Is this a tick on Uni?!!

[Patmor]

I found a new tool to remove ticks at the vet's pet shop. I don't remember exactly what it was called but it looks like a measuring spoon with a v cut in the side. You slide it beneath the tick then slide forward, the tick falls in the spoon. No touching the tick. I've used it twice and it worked both times. It might be called ticked off? Best thing I didn't have to touch the tick!

[capt_noonie]

I've heard of something like that. Thanks for sharing. Those buggers are GROSS!

[dollydoodle]

OMG, I am reading this thread & itching all over! I'm happy I've lived my life without ever seeing a tick!!

[capt_noonie]

Originally Posted by dollydoodle

OMG, I am reading this thread & itching all over! I'm happy I've lived my life without ever seeing a tick!!

Oh then for the love of dog do NOT I repeat DO NOT google "ticks on dogs" like I did! Those poor things! I can't even imagine.

[crazydoglade]

I'm out inthe Riverside/Mo Valley area, not too far from you, and I have to say we're having a horrible time with ticks this year. My dogs haven't had any for years but this year we have to check almost every day. I ordered some new treatment thinking maybe the ticks are becoming immune to the ones I've been using. One of our foster moms brought in a lttle shih tzu the other day, the poor baby had 3-4 on her. I know she was treated because I did it. Right now we're using advantix. Any opinions on a better treatment? I do hope your baby is alright. I know the waiting is one of the hardest things.

[spiritwings1202]

I think its a mole Daisy has a few of those one her and once my husband had the tweezers out and was complaining that he couldn't grab the tick and when I looked at it with my jewelry scope..lol I realized it was a mole!

[kjc]

Originally Posted by capt_noonie

That is what the CDC site and Snopes says. Does the pissed off tick go in so far that you can't see his legs anymore?

The thing that was on Uni's elbow a while back, now I'm wondering if it was a tick. It was under her skin for months, and I thought it was a blackhead, kept putting coconut oil on it. Maybe I pissed off the tick? When we went to the vet it came out like a little balloon. How long can a tick stay in there for and not get big?

I think a tick will latch on, and when they get comfortable they fall asleep. Then when they are disturbed with say, tweezers, their legs come up from their sides to help them hold on. (IDK if they really go to sleep, lol)

I was bit by a tick last summer, and it started out being very itchy. Now, from my techy days, I have seen dogs come in with 300+ ticks on them and had to help remove them, one by one, with tweezers. It took 3-4 techs about 2-3 hours to get this done.

I've never had a problem removing ticks off a dog, but for the life of me, I could not get this tick off me! Finally after about 30 minutes, I got him off, and it left a small raised, hard, red bump. In the next few days, it turned a bright, neon-ish red/orange color... very scary. And it hurt, like an ache and a burning sensation on and off. Also the inflamed area got bigger, about 2 inches, and didn't appear to be healing. I did go to the doctor. She said to use AB ointment on it and not to worry, Lyme Disease doesn't come from Lone Star Ticks. After a month this thing still wasn't healing, but now I can see a black spot in the center. This was a tick leg or something (I looked at it magnified), that had finally worked it's way out. Then healing began and it was healed in a week.

Originally Posted by MomtoJasper

I did a Google search and they don't embed in the skin and they stay on a few days. Which makes me cringe! But at least they don't embed.

We live in Tennessee about 35 miles north of Memphis. We are out in the country and about 4 acres of our 5 is wooded. So....we have ticks. We treat our front yard (where the dogs, except Jasper, go) in Spring and mid-Summer. We also treat our pets and are always checking them. Our shepherd will come in with one on her once or twice a year.I HATE pulling those things off...they are just gross to touch. But we all would anything for our babies welfare wouldn't we?

They don't usually embed themselves, but I have seen ticks get in the wound they make pretty deep, like 1/2 their body length. Most the time they just bite and stay on the surface, and drop off when they become engorged (which can be in the house!).

Priscilla... I read up on this a bit while I stayed awake last night. Along with Uni's itchy skin and sparse coat, it 's possible she may have a congenital condition having to do with the sebaceous(?) glands in the skin or the hair follicles, as this seems to be a recurring problem with her. The sac can fill with fluid, or an oily substance. Depending on the type of cyst, medicated shampoos (like Nutri-Vet) may help, or some respond to antibiotics and/or a topical cream. I'd ask the vet too, about any dietary supplements that could help.

Also if a tick body part was the cause, it would come back out unchanged, but maybe covered with goopy stuff.

[Cherie6446]

That picture of a fat tick made me sick. YUCK!!! Hope UNI gets a clean report. Do you have insurance? They will cover this visit and lab work.

[capt_noonie]

Originally Posted by crazydoglade

I'm out inthe Riverside/Mo Valley area, not too far from you, and I have to say we're having a horrible time with ticks this year. My dogs haven't had any for years but this year we have to check almost every day. I ordered some new treatment thinking maybe the ticks are becoming immune to the ones I've been using. One of our foster moms brought in a lttle shih tzu the other day, the poor baby had 3-4 on her. I know she was treated because I did it. Right now we're using advantix. Any opinions on a better treatment? I do hope your baby is alright. I know the waiting is one of the hardest things.

It is totally possible that the ticks are getting immune. My vet told me that was what happened with the flea meds. I don't know what else would be better. Maybe someone else on here can make a recommendation?

Originally Posted by spiritwings1202

I think its a mole Daisy has a few of those one her and once my husband had the tweezers out and was complaining that he couldn't grab the tick and when I looked at it with my jewelry scope..lol I realized it was a mole!

This wasn't a mole, bc the vet pulled out a hard ball thing that looked like a seed. You could def feel something hard underneath her skin.

Originally Posted by kjc

I think a tick will latch on, and when they get comfortable they fall asleep. Then when they are disturbed with say, tweezers, their legs come up from their sides to help them hold on. (IDK if they really go to sleep, lol)

I was bit by a tick last summer, and it started out being very itchy. Now, from my techy days, I have seen dogs come in with 300+ ticks on them and had to help remove them, one by one, with tweezers. It took 3-4 techs about 2-3 hours to get this done.

I've never had a problem removing ticks off a dog, but for the life of me, I could not get this tick off me! Finally after about 30 minutes, I got him off, and it left a small raised, hard, red bump. In the next few days, it turned a bright, neon-ish red/orange color... very scary. And it hurt, like an ache and a burning sensation on and off. Also the inflamed area got bigger, about 2 inches, and didn't appear to be healing. I did go to the doctor. She said to use AB ointment on it and not to worry, Lyme Disease doesn't come from Lone Star Ticks. After a month this thing still wasn't healing, but now I can see a black spot in the center. This was a tick leg or something (I looked at it magnified), that had finally worked it's way out. Then healing began and it was healed in a week.



They don't usually embed themselves, but I have seen ticks get in the wound they make pretty deep, like 1/2 their body length. Most the time they just bite and stay on the surface, and drop off when they become engorged (which can be in the house!).

Priscilla... I read up on this a bit while I stayed awake last night. Along with Uni's itchy skin and sparse coat, it 's possible she may have a congenital condition having to do with the sebaceous(?) glands in the skin or the hair follicles, as this seems to be a recurring problem with her. The sac can fill with fluid, or an oily substance. Depending on the type of cyst, medicated shampoos (like Nutri-Vet) may help, or some respond to antibiotics and/or a topical cream. I'd ask the vet too, about any dietary supplements that could help.

Also if a tick body part was the cause, it would come back out unchanged, but maybe covered with goopy stuff.

This could very well be the case, and I will talk with my vet about it. She does have a few other bumps on her body, but they all look different. I have no doubt that her crappy coat is due to poor breeding. She is on a rx shampoo already. I forget what it's called, but I remember it's $18 a bottle! LOL She always responds well with steroids after an esp bad itching episode, but of course we can't keep her on them all the time. So far they have just told me to give her 1/4 tab of zyrtec every day. It helps, but probably what makes it worse is she is at the shop with us everyday, and it's dusty here. And I probably don't bathe her enough (once a week). I don't know if I should be bathing her more often. Would bathing more strip her oils and make her skin more dry, or perhaps the rx shampoo doesn't do that?

[Cherie6446]

I used to bathe Gina once per week and I thought she always smelled stinky. I was told by a vet tech that she shouldn't be bathed that often as it takes away her natural oil and would cause dry skin. I stopped bathing that often and the stinky smell did go away. I usually bathed her every 3 - 4 weeks and that worked for her. Zoey's hair and skin is different but I still only bathe her every 3-4 weeks. Zoey's hair gets oily faster but she doesn't smell bad.

[capt_noonie]

Uni could never go that long without a bath. Her face starts getting stinky after a few days. Plus she picks up all the dirt from the shop. I ordered some Biogroom waterless bath, but I have yet to try it out.

[Yorkiemom1]

My grandmother and my mother used to light a match and then blow it out, and then touch the tick with the hot head of the match...those suckers back out so fast, be ready to catch it in something! That way, no head or "mouth parts" (OMG!!!!!) are left in your skin!

[kjc]

Originally Posted by capt_noonie

This could very well be the case, and I will talk with my vet about it. She does have a few other bumps on her body, but they all look different. I have no doubt that her crappy coat is due to poor breeding. She is on a rx shampoo already. I forget what it's called, but I remember it's $18 a bottle! LOL She always responds well with steroids after an esp bad itching episode, but of course we can't keep her on them all the time. So far they have just told me to give her 1/4 tab of zyrtec every day. It helps, but probably what makes it worse is she is at the shop with us everyday, and it's dusty here. And I probably don't bathe her enough (once a week). I don't know if I should be bathing her more often. Would bathing more strip her oils and make her skin more dry, or perhaps the rx shampoo doesn't do that?

In the article I read, it said dogs with this condition have a problem with the pores in their skin becoming clogged (this is due to genetics, not their environment). I'm guessing here but I would think the shampoo would be one that could open the pores, like the pore-cleansing facial products on the market for humans. It also suggested using warm compresses 3X Daily for ten days... purpose being that the heat liquefies the contents of the cyst thereby allowing the body to reabsorb it.

PS: Do NOT Google 'dog cysts' either.

[pstinard]

Originally Posted by EarthAngel

First, I want to say I am hoping all turns out ok with Uni's biopsy. As far as getting a tick off a dog I have always just used tweezers near the skin and would wiggle the tweezer back and forth until the tick would release. I have heard about the dish detergent but have never tried it. Please keep us updated on how Uni is doing.

My father once tried to get a tick off me by burning it with a cigar. Needless to say, I NEVER told my father when I had a tick ever again, and I just pulled them out slowly with my fingers.

[kjc]

Originally Posted by pstinard

My father once tried to get a tick off me by burning it with a cigar. Needless to say, I NEVER told my father when I had a tick ever again, and I just pulled them out slowly with my fingers.

Ouch! We used to burn them once we got them off!