Author Topic: Ticks!!!! (Read 3500 times)

Shropshirelass · « **on:** June 30, 2013, 12:31:40 am »

Ok ticks are my pet hate & despite working in a vets & reguarly de-fleaing & searching the all the pets our 1 cat the youngest Norman - is a lovely little cat & housecat but he keeps on coming back with ticks on him after hunting - he earns his keep by killing at least 1 baby rabbit & maybe a mouse per day unlike the rest. He has had his flea treatment. & its keeping the fleas at bay its supposed to deal with ticks too but they keep coming back & it's just him we use the same treatment - frontline on all the cats & dogs & the 1 dog I don't think I've ever seen a tick on him & hardly ever has fleas.

I'm going to speak to the vets about different spot ons when I'm up & able to drive again but does any1 have any tips for keeping the little buggers away as I'd like him to come back in the house but without his little friends x

Mammyshaz · « **Reply #1 on:** June 30, 2013, 01:26:01 am »

It can take up to 48 hours for frontline treated cat's ticks to die once they have bitten. Sounds like your cat is in a high infested area. Treat your house too for the ones dropping off drives so the die in due course.

Most parasite products have timescales from bite to death, but if you are finding the same ticks attacked after 2 days change the product to something such as advocate in case the ticks in your area are becoming immune to frontline. Fleas in our area certainly are

Just seen my bad spelling of 'immune' and corrected it

Shropshirelass · « **Reply #2 on:** June 30, 2013, 08:12:52 am »

Yeah I've heard a few people saying frontlines not as good as it used to be & I do sometimes use advocate on the dog, but theres 1 wormer you shouldn't use on collies which the other dog is. Will have to check but I think I know the 1. It's not necessarily a high tick area I think its just because of the time of year & he goes hunting in the long grass

- Still can't complain as between him & our female who by choice lives in the barn & our tenants cat we don't have much of a pest problem on our farm or our neighbors & I hear he often goes hunting by my uncles a lot too which is nearly half a mile up some fields!

As for the house don't worry it is de-flead & anything that has buddies is not allowed into the house except for the porch where they sleep & the cats can use the cat flap too, but I'm into a habit of regularly washing the bedding seperatley & spraying the beds with anti flea stuff to try & keep them at bay. I do rate advocate so may get some for just him when I'm next able to.

I was just wondering if there were any old wives tales I could try though like ice or something x

Mammyshaz · « **Reply #3 on:** June 30, 2013, 08:24:26 am »

Garlic in the food is the only one I've heard. Not saying it works but it may help deter some

happygolucky · « **Reply #4 on:** June 30, 2013, 10:19:30 am »

I was just going to say, I have been told that a bit of garlic sausage helps.....must get some......I had a tick on my back when a dog ran into me and flung me in the air...I landed flat on my back and later found a huge tick just where I could not see or gt to it...My husband did more harm than good as he squished it with the head still in, I did get the head out but still itch there sometimes

fsmnutter · « **Reply #5 on:** June 30, 2013, 12:14:03 pm »

Hi there
as a vet, I find ticks in cats frustrating too! Frontline (fipronil) is the mainstay of tick treatment in cats that we've had for ages, but isn't actually that good against ticks. Most of the tick products (permethrin based) for dogs are quite toxic to cats, but there is a new one, flumethrin, which comes in the 'Seresto' collar. Now normally, flea collars don't do very much because they work by diffusion, and so don't really reach the bum where fleas like to live, but this collar has ingredients which diffuse into the oils in the skin like a spot on, and so spread around the body effectively. Now I know I've had hunters of cats that cannot keep a collar on, but it might be worth a go?!
Hope that helps
Suzanne

Shropshirelass · « **Reply #6 on:** June 30, 2013, 01:40:19 pm »

Nah collars are no good for him we use the cat & dog frontline but if advocates gunna do the job & keep them gone I'd rather just pay the extra money if its 4 1 cat plus it worms to & ooh getting 1 on your back nasty - I'd hate that their horrid things x

fsmnutter · « **Reply #7 on:** June 30, 2013, 01:43:58 pm »

Unfortunately, advocate doesn't cover ticks, or at least doesn't have a claim that it does. Frontline's then the only thing left for cats if they don't do collars. Advantix covers ticks in dogs, but is toxic to cats, advocate covers fleas, lice, mites and roundworms. If you have a hunter, it's still worth making sure you cover tapeworms as they are easily caught from their prey!

Mammyshaz · « **Reply #8 on:** July 05, 2013, 10:40:59 pm »

You have passed on the hick of bad ticks

Our cat is only a year and just been out a few times. Came back with a tick next to his eye a couple of days ago

I don't know if he brought it with him or the dogs have carried it home so all treated. Tick remover bought but the damn thing has disappeared. Hope it died with treatment rather than crawling around the house

HesterF · « **Reply #9 on:** July 05, 2013, 11:49:18 pm »

We used to live in a high tick area in Switzerland (and some carried TBE and Borrealis - think I just got the spelling wrong) and I hated it. The cats and children both regularly picked up ticks (youngest child once picked up one as a baby whilst crawling round our lawn). Tea tree oil is supposed to help but that's easier for children than cats - I'd put it in a carrier oil and rub it onto their exposed skin. Frontline was the vet recommended treatment but you had to treat regularly - I think it was once every two weeks and I'm sure even that was pushing it. And make sure it is vet strength Frontline - not all Frontlines are made equal.

Sorry to say I never did solve it - in the end the resolution was moving back here and away from ticks (yet to see one in this part of the UK). Mind you, I seem to have a similar battle over worms these days.

H