I have been having a battle with ticks for about the past year, on and off. Ive used frontline plus, advantix, preventix, pyrethrin dip natural sprays, lavender, and who knows what else. I have sprayed the house, sprayed the yard, sprayed the car, the dog and everywhere else. My maltese is finally free and clear and my house (inside) seems to be doing much better. I have been very busy lately (about to move) so I have been a bit neglectful of the big dogs for a few weeks. I feed them and take care of them but I havent actually been around them too much. Yesterday I was outside with one and started scratching and petting her and was horrified but what I thought was a "more tick free dog". Still having the preventic collar, (recommended by the vet as the most effective tick remedy) and advantics, she was covered from head to toe. It was like a massive tick invasion. Today I spent the entire day with one dog dipping and picking and spraying and cleaning. There was blood and bugs and it was just a mess. They were recently checked for disease caused by ticks and one (the maltese which I got from here a year back) came up with lyme and the other 2 were fine. They are going back to the vet to be dipped and shaved and picked at some more. I am looking into yet another company coming out to spray again. I am moving to the country and I was told that chicken or guinea fowl make for great pest control and actually LOVE to eat ticks. Has anyone heard any of this or experienced it? Is there any other recommendations? My poor beautiful babies are now looking like blood drained street dogs. Oh and after dipping the one today and putting a new (the last was right at the end of the 3 month period) preventic collar on I had ticks crawling everywhere. they did just want to get away. But for every 1 that fell off there were still 10 more on her. Needless to say I still have her outside because I cant bring that many ticks in. Tomorrow I start the yard treatment that I bought and treating yet again the other dog. If anyone knows about chickens or guineas or has any other advise PLEASE HELP!
Thanks!
- Location: Orlando
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