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Tibter
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19-02-2012, 03:45 PM

Tick prevention

Despite the recent cold weather I found the first tick of the year on my dog today. He has Frontline applied every month. The vet recommended a Scalibor collar for tick prevention. Unfortunately Zak just kept scratching at the collar and I had to take it off.

I am really not looking forward to May when the ticks seem to be at their highest number. I have found anything up to a dozen ticks. He has to have a 'tick patrol' check after every walk. I now don't walk him in the forest during May which is a shame as he really loves it there. We are in a very high tick risk area.

Has anyone any recommendations for tick prevention please, apart from Scalibor?
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sarah1983
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19-02-2012, 03:57 PM
I used something called Exspot last year on Rupert. I'm not sure whether it's available in the UK though

Apparently Frontline kills the ticks that bite but does nothing to prevent them from biting in the first place while this one deters them from biting.

I used to just feed garlic regularly and never saw a tick or flea on my dog, I dunno whether I was just lucky though. It didn't work out here but apparently last year was terrible for ticks.
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Tibter
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19-02-2012, 04:35 PM
Thanks Sarah. I just googled Exspot and found others have recommended it. I can't see if I can get it in France. Others have recommended Dovantix and Diatomaceous earth whatever they are? I don't think I would like to try something just because I found it on a google search unless a Dogsey member recommended it.

I may try a Scalibor collar again but I am not hopeful. I just feel I need to try something otherwise all walks will be on a road. You are not really safe there either.

I hate ticks.
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GirondeDeb
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19-02-2012, 06:12 PM
Whereabouts in France are you? I live down in the South West, and we have loads of ticks, and the dreaded piroplasmosis (which is spread by ticks). I have been using Advantix on my two for 6 years, and so far have had very few ticks. The vet here says that Frontline is useless for ticks now.

Call me paranoid, but I also get the dogs vaccinated against piroplasmosis every Spring. It costs about 70 euros.
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sarah1983
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19-02-2012, 06:41 PM
Ah sorry, didn't notice you were in France, just assumed you were in the UK
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MerlinsMum
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19-02-2012, 09:34 PM
While I would never rely on a preparation containing Pyrethrins or Pyrethrum as a sole method for controlling fleas and ticks, there is some evidence to show that Pyrethin/Pyrethrum is a useful insect repellent.

Cheaper flea sprays such as Bob Martin's contain it and you may find "nature friendly" repellents containing pyrethrin and citronella.

If you use these to lightly mist your dog's legs and undercarriage before walking in a tick-infested area you may find they don't pick up as many, or any.

(Don't forget to also treat the area in your car where your dog travels, preferably with something stronger that kills ticks, as they may fall off in the car only to re-attach the next time).

I went for a walk last March in a very heavily infested tick area - unbeknown to me - and my dog came back with 6 of them, one attached in a very private and personal place where the sun don't shine, and where he certainly was not going to allow me to remove it so I had to squirt it with Frontline spray and hope for the best.

I did some research online looking for some kind of deterrent which is where I found reference to the Pyrethrins and Pyrethrum compounds. Scalibor collars contain a compound related to Pyrethrins as their effective agent.

It did set me thinking and I bought a cheap spray containing pyrethrum. As it happened I went back to walk in the same place a week later and when we got out of the car pre-walk, I lightly misted my dog's undercarriage with the spray. Happy to report on that occasion he brought home no unwelcome visitors.

May be worth a try? though of course, your mileage may vary (as they say).

Important note: Never, EVER use Pyrethrins or Pyrethrum products on cats.
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Losos
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19-02-2012, 09:48 PM
Originally Posted by MerlinsMum View Post
It did set me thinking and I bought a cheap spray containing pyrethrum. As it happened I went back to walk in the same place a week later and when we got out of the car pre-walk, I lightly misted my dog's undercarriage with the spray. Happy to report on that occasion he brought home no unwelcome visitors.
Thanks for that tip. We only have forrest around here so the dogs tend to get a lot of ticks, sometimes I have picked off ten or more just crawling in the fur, that is easy. The difficult bit is removing them once they've burrowed down and got the three mandibles into the skin.

Over the years I've noticed that they are mostly around the face and neck and I think that if the dogs investigate a mouse hole (which they do quite frequently) then they mostly get ticks around that area.

We take our two to the vets to get injections, and both OH and I have an injection every three years for something, I can never remember what it is 'tho
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MerlinsMum
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19-02-2012, 10:04 PM
Originally Posted by Losos View Post
Thanks for that tip.
I can't guarantee it's going to work for everyone, in all locations.

And some dogs can have adverse reactions to pyrethrins... plus I would certainly not apply it on a daily basis.

But it might be worth looking into other "alternative" repellents such as citronella - some work, some don't.

For instance, I always heard Avon Skin-so-Soft worked very well for humans against midges and mosquitoes in tropical countries, and found that to be the case in coastal southern India... But not in central Thailand! After being bitten on the bum by a mosquito the size of a pancake lurking in my friend's outside loo, in the suburbs of Bangkok, I got his OH to take me down to the local shop and buy me whatever worked best in the region - organophosphates or not!
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Bitkin
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19-02-2012, 10:07 PM
Jimmi used to be an absolute tick magnet, until last year when I started feeding Billy No Mates plus garlic tablets. It's a herbal mix which most dogs really love, and is available to order online.

He had not one single tick, despite them being rife according to other local dog owners, and nor did he have any spot on treatments (which he absolutely hates).
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Tibter
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20-02-2012, 08:50 AM
Originally Posted by GirondeDeb View Post
Whereabouts in France are you?

I am in the Vendée with forests, deer and wild boar. I have been told that lizards can also carry ticks.

It is interesting that garlic has been mentioned a couple of times. I think I will try that as I am sure it won't hurt.

I have a tick removal tool which I got from the local pharmacy. Very expensive at 7 euros for a piece of plastic but it works every time. It is like a small crochet hook. For some reason it is important to "unscrew" the tick in an anti-clockwise direction.

I will have a look at the other suggestions too and let you know if anything has worked.
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