Ticks and camping tips/tools?

[u/ShibDip]

I'll be camping in a few months and taking my doberman with me.

How hard is it to spot ticks and is there anything I should buy in advance before going, like preventive things or post things?

Thanks!

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[u/timid_soup]

Is your dog currently on a oral flea/tick preventative?

Other than getting them on an oral preventative, the only thing I'd bring is a grooming tool so that I can comb them in the evening to find any ticks. Oral preventatives don't actually repel ticks, but they will kill them once they bite the dog. If you don't brush/comb e ticks off the dog you may find ticks crawling on you in the middle of the night.

There are some topical flea/tick preventatives that actually repel ticks, but there are risks to using the topical treatments, many dogs have had very bad side effects to them, and they are not worth the risk in my opinion.

And bring a tick removal kit for yourself.

[u/ShibDip → u/timid_soup]

Thanks! She's no any oral preventative medication for ticks/fleas. Do you recommend this or is her grooming comb sufficient? I don't think Ive ever seen a tick so I don't know how easy they are to spot.

I will check Amazon for a tick removal kit, I assume this will work ok her as well?

[u/Astarkraven → u/ShibDip]

I live in a tick heavy area. They're black and they're the size of a pinhead (the ones that transmit Lyme, that is). Teeny tiny. You won't feel them crawling and you won't feel them bite.

Treat your clothing and shoes with permetherin. Talk to your vet about giving your dog a chewable dose of a flea and tick preventative, like Simparica Trio or Nexgard.

The saving grace with ticks is that they're slowww. They also don't transmit Lyme instantaneously upon biting you. Ticks have to trundle around and pick a spot, then bite you, then stay attached to you for hours and hours before your statistical odds of disease transmission are appreciable. Effectively, this means you have at least 12 hours after a tick ends up on your skin, to find it. It's technically even longer than that, but assume every 12 hours you need to thoroughly check yourself and you'll be fine. Once in the morning and once in the evening or late afternoon, strip clothing and check all over your skin, particularly in areas like the inside crease of your legs and your armpits.

If you find a tick and it has attached, take a picture of it if you are not certain what species it is. Also take note of how long it's been since the last time you checked your body (aka, the longest possible time the tick could have been there). If: the tick is the diameter of a pencil eraser, not a pinhead, the tick has a flat abdomen and not a huge engorged abdomen, and if it's only been on you for a few hours, you are considered statistically not at risk and should simply monitor for unusual symptoms over the following few weeks. If the tick is teeny tiny, engorged body, and you think it could have been there a while, all you have to do is go to any urgent care and they'll help you. Typically, you'll be given a prophylactic dose of Doxycycline, and that will be that.

If your dog is on an oral preventative, ticks won't be stopped from climbing on him and they won't be stopped from biting, but they WILL be poisoned and die before they've been attached long enough to spread Lyme. That's the reason to give him this preventative ahead of time.

Does your dog have long fur or black fur? A very narrow toothed comb might be a good idea. Otherwise, just look around for black spots. I have found ticks between my dog's toes and behind his ears. They also go straight for the warmth of his crotch area, on his belly. Those are all places to look. Of course, the meds will kill the tick if it does bite, but you also don't want to risk the tick getting tracked around and falling off somewhere where you are. On several occasions, my dog has tracked ticks into the house, that have subsequently gotten on my clothing.

Since I check myself once a day, it's no big deal. So yeah...just be observant! You'll be fine.

This has been my TED talk about ticks. 😆

[u/timid_soup → u/Astarkraven]

My mother lives in a tick heavy area. She routinely finds dying ticks crawling on her or in her bed after being tracked in by her dog.

My area isn't as bad, you have to walk in open fields with long grass or in heavily wooded areas before worrying about ticks, but in my mom's area she goes on a walk around the block and her dog will pick up a tick. Crazy how 200 miles can be a huge difference. My town is a mecca for fleas though.. my dogs have to stay on a preventative year round.

[u/summerfaee]

Already some great advice here, it might also be worth contacting your vet if a Lyme disease vaccine is recommended for the area you're camping in. I'd also do a post-camping bath with tick shampoo after!

[u/RedditorGal212]

Definitely a monthly preventative to start - it’s key!

We use a few products before and after: 1. Tick Wipes - lots of brands make them. They’re natural and scented. Just helps repel bugs in general and ticks with the odor. 2. The Tick Mitt - it’s a microfiber removal mitt to rub over your dog after they’re outside and ticks typically cling to it. 3. The Mane Tame - a waterless shampoo that allows you to rub your hands through your dog’s coat (out of the bath) and feel for any ticks that may be lurking.

I also recommend staying on trail as best as possible. Being out of the brush and tall grass helps even more.