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Old 05-02-2009, 02:23 PM
 
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We live in a rural area, with lots of woods and fields. I have my dogs on flea and tick preventative, but it doesn't stop them from bringing them into the house!

Is there an easy way to spot ticks on black dogs? They are not difficult to find on the Golden, but the black Lab is a different story. I've run my hands over every inch of her, and tried using a flash light, but somehow, they still get in the house. I worry about the kids, since the dogs seem to always end up in their rooms.
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Old 05-02-2009, 03:47 PM
 
Location: Some place very cold
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Ticks are a part of life in rural America. I found a few crawling on me yesterday. Last week I pulled a couple out of my scalp -- thought it was a scab! And the other day I found two on the wall next to the bed waiting to jump me.

How can you stop bringing them into the house? It is impossible. They drop off on anything that brushes against them, so they get on the dogs, your clothes, anything. The good news is they tend to subside after the spring.
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Old 05-02-2009, 04:38 PM
 
Location: Mississippi
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I also have a similar situation with the ticks. This year Ive decided to try adding a small flock of guinea fowl- anecdotal evidence suggests they can be effective in helping with the tick and bug problems around the house. Assuming, of course, I can get my dogs to leave the birds alone until they're old enough to have an impact.
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Old 05-02-2009, 06:59 PM
 
Location: El Paso, TX
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Ticks suck (literally and figuratively speaking) and I also have one little black dog whose hair is wirey, and it takes a whole lot longer to search him for ticks. I check all 4 dogs before they come back inside the main part of the house (luckily I have a laundry room to do this in that is closed off from the rest of the house). So far, I have only had to pull 2 ticks off them, but it still makes me mad every time...little stinking vampires! Certain types of ticks are very difficult to get rid of. Out here we have dog ticks, and they can live in a cement crack for 3 years without feeding, so I am forced to have my property professionally sprayed 2x a year to keep the issue to a minimum...problem is, I have lots of neighbors who leave their dogs outside 24/7 and dont take very good care of them, so ticks are in the hood and can easily make their way to my yard...I cant wait to buy a house way out in New Mexico with plenty of acres and be done with the whole neighbors and their negligent ways thing. You should also find out what type of ticks are in your area and what diseases they carry...the deer tick carries lymes disease and the ones out here can transmit ehrlichia. There are snap tests most vets can do to see if either of those 2 diseases or heartworm are present...a good idea to do these at least once a year if your area has ticks &/or mosquitos, b/c even with preventative measures these things can still happen! The cost is usually under $50 per animal...not exactly cheap, but not too bad either! Hope this helps...!
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Old 05-02-2009, 09:25 PM
 
Location: Deep in the Heart of Texas
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We live in Massachusetts between a wooded area and several ponds. The wildlife travels from the woods to the pond and brings the ticks with them. Despite Frontline, diligent grooming and daily tick inspection, two of my three current dogs have had Lyme, and a foster contracted Ehrlichia. Deer ticks are VERY small and hard to find on dark colored dogs. I'm a proponent of natural and holistic treatments, but after seeing the effect of Lyme on my dogs, I use Frontline once a month and test for Lyme/Ehrlichia each year.
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Old 05-02-2009, 10:24 PM
 
Location: Some place very cold
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Quote:
Originally Posted by oldenfatt View Post
I also have a similar situation with the ticks. This year Ive decided to try adding a small flock of guinea fowl- anecdotal evidence suggests they can be effective in helping with the tick and bug problems around the house. Assuming, of course, I can get my dogs to leave the birds alone until they're old enough to have an impact.
Brilliant idea. Wish more folks would go for the natural solutions.
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Old 05-02-2009, 10:28 PM
 
Location: Some place very cold
5,501 posts, read 22,392,697 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by leorah View Post
We live in Massachusetts between a wooded area and several ponds. The wildlife travels from the woods to the pond and brings the ticks with them. Despite Frontline, diligent grooming and daily tick inspection, two of my three current dogs have had Lyme, and a foster contracted Ehrlichia. Deer ticks are VERY small and hard to find on dark colored dogs. I'm a proponent of natural and holistic treatments, but after seeing the effect of Lyme on my dogs, I use Frontline once a month and test for Lyme/Ehrlichia each year.
I live not far from you (maybe next door, who knows), and I agree, it is an uphill battle and a no-win solution. The ticks are everywhere.
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Old 05-02-2009, 10:44 PM
 
Location: Deep in the Heart of Texas
1,477 posts, read 7,889,944 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Woof Woof Woof! View Post
I live not far from you (maybe next door, who knows), and I agree, it is an uphill battle and a no-win solution. The ticks are everywhere.
So true! We eat organic food, don't use pesticides on our lawn or garden, and yet we have to use chemicals on the dogs to protect them. It really bothers me, but there aren't any viable options right now.
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Old 05-03-2009, 09:25 AM
 
Location: Ladysmith,Wisconsin
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I heard lemon juice helps repel them also. Not sure never tried it. Best thing is keep areas mown down and if in woods keep checking them they like being ears and head neck area mostly so check there first.
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Old 05-03-2009, 10:35 AM
 
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I live in MD and we have a bad problem with deer ticks too. I will not put chemicals on my dog, especially as they don't really seem to work and as my dog sleeps on my bed I am concerned with ticks crawling onto me before the chemical could even work on them. I use Buck Mountain Parasite Dust (buckmountainbotanicals) I get mine from a holistic vet office, apparently cannot buy it retail from the website but they will refer you to someone who carries it. It goes a long way because you only use a little. I put it along my dog's back from neck to tail. I use Geranium essential oil (aromatherapy oil) which has some reputation for deterring ticks and can purchased very reasonably at Whole Foods or health food stores. I take a drop or two in palm of my hand, add about a dime to a quarter size squirt of unscented body lotion and rub it together and apply to my dog's head/ears/underneath neck and chest. I also do likewise on myself daily after showering, smells nice. Another way is 2 tablespoons almond oil (contains sulfur, a repellent in its own right) 10 to 20 drops geranium (often labeled rose geranium) and do as above sparingly. A great place to get other sprays for fleas etc (she doesn't actually have one for ticks but you could do as above with the geranium along with the flea one) is cybercanine.com she knows her aromatherapy (so many do not). Btw its dangerous to use the oils on cats and we have to keep in mind that dogs have a keen sense of smell so don't over do it. I will that since doing the raw diet and using a small crushed clove of garlic several times a week we have not had fleas for over 10 years. hette
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