Pets
Related: About this forumGreat way to get ticks safetly off your dog or cat
Much better than the traditional way (shown below) that doesn't risk leaving the head under the skin, hurting the pet, and especially for those pets that don't like to stay still. This video is good though for information on what NOT to do...
polly7
(20,582 posts)I remember one year, my horses were driven nearly crazy by them. I'd spend hours every night pulling them off, despite applying different tick repellents every morning that never seemed to work at all that year. My sister lost two foals. They were just horrible.
OnyxCollie
(9,958 posts)TorchTheWitch
(11,065 posts)Creepy things that can't even be killed by whacking them with a hammer that stick their nasty little heads into the skin to suck out your blood. GROSS!
With the tickkey though I'm not seeing how you can get the head to come out still attached to the tick especially since it got pulled out so quickly in the video. Vets always say you have to pull on the tick slowly and gently to get it to pull out it's head. That's why I like the Frontline/Advantage/ect. method because it makes the tick pull it's head out.
If the head is detached do they still walk around? Yoshi got a tick on his neck last week that I pulled out with the tweezer method like the vet does, and it was still crawling around on the back step so I fried his ass with my candle lighter. I just assumed I got his head out because he was walking around. First time I ever found a tick on my dog since I always use Frontline Plus, but this year I think I was a little late in the season putting it on him for the first time. Which reminds me, it's about time for his next monthly dose. Getting ticks off a really hairy dog like him it's so hard to get the fur out of the way so you don't accidentally yank out some of his hairs.
OMG, just talking about ticks makes me feel like I have a dozen in my underwear!!! eeeeeeeeeeewwwwwwwww!!!
OnyxCollie
(9,958 posts)and with the leverage, the head comes right out.
It's a little hard to use with very small ticks.
I've set ticks on fire, too, LOL! Soaked in rubbing alcohol, the little bastards burn up real good. They pop like popcorn. Horrible, disgusting popcorn.
I've found ticks on my dogs with Frontline. Is Frontline Plus the new product? I didn't want to use it because of seizures.
TorchTheWitch
(11,065 posts)I'm not sure how long it's been around or even what the differences are other than the Frontline Plus is waterproof. About 3 or 4 weeks ago when I found a tick on Yoshi was the first time I ever found a tick on one of my dogs, and I know I was really late in using the Frontline Plus this year because I hadn't put it on him until the day after I found the tick... ran right out and bought some. The weather was really strange here with it being almost in freezing temps right into May and in one day suddenly summer showed up with temps in the 80's - and all manner of bugs showed up that day, too.
Ticks gross me out so much that I'm paranoid about them and always checking him for them. With his thick fur it's not likely you'd see one unless it was on his face or legs where the hair is shorter (but just as thick). The only way to really check him is to run your hands all over them down at the skin level. And of course, Yoshi just loves his frequent bug checks! LOL! I also try to keep him out of tall grass or from shoving his whole front end into a bush to sniff it to see if it's "pee-worthy". What is it with Akitas that they just don't want to pee on the OUTSIDE of a bush??? All of mine did/do this.
Oh, God, tick popcorn! EEEKKK! I know exactly what you mean though. That disgusting "pop" they make when you light them up, and the nasty things explode. UGH.
I still don't get how the tickkey doesn't decapitate them if you just yank them out... it's really the same thing as yanking one out with tweezers. That's why vets say to pull at them gently and slowly using pressure to make them pull their head out themselves and not ripping it off. It does seem to be a handy thing to have on a keychain or something so that you can whip it out where ever you are though. I wouldn't just yank it out like the video showed.