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Post by elaine on Mar 24, 2021 22:12:03 GMT
Okay, that’s a spider, but there isn’t a tick emoji and they are both arachnids. 😂
Anyhow, I was in a doctor’s examination room at Walter Reed with my son today, waiting for the doctor to come in, when I felt and pulled a tick off of my neck. 🤢
I ran to the sink and grabbed an alcohol hand wipe and wrapped the tick in it and took another and wiped down my neck, all while trying not to gross out in front of my son. I was about to throw away the tick, when I decided to wait and ask the doc.
After the doctor was done with my son (he threw up at school yesterday, and even though it wasn’t COVID I had to take him to the doctor’s to have her sign off on a form for him to be able to return to school), I showed her the tick in the wipe in my hand (still alive) and asked her what I should do (after apologizing because that wasn’t the purpose of our visit). Given that it is a teaching hospital, she wanted me to drop it off at the lab - gave me a specimen cup - and then she called the Infectious Disease department to consult with them. She actually seemed excited - not bothered - to be able to have a learning case.
In the end, I had to walk to the other side of the medical complex to drop off the tick at the main lab for them to practice tick analysis on and waited at the pharmacy for a dose of prophylactic antibiotics that will protect me if the tick is carrying a disease.
I went fishing 🎣 with a friend at a local pond on Sunday and then again yesterday evening. I wasn’t concerned about ticks and mosquitoes, because it has still been below freezing overnight. But, apparently, according to the internets, ticks are already active this year and they don’t mind freezing temps. So, time to break out my tick clothing spray. The dogs are already on flea and tick meds, but I’ll be sure to keep them current.
So, if you and/or your dogs are out and about, it isn’t too early to worry about ticks. I hate them!
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Post by tommygirl on Mar 24, 2021 22:19:17 GMT
I live in Maryland and have already found a tiny tick (those are the dangerous ones). It's definitely time to look out for ticks as the weather is warmer and we are outside more.
Good PSA reminder!
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scorpeao
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,521
Location: NorCal USA
Jun 25, 2014 21:04:54 GMT
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Post by scorpeao on Mar 24, 2021 22:20:40 GMT
I went hiking a couple years ago and after showering I felt something on my scalp. I pulled it off and it was a tick. In my horror I threw it...into my living room. I then spent the next hour with a headlamp on vacuuming the living room like a lunatic (or luna tick...heeeheee see what I did there?) Anyway, kudos to you for not flinging it onto your son.
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Deleted
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Apr 25, 2024 5:30:23 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Mar 24, 2021 22:31:24 GMT
This is my number one negative of being east this year in our travels. I know they're out west, too, but not like over here. We keep everything sprayed with permethrine, extra stuff on skin for outings, and daily Marital Enhancement Tick Checks. elaine I hope yours wasn't on long enough to cause any trouble! |
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Post by scrapmaven on Mar 24, 2021 22:35:20 GMT
Okay, that’s a spider, but there isn’t a tick emoji and they are both arachnids. 😂 Anyhow, I was in a doctor’s examination room at Walter Reed with my son today, waiting for the doctor to come in, when I felt and pulled a tick off of my neck. 🤢 I ran to the sink and grabbed an alcohol hand wipe and wrapped the tick in it and took another and wiped down my neck, all while trying not to gross out in front of my son. I was about to throw away the tick, when I decided to wait and ask the doc. After the doctor was done with my son (he threw up at school yesterday, and even though it wasn’t COVID I had to take him to the doctor’s to have her sign off on a form for him to be able to return to school), I showed her the tick in the wipe in my hand (still alive) and asked her what I should do (after apologizing because that wasn’t the purpose of our visit). Given that it is a teaching hospital, she wanted me to drop it off at the lab - gave me a specimen cup - and then she called the Infectious Disease department to consult with them. She actually seemed excited - not bothered - to be able to have a learning case. In the end, I had to walk to the other side of the medical complex to drop off the tick at the main lab for them to practice tick analysis on and waited at the pharmacy for a dose of prophylactic antibiotics that will protect me if the tick is carrying a disease. I went fishing 🎣 with a friend at a local pond on Sunday and then again yesterday evening. I wasn’t concerned about ticks and mosquitoes, because it has still been below freezing overnight. But, apparently, according to the internets, ticks are already active this year and they don’t mind freezing temps. So, time to break out my tick clothing spray. The dogs are already on flea and tick meds, but I’ll be sure to keep them current. So, if you and/or your dogs are out and about, it isn’t too early to worry about ticks. I hate them! Ugh, elaine. I refuse to like your post. I hope you got the sucker before he did any damage and that you're just fine. You did NOT need this today. NOT! |
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Post by maryland on Mar 24, 2021 23:45:13 GMT
That's great that the doctor is having the tic checked. We are in southwest PA and the vet told us if we find a tic to call the dr right away. He says when it's above 36 (or something) the tics appear.
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Post by crazy4scraps on Mar 25, 2021 2:15:12 GMT
They’re nasty and it seems like their season lasts longer and longer every year. We keep our dogs on the preventatives year round because we never know when the ticks will first show up or finally be gone for the year. DH sprays the yard in town for them because we have so many deer and other animals coming through and it definitely helps to keep the numbers of ticks down at least at our house.
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SweetieBsMom
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,598 
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Post by SweetieBsMom on Mar 25, 2021 12:20:43 GMT
I hate ticks. I've already found them on the dogs. I know UMass has a program that you can mail the tick in to them and they'll test it for disease. I don't know how COVID has impacted them, if they've had furloughs.
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georgiapea
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,846
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Post by georgiapea on Mar 25, 2021 15:49:06 GMT
We send every embedded tick for testing at $50.00 a pop. My Hubs already has Alpha Gal from a Lone Star tick. He has the anaphylactic version and had 2 after midnight ambulance rides before he was diagnosed. Ticks are bad, bad, boys.
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iowgirl
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,119
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Post by iowgirl on Mar 25, 2021 16:53:35 GMT
Ugh! I hate ticks!
We don't really have the nasty deer ticks here, just mostly dog ticks. But I still hate them.
I somehow luck out and rarely have one, because I am out in the timber and pastures daily.
That creepy feeling you get after finding one on you is hard to shake!
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Post by elaine on Mar 25, 2021 20:26:59 GMT
We send every embedded tick for testing at $50.00 a pop. My Hubs already has Alpha Gal from a Lone Star tick. He has the anaphylactic version and had 2 after midnight ambulance rides before he was diagnosed. Ticks are bad, bad, boys. I’m glad that the military is testing it at no charge to me. I have quite an itchy lump on my neck where the tick was embedded. My body does not like tick saliva. |
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Post by scrappintoee on Mar 26, 2021 2:05:12 GMT
Ugh, ---a damn tick bite killed our precious doggy last year !!!  She had a severe tick-borne sickness ( Babesiosis ) and it was just horrible how she died. The vets at the emergency hospital SHOULD HAVE given her a life-saving drug, but they made a huge mistake and didn't give it to her in time. Ugh, that was last June, and I still cry very often. elaine ....I hope you won't get sick from that damn thing!!!  I'm glad you were able to have it analyzed! daily Marital Enhancement Tick Checks. Hee hee.....I'm glad you consider it marital " enhancement" ....that's a cute way to put it.  DH is outside very often on weekends, and I've found several ticks on him before. Thank God, he's never gotten sick. He started spraying his clothing and hat with Premetherin---it helps a LOT! |
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Post by scrappintoee on Mar 26, 2021 2:15:08 GMT
We send every embedded tick for testing at $50.00 a pop. My Hubs already has Alpha Gal from a Lone Star tick. He has the anaphylactic version and had 2 after midnight ambulance rides before he was diagnosed. Ticks are bad, bad, boys. I've done LOTS of reading about tick-borne disease, but have never heard of Alpha Gal before. I googled, and....wow! Your poor hubbs! Glad he's okay!!!  It also terrifies me that they weren't able to diagnosis him until he'd had TWO anapyhlactic reactions!! How did they treat him the first time? Epinephrine? Did they have ANY idea what was happening and why? Has he had after-effects? Wow! |
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Post by birdy on Mar 26, 2021 2:22:01 GMT
Super dumb question... how the heck do you even discover a tick on yourself? Do you just feel all around when you come inside, do a thorough visual inspection???
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Post by scrappintoee on Mar 26, 2021 2:24:20 GMT
After telling the story of my sweet doggie above, I did some googling to see if Babesiosis can also affect humans. Yes---definitely! Damnit, ticks make me sooo angry! (from CDC website) Babesiosis can be a severe, life-threatening disease, particularly in people who:
- Do not have a spleen; -Have a weak immune system for other reasons (such as cancer, lymphoma, or AIDS); -Have other serious health conditions (such as liver or kidney disease); or -Are elderly. Complications of babesiosis can include :
- A low and unstable blood pressure; -Severe hemolytic anemia (hemolysis); - A very low platelet count (thrombocytopenia); - Disseminated intravascular coagulation (also known as “DIC” or consumptive coagulopathy), which can lead to blood clots and bleeding; -Malfunction of vital organs (such as the kidneys, lungs, and liver); or - Death. |
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Post by elaine on Mar 26, 2021 2:55:52 GMT
Ugh, ---a damn tick bite killed our precious doggy last year !!! She had a severe tick-borne sickness ( Babesiosis ) and it was just horrible how she died. The vets at the emergency hospital SHOULD HAVE given her a life-saving drug, but they made a huge mistake and didn't give it to her in time. Ugh, that was last June, and I still cry very often. elaine ....I hope you won't get sick from that damn thing!!! I'm glad you were able to have it analyzed! daily Marital Enhancement Tick Checks. Hee hee.....I'm glad you consider it marital " enhancement" ....that's a cute way to put it. DH is outside very often on weekends, and I've found several ticks on him before. Thank God, he's never gotten sick. He started spraying his clothing and hat with Premetherin---it helps a LOT! I’m so sorry that you lost your pup to an awful tick. I hate them. With a passion. There is nothing good about ticks. Hopefully the dose of antibiotics I took will cover me for anything it might have been carrying, and, if not, the doc will let me know. |
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Post by elaine on Mar 26, 2021 3:02:09 GMT
Super dumb question... how the heck do you even discover a tick on yourself? Do you just feel all around when you come inside, do a thorough visual inspection??? The last two times, I just happened to rub my hand over a part of my body (my neck yesterday and my hip last summer) and feel it. I also do visual inspections of what I can see when I take a daily bath or shower - I wouldn’t have seen my neck - when I’ve been out where there is grass. I usually see them on myself or my boys and get them before they’ve been on long enough to transmit anything. We just started fishing again, and I thought that it was too early to be too worried - WRONG. Time for treating my clothes with permethrin. We pick up a few ticks each summer when we fish. You just have to be diligent. And also treat your pets if they go outdoors. My dogs get oral flea and tick medicine that kills the ticks that try to attach to them. |
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georgiapea
Drama Llama
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Post by georgiapea on Mar 26, 2021 13:53:11 GMT
Scrappintoee. Lyme disease is what is most often tested for and supposedly that test doesn't show results for alpha gal.(such a strange name) He was always a big steak lover and that was the culprit both times. The testing company has now given us a "frequent flyer" $20.00 discount on each test. Some people are so anaphylactic sensitive that fumes from cooking meat cause reactions.
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Post by scrappintoee on Jun 17, 2021 1:31:09 GMT
Omg, I am FURIOUS !!!!!!!!!!! A damn TICK caused our sweet doggie's death a year ago. She MAY have lived, but the damn emergency vets made a critical error. Grieving over our Sophie has been so hard. And now today----a damn tick under our sweet Meaty's eyelid ---one of the most DELICATE places it could be! DH had to try SO MANY things to get that damn tick off without completely traumatizing our sweet, very elderly doggie. He FINALLY got the damn thing off, and thankfully---completely intact. It wasn't engorged, so we're thankful for that. I've been so upset , and taking deep breaths to calm down. I couldn't bear another death from a ($&#*# TICK! P.S....yknow how IDEALLY, you use tweezers? Well, obviously, we couldn't use them that close to our freaked out doggie's EYE, so that made it harder. |
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Post by freecharlie on Jun 17, 2021 1:46:05 GMT
Omg, I am FURIOUS !!!!!!!!!!! A damn TICK caused our sweet doggie's death a year ago. She MAY have lived, but the damn emergency vets made a critical error. Grieving over our Sophie has been so hard. And now today----a damn tick under our sweet Meaty's eyelid ---one of the most DELICATE places it could be! DH had to try SO MANY things to get that damn tick off without completely traumatizing our sweet, very elderly doggie. He FINALLY got the damn thing off, and thankfully---completely intact. It wasn't engorged, so we're thankful for that. I've been so upset , and taking deep breaths to calm down. I couldn't bear another death from a ($&#*# TICK! P.S....yknow how IDEALLY, you use tweezers? Well, obviously, we couldn't use them that close to our freaked out doggie's EYE, so that made it harder. glad it is off an I am sorry for your loss last year |
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Post by elaine on Jun 17, 2021 2:02:06 GMT
Omg, I am FURIOUS !!!!!!!!!!! A damn TICK caused our sweet doggie's death a year ago. She MAY have lived, but the damn emergency vets made a critical error. Grieving over our Sophie has been so hard. And now today----a damn tick under our sweet Meaty's eyelid ---one of the most DELICATE places it could be! DH had to try SO MANY things to get that damn tick off without completely traumatizing our sweet, very elderly doggie. He FINALLY got the damn thing off, and thankfully---completely intact. It wasn't engorged, so we're thankful for that. I've been so upset , and taking deep breaths to calm down. I couldn't bear another death from a ($&#*# TICK! P.S....yknow how IDEALLY, you use tweezers? Well, obviously, we couldn't use them that close to our freaked out doggie's EYE, so that made it harder. I’m glad that your dh finally got the tick off. What an awful place to get one. ☹️ |
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georgiapea
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,846
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Post by georgiapea on Jun 17, 2021 3:56:12 GMT
Ticks are really bad this year and the Alpha Gal causing Lone Star tick is moving north so please be tick aware.
Lone Star ticks have a white spot on their backs making them easy to identify.
Alpha,Gal can present in 2 very different ways. Anaphylaxis, like my husband had, with swelling of the tongue and severe itching. The other kind is completely different, stomach cramps for one.
Either way, a complete avoidance of meat from 4 legged animals is essential. We like seafood so that helps, otherwise we eat only chicken and Turkey.
Such a strange disease. I sincerely hope no Peas get it.
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Post by elaine on Jun 17, 2021 4:22:00 GMT
Ticks are really bad this year and the Alpha Gal causing Lone Star tick is moving north so please be tick aware.
Lone Star ticks have a white spot on their backs making them easy to identify. Alpha,Gal can present in 2 very different ways. Anaphylaxis, like my husband had, with swelling of the tongue and severe itching. The other kind is completely different, stomach cramps for one. Either way, a complete avoidance of meat from 4 legged animals is essential. We like seafood so that helps, otherwise we eat only chicken and Turkey. Such a strange disease. I sincerely hope no Peas get it. Yes. I am in the DC Metro area and the tick that they ran the analysis on (that started this thread) ended up being an adult female Lone Star tick. So far, no symptoms of Alpha-gal, so I think I’m okay, but I know what to look for. |
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Post by bianca42 on Jun 17, 2021 12:15:55 GMT
I found one on my chest on Sunday. My Mom bought us a special tick removal tool probably 4 years ago. I'm totally impressed that I knew exactly where it was...and how well it worked. Luckily it was only there for 1.5 hours max.
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SweetieBsMom
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,598
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Post by SweetieBsMom on Jun 17, 2021 12:28:33 GMT
I f'ing HATE ticks. They have been so bad and the season started so early this year I broke down and am having the yard treated for ticks/mosquitoes. That doesn't help me when I go to my sister's with the dogs. She took them for a walk on Monday and came back and I pulled 7 off one dog and 10 off the other (I have tick tweezers everywhere: purse, car, house, my sister's house  ). She said my dog wanted to walk in the tall grass so that's what they did. I told her she'd better check her dog and herself. She pulled over 50 ticks off her dog, she stopped counting. I kept finding ticks on my dogs all damn day. I was super annoyed. |
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Post by dewryce on Jun 17, 2021 12:30:22 GMT
elaine I’m glad there seem to be no ill effects. @scrappintoe I’m sorry about your sweet doggy and hope they’re okay. This is my number one negative of being east this year in our travels. I know they're out west, too, but not like over here. We keep everything sprayed with permethrine, extra stuff on skin for outings, and daily Marital Enhancement Tick Checks.elaine I hope yours wasn't on long enough to cause any trouble!  Any Texas peas here? Are they prevalent in your area? I think I remember having one as a little girl, I’m sure from playing in the creek at my grandparents’ house, but otherwise I never think about them. Admittedly, I’m an indoor girl but we usually go camping in a cabin a couple times a year.
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Post by olbrwneyedgirl on Jun 17, 2021 15:24:24 GMT
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Post by PEAcan pie on Jun 17, 2021 15:44:46 GMT
 So, here's a question.... If I give my dog flea and tick meds each month, is that supposed to protect her from the ticks *attaching,* or just from getting sick from the tick, or.....  ?? She's new and I can't remember from the last time we had a dog. One time with our previous dog, I found a completely engorged one crawling across my living room carpet. That was the freakiest experience for me. To know it had been on the dog or someone long enough that it was "satisfied".....  Would like to know this too. Found one on my 12 year old Daughter last night. Keeping an eye on the area. |
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Post by scrappintoee on Jun 25, 2021 20:35:37 GMT
If I give my dog flea and tick meds each month, is that supposed to protect her from the ticks *attaching,* or just from getting sick from the tick, or..... ?? She's new and I can't remember from the last time we had a dog. Ugh, I'd like to know more about this, too. We've been given a lot of info from our vet (who we trust completely!), but then read a LOT of horror stories about some brands of tick prevention causing seizures, critical illness, etc. Would like to know this too. Found one on my 12 year old Daughter last night. Keeping an eye on the area. I hope your dd is ok! DH used to spray his outdoor clothes and socks with Premetherin, and I hope he'll start doing it again. I'm pretty sure he NEVER had a tick attach to him when he used it. I highly recommend it if you're spending a lot of time outside. Thankfully, our sweet doggie is okay after having a damn tick on his EYELID recently! DH mowed the lawn the other day, then a few hours later, found a tick on his neck (ewww!!!). Thankfully, he removed the entire thing and it wasn't engorged. DAMN, these things make me so mad AND disgusted! |
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Post by elaine on Jun 25, 2021 23:55:34 GMT
So, here's a question.... If I give my dog flea and tick meds each month, is that supposed to protect her from the ticks *attaching,* or just from getting sick from the tick, or..... ?? She's new and I can't remember from the last time we had a dog. One time with our previous dog, I found a completely engorged one crawling across my living room carpet. That was the freakiest experience for me. To know it had been on the dog or someone long enough that it was "satisfied"..... It should protect from the tick attaching, and if one does, it will kill it quickly. There is a vaccine to protect your dog from getting Lyme disease from a tick. The tick medicines are just to prevent them from attaching and feeding. I would seriously be nauseated by an engorged tick in my house, and not much bothers me. |
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She had a
I'm glad you were able to have it
). She said my dog wanted to walk in the tall grass so that's what they did. I told her she'd better check her dog and herself. She pulled over 50 ticks off her dog, she stopped counting. I kept finding ticks on my dogs all damn day. I was super annoyed. 
?? She's new and I can't remember from the last time we had a dog.
