TICKS!!!! Help
We went on a walk today in the woods. We have found and removed a confirmed tick on Moto. There are a couple little brown spots about 2-3 mm in diameter around his penis. They seem to be symmetrical around his penis which would make me think that they are moles or some more natural marking but I am also scared that they are just more deeply burrowed ticks.
I have read that if I put alcohol or any other substance on the tick it will force it to regurgitate toxins into Moto.
Moto is thoroughly freaked out really doesn't want us anywhere near his genitals and frankly I don't blame him.
Someone please give me some useful advice!
Comments
I know that you can put dishwashing soap on a tick and it will make it back out. However if they are fully burrowed, I'm not sure it works. I'd call the vet. I'm not shocked he is freaked, if I think there is something wrong with Nemo and want to check it out, he knows, and makes it hard for me to inspect him.
Not to be a prick or anything, but isn't he on frontline?
I just put it on him last week.
Should that kill the tick once it has attached or should it have prevented it from attaching in the firstplace?
We got the one confirmed bastard out alive.
Now I can't tell about the 3 that have may or may not be ticks.
I am afraid that if I put something on them they will regurgitate their toxins in him.
I'm kinda freaking out.!!
Can you get Moto to hold still long enough so that you can grab the black spots and skin to feel if there is a bug in there?
Honestly, I'm not really sure, but I would think that you would be able to feel the little skeletal structure of the bug, ticks are pretty sturdy.
I'd also call Frontline to see if they should die off in Moto, since he has been treated recently. Figure out exactly how the medicine works and ask them why your dog still got ticks.
I called Frontline's 800 # and they said that it will kill the tick in 24 to 48 hours. That ticks pass on disease after they have been attached for more than 48hours. And that they excrete a substance called cementam and that it could be a couple days after they die that they fall off. She said by my description the little brown spots are likely ticks but should be dead soon if they are not already. When I checked this morning, there was no change in size. So I think they may already be dead since they aren't engorged. If they don't fall off by Thursday I am going to the vet.
I am so skeeved out I can't even begin. AGH!
Jessica,
If you did Frontline last week than you are most likely all right. Frontline really works. I walk Tenji daily in our county park and he is tick free.
Yeah, if they are ticks you WILL know! <-- especially if they freak you out.
You are using your fingers to pull them out, right? Do NOT use anything else. If you are worried about toxins being flushed inside (I have not heard of this before when using peroxide or alcohol). Then just get your fingers as close to the skin as possible and pull the head from there (the body should follow) <-- be quick about it --> you can burn the tick afterwards.
I totally freaked when Lynx had one on her last year. I swear, I sat there for hours trying to get the stupid thing off <-- hesitation is bad!