Oh fun, tick season is in full bloom once again! AND man are we inundated with them this year! I live in a rural area in northern MN, surrounded by woods and deer, lyme disease is up in our area from the past (big surprise!).

I have a cat whose favorite hang out is in the moist tall grass on the edge of our yard, bordering the forest, where the deer come to graze. We had a doe standing at our front door step, pounding her hooves at our cat sitting on the step a couple days ago...cute and funny, but not when thinking about the ticks they are leaving behind - ugh! Deer are frequent visitors to our yard, year round.

We brush our cat and do a tick search after all trips outside, but it's impossible to be 100%. Yesterday, in one brushing, I removed 4 loose ticks from him. Today, so far one loose one and one I had to have missed that was now engorged on his neck. This is a daily occurrance this spring.

My hubby removed a deer tick off of my back 16 days ago. I think it was attached only shortly, so I was not overly concerned this time around, but still concerned, of course. No rash (I know that doesn't mean no lyme). I have had no ill effects, so feel pretty safe on this one - as much as that is possible.

My hubby had one attached on his upper thigh. He discovered it in the morning, after remembering something kept itching in that area and saw it was red around the area. He doesn't know if it was red only from scratching or a rash. This was on Sunday. He made an appt to see a doc tomorrow. He works outdoors (forester) and fellow employees told him that many are on a prophylactic dose of antibiotic after removing ticks, some are on subsequent dosing after subsequent tick bites.

Can anyone fill me in on what the current thinking is about prophylactic dosing, the med used, length of time, etc? My thinking is doxycyline? What about treating after EVERY tick bite?? That could be extensive, where we live and work!

We have quite the tick collection! I have 3 containers with a moist cotton ball in each and labeled with ticks taken off me, hubby, and cat. I have index cards with 'loose' ticks taped to them...tired of running to flush them down the toilet. They can't go anywhere this way. Now I take the cat's brush out on the deck, along with index cards and tape, several times a day for tick patrol. NEXT cat is an indoor only pet!

I saw in the lyme email list that GA has a program for sending ticks for research - does anyone know if any such program exists in MN? I have searched and emailed for info on this and am not aware of any similar program here. I wish there was, so researchers would have more accurate info. As some of you may know from previous postings of mine, I was going the merry-go-round experience to try to find out if I had lyme after being bitten by a deer tick last spring and falling ill. I was told repeatedly by doctors that there was not a high incidence of lyme in our area (WRONG!); it's so frustrating as you all well know! NOW this spring they are coming out with all kinds of reports of an increase in lyme carrying ticks in our area in 2004. DUH! I wonder if the docs in our area are finally LISTENING, since they are putting hubby's co-workers on prophylactic doses now?

Thanks for any info you can offer; I appreciate it!

sigh....

quote:

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Originally posted by cave76:
Giving you what I would do. (Based on lots of reading and listening) I'm NOT a doctor But many llmds do it this way also.

Start on doxy as soon as you discover a tick bite. As soon!

Send the tick in for testing to IGeneX for ALL tick borne infections.

Stay on doxy until the results of the tick test come back, and then some.

If tick is positive for Lyme stay on abx for a long time.

Just what I would do. There is just too much controversy about how long a tick is attached before it can transmit disease. I'd go the safe way and let science sort itself out.

Not a doctor. Did I say that?

cave76
[email protected]

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Thanks for your help and opinion. I appreciate your sharing what you would do.

I have hung onto the ticks in the event I decide to send them to IgeneX for testing. Amazing how those things can survive in a closed container! The one that was on me is still as lively as ever, 16 days later.

I have a couple reasons why I haven't sent them, 1)cost and the 2)fact that it doesn't tell us if hubby or I actually contracted lyme even if the tick tests positive...so for now, just keeping the things alive in the containers and remisting their cotton balls as needed until I decide, haha.

Do you recall how soon after a bite a prophylactic dose 'needs' to be started? I have been trying to remember what I have read in the past....but can't recall. I know right away is best, but just trying to remember if there is a time frame that is stated.

I have found the same thing from all my reading on Lyme, that the length of time a tick needs to be attached to contract lyme is so controversial!!! For that reason, I haven't dimissed this bite.