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've found one other product which working setter owners use in England and Scotland before going on the moors:
http://www.bitlessbridle.co.uk/shop/...roducts_id=232
It is a natural product and can be used both externally and internally. Maybe someone else on the forum has used it?

[Nicole Wilson]

sorry, the link above doesn't seem to work, hopefully this one does:http://www.bitlessbridle.co.uk/shop/index.php?main_page=product_inf...

[Susan Stone]

and does it work?

[Nicole Wilson]

Those who use it seem to be very happy with it. But then again, British ticks might be less persistent than Swiss ones.

[Susan Stone]

the french are nasty! (only talking ticks here though!) :-))

[Cecilia GUIOT]

Hello,
For my gestante bitch, I use a homoeopathic treatment : caladium 9 or 15 ch, 5 granules twice a week

Cécilia

[Marta Magi]

Verry interesting discussion Susan!
One of the reasons of I am hoping to have a winter litter is the tick problem, however sometimes they can be dangerous even in February - reference to Alenka's story :-((
Normally I use spot - on products like Frontline and Advantix taking turns at using them. Once the one then the other of the two, hoping that the agent will not become so usual for the system and it works more effectively - it's just my method.
As for the pregnant bitches, I still am in search for the right one, but surely will use someting homoeopathic one on Sarah from about a couple of weeks before the mating. The aloevera sounds good, would be great to know about experiences with it tough.
Not easy.......hopefully we will find the right solution that is good in every respect!

[Margaret Sierakowski]

Is it possible to simply keep your pregnant bitch away from places where she might pick up ticks? Exercise her in a park or garden with very short grass and avoid fields with long grass.
Rather than using chemicals on her while she is in whelp?
Margaret Sierakowski

[Laura Kolbach]

this might be possible in some countries but not in Hungary unfortunately... ticks are now everywhere, they can be picked up on the streets, the dog running places, and they even found their places in the gardens!!! we even managed to pick up one at a dog show... so you don't even have to go to the field or woods to have them on the dogs :-((( very frustrating...

[Margaret Sierakowski]

Its quite frightening how ticks are increasing. It began to be noticeable in Scotland in the early nineties, when young grouse began to show gradually heavier infestations. I've read that it is something that has spread westwards across Europe, with more ticks being brought into Scotland by migrating birds. The last two summers have been particularly bad. My son told me that last August , at the end of each day's grouse shooting , the owners of some springers who had been used for picking up, were taking up to 50 ticks off each dog. I was averaging two or three ticks taken off each of my dogs every day. It used to be that they only got ticks when they were higher up on the hills where there are more deer, but now even the field around the house is infested with them. I'm told that last year, for the first time ticks were found even in gardens in the city of Edinburgh, so they are no longer found only on the hils in Scotland
Fortunately the main risk from our ticks is Lyme disease, and we dont get the other tick borne diseases that you have in Europe. But if more ticks are being brought in by migrating birds we will surely start to see the other diseases here too
Margaret Sierakowski

[Silvia Lindner-Rae]

We have ticks in our garden and I make sure that I get all the ticks off the dogs every morning and evening - bathing helps. Picking them off the dogs is the safest thing according to our vet, as you would have to use different remedies against the different ticks - one for almost each European country. It is absolutely insane, and we believe that they parmy cpompanies actually are behind this hype. Of course there are certain deseases as babesiosis and such, but all our friends dogs got them although they had all sorts of things on them. Ours have nothing exept flea collars and our dogs haven't had anything ever.
Silvia Lindner-Rae

[Ossian]

I have had a look through the posts and there are some good suggestions but I would add:
if your dog is likely to encounter ticks (and its correct they are on the increase year on year) you should be feeding fresh garlic (or garlic powder) in every dinner. Start at least six weeks before the season begins (but really you can feed all year)

Most ticks arrive on the dogs body in the area around the forehead, neck and chest and then migrate out to the warm easy spots to burrow. Use a carrier oil (like almond oil) and mix twelve drops of sandalwood oil and twelve drops of eucalyptus oil along with a shake of lemon thyme if you have it. shake up and massage into the head, neck and shoulders. dont worry if you have a working dog massage in the night before and most of the strong smell will have dissipated but it will still deter a great many of these little varmints!