Tick Attack

[mtn_mouse]

While heading to Mt Adams last week, I was savagely attacked by a tick, and woke up with the tick deeply embedded in my arm. Since it was an Oregon Tick, I immediatly tried to remove it by force, but to no avail. Smearing it with vasoline only allowed it to enter deeper. So I stopped by the doc to ask him to pluck it out for me. After much fiddling around, he said, Voila, the tick has been removed. I thanked him then looked at my arm, and there were three stitches in it as if a snafflehound had been embedded in my arm!!! Any one else have this happen, and are there any good old climbers tales on how to remove the dreaded Oregon Tick?

Serious posters only need to reply.

[catbirdseat]

Check frequently so you can catch them before they are deeply embedded and easy to remove.

[mtn_mouse]

So CBS, you're a scientist. What if I had just ripped the bugger out of my arm with tweezers, leaving the head in. How much of a problem would I realistically expect to have?

[Bigtree]

My dog and I get them all the time north of the border. In fact I (well, really my wife actually 'cause I was spazzing out) pulled one off my left testicle a few week-ends back with some tweezers (note to self: never wear loose fitting boxers during tick season).

[sk]

My dog and I get them all the time north of the border. In fact I (well, really my wife actually 'cause I was spazzing out) pulled one off my left testicle a few week-ends back with some tweezers (note to self: never wear loose fitting boxers during tick season).

 

you better buy that woman a gift. and make it something really good!!!

[catbirdseat]

So CBS, you're a scientist. What if I had just ripped the bugger out of my arm with tweezers, leaving the head in. How much of a problem would I realistically expect to have?

You wouldn't want to leave the head in. Pull gently and steadily until, hopefully, he comes off. If the head breaks off you'll either have to go in after it with a needle or have a doctor do it.

[mtn_mouse]

pulled one off my left testicle

 

:lmao:I'm never going outside again!

[Bigtree]

you better buy that woman a gift. and make it something really good!!!

 

How does that saying go...my money is her money and her money is her money? Oh never mind. She knows she's appreciated when she's being called in to perform "major surgery" on the family jewels.

[sk]

you better buy that woman a gift. and make it something really good!!!

 

How does that saying go...my money is her money and her money is her money? Oh never mind. She knows she's appreciated when she's being called in to perform "major surgery" on the family jewels.

 

 

well at least tell her she totally RULES from me!!!!

[Bigtree]

Will do. That should be an interesting conversation later this evening.

[sk]

heheheheheheh you can't post here and not talk about it.

[high_on_rock]

They say that if you just grab the thing and gently pulling thus putting gentle traction on it, it will eventually come out without leaving the head inside.

 

I personally have never had a tick bite, as I spray my pant legs with deet and never deal with the issue.

[pindude]

So CBS, you're a scientist. What if I had just ripped the bugger out of my arm with tweezers, leaving the head in. How much of a problem would I realistically expect to have?

 

In my 40+ years of living in the northwest (mostly east of the Cascade crest), I've pulled more than a 1,000 ticks off dogs, horses, sheep, and a few off myself and others, and NEVER have I pulled the head off. I'd expect the tick to be dead if by chance you did; certainly it's not going to regenerate a body.

 

Ticks generally latch on in hairy areas. You don't need need tweezers. Position the tick so it's ass end and body are as perpendicular as possible to the skin it's attached, and separate it from hair as much as you can. Pinch it gently on its abdomen as far forward as possible, between your thumb and forefinger. Pull gently. The tick will likely take a few tiny flecks of skin with it, but cause no or minimal bleeding. Some say to pull on the tick for up to 60 seconds before pulling it completely away, causing the tick to fatigue a bit and relax it's clamp so less skin is lost, but I've found that their grip is pretty tenacious and that doesn't help much if at all.

 

You can't easily smash their tiny exoskeleton bodies by stepping on them. If pulling off one or two, I'll smash them between a pointed small rock and a hard surface; for more I'll put them in a jar which can be emptied in a toilet.

 

One tick does not make a "savage attack." Most recently I pulled 17 off my folks' dog in mid-April when we realized ticks had just come into season here in eastern Washington. I immediately after that topically applied to the dog a product called Frontline, a systemic prevantitive that will keep ticks from latching on to dogs or cats, and lasts about 30 days. The ticks will go away once we get a few days in a row of real heat, but they could last for a couple months overall.

 

Lyme disease in incredibly rare in the NW. A boating buddy of mine was diagnosed with it 20 years ago. His doc told him his was the first reported case in the Inland NW. Tick Paralysis is another malady: Coming home after a week of climbing, I went to my folks' house to pick up my dog. His hind end collapsed underneath him as he came running toward me. I immediately found and pulled off a fat female who had latched on right on top of his spine near the base of his tail and likely had been there the whole week. He was fine after that.

 

Jeez you guys, you're supposed to be burly, manly climbers, what gives? Check your pets and yourselves frequently, and have some fun with it with your wife/girlfriend. Eric, Rocks of Sharon is crawling with the little buggers right now, be careful. Not sure how well DEET may help. Bigtree, good thing you've got a non-squeamish wife. And Mtn Mouse, buck up, or we'll send Donny Baker over to take care of you.

[pindude]

...Smearing it with vasoline only allowed it to enter deeper. So I stopped by the doc to ask him to pluck it out for me. After much fiddling around, he said, Voila...

 

So, did your doc fiddle around with you with Vaseline?

[Mtn Sk8tr]

Valid advice:

 

http://www.aafp.org/afp/20020815/643.html

[pindude]

OK, so my wife who is a ARNP took some of the smirk off my face. Thanks mtnsk8r. Mouth parts can be accidentally left in, which can cause serious complications. Another tick malady most know about, and is more prevalent in the Rockies, is Rocky Mtn Spotted Fever, which can occur with imbedded mouth parts. I once watched another "fiddle" a tick out with tweezers, pulling the body apart, and the tweezers were ultimately useful to get the mouth parts out. This person was an MD. In my experience, tweezers--especially sharp ones--are more likely to tear a tick body off before the tick is pulled out. Especially if the tick is an enlarged, engorged, blood-filled female, fingers work better. When you're done, just don't lick your fingers or eat before you wash your hands.

 

Less than 10% of the ticks I've pulled are the engorged type:

 

Most are like this little guy, which is about 10-20% the size of the above:

[mtn_mouse]

I have pulled ticks off before, just couln't this time, and never before saw a doctor. I probably should have just ripped it out. I forgot about Deet working so well, will add that next trip.

 

Pindude, I am not that Wimpy, and to prove it I had dry toast without butter this morning, then went outside and stuck my finger in a snake hole.

[pindude]

[mike1]

I just pulled one off my neck a few days ago! (yuk!) I was lucky because it came out very easy so it must have just started to dig in. That's number to for my life list... The first one was on my belly and it was dug in. I had heard this method and it worked fine. Use a Q-tip soaked in alcohol; using the Q-tip, hold the bugger flat against your skin and gently turn it like hands on the clock. You have to keep it flat in order for this to work. What happens is their two little mandible thingys begin to work their way out. I had that deep one out quickly and easily with this method, head and all. I subsequently pulled another half dozen from my dog over the years the same way without incedent.

[archenemy]

Will Makers Mark work?

 

I have had very poor luck getting ticks out. I have started using Frontline that includes the tick protection stuff (as mentioned above). I tried the alcohol swab thing and was told they would back out--I didn't do the twisting trick. I seem to always get the head pulled of the body. You said to squish the tick against your body before turning it, yes? Do you just push down pretty gently?

[kevbone]

I was hiking outside of bend about 15 years ago and my partner and I would stop every few hours to take tick checks. I went off to the brush to piss and looked down and there was a tick on my nutz. I just about freaked out completely. I just reached down and tried to flick him off to no avail. I had to squeeze him with my finger nails. Thank god he had not embedded yet. I still have nightmares.

[selkirk]

You would waste Makers Mark!

 

Heathen!

[Weekend_Climberz]

I think it was Dateline that I saw Frontline causing animals to have fits of vicious vomiting after they ingested small amounts of it. Revolution is what I give my animals and it protects against fleas, tick, all types of worms and other malady's. While living in the midwest, our school would do regular checks for lice and ticks about once a month. I hated waiting in line for someone to pick through my hair. I've had several ticks on me found in this manner. For removal, they would heat a needle up to red-hot and then singe the sucker so that it would release it's grasp before being grabbed by tweezers.

[pindude]

Will Makers Mark work?

 

I have had very poor luck getting ticks out. I have started using Frontline that includes the tick protection stuff (as mentioned above). I tried the alcohol swab thing and was told they would back out--I didn't do the twisting trick. I seem to always get the head pulled of the body. You said to squish the tick against your body before turning it, yes? Do you just push down pretty gently?

 

DON'T twist them as you pull: that's why the body is being pulled off the head. The twisting "trick" is plain wrong. And forget the alcohol swab thing too.

 

After getting the body perpendicular to the host skin surface, and separating it from as much hair as possible (and as I mentioned above), slowly and gently PULL IT STRAIGHT OFF. My nurse wife calls it "perpendicular traction." Archie, if you brought your pet over, I'd be glad to give you lessons.

 

Frontline is the best. It will very effectively keep ticks from latching on, but our dogs will still bring ticks into the house on top of their fur before the ticks bail off wherever they may be in the house, not untypically on our beds.

 

And oh, yeah, Makers Mark will indeed work. But only if you drink it yourself.

 

Work for what?

[rob]

Can I use frontline on myself? If not, can I at least wrap one of those flea and tick collars around my junk?

 

ticks on my nutz seems about as cool as a fart in a bivy sack