Found a Tick

[mikkehla]

We found a tick on Honeygirl last night. It had been there for at least 2 days. We were able to remove it (including the head). So far, no changes in Honeygirl; she is eating ok, not throwing up, no changes in her mood. I immediatley put her flea and tick medicine on her (Advantix) as we are kind of lax about using it in the winter. How concerned should I be?

[Pam]

AWW what a sweet picture! We are so sorry that you got a mean old tickie on your Honeygirl. Unfortunately we have them around here too. My Bella met up with a bad tick a few years ago and developed Lyme's disease. Fortunately after a round of antibiotics she was fine in no time. Now we always use Frontline (I am not sure if Advantage can kill ticks?) and she and Ripley both get the Lyme vaccine. Please don't worry though. The odds of getting Lyme from one bite are in your favor. I would get some Frontline though and start the vaccine. You can't be too safe!

[joycenalex]

call the vet and ask if you need to do anything else. such a cutie!

[WELOVESPUPPIES]

Keep track of this tick bite, your dog may never have an affect but my boxer boy Duke got a tick on him when he was about 2-1/2, roughly a year later he started having problems with his hips and of course naturally they though hip dysplasia. They did x-rays and there was no sign of that. Then he began to get the shakes and not acting right, pacing around, sitting-standing, sitting-standing. I took him back to the vet and said something is not right with him and that something needed to be done. He checked him over again and was baffeled because he always acts normal at the vet I was in tears. I looked at the vet and said I know something is wrong with him, I know my dog. The vet asked if he had had any tick bites. I told him about a year ago. He decided to do blood work. Well it came back he was positive for Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. It took a year for him to show any signs of an infection from that tick. Just keep this in mind if your dog shows arthitics changes in the joints or in walking or sitting stiffness, not that this is it but just in case.

[Catlady711]

Your best bet would have been to save the tick and have it tested.

[dragondawg]

We found a tick on Honeygirl last night. It had been there for at least 2 days. We were able to remove it (including the head). So far, no changes in Honeygirl; she is eating ok, not throwing up, no changes in her mood. I immediatley put her flea and tick medicine on her (Advantix) as we are kind of lax about using it in the winter. How concerned should I be?

One study found that 20% of the ticks in an area where Lyme disease was endemic carried the spirochete. In another words possibly up to 80% of the ticks attached to our dogs are non-infectious. Also other studies have found the host developes a hypersensitivity (i.e. allergic) reaction to the tick antigens. The result is that the immune system on this heightened state of alert (i.e. due to the presence of the tick) is able to detect and kill any spirochetes transmitted by the tick.

If it were my dog I'd just observe it for the next few weeks. If it suddenly develops lameness or a GI upset that just as suddenly disappears, then a tick titer test might be worthwhile. Note also even if infected, it could take up to 6 months with Lyme before a strong antibody response can be picked up. As Catlady suggests the quickest and most accurate means of detecting Lyme is by culturing it from the tick.

[sumbirdy]

I live in tick area. In tick season we often find 10-15 on our dogs a day! (sometimes even more) Needless to say we are constantly de-ticking, dusting, spraying, bathing, dunking, ect. every day all summer. I would watch it for a few weeks and if your really worried about it take the tick to be tested by your vet (if you still have it) Or take your dog in often for checkups so he can detect any illness early on