Cheap Tick Defense for You and Your Dogs

[underdog]

Hello beaglers its tick season and they are BAD this year. I’ve literally pulled off hundreds of ticks from my dogs and myself. One left a red spot the size of a quarter in the middle of my back that itched for two weeks. I was leery of those disease carrying blood suckers, especially after a friend of mine got sick from a tick bite last year and another friend lost a dog due to a tick bite.

I’ve discovered a few cheap products that you may or may not use or know about.
First I will start with protecting yourself. I went to Bass Pro Shop and bought a Rynoskin insect protection shirt and pair of pants after reading the outstanding reviews on how they have helped protect other hunters from tick bites.

I’m a skeptic, just like you and don’t have money to waste, but since I started wearing the shirt and pants under my clothes I haven’t found a single tick attached to my body. I bought the shirt and pants for under $50 bucks at Bass Pro. You can check out the links below for more information.
Shirt: http://www.basspro.com/Rynoskin-Insect- ... _THUMBNAIL

Pants: http://www.basspro.com/Rynoskin-Insect- ... 305005525/

I also spray my outer wear with deep wood off with deet and wear a light weight light grey shirt so that I can detect ticks crawling on me easily.

Now I know that there are many ways to protect your beagles from ticks and I’m not trying to tell you what to do. I like many of you use Front Line or Pet Armor on my dogs. If you have a pack of 5 or 6 dogs Front Line can be costly but if you buy the one designed for dogs 89 pounds and up you can usually cover 6 beagles that weigh around 20 pounds. You just have to do a little math to determine how much to use on your dogs.

The other tick fighter that I have been using is called Diatomaceous Earth. It is a non-toxic safe powder made up of diatoms, which were freshwater organisms that have since fossilized and have been harvested and pulverized into a fine powder. It is deadly on any insect with an exoskeleton and can also be used to help get rid of your dogs internal parasites. Under a microscope it looks like small chards of glass but in your hand it looks like a fine white or gray powder (depending on what brand you buy). The fine powder sticks to the legs and body of the insect and the tiny microscopic sharp pieces cut into the insects exoskeleton and they basically dehydrate and die. This can be dusted on the dogs and fed to them as well. If feeding it to them just wet the food and put it in the wet food and mix well. Just make sure you buy the food grade. I bought a 20 pound bag for $13 at Tractor Supply. The brand they carry is Red Lake. It has an added supplement so it is more of a grayish color but still food grade and totally safe. On a side note you can sprinkle this in their bedding and in the yard to kill fleas and ticks as well. The best thing about this product is that the food grade is safe for human contact and consumption so children playing in the yard will not be harmed with this bug defense! Humans use it for cholesterol reduction and reduced blood pressure as well as other benefits.

I carry a small container in my truck and lightly dust my dogs before a run. Just be careful not to get it in their eyes. Every since I started using it I haven’t found near as many tick attached to my hounds, which is a plus compared to the numbers that I was pulling off. Click on the link below to learn more about D-Earth http://www.richsoil.com/diatomaceous-earth.jsp.

There is no 100% prevention for ticks, but the products I’ve mentioned have helped make training dogs this spring more enjoyable by putting my mind at ease by reducing the number of ticks on me and my dogs. I hope these cheap tick defense tips help keep you and your dogs safer during tick season.

Anthony Taylor

[kwolf]

GREAT INFO, THANKS I WILL GIVE IT A TRY.

[indiana mike]

The preventic collar has been working well on my pup. Also if you get a bite that starts looking bad see a doctor. If it's Lyme they can put you on antibiotics and head off the disease. Thanks for posting the info. The tics have been about the worst I have ever seen here in NW Indiana this year.

[Owl Creek]

hi Anthony,
the tics are horably here this year.
how is that pup doing you got from mike?
got any new pic's of him?

Take care
Steve

[pcable]

Guys be sure not to breath in the dust. It is harmful to your lungs and your dog's lungs. It is good for all kinds of insects. you can even use it inside the house for ants, roaches, and other pests. Just use a mask when spreading it to protect your lungs.

[adirondackjoe]

a fried of mine puts gold bond foot power on his dogs. i don't if it works but he swears buy it.

[Panther Creek]

hi Anthony,
the tics are horably here this year.
how is that pup doing you got from mike?
got any new pic's of him?

Take care
Steve

HI Anthony
They ARE bad this year. Even the tiny "seed tics" are bad. I didn't know Bass pro had such a thing. Thanks for all the info.
I was wondering about your pup also.
Tim

[Alabama John]

Way to go underdog!!!!!!

We drink this everyday too. One level tablespoon with water or juice.

Amazing what nature can do without us created medicines to sell at big prices isn't it.

We like the Red Lake Earth as it also has some Calcium Bentonite Clay in it. Folks around here have been eating that clay for hundreds or years if not thousands.
About $25.00 for 40-50 pounds and give it to all your animals,. Great to put in chicken dust baths and laying nest, dogs food and bedding places, already in animals feed that eat grain to keep bugs from eating and multiplying in it.

Anyway, Glad you brought it up!!!

[underdog]

Thanks Alabama John. I don't post much, but I wanted to get the info out to help beaglers on this board. I'm glad someone on here knows from experience about it's benefits. I asked the lady at Tractor Supply about it and she said that she has been using it on her dogs, chickens and horses for years. It's working for me and my hounds.

I won't run my dogs without wearing the shirt and pants from Bass Pro. I haven't had a tick attatched to me since I started wearing them. I don't want to take any more chances with ticks being as bad as they are.

I hope everyone that is skeptical at least goes to the website to learn more. Both products are cheaper than a trip to the doctor and the vet.

Have a great day and thanks again for letting everyone know about the benefits you have experienced with D-Earth.

[Mo. Beagler 5000]

Here is a link from a manufactures that make clothing with bug spray built in and approved by the FDA. It is synthetic permetherin. I am going to try it. I can't stand it. I have DOZENS of bites on me getting infected and crap right now. I've never seen them so bad here.

http://dealnews.com/features/Keeping-Bu ... 07733.html

[JUDE]

[Tsa la gi]

Ticks are bad here in Ga. Ihad 6 on me a couple weeks ago after me and Cole went out. 4 attached. Orderded more of the clothing spray and have not had another tick. Don`t know if it works for dogs.
http://i444.photobucket.com/albums/qq16 ... gspray.jpg
Ordered this from Lion Country.

[DAN LANG]

..I picked up a bag at TSC the other day.....guy at the checkout said some lady bought a bag earlier in the day, told him she ate it herself..!..Said he could not imagine it....!..live and learn I guess...thanks for the info.....

[Mandi Schafer]

Straight up the best stuff ive ever found after buying and spending loads of money is a small container called Permectrin II it's a cattle dip I believe but i get a tub from wal-mart $5.00 bucks and fill it with water and add one or two bottles.

[DAN LANG]

..I found this at TSc the other day... Permectrin II it's a cattle dip .....how did you cut it ??..by how much.....looking at the bottle...it shows 90% Permectrin...the same stuff is in Happy Jack kennel dip at 10%///