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Daughter had tick in her head. Don't know how it happened as we spray and do daily tick checks. Sent it away to Mass for testing and already have her in 21 day of doxy. We are a nervous wreck and I'm preparing for the worst. I emailed ilads for a list as well. If anyone could PM with help I would appreciate it. I just can't live like this. Always worried and living in a bubble. How do NH peeps have fun in the outdoors without going out in a hazmat suit?
First of all, was it a blacklegged tick (deer tick)? If not, don't worry about Lyme.
Second, how long was it attached? Was the tick fully engorged? Takes 24-36 hours for a deer tick to transmit Lyme.
This is not an uncommon occurrence. If this was in fact a deer tick that has been attached for a while, you are doing what needs to be done.
I'm finding ticks everywhere on my dog and myself. Mostly wood (dog) ticks, not deer ticks. I've gotten pretty good at identifying them then crushing them. I like to hear that satisfying crunch. With myself, I've found them before they've attached, just crawling around on me. My dog has had a few feeding on him, even with a Seresto collar which is supposedly the best thing since sliced bread. At least he's got the Lyme vaccine which is 90+ % effective, which is better than what I have (zero %). If I've been out in high-risk areas, I'll just take a shower when I get back and do a tick check since I don't like smelling like DEET at night and when I go to bed.
If you want to worry about something, worry about finding the nymphs. They are tiny and those are the ones I'm afraid I'll miss on a tick check, either on myself or the dog.
I've treated the back lawn, including the area where the grass transitions to woods. This is a high-risk area. This is the price we are paying to live here and enjoy all that S. NH has to offer. The North Country has a lot of problems, but ticks and Lyme don't seem to be one of them (yet). Maybe I should move up there after I become independently wealthy.
Need to get the deer, mice, and other rodent population down as ticks thrive on them. I doubt the PETA people think about that when attacking hunting.
Try not to panic. I know that's hard, but this is a fact of life these days in New England and many other places. At least we don't have fire ants, cockroaches everywhere, alligators, or killer bees. It could be worse.
That vaccine was withdrawn from the market by SKB after they were besieged with lawsuits by the anti-vaccine crowd for unsubstantiated and scientifically unproven claims. A second one that was under development by another company was abandoned. The same thing may happen to the canine vaccines now being used.
Just some statistics. Over 60% of deer ticks in NH tst positive for Lyme. Most providers don't bother testing, and just go under the assumption that it's positive.
It is the TRANSMISSION of Lyme to the host that is the concern. 5% of Lyme positive ticks transfer Lyme after 24hours of attachment (conversely 95% do not).
If you are REALLY that nervous about Lyme. There is a naturopathic practice in Amherst NH that people drive to from all over the USA for treatment. You will most likely pay out of pocket for their services, but they will treat Lyme aggressively. They are licensed in NH to, and they do, prescribe allopathic (medicine) antibiotics in addition to naturopathic medicine.
I've heard Dr. Coffin present on the subject. He's not a quack (I'm typically skeptical of alternative medicine).
Thank you so much for the support! We sent the tick to U of mass amherst and it came back a dog tick with negative to 21 tests. Costs 200 bucks but worth every penny for peace of mind. Our poor daughter had reaction to doxy...weaknesses in legs, headaches and skin burning. Called the office and sent me to some clinic who was the oncall. Terrible. I wanted to talk to someone in the office.
Now, I need a office and doctor who do both who I can talk with you is our provider? Feeling extremely frustrated.
Last edited by Mossy; 06-30-2017 at 06:10 PM..
Reason: Typos
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