TICKS OR NOT

[73chippy943]

Had this problem with our Chip last year as well.I know what a Tick looks
like.But he has been getting these pests since March again this year.They are
BLACK mainly a CM in length and like ticks will not just pull out.They never have
or are carrying the lump on their back,but can rear up at you when you go to touch
them.We have used the tick remover tool,does not work because cannot get hold
of them.Spot on,Strong hold,Bob Matin Clear tick & flea remover,different tablets
and Fleaway for cats & dogs.
Some kill others do not,he gets combed after walks,trimmed on a regular
basis,because l do it.Yet we still find fresh ones after his walks or at end of day.
We would really like to know what these are,but can only get them off in
pieces,so cannot send photo.

HELP is a good word for this problem please.

[Oscar 12345]

OMG makes my skin crawl just reading your post. 1 cm in length is enormous. I would worry if bits of them are staying in the dog and they are rearing up when touched.... I think I would want a vet to identify what exactly it is that I was dealing with and therefore understand the best way of killing and preventing them. Poor you, good luck.

[zeta1454]

The best advice initially I think would be to get a vet to identify what these are if you are certain they are not ticks.

Ticks are most often active in early morning and early evening and the best advice re walking dogs in areas prone to ticks (and maybe any other of this kind of parasite) is to walk in the middle of the day or to walk away from paths with overhanging grass or paths that are very dense with grass and plants.

Keeping your dog clean and well groomed (as you are doing) is important and also feeding an appropriate diet to keep his immune system functioning at its best and, if you want a more natural approach to repelling parasites, you could check out this website:
https://www.myitchydog.co.uk/skin-coat-treatments.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

There are products which are fed as part of the dog's diet and others that can be used on their coat before walks or when washing your dog. These will certainly be safer for your dog than the pesticide type treatments you mentioned. However, I would definitely go to the vet and get an accurate diagnosis of what these creatures are as a first step

[73chippy943]

Very useful link for medication,will now throw what we have.Good
timing as we are now changing Chip's diet to raw and veg.So dried food
has gone.
Will get vet to check whatever they are,but using herbal now so will
work better.

Thank you both from Chip & Us : )

[Robin black mini]

Can you take a photo ,in a bright light of the beasts? Do post,I am intrigued.

[73chippy943]

Will certainly try and get photo as need to know best way
to kill off whatever they are.The last dose of Strong hold has
killed all we could see last night,so a bonus there.We were
getting all of it out be it in pieces,you can tell because they are black.
Could take photo of what is left behind in the way of a mark,
but that l know will not identify them.

I gather l need Photo Bucket to put photos on so will
download and install now.

Thank you all

[Robin black mini]

Could these be leeches? The description of them rearing up stayed with me yesterday and I think this fits the description...pics definitely needed..

[TSITSIRIDES]

Hi my vet has just recommended a new combo for absolutely everything. Up to now I've used Advocate, but they don't kill ticks or have any effect on them. I am now trying Simparica and Milprazon which are tablets. This is good as I have 5 dogs and they all need bathing regularly so there is a danger that you wash away Advocate. Not sure they deter ticks or just kill them when they start to feed but these tablets also kill tapeworm which again Advocate doesn't treat. We will see.

[Robin black mini]

Hi my vet has just recommended a new combo for absolutely everything. Up to now I've used Advocate, but they don't kill ticks or have any effect on them. I am now trying Simparica and Milprazon which are tablets. This is good as I have 5 dogs and they all need bathing regularly so there is a danger that you wash away Advocate. Not sure they deter ticks or just kill them when they start to feed but these tablets also kill tapeworm which again Advocate doesn't treat. We will see.

https://www.change.org/p/petition-for-t ... the-market" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Please read above link and don't be swayed by a vets push towards trying a new drug...they get rewards for getting a new drug established..but it's a huge risk for our pets..

I realise we all have to treat our animals with" something that we hope works"to protect them from parasites ..
I live in Italy where next month my poodle WILLbring in twenty live ticks every walk we do..we've used frontline combo for years and managed well without dogs having bad reactions etc..this year the chemists seem to be only supplying tri act frontline which also treats mosquitos,leishmania carrying flies etc ..more chemicals we dont want..so I've insisted to stay with the traditional frontline for ticks and flea treatment. we don't have leishmania in this mountain area..it is s Italy and the warmer coasts that are risky ,so I say I won't use this overdose of chemicals on my dog.
I bath my dogs every week..this tick / flea treatment is absorbed into the dermis of the skin after 24 hrs and will not wash off the dog after a day..
I used bravecto once but after reading the health reports have decided to never use it again...too much risk..not enough info that it is safe for the dog..my two healthy ,young,dogs were fine and it worked well,but it's not worth the worry or the risk.

There are so many new wonder drugs on the market...please read Zetas post to give you an update on the drugs that are now under question as to their safety for our pets due to so many post use illnesses/ even deaths,being reported..

viewtopic.php?f=49&t=23385" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
.

[Robin black mini]

another point to make...I am almost sure that your dogs are picking up leeches..which ,although gross ,will not transmit disease to your dogs...if you can post pic I can tell you if I'm correct or not..and there is a simple way to remove them.,you should also avoid snapping them off as they can regurgitate harmful products into your dog,if you do this..
..plus you should walk in a less wet area to avoid them.
If it is leeches,you don't need to use the extra chemicals in the new drugs the vet is encouraging you to use..this is scaremongering IMO.The new drugs are aiming to corner the market against leishmania etc...which targets a fly carrier....and is area / climate specific.

[zeta1454]

Hi my vet has just recommended a new combo for absolutely everything. Up to now I've used Advocate, but they don't kill ticks or have any effect on them. I am now trying Simparica and Milprazon which are tablets. This is good as I have 5 dogs and they all need bathing regularly so there is a danger that you wash away Advocate. Not sure they deter ticks or just kill them when they start to feed but these tablets also kill tapeworm which again Advocate doesn't treat. We will see.

I assume from your uncertainty about whether the products deter or kill the parasites that your vet has not actually fully explained how these work or the limits and risks involved. Simparica and other pesticide treatments like Advocate do not deter or repel the parasites and actually require the parasites to feed from the dog in order to be effective. They are poisons that will kill the ticks, fleas etc but are not helpful if a dog has an allergy to bites and they do not protect against the diseases potentially carried by the parasite. The data sheet for Simparica states:

"Fleas and ticks must attach to the host and commence feeding in order to be exposed to the active substance...... therefore, the transmission of infectious parasite-borne diseases cannot be excluded."

This is the link to the full data sheet:

http://www.noahcompendium.co.uk/?id=-45 ... _printview" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

As Jo has highlighted above, Simparica is also one of the products currently being monitored due to concerns over its safety. From the 2017 European Medicines Agency Veterinary Pharmacovigilance Report:

"The MAH (Marketing Authorisation Holder) has been requested to evaluate and comment on a possible association between Simparica administration and immune-mediated disease/reactions ..."

These heavy duty chemical products which carry a risk of adverse reactions and even death in certain cases may be necessary in extreme circumstances but they were designed to treat infestations of parasites that seriously threaten the health of the dog. They really should not be promoted as regular use products when a dog has no sign of fleas, worms, ticks etc. There are some areas of the world where such an approach might be justified but, certainly in the UK, the majority of healthy well cared for dogs should not be at risk of parasite infestation and, if a repellent is needed to try and deter fleas and ticks from attaching to a dog, the more natural herbal and essential oil based products are much safer and do not run the risk of the parasites developing resistance to the product which means it will gradually become less and less effective and may be unable to be used successfully when really needed.

[Robin black mini]

SYd..please post pics of the creatures...I'm really curious to see them.

[73chippy943]

Although not that clear folks,it is the best we could get.Still do not
know what they are,and sorry for time taken.They did not come back until
this week,and poor Chip has to go through the search for them every day.
He has had his Strong Hold,which did not obviously stop them,he is also
sprayed before he goes " walkies ".Has his regular baths with the Flea Away
drops and Anti Itch shampoo.
Will probably see if the vet knows what they are,but will check on line first.
It is a bit of a job working out how many legs they have as Chips hair is amongst
them and cannot get it out.
So PLEASE if anybody recognises them let us know

[73chippy943]

Although not that clear folks,it is the best we could get.Still do not
know what they are,and sorry for time taken.They did not come back until
this week,and poor Chip has to go through the search for them every day.
He has had his Strong Hold,which did not obviously stop them,he is also
sprayed before he goes " walkies ".Has his regular baths with the Flea Away
drops and Anti Itch shampoo.
Will probably see if the vet knows what they are,but will check on line first.
It is a bit of a job working out how many legs they have as Chips hair is amongst
them and cannot get it out.
So PLEASE if anybody recognises them let us know

[73chippy943]

For some reason when l preview listing the photos are not showing ??
So these are just photos,if they appear !!!