Happiness is..... a scarcity of ticks!

[isanbirder]

Normally dog ticks, though you may find them at any time of year, become numerous at the beginning of the wet season. My dogs (currently only a toy poodle) go for a two-hour walk with me every morning, and it's a constant problem keeping them tick-free. I give them Endex every month, and a Preventic collar in season.

This year there have been hardly any ticks... so few indeed that I haven't even used the tick collar. I check carefully every day, and have been finding one, two, or as often as not, none. Bliss!

I live in Buriram, and have been wondering whether other dog owners have had the same experience Maybe the drought (we haven't had much rain, though the paddy looks good) is the reason.

[meatboy]

hi IB our boy has just 1days meds.left as he was clear 2weeks ago.still finding a few in our bedroom and the odd one on him.every night we check him thourghly but after going out for a piddle 12am.he always seem to have one in the morning.

well IB.i have found where i hope some are coming from,gaps between the skirting boards and floor.

so it was up to home pro for a tin of woodfiller,emptied all the wardropes and sealed the whole bedroom,behind one wardrope we found 6 brown dog ticks and a fat female either going under or coming out.

problem we have with him is he will pick up anything in his mouth,according to the vet this is how he got the last infection eating a brown dog tick that carries the HEPATOZOON CANIS can be very dangerous.this week the wife has had on her facebook 2 husky's that have had to have blood transfusions.

we got a collar[lemon grass/ucalyptus but its not that good as we found one under it.

oh well the clock is TICK-IN and my boy wants his dinner so good hunticking.

taff.

[isanbirder]

I have had massive infestations in the past both here and in Chiangmai, which is why I'm enjoying the relative scarcity this year. I know what it can be like!

I know there are health risks, but my experience suggests that they're overstated. In my 16 years in Chiangmai, none of my dogs ever got infected. In 8 years here, I had all four dogs infected with erlichiosis one year, three or four years ago. I dosed them with the appropriate pills, cured them, one got re-infected, dealt with that, and I've had no trouble since. And it's not for want of ticks!

You soon know if they get ill. They go off their food, become listless, and get anaemic (gums go very pale).

[meatboy]

I have had massive infestations in the past both here and in Chiangmai, which is why I'm enjoying the relative scarcity this year. I know what it can be like!

I know there are health risks, but my experience suggests that they're overstated. In my 16 years in Chiangmai, none of my dogs ever got infected. In 8 years here, I had all four dogs infected with erlichiosis one year, three or four years ago. I dosed them with the appropriate pills, cured them, one got re-infected, dealt with that, and I've had no trouble since. And it's not for want of ticks!

You soon know if they get ill. They go off their food, become listless, and get anaemic (gums go very pale).

it is a worry when they get re-infected knowing all you do to protect them,but this last one we wouldnt have know if it hadn't been for his encounter with a snake and calling the vet to blood test him[ thats why i call it the silent killer] the next few weeks will be interesting as today is his last of meds. as he is drinking ltrs.and ltrs.of water and eating every thing in sight,its the first time he ever took anything off the kitchen work top,plus he has put on some weight.last night we found 2 fat ones right under the tick collar again after his walk.

just this minute the wife has found another fat gey one under the collar.so this one has come from his walk with me this morning[the bushes in the park]

one thing we alway's do is to treat the bite with BENADINE.

[cooked]

Same with me, Isanbirder, except one black haired poodle that is difficult to check and hates having his feet checked. I also live near Buriram and we have 8 dogs. Strangely enough, the dogs that sleep outside are cleaner than the indoor ones as I can use a pressure cleaner outside and then spray against ticks (Chaindrite termite spray does it). A year ago we were freaking out as we found ticks going up the walls in the house, every day. My theory is that when the dogs walk in wet grass, the ticks get on to the dogs more easily, so as long as it has been raining or there is dew I try to wait an hour or two (with the buggers protesting vigorously in the background).