rigby has a tick.

[lightyears]

god damnit. despite all his flea/tick preventatives, he managed a tick on his neck.

he was vaccinated for Lyme already so I'm hoping this will end up being nothing.

but damnit if this dog doesn't cost me a fucking fortune all the time.

also, he's the only smiling dog at the vet, lol. so happy to be alive.

(He's in the back right now so I'll just post the puppy brothers instead.)

[usuallylurking]

He kills me. So cute. Sorry about the tick and vet bills though!

[brewalexa]

This reminds me that I need to go to costco and get some frontline. I hate ticks. Sorry you have to deal with that. 

[thinkofthesoldiers]

You went to the vet for a tick?

[janegold]

I definitely don't take my dog to the vet for ticks. That tool looks handy but we just use tweezers.

[lightyears]

Apr 19, 2014 12:27:40 GMT -5 thinkofthesoldiers said:

You went to the vet for a tick?

yes? i didn't know the protocol for testing and I have a vet visit package so visits are free.

they wanted to start him on a cream for the site immediately anyway.

[lightyears]

look at him right now, btw. faker. he was the happiest at the vet. lol

[thinkofthesoldiers]

Apr 19, 2014 12:43:09 GMT -5 lightyears said:

Apr 19, 2014 12:27:40 GMT -5 thinkofthesoldiers said:

You went to the vet for a tick?

yes? i didn't know the protocol for testing and I have a vet visit package so visits are free.

they wanted to start him on a cream for the site immediately anyway.

Maybe I take this for granted after growing up with a lot of ticks, but we always pulled them out, made sure we had the head, used peroxide (maybe), and went on our way. I do the same for my kids and myself. The thought of testing it or a special cream is hilarious to me. Our dogs get the lyme vax and I check the dogs and my kids daily during tick season, but that's about it.

[lightyears]

Apr 19, 2014 12:48:41 GMT -5 thinkofthesoldiers said:

Apr 19, 2014 12:43:09 GMT -5 lightyears said:

yes? i didn't know the protocol for testing and I have a vet visit package so visits are free.

they wanted to start him on a cream for the site immediately anyway.

Maybe I take this for granted after growing up with a lot of ticks, but we always pulled them out, made sure we had the head, used peroxide (maybe), and went on our way. I do the same for my kids and myself. The thought of testing it or a special cream is hilarious to me. Our dogs get the lyme vax and I check the dogs and my kids daily during tick season, but that's about it.

i just called them to tell them that id found a tick and they said to just bring him in. it's his first one, so I don't really have much doggy tick experience.

so, I'm kind of glad they did it for me because the vet told me it was a hard removal. and he would've hated me for it, lol.

the cream is because the site around the bite mark is very red and irritated - so much so that they want to recheck it in a week. but like I said, my visits are free so it's not like I bent over backwards for him. I just paid for the cream.

[VeryViolet]

My dog always gets a couple of ticks in the summer despite being on preventative. I have never even thought to take him to the vet for it. I just tweeze them out and make sure I get the head. Watch now that I said that we will have some expensive tick catastrophe this summer.

Gross story I was in the shower and found what I thought was a skin tag on my hip the other day. It wasn't it was a tick. I am not sure if I got the head. I still want to vomit and cry over it. I don't mind removing ticks from the dog but finding them on me is horrifying.

[janegold]

Apr 19, 2014 13:03:50 GMT -5 @gracie6414 said:

Apr 19, 2014 12:40:23 GMT -5 janegold said:

I definitely don't take my dog to the vet for ticks. That tool looks handy but we just use tweezers.

I'm not adept at getting ticks with tweezers and have always been told that can forces the tick juice (lol) back into the dog, or leave the head of the tick in the dog.m

Yeah, it's a bit tricky to make sure you get the head out. I think we will probably buy one of those tools now that tick season is starting up again.

[Birdie]

Oz gets ticks all the time in the summer. I swear the ticks laugh in the face of the preventative.

Which reminds me we forgot to check him after our trip to the lake the other day. Crap.

[Birdie]

And we use this tool:
cotradeco.com/products/1030-tick-remover

Makes removing ticks super easy.

And yeah, we would be at the vet every week if we went every time Oz had one. But they usually don't get red or bother him.

[LeggsBenedict]

one time I thought Cindy had a tick so I freaked out and called my dad. it was a mole.

[Birdie]

I always mistake Oz's nipples for ticks. One time I even used that remover tool on it. Poor guy. Now I try to see if there is a matching tick on the other side of his belly before I attempt removal.

[Deleted]

I am loling at the thought of taking my dog to the vet for a tick. I guess growing up in Oklahoma will take all of the tick fear right out if you... We just pull and move on.

I remember when we were little that every time we got back from my Grandma's house we would have to strip down for a tick check. It was like that bad country song.

[thinkofthesoldiers]

Apr 19, 2014 15:17:15 GMT -5 kooshball said:

A Lyme vaccine for dogs but not humans? Crazy

I have this thought each time we go for the vax. I live in tick country and we spend a lot of time outside. It is a huge fear of mine that one of us will end up with lyme. I am sure there is a reason we can't have the vax as humans (and since I'm not a crazy person, I trust that the gov is doing its job with not allowing us to have it), but it sure would be nice to not have to worry so much during tick season about everyone getting it.

[dizzydee]

I picked 6 ticks of one of my dogs this morning. And your vet is getting you for more money by purchasing a special cream. Put peroxide on it and call it a day.

[Norticprincess]

Apr 19, 2014 15:29:42 GMT -5 thinkofthesoldiers said:

Apr 19, 2014 15:17:15 GMT -5 kooshball said:

A Lyme vaccine for dogs but not humans? Crazy

I have this thought each time we go for the vax. I live in tick country and we spend a lot of time outside. It is a huge fear of mine that one of us will end up with lyme. I am sure there is a reason we can't have the vax as humans (and since I'm not a crazy person, I trust that the gov is doing its job with not allowing us to have it), but it sure would be nice to not have to worry so much during tick season about everyone getting it.

There was a human one. It was discontinued in 2002

www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/lyme/default.htm

m.cid.oxfordjournals.org/content/52/suppl_3/s253.long

www.niaid.nih.gov/topics/lymedisease/research/pages/vaccine.aspx

[Kristinmo]

Please tell me I'm not the only one who thought it said Rigby has a Dick

[justkly]

I swear vets are just money hungry these days. Last time I took my dogs, I had to tell them to quit trying to up sell everything and quit suggesting tests for things that weren't even an issue.