Bugs? Beetles? Baby Ticks?

[Baxter Tiberius]

Left Baxter with a Pet Sitting service in Phoenix last week while with friends, and when I got him back, he had two ticks on him. Both embedded in his feet. My perfect baby with pristine health. I was pretty pissed. So now we are back in Miami, and he's in his bed, and I start seeing these tiny bugs all over him and his towels. They don't look 100% like ticks to me, but when you squish them there's definitely a red smear. I have already treated him with Vectra 3D tick treatment like a week ago. Apparently it doesn't work if these are ticks. I made this video for my vet but maybe someone here can positively identify them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkcE3d_V7_g
(switch video to 1080p quality and make it full screen)

Im washing his towels now at 2:00am and im not sure what to do ...

I do NOT want ticks in my house. Disease carriers that can infect humans and cause lifelong disease (lyme).

Kevin

 

[AmberXo]

Left Baxter with a Pet Sitting service in Phoenix last week while with friends, and when I got him back, he had two ticks on him. Both embedded in his feet. My perfect baby with pristine health. I was pretty pissed. So now we are back in Miami, and he's in his bed, and I start seeing these tiny bugs all over him and his towels. They don't look 100% like ticks to me, but when you squish them there's definitely a red smear. I have already treated him with Vectra 3D tick treatment like a week ago. Apparently it doesn't work if these are ticks. I made this video for my vet but maybe someone here can positively identify them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkcE3d_V7_g
(switch video to 1080p quality and make it full screen)

Im washing his towels now at 2:00am and im not sure what to do ...

I do NOT want ticks in my house. Disease carriers that can infect humans and cause lifelong disease (lyme).

Kevin

What a PITA! Did you call the pet sitters and ask if they have had any other bug problems? The video kind of makes it look like they might be Clover Mites - usually they appear in larger numbers. But, the good news is they are supposed to not be harmful to pets/humans. They do though when squished leave a red stain - their body pigment is what it is, not blood. But, I honestly don't know for sure if that is what you have going on. :/ Are they attaching themselves to Baxter or just crawling on him? Poor boy - how annoying! I would be irate as well and call and start asking questions to get a better clarification! I don't know how to get rid of clover mites - I have heard to suck them up in a vacuum and take the entire bag/or filter and throw it away outside and clean the whole vacuum like you would with fleas as they can just come back if left in the vacuum, but again I don't really know for sure. Just my thoughts :/

 

[LariP]

Those are not ticks. That's the good news!

It's a tiny beetle of some sort, and you'll likely have to clean his bedding and throughly vacuum around the area where he sleeps. And yes get rid of the vacuum cleaner bag after your finished.
I'd also if it were me spread some Diatomaceous Earth (Food Grade, Do a search here on the website and you'll see where we have talked about it before) around the area where he sleeps then vacuum that up. You can also put it on him and brush it in. DE is a great natural preventative for fleas, ticks and other bugs that might be attracted to our puppies.

 

[Vikinggirl]

Hi, I'm not familiar with or have experience with these bugs, but I did look up pictures of ticks on Google, and although the bug on your video looks like the tick pictures, your bug doesn't have legs like the tick does, so not sure what kind of an insect it is. Maybe you can put the insect in a clear empty container like a empty medicine container and take it to the vet, maybe he can identify it. Poor Baxter, I hope he gets rid of those. Good luck and keep us posted. Love and hugs being sent to you and Baxter.

 

[Kross225]

LariP nailed it. Those ain't ticks, thank the gods . Only thing worth adding is you should pick up one of those single row style dog hair brushes (Tick brush) If you don't already have one. Just to make sure no other commuters took the red eye dog flight to Miami.

 

[Noyes27]

Ick! Just wishing you luck in clearing up the bugs, whatever they may be, and happily they don't seem to be ticks

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 4

 

[sheshistory]

Ick...to bad I was busy this weekend, you could've left Baxter with me in Phoenix!

 

[Baxter Tiberius]

THANK YOU JESUS!

I've mentioned all my health issues the past year, a couple times. For quite a large portion of it, due to symptoms, the doctors worried I had Lyme Disease that had been latent for 15+ years, and had begun affecting my neurological system. It has been a really upsetting, scary past 12 months, and the last thing I wanted in my house was a bunch of ticks.

I have never heard of a bug that squishes into a huge red splotch that looks like blood, but Im thankful they exist. You are correct - the legs just did not look right. My worry was that it was a nymph that was now engorged, therefore the body blown up like a balloon, and still under-developed baby tick legs.

Anyways, Bax got a bath today with flea and tick shampoo, and then I thoroughly cleaned his playpen area with soap and bleach. Tons and tons and tons of little buggers were there, but they are all gone and dead now. Pristine again. I will protect my little piglet from now on.

Thank you for the offer @sheshistory! I know I will be back there, though Im not sure I will be able to bring him when he's 60lb piggy monster

Thank you everyone again, good news.

Kevin

Did you call the pet sitters and ask if they have had any other bug problems?

The pet sitting service was a nightmare unfortunately. Great reviews, and she seems like a super sweet lady. But I walked into her home and there were at least 10 yelping screeching dogs. Baxter was terrified and unhappy. She had them using a doggy door running around in the back yard. Prior to taking him, they asked me if he'd been protected for ticks. I didn't realize their back yard was virtually infested with them. When I got him back, there was a huge one embedded in his foot. And two more baby ones as well. I was pretty livid. To make matters worse, when I left him with friends on the San Diego portion of the trip, I picked him up and he was crawling with fleas. The whole experience has taught me how dirty some people live. Its disgusting.

 

[Texas Carol]

I've mentioned all my health issues the past year, a couple times. For quite a large portion of it, due to symptoms, the doctors worried I had Lyme Disease that had been latent for 15+ years, and had begun affecting my neurological system. It has been a really upsetting, scary past 12 months, and the last thing I wanted in my house was a bunch of ticks.

So very sorry you've been going thru health problems & being scared...it's a nightmare.

I've been going thru it several years now, positive dxes for several autoimmune diseases & Fibro
and finally am on disability since '07...it sucks! I specifically remember ticks embedded on me as
we were big on outdoor activities & camping out, growing up. These idiots here tho wouldn't do
any Lyme disease testing saying the tests weren't reliable nor could they 'read' them anyway. I
kept on their sorry a**es over the years of false dxes of stress, menopause, depression, etc and
tons of pills thrown at me hoping something would work instead of them admitting they hadn't a
clue (I finally wised up)...once I started researching & studying medical papers, I led them to the
correct dxes after years of suffering. It took going off most of the useless pills & changing my diet
to get better. My next steps are to get tested for Lyme & other things like Lyme, proper detox, etc

I understand your frustrating, scary & upsetting journey and I appreciate how hard it's been on you.

As for your poor baby, I'd be livid also...just appalling, really. My prayers ongoing for both of you to
be well...GOD bless!