Tick question?
 

I was just wondering what you all know about ticks.I have been exposed to them for many years,yet this weekend I had my wife look at (on the back of my head)what I thought might be melanoma,or a bump.I had been feeling it for the last few days and did'nt think much of it.Anyhow she did indeed pull it off (head in tact)and it was pretty big as if it had been there a few days,and from what I remember it was.Anyhow my neck has been sore most of the day,Maybe cause I slept on the couch(not sure)I wonder if I should get it checked out.I wonder if there has been in cases of Lyme here in northern Illinois?Also what other things besides Lyme can occur?I kniw you can experience joint pain or arthritic typ conditions,also something about a bullzeye type of rash??Any coments are apreciated.

RE: Tick question?
 

I dont claim to be any expert but you should definately get it checked out. I have 2 family members with Lymes. The sooner the better. Probably nothing but its better not to risk it

RE: Tick question?
 

Ticks carry a couple of diseases. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Lyme, and a couple more I dont remember. I've been wiping them off myself or killing them every time I've been in the woods since it started warming up, and always check myself, but they are sneaky buggers. I just yanked one out of my leg last week, and since I was gonna get blood drawn this week anyway, I had the doc add Lyme disease to the list of tests to be done. haven't heard back yet. My turkey season opens in 2 days, gonna spray my stuff down with permethrin to repel ticks. I hate those buggers.

RE: Tick question?
 

Lyme disease comes from the deer tick. It is a very small tick and rather hard to see, especially with my eyes. You definately should get checked out. I had two family members die of Lyme disease in PA.

RE: Tick question?
 

Get checked out.,Lyme disease is devasting . Not all ticks cARRY IT.But getting on antibiotics will knock it out early if in deed your tick was a carrier.

RE: Tick question?
 

Why play around the test is a simple blood test and if caught early enough light antibiotics will take care of it. If you let it progress you could be a mess. 2 days ago I was reading the obits in our local paper and in it a 32 year old died from as the paper put complications fromLyme deseise. Go get checked Mike

RE: Tick question?
 

well most times you will know you have lymes diease because there well be like a ring around the tick bite but i would go get it checked out just to be on the safe side

RE: Tick question?
 

I guess we're quite fortunate for at least one thing up here in Canada,very low numbers of Lyme disease. I've had deer tics on me and my hounds ,I removed them with no ill effect
Once when I was in the thousand islands I got a tic on my neck, not a deer tic this sucker was black with a white diamond in the middle of it's back.I was told these were more likely to be carries of Lyme disease.

RE: Tick question?
 

I pulled a greyish colored one off my dog the other day. It was about the size of a wooden match head. I got it out with the head attached and was suprised how hard I had to pull to get it off. We seldom get ticks here but they are becomming more numerous for some reason.

RE: Tick question?
 

Definitely get checked out, not all cases develop the "bulls-eye" rash. My father in law pulled a deer tick off of his leg the other day, we are awaiting the results of his blood test.

RE: Tick question?
 

yea i would definently get it checked out those damn things carry tons of diseases. they can get pretty bad here in montana in the summer too as soon as the weather gets nice i check myself every time i go into the woods.

RE: Tick question?
 

After hunting in Illinois for a few years and recently moving from Michigan to Iowa, I can't keep them off me. I pull several ticks off everytime I get in from the field, and I don't really think they're is much you can do. I have heard (don't remember where) that it is quite rare to get Lyme disease. Sure hoping so anyway!

RE: Tick question?
 

If it doesnt itch like a b&*%, and have the ring "bulseye" look to it. It is not Lymes disease. Get it checked out if you want, I personlly wouldnt worry to much. I have already picked probly 50 off me this year.

RE: Tick question?
 

Tick Update:

You probably wouldn't believe me, but no-more than 5 minutes after writing the above post, I feel a "tickle" on my knee. Just anouther deer tick! No-wonder I can't sleep because I feel "creepy-crawlers" all over me! he he he.....

RE: Tick question?
 

You are wise to get it checked out! THe effects of waiting can be severe if the tick was carrying lyme.From what I understand the blood tests are not 100% conclusive.Physicians around here will get you on antibiotics if you are exhibiting the symptoms of Lyme diease even if your test came back negative.
I stopped hunting on the other side of the Hudson River in my area of New York state because the incidences of tick infestation and Lyme diesease were so much greater in that area.Get tested!

RE: Tick question?
 

Man i haven't even been in the woods recently, and i am already itching just thinking about it.. I hate those damn things.

RE: Tick question?
 

Absolutely get it checked out. Better to be safe than sorry. The deer tick is the one that carries Lyme disease and from what I have read and seen the area around where the tick was inbedded will look like a bullseye (white dot in the middle where the tick/bite was and bright red out around it) Here is PA I think the disease is pretty common and I pulled 4 off of myself and my dog after a hike in the woodsin early March after a warm snap. Fortunately they were on my pants and on top of the dog's hair that they hadn't gotten down into the skin yet.

RE: Tick question?
 

I am not a doctor but am a Medical Laboratory Supervisor, go get it checked out. Best of luck.

RE: Tick question?
 

I spend lots of time in the woods and haven't ever had a tick on me...no lie.I live in northern Vt and the other day I found one on the dog. I don't know much about them because until recently there weren't any here, or they were very rare,in this part of the state. How long does it take to have them attach? If I brush the dog down real well after we get back home will it sweep them out? Since I found one on her I feel itchy and have stressed out about them. I hear that they have slowely been working their way north and all my deer hunting has been in the cold climates where they aren't a problem.

RE: Tick question?
 

Champlain,
They can take a while to engorge and burrow,you want to get assistance if they are already in you,fully or partially.I understand that you don't want to attempt to take them out if they are partially in because if you sever them they can excrete the lyme in to you.When I was hunting on the other side of the Hudson I would get tested every year just out of precaution.They don't always show a bullseye rash.They will gravitate toward warm moist area's on your body.I used to drive my wife crazy with my requests that she look me over thoroughly.Make sure you look behind your knee's your scalp etc.Dogs are easy to treat with tick treatments.A liquid down their spinal column every few weeks and they are protected.If you are interested I can find the name of the dog medication.

RE: Tick question?
 

I hate those filthy buggers...I'm always finding them skulking around, especially after I finish working in myfield...SometimesI find three or four of them suckers on me at a time, seems like the darn things are everywhere...

RE: Tick question?
 

Please let us all know about any product that will help the dogs. I have a friend who lives in CT and he said he can walk in the woods all around his 3 acres and after coming home will usually find a few almost every time. I don't think I could deal with that hassel. I have lived here all my life and ticks were never even heard of until just the last few years. I could feel the bump with the dog and was shocked to see what it was. I worry more about her than me.

RE: Tick question?
 

Pay attention here is a little trick I learned while being a proud Navy Corpman. When in the field buy you a coupleof flea and tick collars and attach them around the ankles of your boots and it will reduce the chances of them crawing up your pant legs. If you are wearing long sleeves you can do the same with the cuffs of your shirt.

RE: Tick question?
 

My wife gets this Flea,tick and skeeter medicine called K9 advantix,it's not cheap but is supposed to work great.I think it's 60$ for 6 months.We just came from the woods(morrel hunting)and so far my wife was the only one with ticks this time:)Oh yeah We found some morrels too:)

RE: Tick question?
 

I just had blood drawn for routine tests and the doc is adding lymes disease to the mix this year. I have had some joint pain but it could be from jiu-jitsu.lol Doctor told me that they believe a deer tick which can carry the disease but not always must be attached and dug into you for 48 hours to even transmit the disease. And even if they do carry it its a real small percentage that you contract it. Weird I know, but go get checked for the sake of it.

I only found 1 deer tick ever on me and it was the only one I had ever saw in my life. It was a tiny bugger and if it were not on my arm I would of never saw it. He was not clamped on thank god but they are definetly here in Minnesota.

RE: Tick question?
 

I wonder if they are here in Illinois Tribal?I am only 43years old,but have had joint paint for I'll bet twenty years.I have always loved the woods and waters,and have allways spent alot of my free time whenever possible, either hunting Rabbits,deer,pheasant squirrel,or wading creeeks hunting crawdads or fishing for smallies ,creek chubs or bluegills .I have been doing this since I was old enough to open the front door of the house and make my escape:)And maybe When I was a kid had a tick bite that caused this ,or it could be from my life of playing and working hard too I'm not sure.

RE: Tick question?
 

It is funny, of all the ticks I have found on me, I have never to my knowledge seen a deer tick. I guess that is a good thing.

RE: Tick question?
 

If you have been exposed to a tick bite for that long it would be a good idea to get it checked out just for your safety.

RE: Tick question?
 

After reading all of this it is so nice to live in an area that has very, very few ticks. I can't imagine what it would be like with so many around as I am sure me and my dogs would be covered. Hope ya'll do well staying away from them this year.

RE: Tick question?
 

you couldn't be more WRONG!!!
my husband has had it going on 5yrs now and it's right up with cancer and aides....he NEVER got the bullseye rash....we were even told that he didn't have to worry about it because we live in florida...they were WRONG as well...he had never hunted anywhere but florida...he broke out in a poison ivy like rash and then got flu like systems shortly after walking through a nest of them...he had them everywhere....then a few months later his joints started to hurt and he was diagnosed with neuropathy....he was tested for everything and anything and the lymes was the only one to come back positive...5 different tests came back positive....y'all need to do everything you can to prevent it (buy permanone (sp?)) and if you do get bit find the tick and bag it and get your butt to the doctors office!! this is not the time to think you're invincible.

RE: Tick question?
 

fl huntress,I remember now you posting about this last season.I'm sorry to hear this.heres a picture of the tick on the back of my head I'll Try again I'm not to good at this[:o]

RE: Tick question?
 

i got the pic to work....that's a bigger one than the ones my husband got into but not long ago he got one like that one and ended up going back to the doctors....they put him back on antibiotics again.....the thing with my husband is that we didn't catch it early...if it's not taken care of immediately it will get ugly....very ugly and it's extremely hard to cure...if you can cure it at all.

RE: Tick question?
 

nope this didn't work![:@]one more time:D Heres a link http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y147/drstalker/tick.jpg

RE: Tick question?
 

I don't believe that is a deer tick on your head....

Looks like a common wood tick to me.

RE: Tick question?
 

I think your right Antler eater.

RE: Tick question?
 

...But if I had any tick attached to me for more than two days I would get checked out...You have nothing to lose and much to gain in doing so.

RE: Tick question?
 

I agree that looks like a plain old woodtick. Deer ticks are surprisingly really small. Not much bigger than the period at the end of this sentence. I work outside in the bush everyday and find several woodticks on me daily. When I saw a deertick I was shocked at it's size even knowing they were extremely smal to begin with. Doctor also said I you can contact it when you were young and just know showing symptoms. It's not always textbook and the bullseye rash is not 100% guaranteed but present more than not. IF you have any concern get tested before it effects you seriously. It's no joke and CAN happen to any of you!

RE: Tick question?
 

yes they havea shot for dogs for lime

RE: Tick question?
 

There is a lot of misinformation and misidentification out there when it comes to ticks and their diseases. Everyone would be better off if they searched for ticks on the net and read everything they could find. I was eaten up by tiny ticks a couple years ago (turned out to be seed ticks) nymphs of the regular dog tick I believe, but a lot of folks think they are actually deer ticks. I cannot stress enough how well permithrin will protect you from ticks. It is a wonderful product. DO NOT SPRAY IT ON YOUR SKIN!! It only goes on your clothes and last for up to 2 weeks and through 2 washings I believe. Did You Know? A university did some research on ticks and they held one under 35degree water for 6 months and when they let it up, it warmed up and started searching for food? They are very hardy creatures indeed.