DOG FLEAS - merged

sproggi

My sister has just phoned me to say that her collie has picked up a couple of little hitch-hikers.
She is rather annoyed because it has only been 2 weeks since she put frontline flea and tick control on her and at the price that stuff is, you would have expected it to work!

Can anyone suggest anything else that she could try?
I did think feeding her garlic capsules (the dog, not sister:D ) which might help deter fleas as well, but not sure if this would be safe as I don't know whether dogs can have garlic.

Sproggi

Strepsy

All I know is you have to be very careful removing them as their head can break off and be left inside which caused infection or absess.

This seems to give good advice. http://www.dogpages.org.uk/dogcare2.htm

sproggi

Thanks Strepsy,

She has a tick hook to remove them, but as you say, she is always concerned that she will accidently leave the mouth part behind and risk infection.
I think that these ticks may be something to do with the amount of deer that seem to be around at the moment, so will need to think of something to try and repel the ticks.

Does anyone know if garlic is safe for dogs?

Sproggi

nicky2_2

I have had dogs for years and this year is the first time I have had to deal with ticks. Not a lot you can do to repell them (other than frontline or similar). To get rid of them (other than expensive visit to vets) is to either drown them with whisky (what a waste!) or meths - this worked on a couple of them - the best method is to light a match, blow out and whilst still red press onto the ticks body - do this a few times, both sides, after a couple of days it will drop off.

Hope this helps!

COOLTRIKERCHICK

i used to find that if you put a drop of washing up liquid over them by the skin so there is no air getting to the head.. wait a few minutes.. then pull with a tweezers... this normally works... as the little 'bleep' cant breath, so it loosens its hold...with the washing up liquid.. it stays as a blop around the tick....

but if your sister... front lined 2 weeks ago...and bought it from the vet... maybe its worth phoning them...

MissMoneypenny

COOLTRIKERCHICK wrote:

i used to find that if you put a drop of washing up liquid over them by the skin so there is no air getting to the head.. wait a few minutes.. then pull with a tweezers... this normally works... as the little 'bleep' cant breath, so it loosens its hold...

A friend of mine uses cooking oil (any type you have in the cupboard), just in case the dog licks itself after the tick has been removed.

I think dogs build up an immunity to ticks as I live in an area that has lots of deer and hundreds of sheep, but my dogs don't get them, although the young pup next door just got one.

sproggi

Thank you for all your replies,

The little suckers have now been removed with vasiline and a tick hook.
Vets just said that frontline does not always work and that if dog got wet it probably wore off. They did offer to remove the little blighters for a fee!!

Sproggi

SuiDreams

We feed our dog Garlic Granules once a day to deter pests, this was recommended by the Breeder (we use front line as well of course).

npsmama

rubbing a cotton ball soaked in oil over the ticks drons them and makes them slide out. + not toxic for the animal

straws

tcp really works too.

pboae

You need to be very careful about putting anything on a tick. If it starts to suffocate it can vomit/spit it's gut contents back into the animal which can cause really nasty infections.

Also, even if Frontline works, it doesn't work until after the tick has bitten, and they can survive for 24 hours or so before it kills them.