Help, please!
My BC pup, Abby, has little lumps between her toes tonight, and there are a couple of patches that look orange. I've done a search on past posts and I thought it sounded like harvest mites but no-one has mentioned the little lumps. Does that sound right? Are there any other parts of the body I should be checking if it is mites? We went for a short walk along a drove today. Is that the sort of place she'd pick them up, in long grass? I felt for grass seeds but didn't think about these.:(
Should I be safe enough spraying her feet with Frontline just in case or should I wait till Monday and get her to the vets to confirm?
I can't believe I've had dogs for so long but I've never had one with this.
Thanks. :)
LynnT

Does sound like Harvest mite to me Lynn I would spray some frontline on to some cotton wool and dab it between her toes.Gillian

Thanks Gillian.:D Should she need to see the vet or is that only if the skin gets infected?
Lynn x

I would take her to the vet if it doesn't clear up in a couple of days or if shes bothered alot by it e.g. chewing her feet alot.Also check the rest of her, feet are easiest and favorite place but mite can get transfered to different areas when she scratches or if shes been rolling around in the grass.One of mine is allergic to mite so I stomp on them quick if I find shes got them.The season for them would naturally becoming to an end before long but with the weather being so mild it will probably be later this year:D Gillian
P.S that turned into a bit of a long post :D :D

theres been storys in the dog press for the last few weeks about dogs becoming seriously ill-on drips etc and everyone was infected with harvest mites, id get hold of a copy if i where you incase your vet hasnt heard about it!

Thanks Dizzy must have missed them and in that case Lynn no harm in popping Abby along to the vets to make sure things are ok Gillian

Okay, it's off to the vets on Monday then! Thanks for the warning, Dizzy. Any ideas which of the dog papers I should be looking for? I only get the dreaded Dogs Today at the moment. I take it you're talking about the weeklies?
I treated both dogs with Frontline early this morning so I'm keeping my fingers crossed it'll work. I haven't seen either dog chewing their feet today, and I can't see any on the rest of them, but Abby has a bit of dark wax in one ear.
Thanks for the advice:D Cheers Gillian and Dizzy.
Lynn x

yes its the dog papers-some of it was from owners writing on the letter page-jayne lilley wrote about it this week too i think, -the treatment was to frontline them! :D

dog world this week!!----jane lilley-beware harvest mites, called the red killer!someone had written her about her 2 lhasa 's started being sick , this turned into white froth,and increasing loose diarrhoea which became watery,he became ill to the point of collapse during the 2 hour wait for the vet to see him,he was admitted for fluid therapy .given baytril antibiotic and was sprayed with frontline for the mites which where noticed on his feet!-her other dog went down with the same symptoms and treat with the same stuff, she took them home although they where both very ill, when she returned them to the vet hed had a yorkshire terrier in with the same symptoms and harvest mites on his feet---theres been a few writing about the same thing in the dog papers over the last few weeks, jane gives her contact number out in the dog press so here it is, you might want to ring her, 01403 822222

Thanks ever so much, Dizzy, that's very helpful.:) It's a bit late this evening so I'll call tomorrow. Touch wood, neither dog seems at all off colour and I can't see any mites left on the toes I've been able to check this afternoon. Their feet and legs have been thoroughly Frontlined, and they were due a flea treatment anyway so the rest of them got done too:)
I am so grateful for this site.:D I'm absolutely sure my old dogs must have had these things in the past, but before I found Champdogs I hadn't really heard about them. There's a brief mention in the dog health book I bought about twenty years ago, but that's all I had to go on. Having access to the internet has opened up all sorts of info, but there's nothing like talking to people who've seen and dealt with what you've come up against.
Thank you. :)
Lynn x

youre very welcome :D

Hi Lynn I think you've probably caught it in time.I didn't know anything about mites myself until we got Bria 21/2 years ago shes my daughters rough collie and the one thats allergic to the mites. All our dogs had always been regularly treated with frontline spot on but Bria developed these awful crusty sores on her back above her tail took her to the vets to be told she had harvest mite and the spot on wouldn't treat them.I was advised to use stronghold spot on instead.However it turns out she was sensitive to that as well so changed to Frontline spray it killed the mite fairly quickly but the sores that she had took quiet a while to clear up.Since then I must admit I've become abit fanatical about mite.Interestingly my vet seemed to think Mite are also regional but I haven't looked into that and do know people in various parts of the country that have to treat for themBest Wishes Gillian

Oh poor Bria!:(
Well, the pooches still seem healthy enough. They're busy tearing round the house at about a hundred miles an hour at the moment. I can feel the draft they're creating!:D

I'm going to have a talk with the vet today, if I can, and see what he reckons. I'm just wondering what the next thing is I'll have to learn about in a hurry:(

By the way, Gillian, I put a few new pictures of Abby on the msn site. I should use her new name, Trouble (and yes, she answers to it!). Should I ever get the KC papers, her name is officially Mastamariner Secret Shadow!
Lynn x