Ticks UGH

[DeeDee]

Okay...after coming home after work and having to brush 3  ticks off of me, he's looking for a sprayer for the tractor to spray the whole place this year. Last year he used just a hand sprayer over about 1/2 acre around the house itself, and the dog's fenced area--only after ticks dropped off the dogs in the kitchen right after coming inside.

I don't like having to do that on such a large scale, but I hate ticks on me worse!!! He's had ticks on him before from working up on the hill, but I don't like walking through there with so many stickers, so I don't go. We weren't anywhere near the hill, weren't anywhere near the back at all. Weren't around the trees, not around the old, above-ground swimming pool site where there's still a lot of cedar mulch. The dogs and I were in the wide open out front between house and creek. Last year at this time Vlad was still really young so they were mostly off-leash in fenced area & we didn't walk around everywhere. I never got any on me last year.

One of these today was different from the others, though otherwise they looked the same, and I looked it up. It was a female "Lone Star" tick. Seems the females of this kind will have a prominent white spot on their back.

I keep on getting conflicting information on this type of tick. Some say Lyme Disease carriers, some say no. All say possible Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Some talk about something called STARI.

I'm confused now. I didn't ever have to worry about all of this in town, and I've never gotten any on me when we've been at campsites. I wish these sites didn't have conflicting information!!! Where's the official "THE TRUTH ABOUT TICKS" (fictional name) site?

[Shadow]

Terrible ticks!!  I will ask my brother. his wife has Lyme disease, so he knows quite a bit about it. Though here in Canada they do not recognize this disease, only in dogs. 
A doctor could loose their liscence if they were to diagnose someone with it.

[DeeDee]

Thank You, Shadow! I appreciate it!

I'm sorry she's got that! I've heard it's awful.

So, what do the Dr's diagnose it as if it's not "Lyme disease?"  Pseudo-Lyme Disease?

[FurMonster Mom]

Where's the official "THE TRUTH ABOUT TICKS" (fictional name) site?

WhatsThatBug.com

It's my go to website for any creepy crawler that I'm unfamiliar with.

They have a section for ticks. 
Look for links in the individual posts and responses.  They can take you to some informative places.

[DeeDee]

Look for links in the individual posts and responses.  They can take you to some informative places.

Thank you! Saw a link to "seed ticks." That's what they call the things in cedar needles on the ground. That's why he's cleaning off the hill--b/c they're nothing but tick factories.

I never dreamed before today though, that they were in the front too. *shudder* He's always been around cedars when he's gotten one stuck on him. He said that he'd never pulled one with a white spot on the back before though.

Guess there might be more than one kind or I was the lucky one that found one of the only female ones.

[Shadow]

Thank You, Shadow! I appreciate it!

I'm sorry she's got that! I've heard it's awful. Yes it is awful, she cannot work, and she is an operating nurse.
You basically have to go to the US to get tested, get medication, etc. Its a really weird thing in canada about it. Its like its political or something.  here is one thing i found,  http://canlyme.com/lyme-prevention/tick-id-removal/  but I dont know a lot about them. I did share a link on FB about ticks. I cant remember everything it said, but it was saying how it was going to be a really bad year for them. http://www.veterinarypracticenews.com/vet-cover-stories/tick-populations-to-explode.aspx?cm_mmc=17155264


So, what do the Dr's diagnose it as if it's not "Lyme disease?"  Pseudo-Lyme Disease?

  here is an article http://www.veterinarypracticenews.com/vet-cover-stories/tick-populations-to-explode.aspx?cm_mmc=17155264

here is one page i found on ticks http://canlyme.com/lyme-prevention/tick-id-removal/

In Canada you basically have to go to the states to get treated, my sister inlaw cannot work now, and she is a surgeons nurse   Hopefully she gets better soon, though most of the time it never goes away.

[DeeDee]

In Canada you basically have to go to the states to get treated, my sister inlaw cannot work now, and she is a surgeons nurse   Hopefully she gets better soon, though most of the time it never goes away.

I'm not quite sure why they won't diagnose it when it's so obviously a REAL disease with very profound effects on people that get it. Unless it has something to do with socialized medicine and disability. That's awful though. The people have enough problems with the disease itself without the government adding to the stress of it all by refusing to admit they're sick.

  here is an article http://www.veterinarypracticenews.com/vet-cover-stories/tick-populations-to-explode.aspx?cm_mmc=17155264

Okay, that's just scary. What they bring up at the end is part of why I'm so torn about getting the Lymevac for the dogs. It says you can't just throw preventative at them and do nothing else. The vaccine itself is obviously dangerous, but it's one of the bacterial diseases so it doesn't last long-term like the viral ones such as Distemper, Parvo & Corona. I don't want them to get Lyme and risk having permanent organ damage from it not being caught in time.

We're on the fence about the Leptos too b/c of various reasons. If they didn't manage to reach down & get a mouthful of deer and/or rabbit poop so often, before I can see it and jerk them away, I wouldn't worry so much. But it happens--at least once every 2 weeks all year long! The vaccine is by no means a solution for ALL leptos, but a couple seems better than none.

They have to have Rabies this Saturday at the yearly clinic though, so we've got 4 more weeks after to still think about what to do.

here is one page i found on ticks http://canlyme.com/lyme-prevention/tick-id-removal/

I guess those other ticks were Lone Star males. They really didn't look anything like the other ticks there. No photos of "brown dog tick" so I looked that up separately, but their body shape isn't like those Lone Stars either--not quite. The Lone Stars seem to have rounder bodies/less oblong. But still...they kind of look like those. The only one I'm absolutely positive of was that female Lone Star.

WhatsThatBug.com

This one in there looks like a little alien inside of a pod! POD PEOPLE! RUN! http://www.whatsthatbug.com/2010/06/05/tick-6/