After suffering (and still on-going) a presumed tick borne issue with my dog, I was interested in a show last night regarding my lovely state of NH.

Seems we are number "1" in the nation for chronic lyme disease and the numbers are growing.

There is a woman in my neighborhood with triplets; one of whom is wheelchair bound due to chronic lyme. Awful.
I'm basically afraid to go tracking, walking or hiking with my dogs. Deet is the only recommended agent for humans to use on their clothes.

What about the dogs? I grudgingly use Frontline but is has failed me in the past. I've found ticks on my dog despite having used it 2 weeks prior. Additionally the vet informed me that dogs in town who have been vaccinated for lyme prevention according to their protocols are showing up lyme-positive.
Not to mention the anaplaslmosis and other secondary issues that don't show on blood tests.

Someone explained on the show that the numbers are probably much higher for tick borne issues because of the many false negative tests.

I feed raw, minimally vac and I guess I'm just venting....

Sadly there is no chemical that is 100% proof for ticks. They're nasty little bugs that thankfully there are few of here. .

Things that help with ticks that I know to be true is destroying their environment via frequent (like two a year) controlled burns which clear brush (ticks are not fireproof) , introducing tick eating animals like birds that love ticks (guinea fowl are great for this), or removing their host via aggressive hunting. Fewer deer mean fewer deer ticks, same with bunnies, and squirrels.

 Quote: lori gallo

I grudgingly use Frontline but is has failed me in the past. I've found ticks on my dog despite having used it 2 weeks prior. Additionally the vet informed me that dogs in town who have been vaccinated for lyme prevention according to their protocols are showing up lyme-positive.

It was my understanding that ticks can and do still attach to dogs being treated with Frontline, but that they will 'die' and detach within 48hr and the claim to fame was that the tick (infected with tick bourne disease) had to be attached longer to transmit the disease to the source it was connected to.

the link and copy/paste:
http://frontline.us.merial.com/hlp_faq.asp
Do fleas and ticks have to bite my pet for FRONTLINE Brand Products to work?
Fleas and ticks do not have to bite your pet for FRONTLINE Brand Products to work. FRONTLINE Brand Products kill fleas and ticks if they simply come into contact with your pet's haircoat. The fleas will die within 12 hours of contact with your treated pet**, and ticks will die within 48 hours2". end of copy/paste


IMO lyme vaccination is useless. Are the tests for these vacc dogs showing up false pos d/t having received the vaccine and therefore throwing a false pos or are they symptomatic? Just wondering. I know that there is a cat vac FIV (i think) that will throw a false pos on the snap test to those cats that were vaccinated and are 'mistakently' being euthanized as there is no cure. The manufacturers solution was that all these cats should be microchipped so that if they end up in the system they won't be mistakenly PTS for showing pos.for FIV

I feel your pain, Lori. I used to live in CT, and did constant battle with ticks.

We have them here, too, of course, but the diseases aren't as epidemic as they are up in the NE.

And, while it's nice to be able to create a yard that is relatively tick free, still, one wants to go out into the world with one's dog and do stuff .

I used to spend tons of time doing tick checks every time we returned from hiking or doing anything outdoors, when I lived up there.

My spousal unit has had Lyme twice, both times, I'm pretty sure, from ticks picked up from my dog<sigh>. The good news is catching the diseases early enough to be albe to cure them relatively easily.

I heard a new thing the other day on a radio show by a tick disease expert; one can be bit by 100 ticks and not be exposed to any disease, then get bit by one tick that carries multiple diseases.

Sadly, the diseases are gradually migrating to more areas of the country, too.

Ugh!

leih

Aimee, It's my understanding from a conversation with a vet here that the dog's who had been vac. for lyme were showing up symptomatic.
I agree, I don't like the lyme vac. I only mentioned it because all efforts to keep ticks under control seem unreliable.

The chronic lyme that I have witnessed in humans is horrible. The average lyme patient sees 7 to 10 doctors before arriving at a correct diagnosis. It mimics so many other diseases that physicians miss it.

Fibromyalgia,lupus, chronic fatigue, PMR, are all frequently chosen before lyme.

My friends son in law has chronic lyme and he has been unable to even care for a disabled daughter that they have. He's too weak to pick her up. So sad.

I am looking into some alternatives to the frontline...argh..

I so agree with you Lori, the effects of Lyme's disease are just horrible.
I knew someone who woke up one day and couldn't walk, and the Dr.'s were stumped as to what was wrong with her(this was many, many years ago) and after she went online and researched she asked for a Lyme's test and sure enough she tested positive for the disease. She had to be on rotating antibiotics for over one year!

I've had much better luck with Advantix than Frontline. It's a harsher chemical, but it works. I haven't seen a single tick on either of my dogs since I started it this spring. Before application I was picking at least 20 ticks off my dogs a day after running in the woods. It was disgusting.
Also, the Preventic collar has rave reviews. I would use this, but my dogs often chew on each other's necks in play and I didn't want them ingesting the chemicals. The collars are cheap and keep the ticks away.
I don't fool around with the herbal stuff or depend on myself to pick ticks off (deer ticks are tiny and my dogs are furry). I go for the hard core chemicals now. It's that, or very likely end up with a very sick dog.
I've also heard of some vets prescribing low dose doxycycline for the entire summer tick season. I'm not sure I agree with this, but I've seen first hand how bad tick illnesses can get.
If I were you, I'd look into the Preventic collar.

My apologies if the post I did, came across as not being considerate of the disease, difficulty in DX and the aftermath. That is not the case at all, I am sincerely understanding and empathetic.


At the time I was concentrating out of frustrated with the options availabe and focusing on that---sorry!

No apology necessary. I appreciate the input.