Warning to pet owners

It appeasrs from reading on several forums, that there is an unusually large outbreak of TICKS in the UK this year

please be aware of this, and treat your dogs and cats actively for ticks ...see your vet for advice on products like frontline or advantage....

ticks are a carrier of LYME disease in the UK

please google this nasty disease which is transmissible to humans and can cause severe symptomms, long term health effects and in some cases death.

learn and know the symptoms of tick bites and if you or any of your family get these DEMAND to be treated for tick bite fever from your GP...if HE wont do it go to your local A&E and play hell....

the prevention is simple (10 days of minocycline)

I don't use Frontline any more - it seemed to stop working.

well have a word with your vet...advantage seems to work where frontline failed

but I would agree to some extent frontline failed against FLEAS, we noticed that, but I think it still works against ticks...

as ever Raggs,,,the vet will know...

darknessss wrote:well have a word with your vet...advantage seems to work where frontline failed

but I would agree to some extent frontline failed against FLEAS, we noticed that, but I think it still works against ticks...

as ever Raggs,,,the vet will know...

Yes. I use one called Advocate now - that seems to work OK.

It's strange that you noticed the same thing.

Lymes disease is horrible and I'm monitored at the moment because in the evening after we had taken the dog to Rendlesham Forest (I had wide legged cotton trousers on) it seems a tick had got onto my leg, I felt something and rubbed and blood started running down my leg, I had rubbed the tick off. As you know, my immune system is crap. Dog didn't have one on him, he gets a Comfortis tablet every month and that seems to keep them away.

Lyme disease is interesting. It can mimic different kinds of arthritis, but I don't think many doctors test for it as a matter of course.

No they don't Rags, and people get bitten by ticks without knowing sometimes. The blood test for Lymes Disease has to be repeated after 3 months because you can get a false negative.

thats right Raggs...

they dont, but if YOU suspect you may have a tick bite ...dont ask for treatment

INSIST on it.......

darknessss wrote:thats right Raggs...

they dont, but if YOU suspect you may have a tick bite ...dont ask for treatment

INSIST on it.......

Absolutely!

The trouble is that people don't always know they have a tick bite, or they might not remember by the time they have symptoms.

there is actually no need for a test before you get treatment...

you should have the treatment prophylactically ON SUSPICION of such a bite

if you wait till the blood test shows you have it ...well then you have it and its a problem

raggs

look up they symptoms

especially the bite with the red ring round....quite diagnostic actually.....

darknessss wrote:there is actually no need for a test before you get treatment...

you should have the treatment prophylactically ON SUSPICION of such a bite

if you wait till the blood test shows you have it ...well then you have it and its a problem

Well yes, but people do get bitten by insects all the time, and not all tick bites are obvious anyway.

Apparently, one in three don't develop that rash with the ring around it.

The other early symptoms could be just like a viral infection of some kind - a flu-type thing, or just tiredness.

well true

so the thing is ...get your pets "proofed"

and keep an eye on yourself if you walk in long grass, or in areas ticks are known to be a problem

wear clothing that will stop the buggers getting on you etc....

darknessss wrote:It appeasrs from reading on several forums, that there is an unusually large outbreak of TICKS in the UK this year

please be aware of this, and treat your dogs and cats actively for ticks ...see your vet for advice on products like frontline or advantage....

ticks are a carrier of LYME disease in the UK

please google this nasty disease which is transmissible to humans and can cause severe symptomms, long term health effects and in some cases death.

learn and know the symptoms of tick bites and if you or any of your family get these DEMAND to be treated for tick bite fever from your GP...if HE wont do it  go to your local A&E and play hell....

the prevention is simple (10 days of minocycline)

Thanks for the warning Victor.  Is this all over the UK? I treat Max with Stronghold which I get as part of a monthly payment scheme which includes all of his inoculations, flea treatment, wormer and two check ups a year.  

It doesn't appear to work for ticks though so I'm going to check with my vet

seems to be all over FTL

Would not use any commercial flea or tick products here. Last year I used a carrier oil (almond) with lavender and also rubbed a little lemon on my pets coat. For a wash I am going to attempt to mix 100% organic neem oil with blended with organic castile soap.
As the weather heats up for a preventative I will mix a small amount of neem and almond oil together, almond in greater volume, and leave this on her coat. We cannot leave neem oil as a ready made up solution, because apparently the neem oil will lose its strength.
I found when my pet had flea eggs in her coat last year that rubbing bicarb into the fir dried up the eggs but if the oil was used bugs in the first place, this avoided them landing on her at all. So my mutt will be one greasy little rug until the weather cools down. Also a little lavender is a pretty good as a deterrent and helps with breathing and relaxing hyperactive dogs.

Thank you Victor   x

OK, I have checked with my vet who has confirmed that Stronghold does not treat ticks and having checked several of the common brands the only one I can see to mention ticks is Frontline.  Fortunately if I want to I can change Max's treatment at no additional charge.

However I am now thinking what is the right thing to do as Stronghold doesn't just treat fleas.  My vet has advised they haven't seen any increase is a problem with ticks in the area (I live in Suffolk).  

I'm confused

Frontline

Key Benefits:

- Elimination of fleas (Ctenocephalides spp.) and insecticidal efficacy against new infestations with adult fleas persists for 8 weeks.

- Elimination of ticks (Ixodes ricinus, Dermacentor variabilis, Rhipicephalus sanguineus). The product has persistent acaricidal efficacy for up to 4 weeks against ticks.

- Elimination of biting lice (Trichodectes canis).

Advantage

Fastest relief from painful flea bites
Stops fleas biting in 3-5 minutes. The only product to kill fleas on contact, without the need to bite.

Advocate combines excellent flea and lice efficacy (imidacloprid) with sound protection against heartworm infestations, gastrointestinal worms, as well as mites (moxidectin).

Comfortis (Spinosad) is the first FDA-approved, chewable, beef-flavoured tablet that kills fleas and prevents flea infestations on dogs for a full month.

Stronghold for dogs is for the treatment and prevention of flea infestation, ear mites, heartworm, roundworms, hookworms, biting lice, and sarcoptic mange.

Advantix for dogs is a fast & effective treatment for fleas, ticks and biting lice for dogs.With these two active ingredients combined, Advantix acts as an acaricide, an insecticide and as a repellent. It kills fleas and biting lice and it also can be used as part of a treatment for those animals that suffer with FAD (flea allergy dermatitis). It also has a larvicidal effect against fleas in the immediate surroundings of the treated dog. The Permethrin repels & eliminates ticks which reduces the risk of transmission of diseases carried by ticks such as ehrlichiosis, rickettsiosis and borreliosis. Advantix also repels mosquitoes and sandflies which reduces the risk of transmission of diseases such as leishmaniosis.  It also repels stable flies which contribute to the prevention of fly-bite dermatitis.

personally I would use frontline every month until october then every 2 months till march

check further if advocate works on ticks...that would be your "back up"

My Vet offers an anti-flea injection lasts 6 months for about £40, anyone heard of this?

In Texas with all the rain, fleas have been a huge problem -- I helped my mother treat basically her entire house and both lawns yesterday, as her dogs have gotten so many bites that some have turned into small sores.

The reason frontline/advantix/etc. is less effective over time is that the local flea populations evolve immunity to them; that's why you have to keep switching them up.

nicko wrote:My Vet offers an anti-flea injection lasts 6 months for about £40,  anyone heard of this?

Yes. My cats used to have those. They make the fleas sterile so they can't lay eggs.

Raggs, do you know if it works?

nicko wrote:Raggs,     do you know if it works?

Yes, as far as I know. I suppose it costs more all at once, which is why some people don't do that, and of course you have to take your pet to the vet rather than just doing treatment at home. Also, I'm not sure that it actually kills existing fleas - it just prevents them from multiplying. I think it's called Program.

I think Frontline Combo spot on treatment inhibits new eggs and also kills existing fleas. As I said though, it seemed to stop working on my cat.

I find the spot on treatments quite difficult - a lot of it seems to go on the fur rather than on the skin.

darknessss wrote:personally I would use frontline every month until october then every 2 months till march

check further if advocate works on ticks...that would be your "back up"

OK, for the advice Victor.  Fortunately I haven't opened Max's next lot of 6 monthly treatment so I can exchange them. As far as I can see Advocate does not work for ticks.  Better to be safe than sorry as far as Max is concerned x

Ben_Reilly wrote:In Texas with all the rain, fleas have been a huge problem -- I helped my mother treat basically her entire house and both lawns yesterday, as her dogs have gotten so many bites that some have turned into small sores.

The reason frontline/advantix/etc. is less effective over time is that the local flea populations evolve immunity to them; that's why you have to keep switching them up.

Poor babies, that's terrible Ben x

feelthelove wrote:

Ben_Reilly wrote:In Texas with all the rain, fleas have been a huge problem -- I helped my mother treat basically her entire house and both lawns yesterday, as her dogs have gotten so many bites that some have turned into small sores.

The reason frontline/advantix/etc. is less effective over time is that the local flea populations evolve immunity to them; that's why you have to keep switching them up.

Poor babies, that's terrible Ben x

Yeah, one of them (the one who recently had the cancer scare) actually had a cut, we think it was because she scratched so hard. I always thought it was the hot dry Texas summer that encouraged fleas, but apparently they do even better in rainy weather -- little bloodsucking fiends

Ben_Reilly wrote:

feelthelove wrote:

Poor babies, that's terrible Ben x

Yeah, one of them (the one who recently had the cancer scare) actually had a cut, we think it was because she scratched so hard. I always thought it was the hot dry Texas summer that encouraged fleas, but apparently they do even better in rainy weather -- little bloodsucking fiends

Imagine all those poor animals who don't have such responsible owners I've been watching a series called Animal Cops Houston, the way some of those animals have been treated is criminal

I've never had a problem with Max and fleas, he's always been treated with Stronghold or Frontline.  We do have hedgehogs in the garden though who can get ticks hence my decision to change back to Frontline.  We can't walk him as much now since his arthritis diagnosis in his hips and left knee.

feelthelove wrote:

Ben_Reilly wrote:

feelthelove wrote:

Poor babies, that's terrible Ben x

Yeah, one of them (the one who recently had the cancer scare) actually had a cut, we think it was because she scratched so hard. I always thought it was the hot dry Texas summer that encouraged fleas, but apparently they do even better in rainy weather -- little bloodsucking fiends

Imagine all those poor animals who don't have such responsible owners I've been watching a series called Animal Cops Houston, the way some of those animals have been treated is criminal

I've never had a problem with Max and fleas, he's always been treated with Stronghold or Frontline.  We do have hedgehogs in the garden though who can get ticks hence my decision to change back to Frontline.  We can't walk him as much now since his arthritis diagnosis in his hips and left knee.

That's too bad! Have you tried giving him glucosamine-chondroitin? I can't remember if we'd talked about that before or not ...

Ben_Reilly wrote:

feelthelove wrote:

Imagine all those poor animals who don't have such responsible owners I've been watching a series called Animal Cops Houston, the way some of those animals have been treated is criminal

I've never had a problem with Max and fleas, he's always been treated with Stronghold or Frontline.  We do have hedgehogs in the garden though who can get ticks hence my decision to change back to Frontline.  We can't walk him as much now since his arthritis diagnosis in his hips and left knee.

That's too bad! Have you tried giving him glucosamine-chondroitin? I can't remember if we'd talked about that before or not ...

Yes we did Ben.  He is on a tablet called Yumove which contains those ingredients plus a daily dose of painkiller.  He's a different dog, much happier although we have had to retrain him not to jump so he now sits to be picked up on  the chair or bed for his morning cuddles

feelthelove wrote:

Ben_Reilly wrote:

feelthelove wrote:

Imagine all those poor animals who don't have such responsible owners I've been watching a series called Animal Cops Houston, the way some of those animals have been treated is criminal

I've never had a problem with Max and fleas, he's always been treated with Stronghold or Frontline.  We do have hedgehogs in the garden though who can get ticks hence my decision to change back to Frontline.  We can't walk him as much now since his arthritis diagnosis in his hips and left knee.

That's too bad! Have you tried giving him glucosamine-chondroitin? I can't remember if we'd talked about that before or not ...

Yes we did Ben.  He is on a tablet called Yumove which contains those ingredients plus a daily dose of painkiller.  He's a different dog, much happier although we have had to retrain him not to jump so he now sits to be picked up on  the chair or bed for his morning cuddles

Sounds like our Patsy, she can still jump when she wants to, but usually wants to be lifted now

Ben_Reilly wrote:

feelthelove wrote:

Yes we did Ben.  He is on a tablet called Yumove which contains those ingredients plus a daily dose of painkiller.  He's a different dog, much happier although we have had to retrain him not to jump so he now sits to be picked up on  the chair or bed for his morning cuddles

Sounds like our Patsy, she can still jump when she wants to, but usually wants to be lifted now

It's sad because he still wants to, as you pick him up he does a little jump to help out They are getting older now I guess x

feelthelove wrote:

Ben_Reilly wrote:

feelthelove wrote:

Yes we did Ben.  He is on a tablet called Yumove which contains those ingredients plus a daily dose of painkiller.  He's a different dog, much happier although we have had to retrain him not to jump so he now sits to be picked up on  the chair or bed for his morning cuddles

Sounds like our Patsy, she can still jump when she wants to, but usually wants to be lifted now

It's sad because he still wants to, as you pick him up he does a little jump to help out They are getting older now I guess x

Yep! My mom's Boston terriers are both getting a little old, though that seems impossible, and you can tell by the increasing amount of white fur on the parts of their faces that used to be all black It's like a man's graying temples ...

Ben_Reilly wrote:

feelthelove wrote:

It's sad because he still wants to, as you pick him up he does a little jump to help out They are getting older now I guess x

Yep! My mom's Boston terriers are both getting a little old, though that seems impossible, and you can tell by the increasing amount of white fur on the parts of their faces that used to be all black It's like a man's graying temples ...

Max has a tiny little bit of grey just below his nose, he's only 7 though but at least his heart is ok. Usually a major issue for his breed