RFI: Ticks and dogs

We live in rural PA and would love to get a family dog. However, being a very Lyme affected family we are naturally concerned about the dog bringing ticks into our house or transferring ticks to us. We have talked to several friends with dogs and they seem to all use different treatments but still say they find ticks on their dog or in the dog's bedding. This is the main deterent of us getting a dog.

Just looking for some advice on what works best for keeping ticks at bay while having an indoor/outdoor dog. And those of you with dogs, how often do you see ticks in your house or on you and your kids?

My daughter deserves a dog.

For some reason, I have seen very few this year, and don't remember taking any off Skyler.

We use Advantix II for the past few years.

I have never had a tick attach and feed on Skyler or on Smoky before her. Perhaps because the shorter coat makes it easier to see or feel if they are present.

Can't tell you what to do, but they are present here in the NC mountains but we have not had issues.

ETA: Very rare to find one on the floor or on the dog's bedding. In our experience.

We’ve had good luck with the Serestro collars in the past couple of years. Previously we used one of the monthly topical treatments. If you use the goop, you have to be careful the first couple of days after you apply it(usually along the spine) to not get it on your hands.

A short, light-colored coat makes it MUCH easier to see ticks on a dog.

Nothing will keep a dog from picking up ticks. The collar or goop will usually keep them from attaching to the skin, but they’ll still be in the coat for a while.

Dogs are pretty good at finding ticks on themselves — watch where they scratch or nibble, and take the hint.

I keep these tweezers on my key chain. Great for tick removal, splinters, precision gripping, etc.

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Advantix II works great. We also treat the yard with Spectracide or Sevin granules. They seem to work equally well.

Excellent success with Bravecto.

We use the Seresto collars on our dog and cat and have had really good luck with them in central NY.

The cat is 90% outdoor and roams all over the place and surprisingly never brings ticks home. He does get zapped by the occasional skunk!

Here in southeast MN, plenty of ticks. We had them in Santa Cruz redwoods, too. Bravecto oral chews have worked really well for our guy his whole adult life.
Like Blues, I've caught ticks but never had to remove one from him. Nor have I ever found them in bedding.

Northeast PA. Couple years ago, our vet recommended switching from Advantix to the Serestro collar. At first he got a couple of ticks and the vet said the collar was not making proper contact with the skin so I started furminating more in the collar area and that seems to have done the trick. Also, keeping the grass cut short and keeping him out away from thorn bushes, seems to help. To keep all kinds of bugs out of the house, I put a ring of Ortho Bug-b-gone around the house a few times a year and if ticks are bad, Permethrin on main entrance. Worst case, I keep a tick key on hand to remove any interlopers. Agree that having light colored fur makes spotting the mini vampires easier.

I tried a few all natural methods both internal and external with zero success. For over 2 years now both my dogs get a once monthly application of Frontline Gold.
Since using FG no ticks at all. Prior to FG my son picked 30 ticks of the two dogs from one outing in the woods.

The breeders my dogs came from strongly recommended staying away from the "commercial neuro-toxins" used against fleas & ticks. I mentioned this to my veterinarian who I respect and he shook his head and said, "neuro-toxin for exoskeleton insects, completely safe for dogs". Based on the results I'm sold on the Frontline Gold. I was told that of the Frontline products Gold is the most effective as it is a triple formula. Frontline Plus is a dual formula and plain Frontline is a single formula. My vet said the reason Gold is the best is because the insects have built up a tolerance to the single and dual formulations.

Thanks for the info. I'll check into your suggestions and hopefully we'll have a little furball running around here shortly.

I hate ticks. They ruin everything.

Frontline Plus for years, no issues with wooded five acres and a German Shepherd.

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Originally Posted by LittleLebowski

Frontline Plus for years, no issues with wooded five acres and a German Shepherd.

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We used that for years as well with our Weim. At some point a couple of vets told us that the Advantix II was superior for either the flea or tick protection, I forget which now, in their opinion. We never experienced issues with either.

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Originally Posted by blues

We used that for years as well with our Weim. At some point a couple of vets told us that the Advantix II was superior for either the flea or tick protection, I forget which now, in their opinion. We never experienced issues with either.

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IIRC, our vet recommended it over Frontline Plus because of the additional mosquito protection... until they didn't. The logic behind the Seresto Collar is that it's good for 8 months, so less chance of forgetting a monthly treatment. One of the monthly drops was NFG around cats as it contains Permethrin.

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Originally Posted by NEPAKevin

IIRC, our vet recommended it over Frontline Plus because of the additional mosquito protection... until they didn't. The logic behind the Seresto Collar is that it's good for 8 months, so less chance of forgetting a monthly treatment. One of the monthly drops was NFG around cats as it contains Permethrin.

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I'm too regimented to forget any of the dog's flea / tick, or heartworm meds. Yeah, biting flies is an added bonus with the Advantix II, but it was specifically to do with flea or tick effectiveness that the vets recommended one over the other. But, as I say, I've had no issues using either. Perhaps the Advantix II I've seen less ticks in general. (Yes, Permethrin can be an issue for some animals, so it's good you are aware.)

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Originally Posted by blues

For some reason, I have seen very few this year, and don't remember taking any off Skyler.

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I spent 2 weeks in the woods in NC in September and found a grand total of 1 tick on me.
The ticks were so few that I skipped the DEET several days in a row and still no ticks.
Last time I was there the ticks were lined up like ants gathering food. Crazy strange.

That said..... If your dog brings home an occasional tick, generally they'll be attached to the dog and not jump off and run around the house looking for another victim. We had to pick a few ticks off the cats when we lived in NC, but it was rare. They were on Frontline back then, IIRC.

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Originally Posted by RoyGBiv

I spent 2 weeks in the woods in NC in September and found a grand total of 1 tick on me.
The ticks were so few that I skipped the DEET several days in a row and still no ticks.
Last time I was there the ticks were lined up like ants gathering food. Crazy strange.

That said..... If your dog brings home an occasional tick, generally they'll be attached to the dog and not jump off and run around the house looking for another victim. We had to pick a few ticks off the cats when we lived in NC, but it was rare. They were on Frontline back then, IIRC.

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I'm an expert at tick removal before they've had a chance to attach...trust me. In all the years we've been here I've taken one or two off a rug or dog bedding.

We live on land loaded with deer ticks and wood ticks. Bravecto for the pups and rose geranium oil for the humans. Still get the occasional tick in the house. I'm not sure it's possible to keep that from happening, especially where we live.

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Originally Posted by 36trap

We live on land loaded with deer ticks and wood ticks. Bravecto for the pups and rose geranium oil for the humans. Still get the occasional tick in the house. I'm not sure it's possible to keep that from happening, especially where we live.

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I will look up the rose geranium oil. Thanks for the tip!

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Originally Posted by blues

I keep these tweezers on my key chain. Great for tick removal, splinters, precision gripping, etc.

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon....L._SL1500_.jpg

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As an aside, those tweezers also work very well for removing foam ear plugs that have been over inserted, or so I've heard.

We give our dog Trifexis, and it seems to work very well. I think if you combine a good oral anti-tick/flea treatment with the dog lyme disease vaccine, that your chances of getting lyme disease because of the dog are lower than your chances of getting it on your own. (I don't know much about this vaccine, but a quick search makes me think it's moderately effective.) I don't live in an area where lyme disease is present, but I've had thousands of tick bites in my lifetime. A couple of summers ago, I picked up ~120 bites at one time, which was absolutely miserable. In any case, I don't think I can blame any of the tick bites I've had on my dogs. More often I'm out and pick them up on my own.

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Originally Posted by pangloss

As an aside, those tweezers also work very well for removing foam ear plugs that have been over inserted, or so I've heard.

We give our dog Trifexis, and it seems to work very well. I think if you combine a good oral anti-tick/flea treatment with the dog lyme disease vaccine, that your chances of getting lyme disease because of the dog are lower than your chances of getting it on your own. (I don't know much about this vaccine, but a quick search makes me think it's moderately effective.) I don't live in an area where lyme disease is present, but I've had thousands of tick bites in my lifetime. A couple of summers ago, I picked up ~120 bites at one time, which was absolutely miserable. In any case, I don't think I can blame any of the tick bites I've had on my dogs. More often I'm out and pick them up on my own.

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I'm wondering how you'd have heard, under the circumstances. ;)

How rual is your location? Can you have Guinea Hens?

Find a good vet and go off of his or her recommendation. For the last 30 years I have had no less than 2 dogs at any given time and have used all of the products listed. They all work, some work better than others for specific breeds. All 3 of my Danes are on Nexguard and the little dog gets a Seresto collar about the first of May and will come off after the first heavy frost. At one time I was using Advantix and Frontline for a Golden Retriever and a Lab, I don't remember which one got which product. I can probably count the number of ticks on one hand that have been in the house and they got blamed on me or the cats.

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Originally Posted by Blades

How rual is your location? Can you have Guinea Hens?

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I live on about 30 acres, half wooded half fields...family farm. House is right on the edge of the woods. We can have guinea hens and I'd like to get some because I hear they are tick eating machines. But one of my friends has some and he doesn't think the amount of ticks they eat is worth the constant loud noise they make.

We have a couple of chickens and I need to start letting them out to free range. That should help some as long as they don't get eaten by all the foxes and coyotes around here.

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Originally Posted by Irelander

I live on about 30 acres, half wooded half fields...family farm. House is right on the edge of the woods. We can have guinea hens and I'd like to get some because I hear they are tick eating machines. But one of my friends has some and he doesn't think the amount of ticks they eat is worth the constant loud noise they make.

We have a couple of chickens and I need to start letting them out to free range. That should help some as long as they don't get eaten by all the foxes and coyotes around here.

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I don't own any guinea hens just have read about them too much. :) They are loud, but they also protect the yard/flock.

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Originally Posted by Irelander

I hear they are tick eating machines.

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I heard that about possums.

Last spring we were sitting on our deck and ticks were climbing up both of our legs. We went inside and checked us and the dog over, and all seemed clear, and it seemed like it was not all that bad the reset of the summer.

Last night I started to go out to shut the grill up and a possum was heading under the deck and I popped back in the house to not startle him. Maybe he has been chowing down since last year!!

It all depends on the tick population where you live. If they are as thick as in Northern WI during a large hatch, there is nothing you can do to keep them out of the house, even if your dog just walks through a mowed lawn. Wood ticks and deer ticks. Nothing works. It has become a plague here. I know so many people who have struggled with Lyme disease that it makes me want to move.

It is FAR easier to find ticks on a dog that has short, white fur.

However, it is believed that Lyme is most commonly contracted from deer tick (black legged tick) nymphs. The nymphs are so small that you will not be finding them. The good news is that the nymphs should dehydrate quite fast in a typical home environment.

I really hate ticks. My advice would be to get a white dog with very short fur that is happy being inside much of the time. Our white pitbull mix is by far easier to find ticks on, get ticks off of, and he doesn't seem to mind being cooped up in the house for longer periods of time than the other dogs. Ticks come in waves here. Try especially hard to keep your dog and family out of the grass/dead leaves when ticks are thick after a big hatch. Deer ticks-the species that transmit Lyme-don't do well with dehydration, especially the nymphs, so try to use that to your advantage.

If you get a white dog, and people in your house like to wear black clothes, buy a large case of lint rollers.

That's all I got. Good luck!

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Originally Posted by frozentundra

If they are as thick as in Northern WI during a large hatch, there is nothing you can do to keep them out of the house, even if your dog just walks through a mowed lawn. Wood ticks and deer ticks. Nothing works. It has become a plague here. I know so many people who have struggled with Lyme disease that it makes me want to move.

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Geeze -- that's awful. We have ticks in eastern Washington, but at least around here they are pretty seasonal. My shorthair picks them up in the tall green grass in the spring and early summer, and when it gets hot and dry they go down for the most part (varying on climate, elevation etc). I'm pretty content with frontline gold, but I tend to keep my dog out of the fields during the spring and summer anyway, since the birds are nesting. He gets a tick check before getting in the car, coming in the house, as soon as we get back in. But I barely bother checking after mid-July.


My German Shorthair is a lot easier to find ticks on than my former dog, a Chesapeake, but he also gets into the brush and tall grass a lot more, and tends to find them. I could exercise my Chessie by finding a body of water and letting him do laps.

Honestly, if you have ticks in your area, it's not the dog that's going to be bringing them in. Unless you're a complete shut-in. We've had toy/mini/teacup poodles and cocker spaniels, all of which have been both major backyard explorers and big-time lap dogs. Yeah, when the ticks are bad, you do find them on the dogs from time to time. But I've never had them transfer from dog to human. I have gotten them, but every time it's been from my own exposure outdoors.

If you want to have a dog and are concerned about ticks, medication isn't the answer. Keep your grass mowed, weeds in check, and above all else, no leaf piles. A clump of leaves in a shaded fence corner holds the moisture that ticks love, and dogs just love rooting around in there. You can also take whatever measures you feel appropriate to control backyard pests (rodents, rabbits, deer, and the like)--they slip in and slip out through your bushes and those damn leaf piles, spreading ticks from the woods to your backyard. I would recommend against poison if you want to have a dog. It's far easier to simply eliminate the sorts of nesting areas that critters like--close in the underside of sheds, cover drains, etc--than to risk poisoning your dog.

Most importantly--use a leash. Especially if you lack a fenced-in yard. Controlling where your dog goes is the best medicine you can buy. You're the human, you're supposed to know better, anyway. If you just want to open the door to let the dog out, I would say maybe don't get a dog. Besides avoiding a lot of ticks, you're going to save yourself a lot of potential heartbreak and money by being able to monitor your dog and keeping it out of trouble. You can use a six-foot leash for general walking, and get a 50'-to-100' training lead if your dog wants to play fetch. Get them in different colors, show it to the dog before you put it on, and they'll quickly learn which is which. They're colorblind but not that colorblind.

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Originally Posted by frozentundra

It has become a plague here. I know so many people who have struggled with Lyme disease that it makes me want to move.

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This is where I am at. Not likely going to happen but it is always in the back of my mind.

We play it very safe when outdoors. Insect Shield treated pants, shirts, socks and hats. We mostly stay out of the woods, which infuriates me since I spent my entire childhood in the woods and never saw or even heard of a tick.

We've been looking at poodle mix dogs like Golden-doodles and Cava-poos due to the fact that they don't shed or at least not very much. They can be clipped short but I think we should probably stick to a dog with naturally short fur.

My childhood dog we just let out the door when she needed out. The dogs we had early in our marriage we kept on a lead when outside since our house was near a road. Don't have those issues now but if we get a dog it will be on a leash unless we are out in the big mowed yards, away from the woods.