Conference misery::feline_v1

    Can you get a flea and tick collar on him??
    
    

    This sounds gross, but my father used to light a mat and blow it
    out then he would put the hot tip of the match on the tick and it
    would release it's grip on the animal.  It always worked.  (mat
    should be match)

    
    cover the tick with a glob of vaseline.  It will smother the tick
    so it will release its pinchers.
    
    
                  donna
    

    I have heard that if you are very careful, you can remove a tick
    by getting a needle and lighting the tip so that it is hot, carefully
    place the tip of the needle onto the tick, the tick will pull
    itself out of the animal, when it does, have a tissue handy and
    grab it
    
    R

    
    I never tried this one, but a dog owner suggested it to me.  Says
    he had used it frequently with no harm to the dog and easier than
    hot anythings.
    
    What he does is paint the tic with clear (or colored I would imagine)
    nail polish.  It suffocates the tic.  If I did use this method,
    I would use the colored polish just to be able to keep an eye on
    it.
    
    Has anyone else ever heard of this method used successfully and
    without harm to the animal?
    
    Faith
    

    We've used hot matches (singed the fur on one cat so we never tried
    that again), rubbing alcohol (worked), tweezers (worked), fingernail
    polish (worked but it was difficult to get only the tick; we got some
    fur painted red, too), and the vet. Don't bother with the vet unless
    the tick is in an area that could cause some damage.  We now dab the
    tick frequently with rubbing alcohol and pluck it out with tweezers
    within a couple days.  Our vet also gave us some antibiotic powder that
    we just squirt on for good luck, and everything comes out fine.
    
    Jill
    

    You need to be especially careful of ticks these days. Lyme disease is
    carried by ticks in 45 or 47 of the contiguous states. Cats and dogs
    can get the disease and they bring ticks in which can then infect you
    or your family. There was an excellent article in Newsweek last week
    about Lyme disease and it's consequences. Also contact your doctor or
    health service for more information.

    Lyme disease is hard to diagnose, because it can mimic many other
    diseases. It can cause nerve damage, arthritis, and may be potentially
    fatal in some cases. This is serious stuff.

    I wouldn't allow a tick to remain on an animal. The longer it is on, the
    more chance of having the spirochete transferred from the tick to the
    animal.

    I thought that the tics that carried Lyme disease were of a type
    that is very very tiny  (?deer tics?).  These guys were 1/4 inch
    across!
      Cindy, He might let me put a collar on him but I wouldn't
    want him to get it caught in anything.
      I'll consider the nail-polish and hot match methods.  IS there
    a danger if the pinchers were left in?
      Thanks for the advice
      Nancy

    Leaving the pinchers in can cause infections leading to anything from
    blood poisoning to abcesses. I've seen this happen in people and it can
    be really dangerous. 

    I'll keep a good eye on the spot.  If it gets infected I'll
    whisk him off to the vet's.  Maybe I'll get him neutered at
    the same time.
      He's gotten much more trusting of us lately.  I'm hoping to
    get him to the vet's sometime soon.
      Nancy

    Nancy-
    
    I leave a clooar on Nippa at all times, and she's proved to be quite
    an escape artist.  In fact, I have neighbors who have been returning
    older collars which had become 'lost' (so now I have quite a supply).
    
    If I can't get the elasticized ones (they come in flea types too)
    I put a regular one on and make sure I can fit 2-3 fingers underneath.
    This way if it does become caught, he could pull his head out.
    
    Is he short haired?  Nippa's coat is long enough that they have
    a hard time staying on her, however she has brought them into the
    house....mom is not happy about that!  I was also told to use corn
    or motor oil to suffocate them.  My vet and doctor told me to make
    sure that I get the whole thing, inclusing head and pincers....if
    left in the skin it will cause abcesses.
                                            
    
    Good luck!
    
    Michele

    
    	Nancy, having worked for a vet, I can tell you I've
    	plucked more than my share of ticks off of various dogs
    	and cats....The vet firmly believed that leaving the
    	head behind was a very RARE occurance, and not to be 
    	worried about. Of course, that doesn't mean you can't 
    	keep an eye on the spot.
    
    	I don't know if everyone is aware of this, but if a pet
    	gets loaded with ticks (we're talkin LOADed here...) it
    	can cause paralysis to the animal, it's sortof like a 
    	blood poisoning...
    
    	Sherry  (and Rosie and Missy and Willow)
    

    i have already pulled 2 off of princess this month. i have tried flea
    collers on her but she just conviently loses them. if the tick isn't
    embeded it comes out just fine with my fingers and a tissue. if he is
    embedded i take a cottonball and soak it in alcohol and hold it on the
    tick for a minute or so. it suffocates him and he loosens himself up
    for easy pickens with tweezers.
    
                   karan
    

    We're talking very limited contact here.  UP until very recently
    this guy would barely tolerate my patting him.
    
    I KNOW that the pinchers were left behind because I used a pair
    of small sewing scissors to cut one of the ticks off (along with
    a little bit of hair making it conveniently easy to see).  I'll
    get the tweezers and keep them handy downstairs and I"ll try to
    get a flea collar on him.
      Thanks for the advice.  Perhaps a little neosporin would be 
    good.  Its on the top of his head so he'll have a hard time 
    licking it off.
      Nancy DC
    

    
    Nancy, I know you asked about the size of the ticks carrying Lymes
    disease. Don't remember it being answered.  Yes, deer ticks are
    carriers of Lymes.
    
    FYI-I've had my share of pulling ticks off pets and have found two
    or more together occasionally. YUCKO!  One can be fully bloated
    (grayish in colour) and some the size of a pinhead (maybe a bit
    larger) and others anywhere in between.  If you look real close
    at the large ones you can still see the pattern on the back though
    it's real faint and distended.
    
    Somewhere I think I still have an article describing Lymes and
    precautions advised.  If I can find it, I will post it under the
    topic for Lymes disease.
    
    Also I've found that Zodiac flea collars are the best.  They don't
    lose potentcy when wet, don't irritate, last a long time and don't
    smell too bad.  They do cost a little more, compared to other brands.
    
    I also use the fingernails (yech!), tweezers, and match method.
    If there seems to be an irritation, I dab on a little
    bacitracin/neosporin.
    
    I hate tick/flea season!!!  8-{
    
    Roslyn and furry ones  

    Jill,
    
    Please be careful about the tics.  I just heard a warning about
    tics and lyme disease on the radio yesterday.  There have been
    diagnosed cases of the disease in Northern California recently.
    The information came from KGO radio.
    
    Jo

        Out by the nurses station here in TWO, she had an article about
    ticks, it was scary. Supposedly they have been found in all 50 states,
    in several species of ticks, and the spirochettes have even been
    found in mosquitoes, fleas and biting flies. In other words, it looks
    like we're all destined to get it.
        And your pet can get it too. It is very hard to diagnose in animals
    as they can't complain of symptoms.
    
                              Denise

    Jo,
    
    Thanks for the warning.  I had read about them recently, too.  Doesn't
    sound like much fun.
    
    Jill
    

    Thanks for all the advice.  Since I don't let my cats run free
    I have limited experience with this stuff.  Of course, they
    can pick up fleas and tics just in the backyard on their runs.
    
    Are Zodiac cat collars available in regular stores?  I know that
    my vet sells "vetchem"?? collars for about $7 each but he's not
    very convenient.
      N

    Seems no one mentioned how to dispose of tics once they're removed
    from the animal.  Sounds gross but growing up in the country the
    best way to be sure they were dead was to burn them in an ashtray.
    Tics are very hard to kill.  Also around large tics on the animal
    many times there are eggs or babies under the large tic so be sure
    to look for them.  We always put alcohol on the spot once the tic
    was removed to aid in infection prevention.  I hate tic season!
    
    Regards, Sandy
    

    
    
    Nancy,
    
    I've found Zodiac flea collars at pet store mostly.  Grain stores
    might have them too.
    
    -.1
    
    Disposal of ticks - We usually burn them too.  Although I usually
    squish the big ones and flush them down the toilet.
    
    UCK!
    
    Roslyn

After we let Tigger in this morning, I was petting his side, and felt something
wet.  I guessed right away that it might be a slug (from notes I have read
recently).  I removed it easily with a tissue, and was looking at it and playing
with its antennae (it was about 1/4 inch long, a tiny thing!) while Bill gave
Tigger a quick once-over for more hitch-hikers.  We were real grateful to that
slug, since Bill found a tick, which hadn't become embedded yet, on Tigger's
head.  It was also easily removed (phew) and we'll watch the spot just in case.

Is it common to get ticks year-round; or is this about the end of tick season?
Do most folks put flea/tick collars on their indoor/outdoor cats, and if so,
is it worn year-round?  How do the collars work?

Thanks,
Jill (who is unconsciously composing a list of reasons to keep Tigger indoors)

    
    Tick season depends on where you live.  If you have winter, flea and
    tick adults are usually killed by the first hard frost.  The eggs will
    lie dormant and hatch out in the spring (sigh.)  If you live in a three 
    season (or warmer) climate fleas and ticks are a year round problem.
    
    The collars work by poisening the adult that bites the cat.  This is
    not good enough protection against Rockey Mountain Spotted fever or
    Lyme disease.  You need to keep the (infected) adult tick from ever
    biting the cat.  
    
    Check with your local vet about what vaccines are
    available in your area and for the best (local) information on
    prevention.
    
    Feline Helpful & wishing you luck,
    
    Sue & Panther & Spot (We stay indoors and like it!)