It's Lyme Disease Awareness Month

Waterfalls

Please be aware and safe

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zaksmum

Waterfalls wrote: »

Please be aware and safe

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Horrible things, they are. I've had to take a few off my dogs after a woodland walk and even had a tick bite myself, fortunately no damage done.

They are very hard to spot on a black dog but it's worth checking your dogs over after a walk in the kind of conditions mentioned above.

Slinky

My neighbour got Lyme disease about 18 months ago after being bitten whilst doing some gardening. Fortunately the doctor spotted what it was very quickly but it was very debilitating for her. Scary really.


We drove through a local deer park yesterday where people were lying on the grass in the sun. Rather them than me, I'll be taking lots of care with regards ticks. Our old cat got one on his head once, nasty thing removed by the vet.

Waterfalls

A friend of mine has it too and has had it for approx 2 years. She was on the bbc news on sat to try and raise awareness.
life has been a big struggle for her and the help she is getting medical help in the uk is pretty poor as the condition isnt understood here. She is having to get help for doctors in the usa now and this is making a big difference.

gettingready

My George is a real magnet for those horrid things - last summer picked 17 (!!!!) off him in one day..

Zara had 2 last year, one bite got infected and had to take her to vets.

No matter what you do - never ever put any grease around a tick to take it out. It is old wife's tale and not true that it helps. Quite the opposite in fact - grease makes the tick vomit under animal's skin and this complicates things.

Also - never twist a tick when you are pulling it out by hand (if you are crazy as I am) - you only wist a tick if you are removing it with a proper tick remover tool.

Horrid things...

zaksmum

You can buy tick tools cheaply on the internet or pet supplies shops.

I keep mine on my key ring so it's always to hand.