Tick advice for Giants please

The Giant Schnauzer is an example of working breed of dog and has a dense, coarse coat that protects them against the elements and vermin. The Giant Schnauzer is the largest of the three breeds.
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Pineapple
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First Name: Tania

Tick advice for Giants please

Post by Pineapple »

Hello, this is my first post as we re-homed a 17mth old giant in January this year. We were given Advocat by the vet & after 2 treatments, Bear was becoming irritated when we applied the treatment. We were then advised by friends of other large dogs that this treatment can cause seizures. We've tried raw garlic & also natural 'skinny spray' but with no results. Can anyone please advise what other methods they use for tick deterrent other than Advocat- any information is gratefully received! Many thanks
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zeta1454
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Re: Tick advice for Giants please

Post by zeta1454 »

Welcome to the Forum, Tania :)

Do you have a bad tick problem where you live? Not all parts of the country are a problem and, if it is the case of an occasional tick, it can be simpler to just remove them with a special tool:

https://www.ticktwister.co.uk/

You can also lessen the risk by walking at times where the ticks are less likely to be an issue - tall wet grass in the early morning and evening can be the worst for tick activity. The problem with the chemical anti-parasitic treatments is that the tick has to feed before it is affected by the poison anyway - it is not a deterrent. They are also a health risk both to the dog and a threat to the local environment.

Garlic and other more natural products can help in some cases but may need time to build up in the bloodstream - it is not an overnight kind of treatment. We give all our dogs Dorwest Herbs Garlic and Fenugreek tablets daily and have done for years now as they are beneficial to their health as well as possibly helping to ward off bloodsucking creatures. We have not really had any problems with parasites including ticks but, although we live in a rural area, I don’t know if ticks are an issue in Yorkshire.

Geranium essential oil is sometimes recommended to deter ticks - make up a spray to use before going out:

https://livingwellmom.com/natural-tick-repellent-dogs/

I also know that some people find Neem products helpful:

https://www.theneemteam.co.uk/fleas-ticks-lice.html

We have also used Cedarcide in the past against fleas - it has a strong scent but is an effective and safe anti-parasitic:

https://www.naturalenzymes.co.uk/pets-f ... trol-500ml
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Schnauzerluv
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Re: Tick advice for Giants please

Post by Schnauzerluv »

@Zeta1454 I have a genuine question if I may.
Regarding your quote "and, if it is the case of an occasional tick, it can be simpler to just remove them with a special tool:

https://www.ticktwister.co.uk/"
Would you inspect your pet daily? How do you protect from bacteria like lyme?

I'm asking because I'd really rather not use chemical prevention, but being pressured by the vets.
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zeta1454
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Re: Tick advice for Giants please

Post by zeta1454 »

Schnauzerluv wrote: 17 Jun 2021, 02:21 @Zeta1454 I have a genuine question if I may.
Regarding your quote "and, if it is the case of an occasional tick, it can be simpler to just remove them with a special tool:

https://www.ticktwister.co.uk/"
Would you inspect your pet daily? How do you protect from bacteria like lyme?

I'm asking because I'd really rather not use chemical prevention, but being pressured by the vets.
As I understand from research online, the tick needs to be attached for at least 24 hours to transmit infection for Lyme disease (Borrelia spp), not all ticks carry Lyme disease and chemical prevention is never 100% effective aside from the potential health risks from the spot-on. This is from a veterinary website:

As the bulk of Borrelia spp. infection is thought to be transmitted at least 24 hours after attachment, clients should be advised to check their pets every 24 hours and carefully remove any ticks found ....with a tick hook, using a simple “twist and pull” action. It is important that owners are instructed how to remove ticks without stressing them and without leaving the mouthparts in situ. Removal can also be performed with tweezers with a “straight pull” technique. They should be fine pointed and not blunt, as crushing will stress the tick, causing it to release stomach and salivary gland contents, increasing the risk of disease transmission. The application of petroleum jellies or burning will also increase this likelihood and are contraindicated.”

The link to the full article is here:

https://veterinary-practice.com/article ... to-uk-dogs

As with so much of dog (and human) health there is always this balance to be made between the risk associated with infection and the extent of benefit / risk attached to regular preventative treatment. It is something you maybe need to consider as to how likely your dog is to pick up a tick, how many on a daily basis etc.

Many vet practices nowadays are owned by corporate businesses who make money for their shareholders by selling products on a regular basis to the clients of the practice through the vets’ promotion of them. Some independent vets have tried to also boost income for the practice through promoting regular treatments or monthly payment plans. It is not always easy to assess whether advice is from an objective assessment of risk in a particular dog or simply a means to sell a product unless you have known and are confident in the vet who is advising you.

I can only speak from my own experience over the years, my research and the fact that to date we have had only the very occasional tick on a dog (I think we have removed about 6 ticks in over a decade and we have now 12 dogs) but things may be different in your local environment so you will need to weigh that up. I think if I was finding large numbers of ticks on our dogs, I would be looking at some kind of preventative but my preference would be to try all natural means first before considering a chemical treatment.
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Schnauzerluv
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Re: Tick advice for Giants please

Post by Schnauzerluv »

Thank you Leigh! I was always a bit nervous that I wouldn't find the tick on time. Do you think I would easily find them? You know how schnauzers are furry in the furnishings.....
Are they easy to feel, or would they bother Ozzy and he'll tell me?

Seriously considering only protecting against heartworm (mosquitoes).
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Re: Tick advice for Giants please

Post by Dawnspell »

They do vary in colour so it depends on tick colour and coat colour. I have to say that generally I've found them when giving strokes / scratches and you feel a little bump and think is it some bit of debris in the fur and then it's a tick. I don't think I've ever found one in furnishings. They've been anywhere on the head, ears, neck, underbelly where the hair is shaved. I have found them on shoulders but don't think I've found one on main body. I've not noticed the dog indicating discomfort with one either, even when one was in an eyebrow. Can't recommend the tick remover enough.

We haven't got lyme over here so ticks are just a pest. There do seem to be years worse than others. I'm expecting this year there will be more, the local rabbit population is high at the moment we regularly have them on the lawn and they bring the ticks. Hedgehogs also carry ticks and fleas and Jasper has a natural radar for finding hedgehogs in the garden :)) I found 2 fleas creeping about today first ones I've ever seen on him and he'd been in the long grass sniffing.
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Re: Tick advice for Giants please

Post by zeta1454 »

There is a useful article here which has links to other sites and a range of different suggestions for repelling ticks and similar parasites:

https://cam4animals.co.uk/supporters-ti ... -W5P5rHaJ0
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Schnauzerluv
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Re: Tick advice for Giants please

Post by Schnauzerluv »

Thanks Alison for your response.
And the link Leigh!
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Jacksons_Pet
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Re: Tick advice for Giants please

Post by Jacksons_Pet »

Currently use Bravecto for flea and tick prevention on the hound. Tablet every 3 months. Can't remember what we used to use for the giant, but if there's Lyme's disease in your area then I would personally be going for prevention rather than hoping to catch them. Very easy to miss a tick in a giants coat unless you're regularly stripping or rolling the coat? That sort of fine scrutiny might be enough, but you'd need to be checking legs and undercarriage very carefully as they'd be prime target.

I've not had to remove a tick for a while (thinking about it since we started the Bravecto), the last couple have been found on ears. I don't treat all year round, just in milder weather when the risk is greater; normally for a 6 month stint, though if autumn is really mild I'll do another dose then.
Pineapple
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Re: Tick advice for Giants please

Post by Pineapple »

Thank you all for your advice! We're actually a stone's throw from the New Forest & my kids have picked up additional 'friends' after walks, so I'm not surprised the dog's got them. I think we've removed 4 or 5 so far this season, using the ticktwister. I will certainly look at the Dorwest Garlic supplement and some of the other links as well. Thanks again all! 👍
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Schnauzerluv
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Re: Tick advice for Giants please

Post by Schnauzerluv »

Thanks @Jacksons_Pet, there is definitely lyme and other diseases/bacteria associated with ticks here, so the vets advise Nexguard Spectra against ticks fleas and heartworm.
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