - et moi, je suis de la même opinion.
Il me semble que le risque est trop grand que la chienne attrape une maladie à cause des tiques, donc je vais utiliser Scalibor, mais pas pendant que les chiots prennent leur seul nurriture de la chienne.
... et ben oui, elle est gestante!!! :-))

Monique sais that all depends on how high the risk is in your area for the bitch to catch a tick transmitted disease. Her vet treats more than 200 dogs per year affected by babesiosis and despite all efforts not all survive.
I agree and believe the risk too great if I don't treat my bitch, so as soon as the first tick appears, on goes the collar - but off again a week before birth. I will leave it off whilst the puppies are feeding only from the bitch. A compromise!

[Monique VIRY]

Youpi !!! La gestation d'Erin est une bonne nouvelle !!!:-))

[Alenka Pokorn]

Well from very recent and personal experience I would recommend you use something. Our Zennith got a tick infection called babesiosis when her pups were about 4 weeks old and we nearly lost her. She is good right now although stil on antibiotics, but the experience was frightening. Until now we also never used any chemicals on pregnant and nursing bitches. On all other dogs I use Advantix. Zennith was never outside of the yard and well it was February, no ticks to be expected really. I'll have to decide what to do next time, but we will definitely use something.
Alenka

[Susan Stone]

Thank you all for your comments, it has certainly helped me to make a decision. The experience Alenka and Aleksandra have both had is tragic and frightening.