Deer Ticks

[grouser]

Just wondering what the experience of other people in the woods has been; I was hunting in the White Earth area last weekend and found a good three dozen deer ticks on my clothes at the end of the afternoon, I was just walking trails and not even brush busting. My friend had his dog along and found over 100 ticks on her. I hunted with a different friend a few weeks earlier and he ended up with Lymes disease. In the last few years we would only find a tick or two; now it seems as though there has been an explosion! I might just have to retire the 20 guage and stick to ducks and geese.

[Jeremiah Johnson]

the ticks were gone during mid to late september this year, then there was a warmup with some rain and they bloomed again. Usually pick off a few everytime now on the way back from the stand. You would think, mid october, no more ticks!

[ducksnbucks]

Two weekend ago they were horrible. We must have picked 200-300 off the dogs and 100 off of us. This past weekend was not as bad but they were still there. Didn't have any big ticks, all of them were deer ticks.

[glenn57]

we were up north of deer river last weekend, picked a bunch off my lab and my nephew must of stumbled into a nest of them, he must of had a 100 of them on him. wonder what the deer hides might be like when taking care of deer at deer hunting.

[Greeny]

I had the same experience hunting last weekend around Bemidji except I woke up with a bullseye rash and a high fever on Thursday and am being treated for lymes. Check yourself well when you get home.

[papabear]

I must be lucky, my brother and his dog had a bunch on them last wekend and Ihavent found one on me. Hope your treatment is succesful. Lymes sounds like a nasty thing. Really messes you differently than most other diseases.

[glenn57]

im still picking ticks off my lab.

[Matt Breuer]

Mid-Sept. is when the deer ticks really start to get bad. They're most active in late Fall. I heard this from the Dr. and the vet when we all walked through a large nest of them a few weeks ago... Good old antibiotics and shots for the dogs took care of any worries... Careful out there, they're thick this season!

[Shack]

No B.S.!!!!!

Picked off a couple hundred today between my two dogs and I today!!!

If you stopped in woods, they seemed to crawl up from ground! I was hunting a very wet upland! Three of them bit into me and I am watching area they bit in! Every time I moved to another spot, i had to pick a ton off of my dogs back and then almost take off all my gear, (IE vest, sweat shirt, t-shirt and pants) to find them. Use light clothing and repellant.

I got so sick of picking them off, I would wait until them got up to my mid area and then pick them off! They seem to be breeding now. I found the little black ones hooked underneath the little black and red ones.

They are the worst I have ever seen them! I still feel them crawling on me!

[Matt Breuer]

I just re-read the entire thread... In response about the deer hides, while cleaning a buck last weekend we picked 9 off the hide while skinning him.

As for the lyme's, it's nasty if it gets a full run through your system. Messes up things for a long period of time! Glad you got treated, doxycycline I'm assuming. The new large dose really knocks it out if it's detected early enough!

[Matt Breuer]

Another update, our male shorthair was diagnosed with anaplasmosis today, thanks to the wonderful deer tick infestation this season...

[shefland]

My golden has the beginning of that tick disease too, am supposed to keep an eye on him. 8 years ago when I moved up north the vet in Walker said deer ticks were not an issue in this area, at that time the Hinkely area was bad, well deer ticks here around Walker are SEVERE! I also tell people who get sick and are not sure what is going on to DEMAND to be checked for these various diseases, my friend John who had a place on Steamboat Lake died from eliciosis (sp)? because it went undiagnosed too long. Front Line works good on dogs, but is still not enough.

[Rex]

My wife got the bite, the aches and fever and got treated for it about three weeks ago. Thanks for the advice checking deer hides. I assume that they will hang onto deer and other animals as long as possible even after the cold weather hits.

[glenn57]

we where up in talmoon area oct 27 weekend, the ticks havent slowed down yet!

[bigdog]

Currently have two labs admitted to the U with this after a trip NW of Bemidji 10 days ago. Never saw so many ticks. Both are on IV antibiotics.

[Chad Halvorson]

Hope they recover bigdog, where exactly did you go?

[Matt Breuer]

We went with the oral route. 400 MG of doxycycline x2 a day. 8 pills per day for 30 days. Dog's puking daily, and he's down in the dumps.

I agree, I've never seen so many ticks either...

I too hunt NW of Bemidji, and they haven't been nearly as bad up there as they have while hunting S of town. Toward Becida is where we've been infested with them the worst.

I hope nobody loses a bird dog this Fall due to Lyme's or Anaplasmosis. Good luck to all of those pooches on RX!

[bigdog]

Was in the Pinewood area. Older dog got pretty sick and went in first, 4 year old followed the next morning. Both had temps over 105 and were put on IV's with antibiotics. Left the older dog in the hospital last night to calm the pup, they put them where they could see each other. Report this morning is that both are recovering and probably coming home tonight. Will be on pills for a few weeks I expect.

Was lucky the old dog got sick first as that made me more aware of the pup. He did not show nearly as bad a symptoms but I played it safe and turns out he was in just as bad shape. Stayed in critical care for 24 hours. The expense and worry was not worth two grouse. Thanks for the thoughts and good luck to others in the same boat.

[Chad Halvorson]

Well thats pretty close to me, 2 of my dogs wander around my property all day and are always loaded with ticks, I hate to tie them up all day . What kind of signs did you see?

[bigdog]

One started with a real hoarse gag or cough but they said that was not typical. Normal signs are lethargic, stop eating, maybe vomit, high temp, painful joints. Vet said Frontline was a good preventative but not 100%.

[fishermusk]

I was wondering if you guys with sick dogs have had your dog vaccinated for lyme disease? I have had the vet give these shots to my dog. The reason I ask is my dog was covered with deer ticks a couple weeks ago , I was able to remove a few before they attached to her , but I still picked off dozens after they had been atached for a few days and started to plump up, I was able to find them then.

Carlos Avery has alot of deer ticks. I trapped a coyote from there last week and after I turned it fur out the next day I found it had alot on it aswell.

Good Luck,

Dave

[Chad Halvorson]

I gave my dogs a good cleaning today, the ticks are still out, even though its getting in the mid 20's at night. One dog must have had 20 on her. Bring on the cold. Thanks for all the info.

[Matt Breuer]

Chad, you should give your mutts one more dose of Frontline to be safe. It'll kill all of the tiny deer ticks you couldn't see. I advise everyone does this, as they won't quit until we get a few good frosty nights put together.

As for Lyme's, yes, my dogs are vaccinated for Lyme's yearly. This does not prevent against Anaplasmosis however, which is what we're all facing with our pooches.

Signs for my mutt were laziness and stiffness. I had both shorthairs in for a blood test, costs $28, takes 10 minutes. It checks for heartworm, Lyme's, and 'plasmosis. One came up clean and our male (who's been stiff) came back positive.

[bigdog]

I don't use the Lymes vaccine. I will be using Frontline in the future. Never had trouble with ticks in 25 years I have had dogs. But, it may have helped in this case.

[Shack]

I have been lucky. I have been out grouse hunting 4 times and have picked, I would say about close to a thousand deer ticks off of my two labs and I. I have been bitten 4 or 5 times now and dogs have had many hooked to them. They seem all right, I tick treatment them again last week and I could tell a difference with amount of biting ticks this week.

I was down about not grouse hunting for 3 weeks, but now I am glad to do so! Hopefully after deer season, they will be gone and we will have a month and a half of deer tick free hunting.

I still feel them crawling all over me.

[CARDFAN]

WHEN DO THE SYMPTOMS OF LYMES DISEASE START SHOWING? I PICKED ONE OFF MY DOG A WEEK AGO. SEEMS FINE STILL. JUST WONDERING IF I SHOULD KEEP WATCHING HIM. IS IT IMMEDIATE OR STAY DORMANT IN YOUR BODY FOR A WHILE?

[Matt Breuer]

I think they tick has to be attatched for 72 hours for things to get rolling in the blood stream. One tick would cut the chances of your pooch having anything, but it wouldn't hurt to keep an eye on 'em anyway. Signs usually start to show in 1-3 weeks.

Shackbash, if you've been bitten make sure you keep a close eye on yourself! HGA and Lyme's are serious business!

[fishermusk]

Do you think that Hides for Habitat is the reason deer ticks are everywhere now? The deer I shot this weekend was covered with them and I dropped the hide 150 miles from where I shot it. I think we are helping these ticks move around the state with these drop boxes. Hides for Habitat is for a great cause, but ????

Good Luck,

Dave

[bigdog]

Most vets are saying 12-24 hours of attachment before they pass anything anlog to the dog. For Lymes on people my doc said they used to say 24 hours but have extended that to 36-48 hours.

[sparkydm]

my wife is a vet and says spring and fall are prime time for ticks. this fall has been warm and wet, ideal for ticks. the only flea and tick preventative she will recommend is frontline. she also says that not all deer ticks carry lymes, so don't panic when you find them. just watch for symptoms and be sure to check the dogs well several times. they usually need to be attached at least 48 hours before they pass anything to your dog.

along the same lines, have any of you had your dogs contract a condition called "blasto"? it is a respitory condition caused by a fungus. my wife says it is "bad ju-ju" it is unknown at this time what particular fungus causes it. just curious what your experiences are-my wife is deathly afraid to let me bring our dogs in the woods.

on a lighter note-bring on the ice! good luck to everyone this season!