Vaseline on Ticks

[moz205]

At our summer house on Long Island (know for great amount of ticks) my dogs pick up these horrible bugs. All of my dogs have gotten them. We've always had black dogs which makes it very difficult to find them early on. For years we've covered the tick with Vaseline when we see it and in a short period of time it just falls off dead. It gets smothered and just dies. Does anyone else do this? I remember my father doing this on our cats and dogs.

[poohbearsmom]

Information from the CDC on safe tick removal:

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/lyme/ld_tickremoval.htm

[Cheshire]

I'm one who always likes to know WHY, so here's a snipit from www.lyme.org

"CAUTIONS:

* Children should be taught to seek adult help for tick removal.
* If you must remove the tick with your fingers, use a tissue or leaf to avoid contact with infected tick fluids.
* Do not prick, crush or burn the tick as it may release infected fluids or tissue.
* Do not try to smother the tick (e.g. petroleum jelly, nail polish) as the tick has enough oxygen to complete the feeding. "

[moz205]

Yikes, for over 40 yrs we've been taking ticks off with Vaseline! Ugh, I HATE going near those critters.

[Steelerfan]

This is what I use, works great: http://www.amazon.com/Ticked-Off-Inc.../dp/B0002Y1REW

[moondog]

Originally Posted by poohbearsmom

Information from the CDC on safe tick removal:

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/lyme/ld_tickremoval.htm

They say to dispose of "dead" tick in the trash, but not how to kill the thing. They are not killed just by being removed, are they? I thought they needed to be dropped in rubbing alcohol to kill them - is that right?

Finding ticks in black fur is challenging.....I wonder if running a flea comb against the lay of the fur would be a good way to find them - and would that remove them like the tool does?

I hate ticks!

[moz205]

No, just removing will not kill them. They just will look for another host. They are also very difficult to squash, they are so hard shelled. Putting them into alcohol will definitely kill them. From experience, smothering them in Vaseline will kill them also. My granny used to put kerosene or turpentine on us as kids. We had to stay away from the barbeque grill! My dogs get them almost weekly for years out there even though I try walking away from bushes, trees etc. It's an ongoing fight for Long Islanders.

[moondog]

Originally Posted by moz205

No, just removing will not kill them. They just will look for another host.

That's what I thought....I think the CDC needs to add a sentence on their sheet, because by reading it, it sounds like the tick is dead when you pull it off.

So, moz, you are obviously tick experienced - do you think the flea comb approach would work?

[moz205]

Not sure if the comb will help as those heads can really dig in. I would be concerned about grabbing it with the comb, pulling off the body but leaving the head in. Yuck! Of note, as I said, all my dogs for the past 40 yrs have had ticks which we removed with Vaseline and no problems. They have had the Lyme vaccine which I am now hearing not good as a preventative for Lyme and could be detrimental to their health. Have I been that lucky with all my dogs over the years? I do know a few people out there with Lyme disease and they are on medication, one on lifelong neurologic meds.

[poohbearsmom]

Originally Posted by moondog

That's what I thought....I think the CDC needs to add a sentence on their sheet, because by reading it, it sounds like the tick is dead when you pull it off.

So, moz, you are obviously tick experienced - do you think the flea comb approach would work?

We give the dogs a good massage at the end of the day, it's easier to feel them with your fingertips... you just have to be sure you go over the whole dog.

[moz205]

The only thing with them, you can't find them until they've fed. They are tiny and I've never felt one that hasn't been feeding.

[sloesgirl]

My vet said to put a little rubbing Alcohol on the tick let it set for a minute and pull it off with tweezers making sure the head is completly out.

She said that we needed to burn the tick to make sure it is dead and won't find another host.

[Gunsey'sMom]

I find ticks with the massage too. I tend to find them when I am "furminating" as well. I actually check specifically for ticks, and there are areas on Gunner where ticks seems to "like" such as near his front- like shoulders, neck, face, and ears. This doesnt mean I dont check the rest of him though.

I also find helpful to give him a quick glance over if he has just waded through long grass (they can drop from trees as well) and sometimes I can catch them even before they latch on. It is so nasty- they are just crawling looking for a spot!

I have always burned them, and have actually been quite successful removing them by -hand but after hearing the "fluids" part- I think tweezers would be a good idea.

I have a "tick candle" that I light up and drop the little nasties in.

[missingmarley]

Does anybody know how long it takes a tick to "dig in"? When we go out walking, we ALWAYS do a tick check when we get home, but it seems they're already burrowed in ... I hear they ticks in trees can tell if something warm is walking underneath, then they fall on their "host" - it sounds like some science fiction thing. They're SO gross.

Here in Ohio they're everywhere too. i usually pull one off my own head at least once a summer. And then I have th heebeejeebees for several weeks afterwards ... We were alwasy told to burn the ticks, too, and it can be fun. I've always pulled the buggers out of my dogs with tweezers.

Has anybody ever spotted a grape-sized tick on a dog? (it better be somebody else's dog! WE know better than to let it go that long!) That's probably the most disgusting thing I've ever experienced.

[d2305]

My wife took India walking is a tick infested area, and I noticed that a tick that fell off of her on the carpet dead. Frontline works. To remove ticks grasp near the head with tweesers and pull it out.