Deer Tick

[DaSwede]

I had my 10 y/o lab up in northern WI with me over the weekend. Came home and noticed a small bump on his head. Looked a little closer and saw it was a tick. After wrestling around with him and a tweezer, I pulled it out. Pretty sure based on pictures I've seen on the Internet, it was a deer tick. Anybody else dealt with this before? I called the vet, and they said to watch for different symptoms (for lymes disease), like being lethargic, sore in different parts of his body. The problem is, he's a 10 y/o lab. That fits him most of the time! Just curious if anyone has gone through this before.

[setterguy]

Hundreds of times each fall.

They are thick right now. Need some cold weather to knock em down. I bet I pulled 30-40 off the dog Saturday. The dog was treated two days before. I think the good old fashion tick collars work as good as anything else.

[pushbutton]

the deer tick can not be mistaken for a small dog tick, completely different shape. hopefully you got it out soon enough or the tick was not even a carrier. my pointer tested and was treated for lymes after the "arthritis" nearly locked up her back legs...if your dog gets it, it can be pretty obvious. i think you have to wait a few weeks to test for it. from what i have read it is not a very reliable test either way. cant remember the cost, but the one month of antibiotics used for treatment was not that expensive. good luck!

[JJK]

My pup has had many attached this fall.I've used Frontline and had it kill some of them, but not all.Then I tried the Hartz stuff from Wmart, same result.I just watch him every day and if he shows the arthritis sings I'll take him in. Had a dog get it years ago, and it was obvious. I didn't give him lymes vac b/c my vet said it wasn't needed. We lived in Belle Plaine and hunted pheasants in SW MN. One October we rented a condo on Detroit Lake, no dogs allowed, so I boarded him outside of town, and spent 1 day messing around in the woods, pulled lots of ticks from him all week and for a couple of days after. About 1 1/2 months later he had a hard getting up, and I knew. The meds did the trick.

SG, what brand of tick collar do you prefer?

[fishwidow]

One of my dogs is a tick magnet, and has suffered from Lymes, Erlichea and Anaplasmosis. He has been vaccinated and gets Frontline applied religiously, but if I miss a tick, it's full of blood by the time the Frontline kills them. If I am going to have him in the woods for any length of time, Adams flea and tick spray seems to work.

If your dog has any of the tick borne diseases, it becomes very obvious--at least if did to me. He was lethargic, off his feed, and seemed to have some joint pain. Doxycyline from the vet has an almost immediate effect.

He's a cocker and goes throught every pile of brush and vegetation instead of around them, so he picks up ticks like crazy.

[caseymcq]

I would highly reccomend getting your pup into the vet and getting him tested. We had a female that had lymes and by the time any symptoms showed up it was too late, she was in total kidney failure. She didn't display any of the classic signs of being stiff/sore/arthritic. If you dog is showing any even slightly out of the ordinary behavior I would definitely get him into the vet.

[DaSwede]

We're watching him very closely. He never leaves our sides (literally), so we should be able to pick it up if something isn't right.

Thanks for all the advice!!!!

[Capt'nMorgan]

I was out hunting and last night I pulled 6 ticks off my pup. It being a shorthair they are easier to see. she has had the lymes shot so hopefully she will be alright. I guess i didn't know the ticks were so thick this time of year, I will be looking closer from now on.