Bad year for ticks !

[Ridgeway]

Seems the lack of a real Winter has let the little buggers survive and thrive. We started to notice them very early this year and got caught out as we weren't fully stocked up on tick products, fortunately though on my last trip back to Blighty i did get some Frontline+ which works pretty well on No1 dog, we also use it on the cats as well. But took me some weeks to get Bravecto for No2 dog, otherwise known as "the tick magnet"

Been pulling them off for several weeks now, quite a few after each walk but today was a record even by our standards.... I managed to remove 107 ticks from the 2 dogs after a 45mins walk

6 from Murphy (No 1 dog) and 101 from the tick magnet (Monty the Cocker Spaniel) so at least that stats back up why we gave him this nickname.....

As i showered them after their walk i noticed there was a lot on them, and even had around 10 come off Monty in the towel as i dried him. I them ran a fine toothed comb through him and on one swipe managed to get 14 in one hit

They make a nice sizzle and pop noise under a blow torch

So be careful out there with your four legged friends, seems this year is a really bad one. Get your meds in and get armed?

 

[Mark and Mindy]

Wow, I walk our dogs in wooded areas they have picked up a few ticks in the last few days and I did think it was a bit early in the season but 107 is ridiculous. We are in Berkshire. What is your location?

Mark

 

[Ridgeway]

Wow, I walk our dogs in wooded areas they have picked up a few ticks in the last few days and I did think it was a bit early in the season but 107 is ridiculous. We are in Berkshire. What is your location?

Mark

The land of Cheese and Chocolate, Switzerland just near Lausanne in the South so you probably don't have to worry too much but the little beggers are in their hordes this year

 

[tribalbrit]

I've just removed 3 from our cocker, she's on meds which kill them once they bite her but don't always drop off. I'm in Sherwood Forest so expect a couple now and again.

 

[Coastal Cruiser.]

Just goes to show how lucky we are, my 2 Jacks are 12 now and have only ever had 1 tick each?
They go for a walk every day through the orchard opposite our house then in to the path that goes around the harbour and beach.
There is a field with cows in and another with horses and we often see deer running around, strange how come they seem to avoid them?
Daughter has a Border Collie and she takes him for a walk every day in the woods where she lives and he has had about 3-4 in 3 years.

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[Ridgeway]

I've just removed 3 from our cocker, she's on meds which kill them once they bite her but don't always drop off. I'm in Sherwood Forest so expect a couple now and again.

Cockers do seem to be tick magnets, i guess it's the coat, shortish legs and a desire to "oh lets jump in that bush, long grass etc" Monty has always got many more on him than our previous dogs and even the current terrier (wire haired coat, long legs, hates bushes)

From what i could see yesterday all those i took off were deer ticks and today there's about 10 more dead ones in his bed that the Bravecto got.

 

[Rudski01]

We were just saying a few weeks ago how bad they are up here in the lakes, Two working springers that are in at everything, we take at least 5-10 off each dog after every walk, Brevecto stops them in their tracks though.

 

[Ridgeway]

We were just saying a few weeks ago how bad they are up here in the lakes, Two working springers that are in at everything, we take at least 5-10 off each dog after every walk, Brevecto stops them in their tracks though.

Yes Bravecto certainly is the best treatment we've used by a long way but it's super expensive (£40 a tablet here) usually we get my Sister (lab breeder) to get some from her vet for us as it's almost half that in the UK, forgot this year though. It's great on dogs that go in water a lot like Spaniels as collars and other treatments seem to be less effective on seals, sorry Spaniels.

 

[Rudski01]

Nothings cheap in Switzerland, when our Motorhome broke down in Le Landeren, we had to take the dogs to the vets for their checks as we were heading straight back to the tunnel in a hire car The next day, the bill came to £130??? we’ve never made that mistake again.
Although the mrs nearly linched me when 5 sausages I bought for the bbq worked out at nearly £7

 

[Hollyberry]

This can be used on dogs, never on cats, or if your cat cleans your dog!
Mix Rose Geranium oil in some alcohol, dilute with water. Spray on dog’s coat and massage through the fur. I used it when we lived in France and rarely found a tick on either of them.

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[Ridgeway]

This can be used on dogs, never on cats, or if your cat cleans your dog!
Mix Rose Geranium oil in some alcohol, dilute with water. Spray on dog’s coat and massage through the fur. I used it when we lived in France and rarely found a tick on either of them.

Thanks for this tip, going to try this as reading up it seems to be a good repellent and super cheap as well. Ordered a small 10ml bottle at £2.50

 

[Silver-Fox]

This can be used on dogs, never on cats, or if your cat cleans your dog!
Mix Rose Geranium oil in some alcohol, dilute with water. Spray on dog’s coat and massage through the fur. I used it when we lived in France and rarely found a tick on either of them.

Any chance of posting the mixing quantities Hollyberry

Ta muchly

 

[Hollyberry]

Any chance of posting the mixing quantities Hollyberry

Ta muchly

I’ve never measured anything. Just mixed it up in a small spray bottle. I’d say at least 20 drops in 60 ml of liquid. Only for use of dogs.

 

[Silver-Fox]

I’ve never measured anything. Just mixed it up in a small spray bottle. I’d say at least 20 drops in 60 ml of liquid. Only for use of dogs.

Thankyou

Will give it a go.

 

[maz]

This can be used on dogs, never on cats, or if your cat cleans your dog!
Mix Rose Geranium oil in some alcohol, dilute with water. Spray on dog’s coat and massage through the fur. I used it when we lived in France and rarely found a tick on either of them.

Interesting. How often do you apply it, please?

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[Ridgeway]

Interesting. How often do you apply it, please?

On the threads i'v been reading i've generally understood that you can apply before each walk, also you can use it on yourself. Seems to be a whole range of mixtures options with some people adding sandalwood, whitch hazel and many use apple cider vinegar as a base. RGO seems to be the key ingredient in many of anti-tick products, i just hope it helps as a repellant and reduces how many stay on in the first place, if they get past this repellant then there's still the Bravecto that will sort them out

 

[maz]

On the threads i'v been reading i've generally understood that you can apply before each walk, also you can use it on yourself. Seems to be a whole range of mixtures options with some people adding sandalwood, whitch hazel and many use apple cider vinegar as a base. RGO seems to be the key ingredient in many of anti-tick products, i just hope it helps as a repellant and reduces how many stay on in the first place, if they get past this repellant then there's still the Bravecto that will sort them out

Ok. Thank you for that.

 

[John.]

Thankyou

Will give it a go.

Could you post your opinion was you’ve tried it out please ?

 

[Ridgeway]

been using the RGO for about a week now although it’s probably not a great comparison as earlier in the week we had quite a bit of heavy rain which seems to keep the tick numbers down a bit, plus we’ve been trying to avoid some walks that seem to be particularly bad. Just been out this morning, usual routine of spraying the dogs with RGO solution (25 drops in 500ml of distilled water) and gave them both a really good spraying, actually used 50ml over the 2 dogs. Got them back and did a comb through and so far I’ve taken 60 ticks off the cocker and none off the terrier (as usual) so I can’t see that it’s doing that much although this is far from any scientific test?

Will keep using it but my initial feelings are that it ain’t doing much other than making the dogs smell nice which isn’t a bad thing

 

[tribalbrit]

I've been spraying our cocker ( tick magnet) for a week now using apple cider vinegar. Had one tick all week and I'm walking Sherwood Forest, with its dear and long horns.
Avoid the eyes though. Works for me, smells quite nice too.

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[Ridgeway]

Another feedback: still taking +50 ticks a day off the cocker (if we walk) far less if we go out on the bike when they have less time to mooch around in the grass just off the path. One thing i've noticed is that the ticks just seem to constantly crawl around our the dog rather that latch on to feed, this is of course down to the treatment they have on/in them but it does make you realise that it means +50 ticks roaming around in your house.....

So resorted to using a fine toothed comb each day after a walk, taking them off more or less one by one, wipe the comb onto a small bit of tissue paper and once the combing is done, tip it down the loo. It usually takes several goes to most of them off, leaving the dog about 15-20mins between goes.

PIA really but don't see any alternatives unless we keep him on a lead.