[curlflooffan]

Evra is on the frontline drops. Its going well, no allergic reactions and the ticks are not attaching. But instead they seem to be hitching a ride on Evra instead...

Last night me, my SO, Evra and I settled down on the bed after a long day to watch TV. Evra had returned with her father from a long park walk a few hours prior. Evra and I commenced what I referred to as 'an extensive snuggling session' where Evra was draped across my chest, her two front legs around me neck and her head snuggled down as she napped contently on her mama.

As bedtime neared we started our usual routine which for Evra includes staring intensely through the babygate with a look of deep betrayal as her father showed our other pets care and affection as he did the nightly rodent rounds. She had to abandon her post on my chest to do this I was alone on the bed when I look down and see a vampiric spider (also known as a tick) just taking a leisurely stroll on my bra!!!

I screamed, SO had to come and save me and then I had him check me and the bed for ticks.

The evil parasite was skinny, completely empty of blood so I think the frontline had deterred it from munching on my poodle. But I don't want them in the house either...

FYI for those who don't know Evra's fur is pitch black so that makes things even harder to see.

Both times where I have found a tick on her its been after a park walk not a forest walk. I don't know what to do, in the summer the pavement is too hot to walk and the grass is full of ticks! 😧

 

[fjm]

The only solution I know is a thorough comb through after every walk and vigilance to look out for any that escape. Ticks prefer damp spots and long grass, so staying away from those helps.

 

[Liz]

Have you tried an oral preventive? They work so much better than topicals. Mia was a tick magnet when she was on topicals (Frontline, Frontline Plus). I would spend days picking dozens of ticks off of her, and sometimes I'd find them crawling on the bed from her on to me. While on topicals she tested positive for exposure to every major tick borne illness. I switched to orals (Nexgard, Bravecto) when they were introduced and in the seven or eight years since, she's had only a couple of ticks, both dead.

 

[BennieJets]

Oh gosh I hear you.

It took me a while to get Bennie on a preventative. It’s a very long story so I’ll save you it.

At first I tried a natural preventative as that’s what resonated best with me. We bought a few different sprays. All of them touted as very effective. I’m sure they are in certain contexts but the ticks here are brutal. For a while I was finding them daily!!!! And embedded too.

I finally got into the vet I prefer who is holistic and even she said that given our experience she couldn’t comfortably recommend avoiding more “aggressive” means of preventing. Thankfully bloodwork as shown no tick borne diseases. And we had no complications with infections or anything. Phew. But now Ben is on Simparico Trio and since then, zero embedded or hitch along ticks.

 

[fjm]

Should have said "only solution other than targeted preventatives", of course! Busy morning after not much sleep...

 

[94Magna_Tom]

If I'm going into a tick infested area with Elroy, I'll spray him with Wondercide (I bought the lemongrass scent) repellent before we go in. It seems to work. He's on Bravecto oral as it is, but that doesn't stop them from hitching a ride on him.

 

[curlflooffan]

If I'm going into a tick infested area with Elroy, I'll spray him with Wondercide (I bought the lemongrass scent) repellent before we go in. It seems to work. He's on Bravecto oral as it is, but that doesn't stop them from hitching a ride on him.

thats a good idea, maybe I will look into more gentler repellents to spray on her. I just need something which makes her smell bad to them. She is protected from disease with the frontline drops because the ticks are not biting her, just hitching a ride.

I don't want to use more pesticides but maybe a spray with some of those plants that insects don't tend to like. I used to use lemongrass spray on myself against mosquitos because I am allergic to them.

My immune system is a total dramaqueen with any of these biting parasites because I grew up in a country that had pretty much none (although climate change is changing that). But I want to be careful also with 'natural' solutions because they can also be harmful. There are some essential oils out there that are poisonous to dogs.

 

[curlflooffan]

By the way I heard that the drops are less effective when you bathe your dogs more often. I bathe Evra roughly every two weeks how often should I be reapplying the drops?

 

[94Magna_Tom]

By the way I heard that the drops are less effective when you bathe your dogs more often. I bathe Evra roughly every two weeks how often should I be reapplying the drops?

The medicine gets absorbed in a day or less. That's why it's very important to insure you get good skin contact when applying it. So long as you don't bathe her, let her play in the lake, or run around in a downpour that same day, I think you're good.

 

[curlflooffan]

The medicine gets absorbed in a day or less. That's why it's very important to insure you get good skin contact when applying it. So long as you don't bathe her, let her play in the lake, or run around in a downpour that same day, I think you're good.

thank you

 

[BennieJets]

I found the Kin and Kind tick and flea and mosquito repellant to be the most effectuve of the ones I tried, pre-oral preventative. I’m with Elroy’s dad on the additional use of it if necessary. If I went camping, for instance, no harm in bringing it along. They have a lemongrass one and lavender. I think it’s an American company so not sure if you’d have luck finding it there.

 

[WinnieThePoodle]

Winnie reacted badly to topical treatments so has been on oral Bravecto for more than a year. I haven't seen any ticks hitching a ride on her and we are in the woods every day. It seems to be very effective.

 

[Asta's Mom]

Another Bravecto user - very effective.