Look out for ticks

[dep411]

I pulled a few off my dog recently, and we only walked on a paved path through a easy walking trail. It's very bad this year.

 

[ncrinc12]

It's a very bad year for ticks-mainly due to the mild winter that we had.

^^^This^^^

 

[Elegy]

The meat allergy is definitely real guys. I should know because it damn near killed me.

I was randomly having episodes for a couple years where I would break out in itchy red hives every 6 months or so, but I was eating meat daily so I never thought that it was the culprit. Finally on Christmas night of 2013, after having lasagna at a family get together, I came home and ended up going into full on anaphylactic shock. My throat swelled up, I passed out and pissed all over myself laying in my hallway.

After a trip to the ER that night I decided it was time to go see an allergist and find out what the hell was going on before I died. Within 10 minutes of sitting down and telling him my symptoms he told me that he was 99% sure he knew what my allergy was. There is a blood test for it. He did the test and called me a couple days later.... Postive for a meat allergy caused by a reaction to a bite from the lone star tick!

A bite from the lone star tick causes your immune system to create an antibody to fight the bacteria in the saliva of the tick. Unfortunately this antibody also reacts to a carbohydrate that is found in mammal meat.

The easiest way to remember what I can or can't eat now is this: If an animal is hatched from an egg I can still eat it. Anything else is a no go.

The funny thing is that this allergy is still so rare that anytime I go to a doctor or hospital or anything and they ask me if I have any allergies and I tell them about this, they look at me like I'm crazy. Most of them have never heard of it!

How long after getting bit did it take for you to develop the allergy?

 

[boxer90]

I pulled a few off my dog recently, and we only walked on a paved path through a easy walking trail. It's very bad this year.

Between me and the dogs, I see several a week. We have them on medication so they're pretty good but every time I walk out in the woods to shoot a gun or something, I come back with one or two of the things crawling on me.

 

[Loki72]

NexGard flea and tick preventative is what I give my dogs. It's about the best you can get. I work at a Veterinary Clinic. It's top of the line. Once a month beef flavored chewable tablets.

 

[Patronus]

My wife and I walk the dogs daily. We pull ticks off almost daily. I went out to clear a little brush and small trees in the back yard so I doused myself with Deep Woods OFF. Apparently that stuff is like Bar B Q sauce to Ticks. My wife pulled 13 ticks off me that day. I actually tried to squeeze in a visit to the doc this past week to get a blood test. I WILL make it in this coming week so BOTH of us can get tested.

By the way. I have a friend who was recently diagnosed with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. TIcks are REAL bad this year.

 

[Loki72]

Another thing I've seen more than usual of this summer is snakes. I've already seen two copperheads and and caught these two black snakes in my chicken nest boxes.

Yeah, I know lots of people hate to see a non venomous snake killed, but when you've got chickens the snakes have to die. They crawl into the nest boxes and swallow the eggs. They'll even catch the little chicks and eat them.

View attachment 1211123 View attachment 1211126

My Dobey and Coonhound have gotten ahold of few garter snakes. No copperheads yet...which is fine by me haha.

 

[Loki72]

My wife and I walk the dogs daily. We pull ticks off almost daily. I went out to clear a little brush and small trees in the back yard so I doused myself with Deep Woods OFF. Apparently that stuff is like Bar B Q sauce to Ticks. My wife pulled 13 ticks off me that day. I actually tried to squeeze in a visit to the doc this past week to get a blood test. I WILL make it in this coming week so BOTH of us can get tested.

By the way. I have a friend who was recently diagnosed with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. TIcks are REAL bad this year.

Tickborne diseases are no joke.

 

[24on48hunting]

My wife and I walk the dogs daily. We pull ticks off almost daily. I went out to clear a little brush and small trees in the back yard so I doused myself with Deep Woods OFF. Apparently that stuff is like Bar B Q sauce to Ticks. My wife pulled 13 ticks off me that day. I actually tried to squeeze in a visit to the doc this past week to get a blood test. I WILL make it in this coming week so BOTH of us can get tested.

By the way. I have a friend who was recently diagnosed with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. TIcks are REAL bad this year.

The Red Meat Alpha Gal allergy is one of the worst ones out there. All of the other Tick-born illnesses suck too. I have suffered with that once (Lyme) in my life and don't care to relive it ever again. The initial onset of aches and fatigue were horrid. The calf cramps were worse than when I hurt my back. I was out of work for several shifts. My joints really suffered the most. It sucks-bad......slather yourself with repellent, treat clothing with Permethrin. You don't want to suffer with any of that crap.

 

[Mirvin 264]

I've had the alpha gal allergy for probably 10 years now. Been in the ER once with a reaction but have had several more that were as bad that I just tried to tough out. I wouldn't wish what happens on my worst enemy. I haven't had a reaction in maybe a year and a half, but I am very cautious about any meat I eat and always ask if anything I get when I eat out has beef in it. The strange part is that I can still eat pork, but no red meats. And the worst part is that symptoms have never occurred in me until about 4 hrs. after I consumed the meat. It always starts out with a stinging/itching sensation on different areas of my body, then moderate to severe hives on my torso and legs. Then as they start to subside (which can last an hour or more) I start having severe chest pains that will eventually cause profuse vomiting if I have much in my stomach. It's been said that it may subside after several years if you don't get bit again, but I'm just too scared to take the chance. As much as I have loved beef most of my 56 years, I'd rather pass than go through what happens. The allergy is definitely real, and all I can do is eat turkey burgers and pray that a cure may be developed someday..........