Another inverter question, plus ticks

[harrisgowing]

Our 2004 RSB had an inverter installed by Born Free that powers the tv and Directv box. To use either, the inverter must be on. The inverter doesn't power anything else. The original one failed last fall and we had a new 600 watt inverter installed in AL last fall while on the road. Five days on the road this spring, the new one failed and we are having a difficult time finding a place to install a new one - we don't tow and have 2 dogs so we can't leave the BF for a few days. With a very good extension cord for the tv, the antenna works as a short term solution. Does anyone know if a cable hookup will work with a dead inverter? Intuitively, it seems to me that a cable connection doesn't depend on an electrical source, but I am an electronics dummy and don't begin to understand how this rig is wired either. Where we are now does not have cable so I can't test this. Also wonder about the Directv box and an extension cord. Thanks for any thoughts. Finally we are on the east coast in a really great tick season! The dogs have been treated but we haven't. So, they crawl off the dogs and I guess look for us. Nasty. Any tips from dog owners for dealing with this problem in the BF would be greatly appreciated!!!!

Judy Harris

[jobrien]

Judy;

I use Frontline Plus on the dogs every month except for the winter. When camping I avoid walking them in high grass or wooded areas. They have always been tick and flea free. They are also higher off the ground than your Cavaliers, so that is a benefit.

At the vet office I work in, they also recommend spraying the dogs with Frontline spray when the dogs will be in a heavy tick area. It should kill any ticks that crawl on them. I keep a bottle in the BF just in case. You have to wear vinyl gloves to apply it and rub it in, but it's safe for the pets, at least according to the manufacturer. My girls have never had a reaction to it, but a small percent may.

I would avoid any of the Hartz brand and others you can buy at the supermarket since they contain pesticides.

Can't think of anything else right now. Good luck.

[shilohdad]

Judy,

I just got this from another list (for papillon owners in the north-east):
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The boys went to the vet yesterday. They had both had a few ticks earlier in the month. I use frontline plus. My vet said that they advise owner's to start the frontline 30 days before tick season starts. She said that from what they see it takes a full 30 days for it to become fully effective.
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So, you may just need a little more time for the preventive to take effect. I wouldn't know, as we keep our boys on Frontline all year long, as we never know where and when we will be traveling, and what the tick and flea situation might be.

Other than that, I second the O'Brien's recommendation to keep the dogs out of long grass and the woods.

[jobrien]

I start the Frontline in March and continue through November. It does take at least a few days to be effective. Once applied, it has to soak into the skin and actually gets distributed throughout the skin. Can't give the dogs a bath for 2 days before applying and 2 days after applying.

I don't think it actually repels the ticks, it just kills them once they bite the dog. I believe the tick has to be attached to the dog for 24 hours before any disease could be transmitted to the dog. Hopefully before that time, the tick is dead from the Frontline.

The spray works immediately since it is applied all over the body. But it is more expensive, has an odor, and not the most people friendly way of dealing with the problem.

john

[oliverpsmile]

For years in Lyme country (Connecticut) we used VERY SUCCESSFULLY Defend (see link) on our two Vizslas. It is a monthly application.

Re: TV - You need ONLY power to the TV set and the receiver box. Cable and antenna signals do not need power, unless any electronic booster is in use.

http://www.marvistavet.com/html/body_ov ... ducts.html

Here is OUR Oliver (on the left) and his uncle Winston

[harrisgowing]

Thanks for all of the great advice! I will start using the Frontline earlier before we travel and sadly steadily in the spring and summer at home in MI. We have more ticks there now too. Am getting a new inverter installed next week. In the meantime we are dealing with extension cords. With every little problem I learn more about how this all works. Travel safely everyone in this crazy weather - we may start skipping our spring trip. Home may be chilly and muddy but it isn't dangerous.

Judy Harris

[harrisgowing]

Oliver, just wanted to add that your Oliver and his uncle are beautiful!

[Dallas Baillio]

I note that the advice is all about killing ticks on dogs. Yes, the medications work, but that is of little help to you. The dog is protected, but you are not. You can almost count on getting ticks on yourself if you are in a tick infested environment. Sure they will eventually die on your dogs, but in the close quarters of your motor home they will crawl off the dog and onto you. Travelling with up to five dogs I've had a lot of tick bites over the years. Although repulsive, the good news is that they are more a nuisance than a health threat.

[tomdclark]

Re:

"Although repulsive, the good news is that they are more a nuisance than a health threat."

Well.... not in New England at least.

See for example

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/1999/07/ ... 4385.shtml


My wife was recently diagnosed with Lyme Disease from a tick bite. We hope that the antibiotics took care of things this time. Apparently she will now always test positive in the future (one of the oddities of the test) so we now are not quite certain what will occur in the future if she gets another bite. We'll wait and see.




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[shilohdad]

I agree with Tom. And, it is not just in New England you have to worry now. Evidently Lyme Disease is much more prevalent around the country than it used to be. Here in the northeast, it is carried by deer ticks. Other species of ticks in other areas may be involved, but the bacterium carried is the same.

If bitten by a tick, monitor yourself for the next few weeks for the following symptoms:
- Flu-like symptoms, especially body aches
- Joint pain, especially pain that moves from joint to joint
- A bulls-eye rash that forms around the spot of the bite - not just redness and the point of the bite, but redness that forms a ring around the bite, with some whiteness between it and the site of the bite.

If you get any of these symptoms, see a doctor ASAP. The sooner you can start the antibiotic treatment the better. The commonest antibiotic used is doxycyclin, and it seems very effective in early stage Lyme. The main downside for RVers such as us, is that doxycyclin makes your skin extra-sensitive to the sun!

By the way, poor little Shiloh, my avatar on these postings, has had Lyme disease (plus two forms of erlichia from the same bite) several years ago. Luckily, we caught it early, when he refused to eat, and he recovered very well.

[Bogiesmom]

I got Lyme Disease from a tick bite last summer, and we were camped at a campground near Holly Springs, Mississippi in July. Never saw the tick, but once home found a bull's eye ring with red center on the back side of my thigh. I tested positive and was put on high powered antibiotics for several weeks. No more problems, thankfully. We now check each other carefully every evening for ticks.
Our Basset Hound receives year round tick/flea/heartworm treatments and we have never seen ticks on him. We now spray ourselves especially our shoes and socks and pantlegs before going outside with Deep Woods Off, and so far so good. There is always the possiblity of ticks crawling from him to us inside the camper. We always try to keep him off tall grass and sad to say no longer enjoy our walks into the woods. We just stick to the roads in the campground.

[Mary Findlay]

Thanks for all of the great advice! I will start using the Frontline earlier before we travel and sadly steadily in the spring and summer at home in MI. We have more ticks there now too. Am getting a new inverter installed next week. In the meantime we are dealing with extension cords. With every little problem I learn more about how this all works. Travel safely everyone in this crazy weather - we may start skipping our spring trip. Home may be chilly and muddy but it isn't dangerous.

Judy Harris

I've used Frontline Plus on my 2 Cavaliers and have never had a problem with either ticks or fleas while traveling which includes being in "tick infested" areas. Originally tried Advantix but the older Cavalier was allergic to it....caused her to itch. No problems with the Frontline Plus. Also, Leptospirosis is becoming very common in Michigan and you might want to check with your vet to see if your area might be susceptible or if you camp in wooded areas where wildlife abounds as there is an annual vaccine available.