I have been using frontline for years and never had a problem with ticks or fleas but this year he keeps getting ticks (horrible nasty creatures).
When I take them off him his skin is painful, turns red and then crusty and does not heal for weeks. When removing I use dermacool antiseptic and did use daily now I am trying calendula balm.

I am thinking about going to the vets but thought I would ask if others are having the same problems with ticks this year and if anyone has tips on how to keep ticks away.

For ticks, I'd suggest you get a Scalibor collar.  They are far more effective than Frontline and they are prescription-free.  They last for 5/6 months, so are way cheaper than spot-ons.  They can be removed when the dog swims so you don't poison aquatic life.  They are the treatment of choice in many warmer countries where ticks are a bigger problem. 

Frontline doesn't work.  The only spot-on I'd use for ticks is Advantix (requires prescription) - but really, use the Scalibor collar.

http://www.animeddirect.co.uk/dogs/flea-and-tick/scalibor-collar-smallmedium-48cm.html

Rabid do you keep the scalibor collar on all the time or is it effective if just put on to go out for a walk? I walk in areas with wild deer etc so ticks are always a problem, currently use frontline but still have to remove a few. I like the idea of the scalibor but wouldn't want to leave them on in the house in case the pup chews them?

I believe you have to leave it on most of the time, so the stuff has time to cover the whole body and to be effective.  That's why you need to put it on before you'll need it:

http://www.merck-animal-health-usa.com/binaries/Scalibor-PL_tcm130-215983.pdf

"Maximum effectiveness may not occur for 2-3 weeks after collar placement. "  and "This collar should be worn continuously."

The dogs can't chew the one they're wearing (can't reach it), but could chew another dog's collar potentially.  I guess it depends on how long you're out of the house for, and how long they're together unsupervised for.  (If you crate pup away from older dogs, won't be able to chew their collars or reach the one they're wearing.) 

The collars are sort of rubbery elasticky, so they are relatively easy to slip on and off the dog's head.

Thanks, hadn't read that. I don't like collars on them all the time because of the strangulation risk but an added hazard would be the pup eating the other dogs ones.

Thank you for the info. Little concerned about the collar as his skin is irritated easily and it's a constant battle to keep him with reasonable health.

If he has sensitive skin, I'd be far more worried about putting the liquid spot-on, on him, than a collar!

Some dogs do  react to the Scalibor collar , as some do to spot ons . I use Frontline but use it more than it says .I use it weekly and for  special walks , say in spanish campo , I give an extra wipe over on tummies ,and chest area. up inside of legs , spray it on a piece of kitchen roll and wipe ears , and face . On rescue dogs I always remove ticks with a  liberal cold splosh of surgical spirit first , on the tick , remove it . Surgical spirit is a good antiseptic agent . The cold alcohol makes the ticks flinch ....never had a red mark or sore after .

> When I take them off him his skin is painful, turns red and then crusty and does not heal for weeks

How are you removing the ticks?

Removal with an O Tom tick twister/remover seems to cause less irritation, and the quicker you find and remove them the better they heal.  When my dogs get a few ticks in quick succession  I spray their coats with garlic juice which helps stops ticks from 'jumping aboard' !

I apply a topical antiseptic immediately after removing the tick - I like Ultrasalve but a spray of garlic juice is also v good.  Don't apply anything directly to the tick

>When I take them off him his skin is painful, turns red and then crusty and does not heal for weeks.

It sounds as though the head parts are being left behind when you take them off. How are you removing them? If you just pull them then the heads snap off - they need to be carefully twisted and not squeezed at all.

> I always remove ticks with a  liberal cold splosh of surgical spirit first , on the tick , remove it . Surgical spirit is a good antiseptic agent . The cold alcohol makes the ticks flinch .

This is not how it is recommended that you remove ticks:

http://bada-uk.org/defence/removal/indextickremoval.php

"Causing injury or stress to the tick can result in it regurgitating the blood meal that it has ingested. This may contain infective organisms and result in the host contracting a serious infection/s.

Stress to the tick can result from applying solutions such as alcohol, aftershave, oils / butter, paraffin or petroleum jelly. It can also result from applying a freezing agent or burning the tick with a cigarette, lighter, or match head.

These methods might be successful in getting a tick to release its grip, but they can also significantly increase the chances of disease transmission."

I also wouldn't want to be applying Frontline weekly.  If you find yourself having to apply a monthly product weekly in order for it to be effective, you are using it with more frequency than it has been tested to be safe.  Instead, try going back to your vet and asking for a more effective drug - like Advantix or the Scalibor collar.

A seresto collar covers for fleas and ticks and lasts for up to 8 months. Much more cost effective that regular treatment.

I have been using the o Tom tool for tick removing and antiseptic spray after removing.
Took him to the vet, vet thinks his immune system is down took some bloods and has given antibiotics and steroids due to the reactions. He had a tick on him and vet requested I show how I removed it and then said I removed it correctly, was relieved as I did question myself that maybe I was not doing it right. He was frontlined two weeks back she said if it's not broke don't try to fix it until we get the full picture.

Rabid I Asked about the scaliber collar and she said she would look into it but due to his Allergies that she would be wary as I am. My dog has extreme allergies, example he can only eat one type of meat if eats another protein his stomach bleeds.

Stevensosign I didn't think about frontline spray I will ask vet this week :)

Dogs a babe I used to use garlic juice for when he chewed on his foot I certainly will give this a try as he never came up with skin reaction when doing this :)

> xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Rabid do you keep the scalibor collar on all the time or is it effective if just put on to go out for a walk? I walk in areas with wild deer etc so ticks are always a problem, currently use frontline but still have to remove a few. I like the idea of the scalibor but wouldn't want to leave them on in the house in case the pup chews them?

We also have lots of wild deer so have ongoing battles with ticks...eurgh!  Have found advantix slightly more effective than frontline but neither great.  At the moment I am removing 1 or 2 ticks each day off my girls :-(   I like the idea of the scalibor as well but concerned also re leaving it on when I go out as I crate 2 of my girls then.  Also would be concerned it would affect their coats round the neck for the ring.

I removed a tick the other day that was huge... it more resembled a big fat slug than anything else!!!!  And it could only have been on for  a few hours max as I groomed my girl before we went out and it wasn't there then.   I am not tooooo squeamish but this thing....eurgh.  Did not enjoy removing it at all.

>He had a tick on him and vet requested I show how I removed it and then said I removed it correctly, was relieved as I did question myself that maybe I was not doing it right.

To be honest, given that someone told me last week that their vet had told them to smother the tick with vaseline, I wouldn't take your vet's word that you have removed the tick 'right' - this is just another of those matters (like vaccination and neutering) which most vets just don't seem to give out the right advice on.  Read the link I posted above about how to remove the tick; did you remove it like that?  You shouldn't pull it straight out, you need to dizzy it, so it lets go by itself and backs out.

Rabid Yes I did, and checked the otom tool website and YouTube. After using tool I always put tick on a paper towel to check that it was intact.

I am interested in the collar I wonder if the vet could do a patch test to see if any reaction maybe worth asking...