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OK, I just had to start out that way. I guess this is kinda my version of something between a blog and a diary entry. I really just wanted to write it out, and maybe I would sleep better tonight.
So, it's about my girl. You know, the one who's on a food elimination diet. Well, couple weeks ago I challenged her for wheat. Hmmm, didn't do good. Instead of her usual food allergy response of her skin turning red, instead her response was just like responses in the past about giving her medications such as tapeworm dewormer, and heartworm and flea meds. This time with the wheat, instead of getting red, she started biting sores into herself in her personal areas. (yeah, this is kinda connected to the topic). Took her off the wheat, but she is clearly 2 weeks later still having issues with it.
So, fast foward to last Tuesday when I walk the dogs. Normally I go toward the dead end of our street, which is only 4/10's of a mile walk. I like going the other direction because then we can get a really good walk in. But, I've discovered that when we go the other way, my dogs pick up the kinds of ticks that have the barbs in them and I can't get the barbs out. Until last year, I didn't even know there were ticks with barbs. Really hate those things. I only knew about seed ticks and brown ticks. And if I walk our normal route, then we seem to only come across the seed ticks, but the barbed ones all seem to hang out in the other direction.
Well, we've been attatcked twice by dogs, and last Tuesday morning a neighbor calls to see if I had been walking b/c there was this huge ruckous of dogs on the road. So, I say thanks for letting me know, I'll just go the other way. It's been really cold lately, so I think it'll be alright. So, we go for a longer walk, and I let the dogs off the road into the leaves in the ditch in order for them to go to the bathroom. I'm not worried - it's been below freezing. That was Tuesday morning.
Thursday night, I notice a bright pink patch on her lower stomach, and I wonder, "why is she starting to bite herself there?". She should be getting over the wheat thing, even tho it is clear by her skin that she's still dealing with it. So, Friday morning, I do a check again on the sores she made from the wheat and notice the bright pink 1/2" patch is now blood red. It's where a nipple would be. The nipple is black. Why would she be biting herself there so hard? Close look- yep, it was one of those barbed ticks. It looked like a nipple and was really hard to tell it was a tick even upon close examination. 3 days.
So, I make an appt with a vet (mine was off today) and explain her reactions to some foods and medicines and he looks at the rash. We go ahead and start with an antibiotic. We went middle of the road with the meds. He said you could take it for weeks. And from the tiny bit I was able to read up on today, that usually is the way to go. But, he thinks since we caught it so very early that 10 days would be enough. Although from what little I read today, the people who have been thru tick issues seem to think the dosage should be higher than what the Merck book recommends. I saw him check the book for the amount for her weight. But catching it this early might make a big difference on how much meds she would need, if the rash is from the bacteria. Knowing my guys, and the ticks I have pulled off without rashes, I tend to think the rash does mean something. So, now I'm praying the meds will be enough since it was so early caught.
He said that ANY tick could transmit ANY disease. That the rash didn't necessary mean that it had transmitted something, but it could mean that it had. Just don't know. Sometimes there is a rash, sometimes not. Sometimes the rash doesn't happen this fast.
I know what Callie's been thru with the tick bite that started the IMHA with Billy. And yes, that is extremely rare for that to happen. But, I still felt it was still a fairly rare thing to worry about a tick carrying something. You know, there's plenty of things around to worry about - you've just gotta pick the things that are more likely to happen and focus on them. Tick diseases aren't so very common and I thought that could be something to put on the back burner and not worry about too much. Not that it wasn't a big deal, just that there is so much to keep track of. And I've already got my hands full with the food issues, and just thought this was so unlikely to happen that I could just keep it in mind, but not really focus on tick issues. Does that make sense? It's late, and I'm tired. Maybe the infected ticks are breeding and it is getting more common, or maybe we are just getting more aware of it. Either way, I just didn't think it would be an issue I would have to think about. Oddly enough, it's usually my boy the ticks go after. The fleas go for her, and the ticks for him. Vast majority of the time. Seriously. Which in itself seems odd, and I have wondered about that many times. OK, that was the highlights of our day.