I found a tic on my dog?

Question

My boyfriend found a tic on my dogs head. He it off of her including the head. I am going to call the vet first thing in the morning. But what are the symptoms of lyme disease and what is the percentage of tics that do carry the disease? Any info at all on the subject will be helpful. Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

You can call your vet in the morning... but it is unlikely that the tick you found was a tick that carries lymes disease. These ticks are TINY! About the size of the head of a pin. Your vet will probably tell you the same thing.

Some of the symptoms of Lymes disease is: limping (usually one foreleg), lymph node swelling in the affected limb, and a temperature of 103 degrees (101 to 102.5 degrees is normal). Thoes are normally the first signs an owner will see. Also if Lymes disease is treated right away your animal has a good chance of recovering with no permanant joint damage.

Answer 2

Lyme disease doesn't show up right away so there is no point in calling the vet or getting a lyme test done at this point. It can take up to 6 months for it ot show up. Also unless this was the tiny deer tick you don't need to owrry about Lyme disease. Deer ticks are the only ones that carry lymes.

Lyme disease is very unlikely to occur, even if it was a deer tick from just this one tick.

Keep Frontline Plus on your dog and you won't need to owrry about a reoccurance of ticks.

Answer 3

Ticks can carry Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, encephalitis, tularemia, tick paralysis, and Lyme disease, so it is important to prevent tick infestations in domestic dogs. Usually, removal w/in the first 24 hours will prevent these diseases from being transmitted. You can place the tick in a container w/ alcohol to kill it and bring it to the vet to be identified as in the type of tick. I have removed many ticks from my dog and never brought him into the vet, but watch for signs. There also is a Lyme vaccine available. In the future, Frontline Plus is expensive, but is supposed to work really well. I haven't had good luck w/ the store bought products.

Answer 4

Likely hood of lyme disease is VERY small. If you keep the tick and look up the types of ticks - you will see which ones carry lyme disease.

Try Frontline Plus from your vet - it is a topical monthly flea/tick preventative so you wn't go through this worry again.

Answer 5

This can vary from region to region and can change yearly. http://www.lyme.org/resources/1980-cumulative.htm <---- LD reports per state up to the present year.

Not only is it a good idea to get the vax, but to use Frontline Plus.

On this website, scroll nearly to the bottom to read about preventing tick borne illness: http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/696_flea.html

Another good site: http://www.umm.edu/non_trauma/lyme.htm

At a time like this, size doesn't matter -ticks get engorged by the blood, so what may have started off as a small, pin head sized tick, is now 10 times that size!

I'm sure your dog will be fine. As a precaution, your vet may put your dog on antibiotics.

Answer 6

If you live in a very wooded area, the chances of Lyme disease is about 100%. To prevent that, you would have had to have him vacinated against that. Take him to the vet as soon as you can. All tics can carry Lyme Disease unfortunately. Hope he turns out to be ok. If he wasn't vacinated, then it may be a wait and see game.......ask your vet.

Answer 7

There is not a very big chance of lyme disease. You can look it up on the internet. No worries.

Answer 8

If you still have the tick, put it in a plastic bag and bring it to the vet with you.

Answer 9

If the head of the tick was still attached, your baby will be fine :)

Answer 10

we live on a farm. our dog gets ticks all the time. it's not that big of a deal. i wouldn't waste money on the vet.