often dogs are bothered by "uninvited guests". But ticks,
fleas and other parasites are not only very unpleasant, but
also can carry and transmit dangerous diseases.
are blood-sucking parasites that can pierce your pet's skin
with their mouths and cement themselves into position to
prevent easy removal. Ticks are a risk to pets, but can also
infest other animals - and humans too. The tick season is
mainly in late spring and autumn. As soon as temperatures are
rising, ticks are gathering in grass and shrubs, waiting for
any warm-blooded creature to come along. These blood-sucking
parasites are more than just unpleasant, they can also
transmit dangerous disease-causing pathogens in their saliva.
are obligatory blood-sucking parasites that spend most of
their life off the host and leave the host following the meal.
Hard ticks require one blood meal during each instar in order
to molt to the next instar. Each instar usually feeds on
a different host species. Adult females must have a blood meal
to mate and produce eggs and may consume 50 times their weight
in blood. Adult males of some species do not feed. Soft ticks
are similar but may have more than one blood meal per instar. Hard
ticks are chiefly parasites of mammals. Most ticks, about 650
species, belong to this taxon.
Important to know for
transfering diseases to dog are mainly the following types:
Castor bean tick / Forest tick (Ixodes
ricinus), die Bush tick / Marsh tick / Scrub
tick (Dermacentor reticulatus) und die Kennel
tick / Brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus).
you find a tick on your pet, most importantly is the immediate
to that, it is also important to prevent our pet from being
bit. For this, we prefer products that do not contain any
poisonous ingredients. As none of these products can guarantee
a 100 % protection we've decided not to use any toxic
products. There are nontoxic spot-On
as well as untoxic collars. In
case our pets are bit anyway, we use homeopathic
can cause a variety of problems, some of them with serious
consequences for dogs. At the very least, the physical
presence of the tick is uncomfortable for your pet and can
lead to a skin reaction or abscess where the tick is attached
- particularly if the mouthparts are left behind when a tick
is removed. But the problem doesn't end there, as ticks can
also carry diseases that can be transmitted to your pet.
is important to check your pet regularly for ticks. Carefully
check every part of your pet, particularly around the head,
ears, legs and paws.
is possible that your pet may have had a tick attached without
you noticing, particularly in the wiskers or eye brows. So
watch out for any of the warning signs, which could indicate a
tick-borne disease. If your pet shows any of these signs,
contact your vet immediately: fever, lameness, loss of
appetite, sudden onset of pain, arthritis or swelling in their
joints, lethargy or depression, cough.
If you recognize symptoms that come back repeatedly, this
might be a sign for an infection.
will now introduce you to the following diseases: borreliosis,
babesiosis, canine ehrlichiosis, tick-borne
encephalitis and hepatozoonosis. Leishmaniose
a very serious disease. It is not transmitted by ticks, but by mosquitos.
Disease or Borreliosis is an illness transmitted by ticks that
can affect humans, dogs and cats. The corkscrew-shaped
Borrelia bacteria carried by the Ixodes ricinus
tick can cause Lyme Disease or Borreliosis. The disease is
appearing more often, and in more locations, therefore every
pet owner should know and be able to recognise its symptoms.
The following symptoms can indicate that a pet is suffering
from Lyme Disease: painful or stiff muscles and joints,
tiredness, fever, lack of appetite, (sometimes) sudden
a nymph to transmit B. burgdorferi, it must be
attached to the host
for 48 hours. If a tick dies or is removed within this 2 day
period, transmission of the bacteria will not occur. Even if a
tick is a carrier of B. burgdorferi and it attaches
to a dog for more than 48 hours, the dog may not contract the
disease. In fact, studies show that only around 10% of dogs
that are exposed to B. burgdorferi will contract the
disease. There is no evidence to suggest that infected dogs
pose a risk to other members of the household except as a
reservoir of infected ticks. Once a tick has had a full meal,
it will detach and not bite another mammal. The risk comes
from ticks that have not gotten a complete meal and are
detached. They could possibly seek out a human and bite them
causing infection. Other types of ticks and insects have been
shown to be infected with B. burgdorferi, but they
are considered insignificant spreaders of the disease.
symptoms of Lyme disease in dogs differ from those in people,
and usually occur much later after the tick bite. Clinical
illness in dogs usually occurs 2 to 5 months after initial
exposure and the likelihood of disease and the severity of the
disease seems to vary with the animal's age and immune status.
Cats can develop Lyme disease, but it occurs rarely in them,
even in endemic areas. Other domestic
animals such as horses have contracted Lyme
disease, but it does not appear to be a significant problem.
Dogs show several different forms of the disease, but by far,
the most common symptoms are a fever of between 103 and 105°,
shifting leg lameness, swelling in the joints, lethargy,
inappetence, and maybe most importantly, response to
may be a result of both short- and long-term infections. Most
dogs that are promptly diagnosed and treated do not appear to
develop arthritis, but a few dogs who do not respond
completely to treatment or were not treated will develop
progressive degeneration of the infected joints.
few dogs have developed severe progressive renal disease as
sequelae to Lyme disease. This severe kidney failure is
non-responsive to treatment and death is often the outcome.
Fortunately, this form appears to be rare.
dogs will not develop any rash or the circular area of redness
around the bite (erythema
migrans) which is seen in people.
tests are available to assist in the diagnosis of Lyme
disease. The standard blood test detects antibodies made by
the dog in response to infection with B. burgdorferi.
Because of the lack of sensitivity of the blood test, many
dogs show positive test results, but are not actually infected
with the disease. Many animals are exposed to the organism,
but fight the infection off on their own. These animals will
have antibodies to B. burgdorferi but not have the
disease. In an endemic area, almost 90% of all dogs will have
a positive antibody test, so a single positive result means
very little. As we mentioned earlier, only around 10% of the
exposed dogs actually contract the infection.
addition, the former antibody
tests could distinguish between a dog that has been vaccinated
or naturally exposed to Borrelia. A more recent test,
called a 'C6' test can distinguish between antibodies made
against this protein on the surface of the organism, but not
present in the vaccine. This simple test can be run in a
veterinarian's office. As with the other antibody tests,
however, the C6 test will not distinguish between exposure to Borrelia
and actual infection.
tests must be used with several other criteria to gain a
positive diagnosis. Suspected animals should have a history of
tick exposure, compatible clinical signs, and have a rapid
response to antibiotic therapy. In fact, clinical signs and
rapid response to antibiotic therapy is how many diagnoses of
Lyme disease are made. If an animal that is suspected of
having Lyme disease does not clinically improve within 48
hours of starting antibiotic therapy, it is best to assume
that it is not Lyme disease and begin to do other diagnostic
tests to find the source of the problem.
for Lyme disease is very straightforward and consists of using
either a tetracycline or penicillin-based antibiotic. The
antibiotics must be given a minimum of 14 days, but 30 days is
recommended. However, some preliminary studies show that some
animals may not even clear the organism after 30 days and will
relapse once the antibiotic is discontinued. In these cases,
the animal may have to be on the antibiotic for much longer.
It appears that many animals may never completely rid
themselves of B. burgdorferi despite aggressive
treatment. These animals may never show any further signs of
the disease, or may suffer from increased degenerative changes
in the joints leading to premature arthritis. Despite the fact
that some animals may developchronic infections, the vast
majority of infected dogs respond rapidly and satisfactorily
to doxycycline treatment. In some animals with severe
arthritis, pain relievers may also be used in addition to
antibiotics. The use of steroids in this disease is definitely
is an important tick-borne disease that occurs worldwide. It
ranges from a relatively mild to a fatal disease. Babesias
are microscopic blood parasites that cause disease in many
animals. This group of protozoal organisms are spread from dog
to dog by ticks. Babesiosis of dogs is spread by the brown dog
It can also be spread through infected blood
("large" babesia) and B.
babesia) cause the sudden destruction of blood known as acute
hemolytic anemia in dogs. These parasites live within the
cytoplasm of the red blood cells. In the past, B.
was associated with Asia, Africa and the Middle East. But from
1979 on it has been found in several locations in the United
seasonal variation occurs with the highest incidence in the
summer months. The source of infection is carrier ticks or
ticks feeding on dogs that are either ill or incubating the
disease and then feeding on a susceptible dog. Other possible
sources of infection are carrier dogs or blood transfusions.
Although canine babesiosis can occur in animals of all ages,
the majority of cases are young animals.
There are three forms
of the disease, peracute, acute, and chronic.
the fulminating or peracute form, young dogs arrive at the
animal hospital not eating, depressed and weak. Their gums are
very pale and they are generally running a fever. Often these
dogs recently weathered a stressful situation such as another
illness, hard work or surgery. Dogs that have this disease
usually arrive with substantial anemia. They are often
jaundiced (yellow) due to large amounts of blood pigments
present in their skin. This occurs when destroyed red blood
cells overwhelm the liver's ability to process them. The
color change is particularly apparent in the whites of their
eyes. When I see a jaundiced anemic animal several diseases
come to mind. The one I see the most is acute autoimmune
anemia, the second is zinc toxicity and the third is
babesiosis. I usually stain a thin film of blood taken from
the earflap or toenail of these animals in my office. It is
common to see "bullseye" appearing red blood cells that
lack the proper amount of hemoglobin. When I am fortunate I
will see the parasites. Babesia gibsoni organisms can easily
be overlooked in a blood smear because they are small, usually
single and variable in shape (pleomorphic). If I do not find
any parasites but still suspect that they are there I send
blood off for an indirect fluorescent antibody test. Dogs with
the peracute form of the illness can die before treatment has
a chance to take effect.
the acute form of the disease the same symptoms are present
but they are less severe. In the chronic form of the disease
the dogs just don't have much energy. They are anemic but
not severely so. Examination of the blood from these dogs may
not detect the parasite. One does find a large number of
immature red blood cells (regenerative anemia) because the
body sends them into circulation prematurely to make up for
those that are lost to the disease. These dogs also have a
very enlarged spleen. They are rarely jaundiced. Most owners
complain that their dog just doesn't have the pep it once
did. These dogs are usually thin and if they run a fever it is
low and intermittent. Kidney and liver function in these dogs
is often poor. Laboratory tests on the blood of these patients
show, besides regenerative anemia, increased red cell pigments
free in the blood and urine. Sometimes, enzymes that measure
liver function (AP, ALT and LDH) as well as tests that measure
kidney function (BUN, Creatinine) are elevated, indicating
damage to these organs. Unfortunately this disease is often
misdiagnosed as autoimmune hemolytic anemia because tests for
autoimmunity become positive in babesiosis.babesia dog
dogs that succumb to the disease pathological examination of
the liver often shows severe hepatitis (centrilobular
hepatitis), inflammation of the arteries (multifocal
necrotizing arteritis) and kidney inflammation
(membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis) as well as
inflammation of the lymph nodes (lymphadenopathy)
dogs that are not treated, the chronic antigenic stimulation
associated with persistent infection can result in chronic
kidney inflammation (glomerulonephritis), liver failure and
inflammation of the blood vesicles (vasculitis).
treat this disease with anti-babesiosis drugs, intravenous
fluids, blood building tonics and good nursing care. Imidocarb
dipropionate (Imizol, Burroughs Wellcome, Schering-Plough) is
the drug of choice. It is given at 2.5 mg/pound body weight by
deep muscular injection every two weeks for two treatments.
Sometimes dogs are simultaneously infected with a second
parasite, Ehrlichia canis. When this is the case imidocarb
destroys them both. Some dogs treated by this method recover
very rapidly but others do not. Many cases relapse and those
that do recover may become chronic carriers that transmit the
disease to other dogs.
Ehrlichiosis is a disease caused by Ehrlichia canis.
The main symptoms are: fever, loss of weight, tiredness and
lack of appetite. This disease can in turn lead to
considerable anaemia and low number of platelets. Other
symptoms observed are heavy and laboured breathing and
stiffness in the legs. Erhlichiosis is a very serious disease
and can be fatal. The spread of E.canis is
dependent on the distribution of the vector, Rhipicephalus
sanguineus. This tick was originally to be found in
southern European areas, but is increasingly spreading
ehrlichiosis is an acute to chronic disease characterized by
infection of monocytes and lymphocytes, with the intracellular
gram-negative bacteria, Ehrlichia canis, E. chaffeesis (monocytic
ehrlichiosis), and E. ewingi (granulocytic
ehrlichiosis may be complicated by concurrent infection with
babesiosis and mycoplasmosis. Diagnosis of ehrlichiosis is
based on visualization of the morulae, detection of
antibodies, and ideally PCR.
encephalitis (TBE), also known as Central European
encephalitis or Russian spring-summer encephalitis, is a
flavivirus infection of the central nervous system. The two
most important genotypes of tickborne encephalitis virus
(TBEV) are European and Far Eastern, transmitted by the hard
ticks Ixodes ricinus and I. persulcatus, respectively. Human
TBEV infections are acquired through bites of infected ticks
or, rarely, by ingesting unpasteurized dairy products
primarily from infected goats, sheep, or cows.
is still not absolutely confirmed that dogs can be infected.
However, eight dogs originating from different regions of
Austria [all of them known as tick-borne encephalitis (TBE)
areas] with severe neurological signs were either euthanatized
or died spontaneously. Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV)
antigen was detected in the brains of five of these dogs by
immunohistology, but not in the others. All of the dogs,
however, had identical neuropathological changes. Due to rapid
virus clearance mechanisms in this disease, antigen was not
detectable in all cases. Neuropathological changes identical
with those of immunohistologically proven cases justified the
diagnosis TBE in these cases. In addition, the
neuropathological diagnosis was supported by the origin of the
affected dogs from endemic areas, the seasonal occurrence of
the disease and a clinical history of a highly febrile
neurological disease with short duration.
two subtypes of this disease have been identified, sometimes
known as Russian spring/summer encephalitis and Central
European encephalitis, but there is little difference between
them. The disease is reported from Scandinavia, Western
Europe, Central Europe, the former Soviet Union, and East
Asia. The peak incidence is from April through August. The
incubation period is usually from one to two weeks, but may
vary. The disease typically begins as a flu-like illness,
including fever, headache, and vomiting, followed by the
development of neurologic symptoms, including neck stiffness,
dizziness, tremors, drowsiness, delirium, and coma. Neurologic
damage may be permanent, causing chronic headaches, difficulty
concentrating, muscle weakness or loss of balance. A small
percentage of cases are fatal. The disease is rarely severe in
children less than four years old.
act as both the vector and reservoir for TBEV. The main hosts
are small rodents, with humans being accidental hosts. Large
animals are feeding hosts for the ticks, but do not play a
role in maintenance of the virus. The virus can chronically
infect ticks and is transmitted both transtadially (from larva
to nymph to adult ticks) and transovarially (from adult female
tick through eggs). The incubation period of TBE is usually
between 7 and 14 days and is asymptomatic.
hepatozoonosis is a tick-borne disease caused by apicomplexan
protozoa. Two different species of Hepatozoon infect
dogs, H. canis in the Europe and South America, and Hepatozoonosis americanum in the southern USA. Hepatozoonosis
canis infection (HCI) varies between being
asymptomatic in dogs with a low parasitemia, to a severe
disease with anemia, profound lethargy and cachexia in dogs
with a large number of circulating parasites. Hepatozoonosis americanum infection (HAI) is manifested mainly by gait
abnormalities and musculoskeletal pain due to myositis and
periosteal bone lesions.
HCI and infection with other canine pathogens is common.
Co-infections with H. canis reported include:
parvovirus, Ehrlichia canis, Toxoplasma gondii and Leishmania
infantum. In contrast to the generally mild disease found
in HCI, HAI is almost always a severe disease that leads to
debilitation and death. Most dogs diagnosed with HAI are
presented with fever, gait abnormalities, muscular pain
induced by myositis, generalized muscular atrophy and
mucopurulent ocular discharge. The pain can be generalized or
localized in the lumbar and cervical spine, or joints. Gait
abnormalities include stiffness, hind limb paresis, ataxia and
inability to rise. A marked neutrophilia is one of the
consistent hematologic findings in HAI. Leukocyte counts range
from 30,000 to 200,000/ml blood. Serum biochemical
abnormalities include increased alkaline phosphatase activity
is a very severe illness and can end with the death of the
of the mosquito, called "butterfly mosquito" or
Phlebotomus, transmits Leishmaniosis into the dog's organism,
a riquetzia called Leishmania infantum. Against Leishmania no
vaccination exists up to now, but there is medication to treat
is found in the north of Latin-America and in the
Mediterranean zone, where it is endemic. Also in Portugal,
Spain, France, Italy, Malta, Greece, Turkey, Israel, Egypt,
Libya and Morocco.
of the first symptoms is the loss of hair around the eyes and
the nose. In almost all the cases we can see that the dog has
appetite but can notice a weight loss. It shows inflammation
of the skin on the head and paws; but mostly in the parts
where there is contact with the ground. In the last stages of
the illness, we can notice long and soft claws.
incubation time can be from 3 month to 18 months. It is very
rare that Leishmanias stays undetected and remain in an
immature stage with no symptoms or development. Sometimes -
but also very rarely, the organism eliminates Leishmaniosis by
the doIIn the dog, the Leishmania lives in special cells
called Macrofagus (one of the white cells). These are
found in the blood, skin and different organs. The parasite
has a round form and its reproduction is by cellular division.
If the mosquito bites an infected dog, it takes the infected
cells through the skin. In the mosquito's stomach the cells
are broken and release the Leishmania. This parasite
(Leishmania) reproduces itself after days in many immature
forms. Then, the female mosquito, starts to search for its
aliment: the blood.
this mosquito bites the dog for the second time, it puts the
eggs under the skin, producing an inflammatory reaction in the
place of the bite. Preferably in the lips, nose or ear (where
the access of the mosquito is easier because of less hair).
There, the parasites are captured by the macrofagus and will
spread to different organs of the dog.
mosquito is rarely seen during the day - normally they hide in
holes until the twilight. It is very small. Their colour is
from "kaki" to brown. When they want to bite, they
jump with the back legs, wings wide open on the dog's body.
They bite people and dogs. If the person is allergic, it will
feel like your skin is burning. This mosquito doesn't live on
the beach, but you can find them in the garden, or any humid
place. The activity of the mosquito starts in May until
September and when the temperatures continue to stay warm -
they can last until October.
AGAINST TICKS AND TICK TRANSMITTED DISEASES
sucking blood, ticks produce a substance that prevents them
from being recognised immediately. When attached to the skin
various bacterias are released into the bloodtream of the
host. This transmission starts a couple of hours after the
bite and comes to its peak about 72 hours after the bite.
Therefore it is very important to identify and remove a tick
as soon as possibnle.
The proper way to remove a tick is
using a set of fine tweezers and gripping the tick as close to
the skin as is possible. The use of a smoldering match or
cigarette, nail polish, Vaseline, or kerosene should be
avoided, since they may irritate the tick and cause it to
behave like a syringe, injecting organism-bearing bodily
fluids into the wound.
The proper technique for tick removal
includes the following steps:
a fine tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin
surface as possible.
backwards gently but firmly, using an even, steady
pressure. Do not jerk or twist.
not squeeze, crush, or puncture the body of the tick,
since its fluids may contain infectious agents.
removing the tick, disinfect the skin and hands thoroughly
with soap and water.
sections of the mouth parts of the tick remain in the
skin, these should be left alone; they will be expelled on
their own. Attempts to remove these parts may result in
significant skin trauma.
of diseases are transmitted by tiny larves or nymphs that are
not easily to be found, therefore the most successful
protection against such diseases it to protect your dog from
the tick bite at all. There are a lot of products that can be
used to keep the ticks away, shampoos, sprays, spot-on
products or collars. Shampoos, sprays or spot-on products
usually keep the protection up for a limited period of up to
four weeks, while collars relase their substances during the
is also a "tick" vaccination available, however this
vaccination offers protection against borreliosis only.
Furthermore there is some sceptisism about this efects of this
vaccination. In any case you also should talk to your vet
about tick protection.
prophylaxis and acute treatment
the only vaccination available for dogs is borreliosis. Others
that might be available are in the testing stage. We do not
vaccinate our dogs against borreliosis. For one, because we do
not see the benefit to have protection against one disease,
but non against all the others. And because we do not like to
expose our dogs to all negative side effects of the
vaccination, when there is no 100 % guarantee that the dogs
have got full protection.
are using homeopathic treatments already for several years.
Therefore we've decided to fight tick transmitted diseases
with homeopathic remedies as well. We've been very
successful with this strategy sofar. We even were able to
watch the dog of one of our friends, serverely fallen ill with
babesiosis, being cured by our homeopathic vet, after all
common treatments had failed. We use the following remedies:
Homeopathic acute symptom treatment:
1 of tick bite
APIS C200 (3-5 globuli)
3 of tick bite
remedies (Apis + Ledum) can also be used after stung by bees
or mosquitos. In case of a wasp or hornet bite we would
use Apis , followed by VESPA CRABRO C200 (3-5
globuli) instead of Ledum. In the case of these insect bites
the remedies shall be taken with a 15 minutes intervals.
LEDUM C200 (3-5 globuli)
The best way to administer the remedy to
your dog is just to drop a few globuli
into the lid and pour them directly into the mouth of your dog.
ignited or timid areas left from the bite can be desinfected
with Echinacea- or Calendula tincture. When our dogs
get another tick bite witin 1 month, wwe do not repeat the
treatment. After that period we use the same remedies again.
There is also the possibility of a homeopathic
At the beginning of the tick
TICK BITE NOSOD C200 (3 Globuli twice within 15
After the 1st tick bite (only once
BORRELIA NOSOD C200 (3 Globuli twice within 15 minutes)
talk to a homeopathic vet about the possibilities!
removal card - SafeCard®
closely inspect your pet and yourself after walking in woods,
fields or meadows. If your detect any ticks, do not crush the
tick's body during removal. Rather, use tweezers or forceps
(or a specialized tick removal device such as the Trix tick
remover) to grasp the tick's head as close to your pet's skin
as possible, and gently remove the tick to avoid separation of
the tick's head from its body.
studies have shown that the known removal methods can even
increase the risk of infection. When the tick is squeezed or
turned or irritated in any other way it is much more likely
that the tick releases its bacteria into the body of the host.
new tick removal card , SafeCard, is based on a simple principle: ticks are
removed without any violence. It
is just "moved" from the body with the card, in a steady and gently gliding
was developed in cooperation between scientists and doctors.
The card is designed in a way that it can be used at any part
of the body. It
has the same size as any other credit or cheuque card and can
be carried in the wallet.
Long-term prophylaxis with Spot-On
Spot-On products are available from various pharamceutical companies. Most are based on very poisonous substances that go into the animals organism through its skin. The toxin in some products is so strong that cats die when they get in touch with the substance.
The alternative are spot-on products that use natural substances only:
cdVet Defence Concentrate
Defence Concentrate for Dogs repelling parasites with a combination of aromatic oils.
The odour of the dogs is slightly influenced.This odours is for human and animal not recognizable but intolerable for insects and teases. It is a natural alternativ to conventional chemical procedures for defence of teases and insects at the animal. Within an all the year appliance the concentrate offers also an optimal protection againat fleas (thus fleas exists
during the whole year). Dermatologically tested
Recommendation of appliance:
Massage during 3 weeks daily 1 drop of the Concentrate into the skin at the neck and the root of the tail. After this 3 weeks the procedure is only repeated twice a week. Within consequent appliance cdVet Defence Concentrate is the optimal alternative.
tee-tree oil, buxus, jojoba oil, lavender oil, geranium oil
A biological defense concentrate, to be applied once a month. Based on natural substances, does no harm to kids and puppies. Parasites don't get resistant. PET-Fit Ex can be used for all kind of pets.
Biological plant oils, triglyceride, Glyceride, without chemicals
Short-term prophylaxis with
people have already experience with insect repellent sprays.
Especially when it comes to mosquitos, everyone has used them at least once. Unfortunately
insects get immune
against these products after some time. The following sprays
work with absolutely natural ingredients only. Most of them
are known to be repellent, however it is the combination that
makes the good product.
Defence sprays can be used in addition to long-term products when staying in an area with lots of insects. Should be applied shortly before entering such areas. Can also be used by humans.
Viticks Cool Plus
The product contains as active reagent a carbon dioxide extract of the seed of the monk pepper tree (Vitex-agnus castus) cares and cools the skin and provides a repellent effect especially against ticks and mites. Based on tests this effect can persist up to 6 hours. The effect persists also up to 6 hours if the product is applied against flees and longer than 6 hours if it should be applied against anopheles mosquitoes, culex mosquitoes, biting houseflies and gadflies.
- Culex-Mosquitoes 9 hrs
- Anopheles-Mosquitoes 9 hrs
- Sandflies 4,5 hrs
- Aedes-Mosquitoes 2,5 h
- Biting Housefly 4,5 hrs
- Flea 6 h
- Ticks 6 hrs
Water, Ethanol, PEG-40 hydrogenated Castoroil
ZEDAN SP with LSF 4 is purely made of organic substances and natural ingredients, without any synthetic preservation. Excellent results to repel parasitres like ticks, fleas, lice, mosquitos etc.
Walnut oil, sesame oil and avocado oil have a soothing effect to coat and skin, and give natural protection against UV light. They also keep the lotion in the coat of animals (without getting sticky) which keeps the effect for a couple of days.
cedarwood, idris-yaghi, eucalyptus, mint, citronella and cloves
There are various different collars available. Most of them are based on toxic substances and give protection onyl when they are always used.
This gives some problems with breeds that have crisp coat,
like the schnauzer breed. The collar leaves a mark in the coat
on the neck, where its worn.
- Scalibor® Collar
Scailbor collar is designed to control sandflies, the vectors of canine Leishminiasis and tick infestations for up to six months. Scalibor collars are odourless and remain active even when the dog becomes wet.
As the collar exerts its full effect after one week, the collar should be applied 1 week before animals are likely to become exposed to infestation. It is continuously used for the fist 14 days, after this period when going outside, only.
Deltamethrin was a well known substance already long ago in persia and africa to protect hunting dogs and to apply on mosquito nets. The substance is spread evenly on the dog skin and though protects the whole body.
The collar can be used on puppies (after 7 weeks) as well as pregnant bitches.
Scalibor collar has the following effect:
While occasional contact with water does not reduce the effectiveness of the collar, it should be removed before swimming and bathing the dog because the active substance is harmful to fish and other aquatic organisms.
the parasite from investing
- feeding - efect:
the parasite from biting
- down - efect:
Dogs must be prevented from swimming in water for the first five days of wearing the collar.
purchase at AnimalCareShop
bean tick or forest tick
female tick of the species Ixodes ricinus, different sizes
depending on volume of blood sucked;
upper left : male tick, sticking on the females belly
Ixodes ricinus is
a hard tick that infests livestock, deer, dogs, and a wide
variety of other species including humans. This tick has long
mouthparts that can make its bites painful and annoying; the
bites can also become secondarily infected by bacteria.
Feeding by large numbers of ticks may result in anemia. Ixodes
ricinus can also transmit numerous diseases including
babesiosis (Babesia divergens and Babesia bovis infections),
louping ill, tick-borne encephalitis, rickettsial tick borne
fever of sheep, Lyme disease, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic
fever, and Bukhovinian hemorrhagic fever. It can also spread Anaplasma
marginale, Coxiella burnetii, and Ehrlichia
ricinus feed on large mammals such as cattle, sheep, and
deer. The larvae of this species feed on small reptiles,
mammals, and birds and the nymphs parasitize small and medium-sized
vertebrates. In endemic areas, dogs and cats can be infested.
Ixodes ricinus can
be found in cool, relatively humid, shrubby or wooded
pastures, gardens, floodplains, and forests. This tick is
endemic in most of Europe, parts of Asia, and North Africa.
Ixodes ricinus is
a three-host tick. The larvae feed on small reptiles,
mammals, and birds and the nymphs parasitize small and medium-sized
vertebrates. The adult ticks feed only on large mammals,
including cattle, sheep, and deer. Ixodes ricinus ticks
are often found around the mouth, ears, and eyelids of sheep,
dogs, and cats, and around the udder and axillary region of
The life cycle of Ixodes
ricinus usually takes two to four years to complete. This
tick can only survive in areas with high humidity and is not
usually active in the summer. Ticks that do not feed in the
spring do not usually survive the summer.
Ixodes ricinus is
a member of the family Ixodidae (hard ticks). Hard ticks have
a dorsal shield (scutum) and their mouthparts (capitulum)
protrude forward when they are seen from above. Ixodes ticks
have long mouthparts but no eyes. They are inornate and have
no festoons. The anal groove is distinct and surrounds the
anus anteriorly. Ixodes are sexually dimorphic: the
stigmatic (spiracular) plates are oval in males, but circular
in females. The ventral surface of the male has seven non-projecting,
armor like plates.
ricinus are red-brown; however, the female ticks are
light gray when engorged. Before feeding, the males are
approximately 2.5-3 mm long and the females 3-4 mm long.
When they are engorged, the females can be as long as 1 cm. In
this species, a spur is found on the posterior internal angle
of the coxa of the first pair of legs; this spur overlaps the
coxa of the second pair of legs. The tarsi are moderately long
tick or scrub tick
left : female, right : male
There are 30 known
Dermacentor species worldwide, two of which are found in
Europe: D.reticulatus (marsh tick or ornate cow tick)
and D.marginatus (ornate sheep tick).
The marsh tick is
regarded as the most dangerous carrier of babesiosis. This
tick is larger and more colourful than other species. It is
approximately 5 millimeters large while unfed, but can measure
up to 16 millimeters after it has successfully completed its
blood meal. Females have a white shield with dark spots on the
front of their backs, while on male marsh ticks this shield
covers the entire back. Marsh ticks are frequently found in
France, northern Spain, northern Italy and Croatia, and have
also occurred in large quantities in Germany in recent years.
reticulatus has particular affinity for low pressure troughs
close to rivers. It is mainly found in rural ecosystems but
also in peri-urban areas, fallow land and wasteland. Similarly
to Ixodes, Dermacentor may develop on different hosts.
Life cycle 1-2 years.
the eggs that are laid and hatch on the ground. It is a three
host tick: Tick species where all three stages target
different hosts. Adults target medium to large mammals: sheep,
cattle, dogs, men, horses and pigs Nymph and Larva target
small mammals, insectivores and occasionally birds.
tick or brown dog tick
tick or brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus)
The brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus
sanguineus Latreille, is unusual among ticks, in that it can
complete its entire life cycle indoors. Because of this, it
can establish populations in colder climates, and has been
found in much of the world. Many tick species can be carried
indoors on animals, but cannot complete their entire life
cycle inside. Although R. sanguineus will feed on a wide
variety of mammals, dogs are the preferred host in the US and
appear to be required to develop large infestations.
Infestations in houses can explode to
very high levels quickly. Typically, a few ticks are brought
into the house or kennel, often on a dog which has been away
from home. The early stages of the infestation, when only a
few individuals are present, are often missed completely. The
first indication the dog owner has that there is a problem is
when they start noticing ticks crawling up the walls or
The tick is found world-wide, more
commonly in warmer climates. It is present throughout Florida,
and is found on dogs, in kennels and houses, and occasionally
Among ticks in Florida, this tick is
easily recognized. It is small, red-brown in color (called the
red dog tick in other parts of the world), and lacking any
ornamentation. Although not sufficient for formal
identification, it can be recognized by its by red-brown
color, elongated body shape, and hexagonal basis capituli. The
hexagonal basis capituli is a particularly good identifying
character, as only one other tick species with this feature
has ever been found in Florida (Boophilus annulatus, the
cattle tick). The cattle tick was eradicated from Florida many
years ago, so ticks found in Florida now with a hexagonal
basis captituli are almost certainly R. sanguineus.
In the US, the brown dog tick prefers
to feed on dogs in all stages. However, it will feed on other
mammals, including domestic animals and humans. This is most
likely to occur if it can't find a dog nearby, so beware of
trying to control the tick by removing the dogs! Elsewhere in
the world, it is more frequently found feeding on other
mammals. This difference in host preference is not completely
understood, but is probably related to the animals available
and differences in the populations from the original
introductions into new areas. In the southeastern US, it has
been reported occasionally from rodents and deer, but most
collections are from dogs and (much less commonly)