# Tick Bite



## David Frost (Mar 29, 2006)

Me, not the dog. In my lifetime, I've been bitten by more ticks than I could ever count. Wednesday, the 6th, I was bitten by a tick between my first and second finger of my left hand. We were working in a building introducing drugs to the new dogs. I didn't think anything of it. Sunday, it started swelling, by today it was half my hand is swollen, a big pustule has formed and it hurts all the way to my elbow. I broke down and went to the health clinic we have for state workers. The doctor was brilliant. He said; you have an infection. I was amazed at his genius. I told him it was a tick bite and he asked how that happened. I said, don't know, but since I train dogs, I'm assuming I got it off one of them. He said; you have to watch dogs, they sometimes get ticks. Once again I was amazed, who knew? He did write me a script for doxycycline and told me to come back Wednesday. I told him thanks, but I'd stop by my personal physician. Darn thing is sore though. If I hadn't pulled the tick off myself, I'd swear it was a brown recluse bite, which I've also had, years ago. 

DFrost


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

But you did do (or are doing) the antibiotic, right?

An infected tick can carry several kinds of infections, all of the ones I read about on IntelliHealth curable if treated right away.


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## Kristina Senter (Apr 4, 2006)

Stellar performer, that one!


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## susan tuck (Mar 28, 2006)

David: I think you would be wise to call your own Doctor first thing in the morning so you can verify the right dosage on the doxyclicline. I know someone whose' dog was prescribed too low a dose & ended up having to double the dosage so I wouldn't be surprised if the super doc you just went to screwed up on that. If your hand continues to get noticeably worse over the next couple of hours, I suggest you go ahead & call your regular doctors service & leave a message for a call back.


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## David Frost (Mar 29, 2006)

I do stupid things, but I'm not stupid. I am taking the medication. I didn't talk to my doctor, but the pharmicist said it was the usual dosage. Small towns huh, ain't they great. 

DFrost


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## Tim Martens (Mar 27, 2006)

see? and you all thought i was a sissy-mary for crying about my tick bite...


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Tim Martens said:


> see? and you all thought i was a sissy-mary for crying about my tick bite...


:lol:


We were going by the nickname Luna Tick.


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## Selena van Leeuwen (Mar 29, 2006)

Tim Martens said:


> see? and you all thought i was a sissy-mary for crying about my tick bite...


you were a sissy, Tim :wink: David doesn´t complain about the tick bite, but about the infection:smile:


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Selena van Leeuwen said:


> you were a sissy, Tim :wink: David doesn´t complain about the tick bite, but about the infection:smile:


Selena!

[-X [-X [-X 

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Genital+Meglomalisima
is pretty scary, which I'm sure we all remember Woody educating us about.


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## susan tuck (Mar 28, 2006)

Tim: If I recall, Woody kind of told some tall tales about tick bites that had you going for a minute!!!! Fact, I think that was one of the all time greatest threads ever!


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## susan tuck (Mar 28, 2006)

Here it is in all it's glory for anyone who needs a good laugh:
http://workingdogforum.com/vBulletin/showthread.php?t=2140&highlight=tick


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## David Frost (Mar 29, 2006)

I thought about that thread, but couldn't remember what Woody called it. If I had remembered, I'd have asked the doc, I'm sure that would have had him scouring his texts. ha ha.

Tim, I'm not even complaining about the infection, just surprised is all. First time ever out of thousands of ticks.

DFrost


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

susan tuck said:


> Tim: If I recall, Woody kind of told some tall tales about tick bites that had you going for a minute!!!! Fact, I think that was one of the all time greatest threads ever!


"KIND OF" ???


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## susan tuck (Mar 28, 2006)

I just re-read the thread & Tim - What's it worth to you for us not to show this to your cohorts??? I didn't even remember the last two pages of the thread & they are hysterical. This is classic Working Dog Forum


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## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

Sand fleas are a good topic, maybe next time Woody can get someone to fall for that.


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## Tim Martens (Mar 27, 2006)

susan tuck said:


> Tim: If I recall, Woody kind of told some tall tales about tick bites that had you going for a minute!!!! Fact, I think that was one of the all time greatest threads ever!


believe me, i was freaked out about it long before i came on here and posted about it. while true woody's prank had me for about a half a second, i didn't need any help getting freaked out. i still get crap at the pd for how i came into the station when the thing was burrowing itself into my flesh...


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## Selena van Leeuwen (Mar 29, 2006)

Tim Martens said:


> believe me, i was freaked out about it long before i came on here and posted about it. while true woody's prank had me for about a half a second, i didn't need any help getting freaked out. i still get crap at the pd for how i came into the station when the thing was burrowing itself into my flesh...


no, hold yourself Selena[-X Don´t say the S-word :-#

Still teased about Tim?


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Tim Martens said:


> .... when the thing was burrowing itself into my flesh...


Jeez ... you should write horror movie scripts. :lol:


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## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

Did it move under your skin like in those silly desert movies with that one guy.....you know, him.:smile:


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## David Frost (Mar 29, 2006)

I've been gone since early morning on a cadaver search. Of course it's grass, shoulder high and then into a cane break. I'm fully ticked and chiggered. This day has just completely sucked. Can I say sucked on here?

DFrost


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## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

kcuf no.:smile: :smile: :smile: :smile:


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

David Frost said:


> This day has just completely sucked. Can I say sucked on here?
> 
> DFrost


Apparently yes. :lol:


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## Dan Reiter (May 12, 2006)

Qoute David Frost :He did write me a script for doxycycline 

My shepherd showed up with Erlichia (another new tick problem in our area I thought lymes was only issue) in early March they put him on doxycycline for 21 days. Which turns out was not long enough we are now back at it for a full month. Hard to describe symtoms but my first sign was struggling on hurdle's (used to clear 40" no problem) now hesitating, next was three sessions of bite work in 7 day period bleeding out gums each time (have never seen before) and loss of drive (intensity). Which by the way came back good after first week on medication but still not what it used to be.

I understand we as humans may also become infected with.

So Dave if you start not clearing the hurdles or loss of drive you may want to be tested.

Dan Reiter


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## David Frost (Mar 29, 2006)

<<<So Dave if you start not clearing the hurdles or loss of drive you may want to be tested.>>> 

Good golly miss molly, seems I might have had that disease for years now. 

DFrost


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## susan tuck (Mar 28, 2006)

Dan; Not too long ago I found some engorged ticks on my dog. I had blood work done to have him tested for tick born diseases including Erlichia. Thankfully everything came back negative. If anyone has to have their dog tested don't do the "snap" test because it's not conclusive regarding Erlichia.


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## Dan Reiter (May 12, 2006)

Susan
I agree they did what I believe to be called the snap 4 (supposed to be late & great) but I took step further paid an additional 35.00 had sent out to UW for erlichia specific test came back positive. Plus the behavior signs were showing. I treated a diferent shepherd for lymes and x-rays on every joint in him spent 3000.00(for nothing) over those test not being conclusive. He ended up having Degenerative Melopothy (not sure on spelling) . Which became obvious when one rear foot started to drag . Had to have him put down at 5 1/2 years was my all time favorite tracking dog (just liked to follow tracks acted more like a good hound).

Dan Reiter


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

David Frost said:


> I've been gone since early morning on a cadaver search. Of course it's grass, shoulder high and then into a cane break. I'm fully ticked and chiggered. This day has just completely sucked. Can I say sucked on here?
> 
> DFrost


I'll pick ticks all day if it keeps me from ever getting another chigger. 
Rather have Poison Ivy/Oak too!


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## David Frost (Mar 29, 2006)

Bob Scott said:


> I'll pick ticks all day if it keeps me from ever getting another chigger.
> Rather have Poison Ivy/Oak too!


Amen and amen.

DFrost


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## ann schnerre (Aug 24, 2006)

And Amen and Amen!!!


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## Lynn Cheffins (Jul 11, 2006)

what are chiggers?


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## David Frost (Mar 29, 2006)

Lynn Cheffins said:


> what are chiggers?


Oh Lynn, you've never experienced the joy of chiggers. Often referred to as red bugs and other names that are not fit to print, they are almost microscopic. they live in grass and weeds, particularly around damp areas. They bite you, and you probably won't feel the bite. What you do get is a spot that itches, you may think I'm exaggerating, but 50 times more than a mosquito bite. Ok you say, that isn't so bad. The bad part is, there is never one chigger. The little sons of *&)(&&^% and mealy mouthed *&&^^%%^$#&*P))_ travel in packs. Packs I tell you. If they weighed an ounce they'd devour you. Ok maybe that's a stretch. There does however, always seem to be many that bite you. They itch, leave a red welt and then itch some more. The itching will drive you crazy, it will make you take a knife point and poke your skin just so you can put Lysol on the broken skin. The burning is refreshing. Ok, maybe not everone gets them that bad, but they are miserable little buggers. The itching usually last upward of 10 days. Some may tell you the bug buries under the skin, but that isn't true actually. The bite has a toxin to prevent the blood from coagulating and that is what causes the itch. I mean they really itch. I hate them, truly hate them. 

Other than that, ahhh they ain't so bad. ha ha.



DFrost


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## Lynn Cheffins (Jul 11, 2006)

eeewwww - burrowing bugs - yuck! I am so glad we don't have those!

we get this made up at the Pharmacy - 

sodium bicarb and boric acid each 1.7% W/V
camphor and menthol each 0.5% W/V
isopropyl alc 99% 26% V/V
distilled water to volume - apply for skin rash and itch

only thing that truly kills the itch of poison ivy for me - (which we do have alot of)


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

David Frost said:


> Oh Lynn, you've never experienced the joy of chiggers. Often referred to as red bugs and other names that are not fit to print, they are almost microscopic. they live in grass and weeds, particularly around damp areas. They bite you, and you probably won't feel the bite. What you do get is a spot that itches, you may think I'm exaggerating, but 50 times more than a mosquito bite. Ok you say, that isn't so bad. The bad part is, there is never one chigger. The little sons of *&)(&&^% and mealy mouthed *&&^^%%^$#&*P))_ travel in packs. Packs I tell you. If they weighed an ounce they'd devour you. Ok maybe that's a stretch. There does however, always seem to be many that bite you. They itch, leave a red welt and then itch some more. The itching will drive you crazy, it will make you take a knife point and poke your skin just so you can put Lysol on the broken skin. The burning is refreshing. Ok, maybe not everone gets them that bad, but they are miserable little buggers. The itching usually last upward of 10 days. Some may tell you the bug buries under the skin, but that isn't true actually. The bite has a toxin to prevent the blood from coagulating and that is what causes the itch. I mean they really itch. I hate them, truly hate them.
> 
> Other than that, ahhh they ain't so bad. ha ha.
> 
> ...


I can identify with pouring lysol on the cut skin. 
When I was still a printer I would scratch my chigger bites raw then pour acetone on them at work. The scream was as much a reliefe as the acetone. LOL!
I do agree about the itch comming from toxins, NOT the chigger's burrowing into the skin. If that were the case Ida gotten them out with with Bowie knife!


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## Amber Scott Dyer (Oct 30, 2006)

Old southern wives tale - put clear nail polish over chigger bites and they will go away. 

My grandmother told me that this is because the chigger can't breathe through your skin anymore once the nail polish is blocking it up. :^o 

I know this isn't the case, but that nail polish sure does *seem* to help. Psychosomatic, maybe? 

I was camping a few years ago and found an unfortunate bush to raise my leg on oops and ended up with a bottom full of chiggers. I thought I was in hell. I pretty much covered my whole butt in nail polish because I couldn't see where the bites were. Still miserable, but slightly less so. That would rate very high on my list of the worst weeks of my life :lol:


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## Becky Shilling (Jul 11, 2006)

Chiggers = HELL!!!!


Another tick-borne disease to watch out for is Babesia. I lost a beautiful little Dobie bitch to this after her liver swelled to about five times normal size. The dosage of Doxy she was on caused her to get a perforated ulcer. She died during surgery to repair the perforation.
IF YOUR DOG IS ON DOXY MAKE SURE THEY ALSO PUT THEM ON CARAFATE TO PROTECT THEIR STOMACH LINING!!!!!!!


_Been there, suffered a terrible loss_


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## Becky Shilling (Jul 11, 2006)

R.I.P Marley. Stll miss you!


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Becky Shilling said:


> Chiggers = HELL!!!!
> 
> 
> Another tick-borne disease to watch out for is Babesia. I lost a beautiful little Dobie bitch to this after her liver swelled to about five times normal size. The dosage of Doxy she was on caused her to get a perforated ulcer. She died during surgery to repair the perforation.
> ...


:sad: 

Babesia is one of those cycle diseases, I think, like malaria. I remember reading that there's a lot of relapse.

But it's very rough when the treatment is the killer. :>(


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Bob Scott said:


> I can identify with pouring lysol on the cut skin.
> When I was still a printer I would scratch my chigger bites raw then pour acetone on them at work. The scream was as much a reliefe as the acetone. LOL!
> I do agree about the itch comming from toxins, NOT the chigger's burrowing into the skin. If that were the case Ida gotten them out with with Bowie knife!



Les Stroud's "Survivorman" has an episode about Georgia swamps that is on now, and he shows the camera a handful of chiggers.

He mentioned alligators and at least 4 kinds of poisonous snakes and many other really scary residents, but chiggers were his least favorite.

I like that program. The couch is a good place to view his scenarios from.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

I'll take my chances with the gators. The snakes are a piece of cake. Going into an area that I know is chigger infested can make me sweat! :lol:


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