Tick lump--Lyme Disease?

[HiRollerlabs]

I took a wood tick (not deer tick) off one of the dogs on Monday. It was most likely picked up over the wkend. The tick was somewhat enlarged, and there is a large lump where the tick was attached--lump about the size of a pencil eraser.

Due to the lump, would it be prudent to get a test for Lyme Disease?

I did not remember to Frontline the dogs prior to the trial....duh!

[Miriam Wade]

I don't think it's abnormal for there to be a lump where the tick was removed. I've usually always noticed them. You do want to be sure you removed the whole tick. It's not uncommon for the head to remain burrowed in. I've also found ticks on my dog even w/ Frontline, so don't beat yourself up. Frontline kills them, but doesn't prevent them from attaching to the dog. My dog was covered from going to CT last week & I use Frontline.

As for the testing for Lyme-I don't know what the incubation period would be or when the best time to test would be.

M

[Keith Stroyan]

Like Miriam, I often notice a lump where I remove a dog/wood tick.

[Julie R.]

Dog ticks and/or wood ticks cannot transmit Lyme disease. But their saliva, like all ticks has a toxin that can cause itching/swelling at the bite site and of course if the head or any part of it remained attached when the tick was removed it would cause swelling. But Lyme isn't the only tick borne disease so you might want to have the dog checked by a vet for any diseases commonly transmitted by ticks in your area.

[Judy Chute]

As Julie says....different ticks trasmit different diseases. Watch for symptoms and or have tested periodically for TBD. I think the first thing we often think of is Lyme...but the other diseases can be just as deadly.

Tick bites can cause an awful lump that takes ages to go away. I dab with cotton ball dipped in some antibiotic or antibacterial solution (just like a wound, cut, scrape on us)..to try to keep it clean, help it calm down (sometimes they are inflamed)...and helps it to heal. I don't rub..just gently clean it..or squeeze solution out of cotton ball onto the bite so it really gets in there.

Isopropyl alcohol is good to use and travels well. There are herbal products too... Anything that help keep the scab from becoming huge and nasty.

There are some products that cause tick to back out, too.

The advice is to clean a tick bite..after removing tick.

The vets here will take ticks if you drop them off in a container and Maine Medical Center picks them up periodically and tests them for diseases. They send a report (usually in the winter)...types of ticks, any diseases found in them, and they ask if one will mark on a map they send..the location found. That can be difficult sometimes as we travel and ticks could have traveled with us.. However, we try to be as accurate as possible.

If you have the tick...you could inquire of your vet if they have a similar study in your area that welcomes donated ticks. I save them in a container filled with isopropyl rubbing alcohol.. kills the ticks but keeps them good for research. Drop them off as is in the container.

Your vet might have some good suggestions as to how they like to see the vite treated. If something specific is suggested..would you post? Always looking for new information on the subject.

Judy

[HiRollerlabs]

Peteducation.com has good info on ticks and tickborne diseases.

Izzy's lump where the tick was removed has gone down significantly. I do know that other dogs in the area where we were running (Chippewa trial at Mondovi, WI grounds) have come down with Lyme Disease and Ehrlichia.

We were on the grounds from Friday and tick was removed on Monday. So, it could have been on him for 3 days--plenty of time to transmit something! I'll let you know if anything related to ticks arises in the next few weeks.

[Keith Stroyan]

A few years back, Sparta, WI was the Lyme capitol of the U.S. (I don't know if it still is.) Mondovi isn't that far away and where there was a dog tick there might have been a deer tick - hard to notice...

Good luck! I hope he's healthy - most times nothing happens. (And check each other humans for "bull's eye" marks.)

[D Osborn]

you know, and it is too late now as I am a little slow these days, I was treated with a "loading" dose last time I was bitten by a tick. I am on a ton of medication, including a doxy a day, so the Dr just had me basically triple the dose for 2 days. The new thought, for humans and dogs, is you get RMSF and lyme within 2-3 hours of being bitten. Symptoms might take longer, but depends if your body can fight it off.
I wonder if we should not treat dogs that way too? Any ideas?

[awesmlab]

On the Tick-L list, I've seen discussion of treating with 200mg right after a tick is found as sort of a preventative dose.

[2tall]

Even though he is on Advantix, I have probably taken 5 ticks or more off of my dog this year. In each case he gets a really bad lump, usually a sore that I treat with alcohol and antibiotic ointment, and the hair grows back white! My vet does not recommend the lymes vaccine and so far there has been no evidence of illness. I know that lameness can be an indicatior of lymes, but can some of you tell me what symptoms might show up for any of the other TBD's?