Tic Prevention?

Ron · 05-09-2010, 08:35 AM

Any tips or tricks to prevent tic bites? Tie was bit early last year, and it still has trace ammounts in his blood.

Spyglass Sally · 05-09-2010, 05:30 PM

Buddy gets PetGuard's garlic & yeast daily which I think makes his blood less appealing as well as providing nutritional supplementation. But still, this year there are a lot of tics in the dunes and woods where we live - Mike even had one on him!

We have found two on Buddy and used tick twister to get rid of them. (Used it on Mike too, lol.) Both times we had forgotten to spray him with Spa Dog's eucalyptus spray before we let him run. We've never had a problem when we used it, but I still run my fingers through his coat and check him every day.

bruinsBoxers · 05-10-2010, 08:18 AM

I use D E in the yard and add a bit of garlic to Edy's food .

Ron · 05-10-2010, 08:50 AM

how much garlic is needed

bruinsBoxers · 05-10-2010, 09:26 AM

I give about a quarter teaspoon once a day .
I use jar minced garlic but some use the fresh cloves . .

JoeV · 05-10-2010, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ron

Any tips or tricks to prevent tic bites? Tie was bit early last year, and it still has trace ammounts in his blood.

The supplement I give Lucky is called Nupro and it contains garlic in it. Seems to work b/c she rarely gets ticks and no fleas. We don't use frontline anymore, don't give her anything except heartworm protection pills.

Spyglass Sally · 05-11-2010, 05:43 AM

We don't give heart worm "preventative" because it doesn't prevent heart worm. It just kills the little buggers before they become adult or near-adult stage.

As background, adult worms live five to seven years - males growing up to 7 inches, females up to 14 inches - circulating microfilaria live up to two years.

The life cycle: Dogs to mosquito and back to dogs...
Adult heart worms in the heart and surrounding blood vessels mate and produce microfilaria which circulate in the blood.
- mosquito then feeds on infected dogs, ingesting microfilaria and blood
2) Microfilaria molt twice in the mosquito before becoming infectious to dogs
- a mosquito feeds on your dog transferring infectious microfilaria
3) Microfilaria molt in your pet’s tissues for 3 to 4 months
4) Worms migrate from tissues to the heart and surrounding blood vessels then mature into adults

This cycle can take at least 200 days. Cooler temperatures can delay the molting stages that take place inside the mosquito. As you can see, when that mosquito then bites another dog or the same dog, it transfers these microscopic larva as it bites. That is the only way a pet gets a new heartworm. During the next 6-7 months, the larval heartworms migrate slowly through the dogs body and arrive at the heart . There they mature into adult worms.

Instead of giving a toxic drug Buddy may not need, we get him tested every year. If he has heart worm, he will get treatment while they are still small.

I realize this is not the route everyone chooses, I only bring this up because some people are not aware of this cycle and think they must use the "preventative" to protect their dog.