Study Finds Ticks Choose Humans Over Dogs When Temperature Rises

[Julieanne]

Patrick Barkham
November 17 2020


Confining a young researcher in one box and a dog in another and unleashing blood-sucking ticks to scamper between the boxes sounds like a stunt from I’m A Celebrity.
But the stomach-churning scientific experiment has revealed that ticks carrying the deadly Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) disease are more than twice as likely to shift their feeding preference from dogs to humans when temperatures rise.
The study, presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH), observed whether the ticks, which use smell to seek out a host upon whose blood to feed, scuttled along a plastic tube towards the dog or the human.


Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/science/...perature-rises

[Islander]

This is good to know. I hope readers also know that if they are bitten, they need to contact their doctor immediately to get a prescription for doxycycline. It's only a single pill but it will offset any dangers from the tick bite if it's taken immediately, that is, within 24-48 hours.

[BandsAiud]

Omg, this is very alarming considering we have half a year summer here. I plan to have a pup once I get to move to my new home, but I guess I need to study proper grooming first before doing so.

[Islander]

Once you have a dog, your vet can provide a flea and tick repellent. Following directions should keep your dog free of ticks during the summer months. That doesn't mean you can get careless. You need to take precautions and dress accordingly when walking through tall grass.

[BandsAiud]

I've read some articles last week about what can you and cannot feed to a dog, it's a bunch, I need to learn these all before deciding to go get one.

[Maurya]

List Of Foods Not To Feed Your Dog

Here’s an alphabetized list of foods that are unsafe and unfit for canine consumption, many of which are toxic to dogs. Be sure to look below this list for a helpful and shareable infographic to print out and keep on your fridge so you know what things dogs can’t eat.

1. Alcohol
2. Apple Seeds
3. Avocado
4. Candy, Chewing Gum, Toothpaste & Mouthwash
5. Cat Food
6. Chocolate
7. Coffee, Tea & Other Caffeine
8. Cooked Bones
9. Corn On The Cob
10. Fat Trimmings
11. Garlic
12. Grapes & Raisins
13. Hops
14. Human Vitamins
15. Liver
16. Macadamia Nuts
17. Marijuana
18. Milk & Dairy Products
19. Onions & Chives
20. Peppers
21. Persimmon, Peaches & Plum Pits
22. Raw Meat & Fish
23. Rhubarb & Tomato Leaves
    
24. Salt
25. Sugar
26. Tobacco
27. Xylitol
28. Yeast
    
    https://www.caninejournal.com/foods-not-to-feed-dog/

[BandsAiud]

@Maurya I think this list is also for cats to avoid. Thanks for sharing.

[Islander]

Wait, no raw meat? But that's what dogs evolved on! I fed my dog a combination of raw ground liver, kidney, heart and other offal for years, mixed with veggies and pasta. I stopped only because I was getting this mix from a local slaughterhouse in bags of 15 or 20 pounds, and the need to repack it all in 1-pound Ziploc bags got to be too big a task. But every fall when I get a side of pork or lamb, the dog gets the raw organ meats and thrives on it all. So why the ban?

[Julieanne]

Islander, I queried this also - makes no sense. I had a dog years ago that loved to roll grapes around the floor till he eventually ate them. No harmful affects that I could see. I also had friends that gave their dogs garlic regularly, so not too sure about this list.

I once knew avocado growers whose dog loved to eat avos that had fallen. They had to restrict him because he was getting fat!