Dog Ticks and how to get rid of a dog tick

Thursday, 14 June 2007

A species of tick, the American dog tick, is known to carry bacteria responsible for several diseases in humans, including tularemia (Francisella tularensis) and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.  It is one of the most well-known of hard ticks. D. variabilis does not cause Lyme disease, which is carried by the deer tick Ixodes scapularis.  Arachnid commonly called ticks are external parasites. They live on the blood of mammals, birds and occasionally amphibians and reptiles. Ticks are well known carriers of diseases, such as lyme disease. Ticks are second only to mosquitoes as vectors of human disease, both infectious and toxic.  Tick bites look like mosquito bites, but can also sometimes bruise or resemble a bullseye. A "natural" form of control for ticks is the Guineafowl. They consume mass quantities of ticks. Just 2 birds can clear 2 acres in a single year. However they can be quite noisy, and employers of this method should be prepared for complaints from neighbors.Topical (drops/dust) flea/tick medicines need to be used with care. Phenothrin (85.7%) in combination with Methopren was a popular topical flea/tick therapy for felines. Phenothrin kills adult fleas and ticks. Methoprene is an insect growth regulator that interrupts the insect's life cycle by killing the eggs. However, the US EPA has made at least one manufacturer of these products (Hartz Mountain Corp., Secaucus, New Jersey, USA), withdraw some products and include strong cautionary statements on others, warning of adverse reactions (http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/factsheets/flea-tick-drops.htm). To remove a tick you must use a small set of tweezers, see [5]. There are a number of manufactures that have produced tweezers specifically for tick removal. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention caution against crushing the tick's body. However, Lyme disease found in deer ticks cannot be transmitted once the body is removed even if the mouthparts broke off and are still in the skin. It is a good idea to try to get it out intact to prevent infection of the bite. Pull slow and steady.  Some great products to help fight those pesky ticks are:  Revolution is a topical parasiticide used in the treatment or prevention of heartworm disease, fleas, the American dog tick, ear mites and canine sarcoptic mange in dogs. When used in cats it is used in the treatment or prevention of heartworm disease, fleas, ear mites and also to prevent hookworm and round        Preventic Dog Collar Preventic kills and detaches ticks in small, medium-size and big dogs within hours and prevents new ticks from attaching for up to three months. Follow directions closely.        Frontline Plus for Dogs  FRONTLINE Plus is the most complete flea and tick control available. Not only does FRONTINE Plus kill 98?100% of adult fleas on your pet within 24 hours, it also contains a special ingredient that kills flea eggs and larvae to keep ALL stages of fleas from developing and bothering your pet and your family  Advantix K9 Flea Killer Plus  New Advantix kills 98-100% of fleas on dogs within 12 hours and continues protection for at least 4 weeks. Repels and kills a majority of ticks and mosquitoes. This is the Ultimate protection for your dog!        Frontline Topspot Cats  FRONTLINE Top Spot for Cats, the recipient of the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval, is an easy-to-apply liquid that provides your pet with guaranteed control against fleas and ticks. ? Kills 98?100% of existing fleas in less than 24 hours ? Continues killing fleas for an entire month or more    First Aid/Tick removal First Aid If a tick is found attached to the body, seek assistance from medical authorities for proper removal, or follow these guidelines. Grasp the tick's mouthparts against the skin, using pointed tweezers or designated tick-removal tool. Conventional flat headed tweezers are not ideal for the task because it is difficult to avoid grabbing too much of the tick's body. You want to grab the tick as close to the skin as possible without squeezing the body. Pull back slowly and steadily with firm tension. Pull in the reverse of the direction in which the mouthparts are inserted, as you would for a splinter. BE PATIENT: The long, central mouthpart (called the hypostome) is inserted in the skin. It is covered with sharp barbs, sometimes making removal difficult and time consuming (see Figure 3, inset). Most hard ticks secrete a cement-like substance during feeding. This material helps secure their mouthparts firmly in the flesh and adds to the difficulty of removal. It is important to continue to pull steadily until the tick can be eased out of the skin (see Figure 3). DO NOT pull back abruptly, as this may tear the mouthparts from the body of the tick, leaving them embedded in the skin. If this happens, do not panic. Embedded mouthparts are comparable to having a splinter in your skin. However, to prevent the chance of secondary infection, it is best to remove them. Seek medical assistance if necessary. DO NOT squeeze or crush the body of the tick because this may force infective body fluids through the mouthparts and into the wound. DO NOT apply substances such as petroleum jelly, finger nail polish, finger nail polish remover, repellents, pesticides, or a lighted match to the tick while it is attached. These materials are either ineffective, or worse, might agitate the tick and cause it to salivate or regurgitate infective fluid into the wound site. If, and only if, tweezers are not available, grasp the ticks' mouthparts between your fingernails and remove the tick carefully by hand being sure not to squeeze the body of the tick. Be sure to wash your hands and under your fingernails to prevent possible contamination by infective material from the tick. Following removal of the tick, wash the wound (and your hands) with soap and water, and apply an antiseptic. Save the tick in a jar, vial, small plastic bag, or other container for identification should you later develop disease symptoms. Preserve the tick by either adding some alcohol to the jar or by keeping it in the freezer. Storing a tick in water will not preserve it. Identification of the tick may help the physician make diagnostic and treatment decisions as many tick-borne diseases are transmitted only by certain species. Discard the tick after one month, as all known tick-borne diseases will generally cause symptoms within this time period.

 

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