Ticks

Steadfast · Post by **Steadfast** » March 18th, 2004, 6:03 pm

The same guy that had a leach go in his pee-hole also had a tick bury itself in his ass check about a month after the leach. (Yeah I know, This guy was a magnet for attracting trouble.) The Tick was in so deep that he had to go to MED EVAC just to cut out the Tick. It took seven stitches to close the wound.

So Doc, my question is did you ever hear of something worse than this guy had with a Tick.

A few days later while on light duty until the stitches were removed, he got drunk and fell flat on his butt and then needed an additional 27 stitches to close the wound that originally occurred with a Tick in the ass,

Steadfast · Post by **Steadfast** » March 19th, 2004, 6:36 am

ROTFLMFAO

Vee · Post by **Vee** » March 19th, 2004, 7:02 am

OMFG that was hilarious. Gets my vote for quote of the year!

Steadfast · Post by **Steadfast** » March 19th, 2004, 7:04 am

Two years ago, I took my dog to one of the Gateway Parks in S.I., NY. Half the park is leased out by the NY Activites Center of the U.S. Coast Guard. I often went there to chow down on weekends and meet other friends. I decided to take my dog to the Park or ocean side of the base. There are old Forts where Concrete Emplacements with metal inbedded in it where the canon tail would swing around from side to side allowing it to have a wider range of fire. Well this area was overgorown with weeds that reached waist high and signs posted not to enter. Around here it is the law to keep your dog on the leash. Both Federal and City. But I used to allow my dog to run freely. I was petting my dog afterward and found him infested with ticks. I got a medical piece of equipment called a Stat. it is similar to a tweezer vise. The vet told me it was best to remove the ticks with this and then yank them off my dog. Four were about the head and several were across its body. I began yanking them off and then I saw one by the ear near the top. It looked fully engorged. I clamped the stat on it and gave it a yank. My dog gave the loudest gut wrenching howl of pain. I dropped the tick on the floor and couldn't find the freaking thing. I told the vet about the pain my dog experienced and the vet told me, "I think that last tick you got was actually a wart." He was right because 3 months later a new wart was growing in that same spot. It was a wart I removed and not a tick. Poor dog.

Steadfast · Post by **Steadfast** » March 19th, 2004, 12:29 pm

Thanks Doc, very very informative. I almost feel like an edjumacated scholar just being able to read all the facts you have shown here.

Lost_Jock · Post by **Lost_Jock** » August 14th, 2006, 9:16 am

Excellent post Doc!

I'm currently being treated for Lyme disease which I contracted after a tick bite in May.

I'd heard that you were only in danger if you had exposed skin....not true!

I was bitten through my socks at the join between my boots and BDU pants. The tick came off when I removed my socks, as the main body of the tick was still on the outside of the sock. As this was probably around four hours after the bite, the myth that ticks have to be attached for 12 hours or longer for there to be a risk of infection is also untrue.

So watch out for the little bastards!

Flesh Thorn · Post by **Flesh Thorn** » August 14th, 2006, 9:39 am

Joints and muscles may also be effected: tendonitis, bursitis (these usually come and go over hours or days)

Oh FUCK !

last.tango · Post by **last.tango** » August 16th, 2006, 2:05 pm

THAT is quite a unique method of tick removal Ranger Tater Nuts!!! Toasted 'em.

Ranger Steadfast, dogs can also contract Lyme disease from ticks.

The incubation period in dogs is from two to five months after exposure. Clinical signs of Lyme disease include inflammation of the joints (arthritis), the heart (carditis) or the kidneys (nephritis/renal) and nervous system abnormalities. Lyme arthritis is characterized by sudden onset of joint swelling, lameness, fever (101 to 102.5 degrees is normal) and lethargy and swollen lymph nodes, while some dogs may show more chronic and less dramatic signs.

And just as in human medicine, Lyme disease is called "The Great Imitator" because it has often been mistakenly diagnosed when another disorder is present, such as an autoimmune disease, lymph tissue cancer, Blastomycosis, or septicemia. Just as vexing is the fact that at times other similar-appearing diseases are diagnosed when the culprit is actually Lyme Disease.

There is a test available, the C6 ELISA test, which can determine if antibodies present in the blood are infection induced or vaccination induced, which should aid both the MDs and DVMs in their diagnosis.

There is a vaccination for Lyme Disease available for dogs, though like all vaccinations, is not 100% effective. And although I personally have not had success with the (canine) topical tick repellants on the market, I have found that two tick collars collars work well at keeping my dogs tick free.