Our Golden Retriever

[Tywais]

We've always had a ongoing battle with ticks on our GR but found a pill that works well keeping them off him for about 3 months (sorry, can't remember the name of the medicine - wife picks it up at the vet). It deals with both the very large cattle ticks and the standard smaller ones fine but there is a different species, how my wife refers to them, that it doesn't help at all.

When he lies down on the porch, literally hundreds of them come off him and are on the porch, the walls etc. They are very small, around 1mm to 2mm in size but don't know what they are and how to get rid of them. Below are a couple of photos, first a group of them the 2nd a closeup.

[cmsally]

I think you will find these are also ticks but at a different stage in the lifecycle.

Tick lifecycle

Tick lifecycle

These look the same as can sometimes be found on my Golden Retriever and they are definitely ticks but at a smaller stage of the lifecycle. At this stage Frontline (applied to shoulders) is quite effective as well as powder. Need to check extremities as they tend to migrate there away from the chemicals.

Tick Lifecycle

Many websites say different hosts are needed for different stages of the lifecycle.

But from what I can see, Thai ticks can live out the entire generation process on one Golden Retriever!

[Tywais]

I think you will find these are also ticks but at a different stage in the lifecycle.

Tick lifecycle

Tick lifecycle

Thanks for that info. I'm familiar with the recommendation of FrontLine but wasn't sure these were ticks. Now just need to find a place in Chiangmai that sells it. It is odd that the medicine we gave works so well on the two other types but not these. We've never had such a massive outbreak like this before.

[cmsally]

Different things seem to work at different stages. eg Frontline doesn't really shift the large adult stage.

Frontline is available at most vet clinics, I get it at the Vet clinic opposite to Shangri La Hotel.

I think we must have sent you some of our ticks, we are enjoying a relatively tickless year so far!

[Nienke]

When there are so many ticks coming of the dog, there are two things I immediately think of:

1) there must be a lot in the dog's living area, where putting all sorts of stuff on the dog doesn't help anymore. Time to call in pest control, and/or

2) when a dog attracts so many parasites, it's an indication that there is something wrong with the immune system of that animal. Time to figure out what causes that the dog is not able to ward of the parasites anymore or keep them under control.

[Tywais]

2) when a dog attracts so many parasites, it's an indication that there is something wrong with the immune system of that animal. Time to figure out what causes that the dog is not able to ward of the parasites anymore or keep them under control.

Would you suggest taking him to the vet and having them do a blood workup, or what type of testing should be done? He appears healthy and energetic and good appetite otherwise.

[doggie888888]

I alternate between Frontline and Revolution for my labrador...very seldom do I see fleas, ticks, mites or any bugs on her. I am supposed to apply monthly, but the vet said one was good for some parasites and the other for other types of parasites, so suggested fortnightly application alternating between Fontline and Revolution...seems to work so far! Good luck with the GR.

[Nienke]

Have you ever had him tested for tick disease?

I mean a SNAP-test and blood panel (RBC, WBC, platelets, SGPT and Crea). E.canis is very prevalent in Thailand and when you catch it in the acute stage, where the ricketsia are still in the blood it is treatable with AB's, provided that the parasites are active and not in a dorm period. If gone over in the chronic stage (ricketsia in the bone marrow), than ab's won't help anymore. The only thing you then can do is minimize (preferable completely stop, when possible) the toxins in and on his body and provide him with a species appropriate diet (that is boost his immune system)

It's advisable to test every half a year your dog for this disease.

Many Goldens (dogs) suffer from an impaired functioning thyroid (hypo-thyroidism). Causes can be vaccinations and spay/neuter, especially at an early age. The T3, free T#, T4, free T4 and what was the last one again THF or FHT or something, can be tested in CM. However, vets aren't very good in reading these tests, unless it is very very clear.

Does your dog have any other symptoms, such as sometimes hotspots, rash, itch, scaly skin, too much hair loss, eye discharge. How is his behavior? Very stable, (overly) sensitive, (overly) sub-missive, (fairly) dominant? How are his feces? Are they always solid, or sometimes the first parts solid followed soft feces, or sometimes rotating with soft feces. Etc. etc. All questions you do not need to answer to me, but to yourself. Everything that is different from normal health is an indication that there is something wrong.

Example: I have now a little boxer in. She suffers from vaccine damage. Besides physical symptoms I notice from her behavior when she feels good. She is then affectionate but not clingy. Will come easily when called and is very playful and out-going with the other dogs. It happens that she suddenly looks fearful when I call her, as if i put pressure on her. While the other things appetite, playfulness, feces etc are still good. Although, also the eye discharge has increased a little. I know then that she again isn't feeling 100% again and that it is time to give her another dose of the homeopathic remedy. Almost immediately after giving the dose her fearfulness is gone and her eye discharge lessens.

Currently, I have customers come to train with their most adorable puppy. Also this dog suffers vaccine damage. From the outside he looks absolutely fabulous, in splendid health. However, during the last training session the owner told me that the last couple of days the pup has become very stubborn. He only wants to lie in the air-conditioned room and is not interested in any training session what-so-ever, while before he enjoyed it, but he still was very playful (sometimes even almost hyper) and the appetite was good. First one may think the dog is just stubborn, but while talking further the owner told me that sometimes the dog feels very hot. We took his temperature and he was 103.2 F. In other words he was running a fever. This kind of fever and behavioral change I've seen before in pups that suffer vaccine damage.

Beethoven (guess what breed) suffers from chronic tick disease. I notice that it is affecting his immune system more and more, as he gets more and more problems with (minor) infections. He also had become less tolerant. A few weeks ago the ricketsia became active again, he skipped meals. I went to the vet and had a blood test done. Turned out his platelets and RBC was low.

Why I tell this is because dogs DO indicate when there is something wrong. It's only so hard for us to catch these tiny moments/symptoms.

[Patsycat]

I'm guessing a chihuaha...

[xerostar]

Our dogs had lots of ticks and fleas.

They used to look sad and they were itchy all day long!

I purchased a heap of "Frontier" in Australia on my last two visits.

I followed the directions but the ticks were'nt bothered for more than a few days and were soon

back again. Many ticks just retreated down between the toes for a while.

The Frontier was dam_n expensive too!

I had a good mind to write to consumer protection for false advertising!

If the stuff was cheap it would not have annoyed me so much.

So my solution is this: and it works!

Chlorpyrifos! - available at nearly every hardware/farm variety shop in Thailand in 1 Litre bottles.

I make up a large bath - about 50 litres of warm water, add some shampoo or detergent.

That helps the chemical penetrate oily of dirty fur.

I add about 200 ml of Chlorpyrifos liquid and mix it in thoroughly.

The dogs prefer nice warm water. I use a big dipper to cascade over them

head and all for 5 minutes or more.

The first bathtime we had the usual antics.

They weren't used to baths so they tried to jump out and were scared.

But gentle sweet talking and plenty of massaging has made them like good children.

Now when it's bathtime they look a little sheepish, but they don't run away.

I give them a little treat afterwards and tell them how good they have been!

I keep the bath water for a week and give them a bath every second day.

Then I use the bathwater around our trees to ward off white ants that are really bad around here.

Evidently Chlorpyrifos was used in Australia as a cattle and sheep dip for many years but is not used

now for fear that it will show up in meat and affect the meat export trade.

Foreign meat buyers are very fussy about meat that contains any foreign substance.

The fact is, it kills insects, fleas, ticks and spiders.

Our dogs are happy and healthy with nice coats and have very happy faces!

There have been no more ticks on them even though we do see a few tiny ticks on the verandah.

Some people are afraid of chemicals and will not use them, but to see a dog that is healthy, its

worth all the risks! Nature has some very cruel tricks up it's sleeve and I use science to shift

the balance in my dogs favour and allow them to enjoy their life on this Earth without being tormented

by these evil little critters.

[Tywais]

So my solution is this: and it works!

Chlorpyrifos! -

Thanks for that, I'll do a little research on the chemical. Oh, our Golden actually comes to us when he sees he's going to get wet. He loves it.