Once Again Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 Ticks have been thick around here lately, so we've been doing nightly tick checks. Last night I spotted what I thought was just a tiny scab on one of my kids, but tonight it was quite apparent that it was a tick. We dabbed kerosene on it and then used tweezers to get it out, but I can tell at least part of the head is still in there. I've washed the bite and put antibiotic ointment on it. It was for certain on her over 24 hours and the head is still there. What should I do Dr. Hive? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 If this gets lost in the night bump up in the morning. We seem to have tick specialists on the board. Is it a small one that could carry Lyme? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janie Grace Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 This has happened to us before. I asked the ped about it and she said it's just like a splinter (or any other foreign body) -- eventually it will be worked out of the skin. If it is irritating in the meantime, use antibiotic cream. Watch for the tell-tale rash of course, but your chance of Lyme is no greater than if you had gotten the head. I don't think you're supposed to use kerosene, by the way. Everything I have read says tweezers, as close to the skin as possible, swift and steady movement as you pull it off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 Save the tick. (Ick, I know!) If necessary, you can have it tested. If a rash appears, take a pic - tape a quarter net to it, and write your child's name and the date on the tape. If the rash appears quickly - testing (which is not terribly reliable anyway) is pointless because the rash is diagnostic, plus it takes time to develop antibodies. My Lyme doc suggests a minimum of 30 days antibiotic because the life cycle of the spirochete is that long, and you want to cover the whole life cycle. Watch for other symptoms, too, including behavioral symptoms. Not everyone gets a rash. And Lyme is not the only disease carried by ticks. Just a note... Save the kerosene next time. Just tweezers - grab as close to the skin as possible and pull straight out. Dab area with alcohol afterward. So sorry you're dealing with this - but at least you are forearmed with knowledge, and will act quickly if anything comes of the bite! Quick action is the key. Wow, do I sound like the crazy tick lady??? That's what Lyme did to me... [sheepish grin]. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janie Grace Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 Watch for other symptoms, too, including behavioral symptoms. Not everyone gets a rash. And Lyme is not the only disease carried by ticks. What behavioral symptoms are you supposed to watch for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedgehogs4 Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 Ticks have been thick around here lately, so we've been doing nightly tick checks. Last night I spotted what I thought was just a tiny scab on one of my kids, but tonight it was quite apparent that it was a tick. We dabbed kerosene on it and then used tweezers to get it out, but I can tell at least part of the head is still in there. I've washed the bite and put antibiotic ointment on it. It was for certain on her over 24 hours and the head is still there. What should I do Dr. Hive? If it is was that small it was most likely a deer tick. More than 24 hours, definitely go to the Dr. and get antibiotics to nip any chance of Lyme disease. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedgehogs4 Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 We have this tool to get ticks off of our cats and kids. We are inundated with deer ticks here, and I was having a hard time getting the head out with tweezers, they're so dang tiny. This tool is awesome. Gets it every single time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 Behavioral symptoms ... Off the top of my head and please note that I'm a long-term Lyme patient but not a doc ... Word-finding difficulty, memory impairment, irritability, visual/spatial processing issues (getting lost, etc), mood swings, violent behavior, even hallucinations (can be only auditory or olfactory, too). If I remember correctly, the behavioral issues crop up more in kids, and those with late stage Lyme. Personally, after our family's experience - we treat all tick bites. But I understand that's not what everyone does, and that's okay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janie Grace Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 Behavioral symptoms ... Off the top of my head and please note that I'm a long-term Lyme patient but not a doc ... Word-finding difficulty, memory impairment, irritability, visual/spatial processing issues (getting lost, etc), mood swings, violent behavior, even hallucinations (can be only auditory or olfactory, too). If I remember correctly, the behavioral issues crop up more in kids, and those with late stage Lyme. Personally, after our family's experience - we treat all tick bites. But I understand that's not what everyone does, and that's okay. If we treated all bites, we'd be on antibiotics constantly. I take a tick off someone at least every other day. :( Thanks for the info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 :) Not practical for you at all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Once Again Posted May 27, 2011 Author Share Posted May 27, 2011 Thanks everyone. I will call our Dr. office this morning and see if they will be willing to give us some antibiotics. (they've been reluctant in the past, feeling that antibiotics are over prescribed) I'll definitely order that tick removal tool also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Once Again Posted May 27, 2011 Author Share Posted May 27, 2011 (edited) Okay, called the Dr.'s office, explained the situation and asked for antibiotics. Of course, they said no. So I guess I'll need to be watching her closely for the next few weeks. She's my PDD-NOS kid, and while she is verbal now, she isn't the best at communication. What visible symptoms should I watch for? She may not be able to tell me if she is getting sore. She has such a high pain threshold, she might not realize she is hurting. She was once stung by a wasp and did not cry at all. Edited May 27, 2011 by Once Again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindy in the NH Woods Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 Behavioral symptoms ... Off the top of my head and please note that I'm a long-term Lyme patient but not a doc ... Word-finding difficulty, memory impairment, irritability, visual/spatial processing issues (getting lost, etc), mood swings, violent behavior, even hallucinations (can be only auditory or olfactory, too). If I remember correctly, the behavioral issues crop up more in kids, and those with late stage Lyme. Personally, after our family's experience - we treat all tick bites. But I understand that's not what everyone does, and that's okay. I agree 100%; our dd experienced many of these symptoms. She is recovering from late stage LD of the central nervous system. Just reading about others' suffering really enrages me that there is not a safe vaccine for this life-altering illness. We can protect our dogs, but not our families? This is just wrong! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindy in the NH Woods Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 There are also some alternative medicine approaches to treatment; our LLMD recommends the herb Cat's Claw (google which kind to get), and magnesium. One of the kids recently had a suspicious looking bite; I kept an eye on it, traced the diameter of the swelling, etc. Also, because we live in an area endemic for LD, I am having our child take Cat's Claw as a prophylactic due to the bite. I would not hesitate to insist on antibiotics if the child developed any sick type symptoms, or if the bite just didn't "look right". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BatmansWife Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 We have this tool to get ticks off of our cats and kids. We are inundated with deer ticks here, and I was having a hard time getting the head out with tweezers, they're so dang tiny. This tool is awesome. Gets it every single time. Thank you for mentioning this device. I didn't even know there was such a thing. I am definitely getting one. Do you know if this works for both the bigger wood ticks and the smaller deer ticks? Just wondering if it said anything on the package. Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Once Again Posted May 27, 2011 Author Share Posted May 27, 2011 Is there a Lyme's Disease "literate" doctor in the Tulsa area? One who would be willing to prescribe an antibiotic for a deer tick bite prophylactically? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mejane Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 Thank you for mentioning this device. I didn't even know there was such a thing. I am definitely getting one. Do you know if this works for both the bigger wood ticks and the smaller deer ticks? Just wondering if it said anything on the package. Thanks again! If you go to this site, there is the option of buying a pack containing two tools - one for the larger dog ticks and one for the tiny deer ticks. http://www.ticktwister.com/index.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmasmommy Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 I agree 100%; our dd experienced many of these symptoms. She is recovering from late stage LD of the central nervous system. Just reading about others' suffering really enrages me that there is not a safe vaccine for this life-altering illness. We can protect our dogs, but not our families? This is just wrong! :iagree: We went through this with DS. 5 years of hell (getting physically attacked and verbally abused daily) before the proper diagnosis. Many children do not present with "typical" Lyme symptoms. You want to watch for the bulls eye rash around the tick bite. However you can have Lyme and not get the rash. Watch for anything out of the ordinary. :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BatmansWife Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 If you go to this site, there is the option of buying a pack containing two tools - one for the larger dog ticks and one for the tiny deer ticks. http://www.ticktwister.com/index.html Thank you so much. I didn't even think to see if they had a website. :blushing: I was going to bid on one 2-pack on eBay. This site is much better...a 2-pack for only $4.99. I just ordered two 2-packs. What a great deal! Shipping is the same for one or more packs. Now why in the world is Amazon selling the 2-packs for $64.64?? :confused: Something about that is just not right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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