# Would dog anti-tick medicine work for people? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 10, 2012, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-dog-anti-tick-medicine-work-for-people/624758 "2012-06-10T21:51:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2012, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-dog-anti-tick-medicine-work-for-people/624758/1 "2012-06-10T21:51:53Z")
I get ticks every year. Would the stuff for dogs work on people? I guess it has not been tested on people. Or maybe they know it would be harmful to people. I am asking about the liquid you put on the dog’s skin, not pills. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2012, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-dog-anti-tick-medicine-work-for-people/624758/2 "2012-06-10T22:02:26Z")
The most popular tick creams for pets contain Fipronil, which has had little testing on humans, and what testing has been done on rats has rendered this stuff as Group C, possible carcinogen. S-methoprene is also found in these tick creams, it’s a popular pesticide. There are no contra-indications about human exposure to this stuff, but noone’s prescribing it for humans either. The medical community recommends permethrin-treated clothing and regular applications of DEET for folks who are prone to tick exposure. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2012, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-dog-anti-tick-medicine-work-for-people/624758/3 "2012-06-10T22:13:47Z")
I know there are products like DEET available for people, but the nice thing about the dog stuff is you apply it once a month. This is what my dog uses: ``` Dinotefuran: quick-kill contact neonicotinoid that causes continuous nervous stimulation of the insect resulting in tremors and death. Permethrin: adulticide and repellent causes loss of nervous system control; “hot foot” activity repels vectors. Pyriproxyfen: potent insect growth regulator (IGR) prevents development of all immature flea stages (eggs, larvae and pharate pupae); stable in sunlight. ``` ---
**Author:** ![Simple\_Linctus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Simple\_Linctus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simple_Linctus)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2012, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-dog-anti-tick-medicine-work-for-people/624758/4 "2012-06-10T22:17:07Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > what testing has been done on rats has rendered this stuff as Group C, possible carcinogen. does that include for pets? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2012, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-dog-anti-tick-medicine-work-for-people/624758/5 "2012-06-10T22:18:57Z")
> [@Confused dart cum](#): > > does that include for pets? Yep. Risk vs. benefit analyses are different for pets. They’re shorter-lived, and much more likely to die of tick-borne illnesses than drug-induced cancers. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2012, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-dog-anti-tick-medicine-work-for-people/624758/6 "2012-06-10T22:21:06Z")
Basic cancer testing for chemicals is done mostly on rats and mice because that is the standard way for many years and it’s cheaper than using bigger animals. So based on those results they say chemicals may cause cancer in people. If you want to see the full list of those results from the US gov. look here: [Home - National Toxicology Program](http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/?objectid=03C9AF75-E1BF-FF40-DBA9EC0928DF8B15) I used to work on this for my job and I know the guys who write this report. ---
**Author:** ![Sister\_Vigilante](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@Sister\_Vigilante](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sister_Vigilante)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-dog-anti-tick-medicine-work-for-people/624758/7 "2012-06-12T16:10:15Z")
I have always wondered why we can’t just take a pill every month like we give our dogs (for fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes). Interesting to know. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-dog-anti-tick-medicine-work-for-people/624758/8 "2012-06-12T16:21:27Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > The medical community recommends permethrin-treated clothing and regular applications of DEET for folks who are prone to tick exposure. Just be careful with DEET and plastic. I had a pair of plastic flip flops I wore when I was out camping last year. I slathered up with [Sawyer’s Jungle Juice (98% DEET)](http://www.rei.com/product/799529/sawyer-jungle-juice-100-insect-repellent-98-percent-deet-25-fl-oz) and was sitting with my legs crossed on the ground strumming my guitar. The plastic began to melt and stick to my hairy legs. Not so much fun. [Back-up info:.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deet) DEET is an effective solvent,[4] and may dissolve some plastics, rayon, spandex, other synthetic fabrics, and painted or varnished surfaces including nail polish [Also this:](http://www.nature.com/news/2008/080313/full/news.2008.672.html) Anyone who has sprayed their skin with the insect repellent DEET and then picked up a plastic water bottle has probably felt a twinge of concern as the bottle starts to disintegrate in their hands. A new study pinpointing exactly how the repellent works will hopefully lead the way to other chemicals that have the same (or better) insect-deterring effect without the inconvenience of dissolving plastic. Still, better than that creepy feeling of finding a tick in between your shoulder blades and not being able to quite reach it. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-dog-anti-tick-medicine-work-for-people/624758/9 "2012-06-12T16:21:33Z")
Could anti-tick medicine like you use on dogs work to stop humans from getting Lyme disease, assuming some safe once-a-month anti-tick pill for humans were developed? Related question: why can’t humans get rabies shots the same way pets do? You’d think we would, given that rabies was until very recently (and with a lot of medical care) 100% fatal to anyone who gets it and shows symptoms. You’d think we would get vaccinations for it, the way we do for tetanus, but we don’t. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-dog-anti-tick-medicine-work-for-people/624758/10 "2012-06-12T16:25:17Z")
humans can get rabies shots. Most people don’t bother with them unless you work with animals a lot. > **[Rabies vaccine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabies_vaccine)** > > The rabies vaccine is a vaccine used to prevent rabies. There are a number of rabies vaccines available that are both safe and effective. They can be used to prevent rabies before, and, for a period of time, after exposure to the rabies virus, which is commonly caused by a dog bite or a bat bite. > Doses are usually given by injection into the skin or muscle. After exposure, the vaccination is typically used along with rabies immunoglobulin. It is recommended that those who are at high risk of e... ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-dog-anti-tick-medicine-work-for-people/624758/11 "2012-06-12T16:44:28Z")
> [@stpauler](#): > > Just be careful with DEET and plastic. this true it will destroy (or make unusable) eyeglass lenses, watches, electronic screens made of plastic. not only do you have to be cautious during application (for over spray or dripping) but the amount to be effective on your skin is enough to damage. don’t touch clear plastics with it on your hands. DEET is effective and is needed in grassy and forested areas for good tick protection. the deer tick or blacklegged tick in all its life stages can be hard to detect. ---
**Author:** ![emmaliminal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@emmaliminal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emmaliminal)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2012, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-dog-anti-tick-medicine-work-for-people/624758/12 "2012-06-12T17:49:51Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > this true it will destroy (or make unusable) eyeglass lenses, watches, electronic screens made of plastic… It will also make melty splatter marks on acetate fabric, such as is common in that stretchy Traveler’s type stuff from Chico’s (or Travelsmith, or various other companies). ☹ We’ve been enjoying using [picaridin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picaridin) sprays the last couple of years. It seems to work as well as DEET for us, and that’s borne out by most of the studies I’ve looked at. ---
**Author:** ![ratatoskK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ratatoskk/32/2987_2.png) [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2012, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-dog-anti-tick-medicine-work-for-people/624758/13 "2012-06-13T11:37:07Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > the nice thing about the dog stuff is you apply it once a month. But people usually take a shower more than once a month… ---
**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2012, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-dog-anti-tick-medicine-work-for-people/624758/14 "2012-06-13T12:33:38Z")
> [@ratatoskK](#): > > But people usually take a shower more than once a month… The medication you apply to a dog or cat once a month is absorbed into the skin and stays in the bloodstream. ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2012, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-dog-anti-tick-medicine-work-for-people/624758/15 "2012-06-13T19:33:18Z")
I just came from a drug rep presentation at work and he he told us that no veterinary topical repellents can be used on people. He also said that even animals can’t be bathed frequently or they will need more frequently applications than once a month. Also, even when they are bathed, a gentle soap like puppy soap should be used. If you’re not getting ticks from a pet, make sure you check yourself and your clothes very carefully every time you go into ticky areas. Remove them as soon as you see them and if they have had time to bite, mark the area so you can keep an eye out for the tell-tale bullseye shaped rash of Lyme disease. But, remember that not everyone gets that rash and that Lyme is definitely not the only tick-borne disease which humans can get. Keep in mind that depending on the disease, it can take 4-48 hours for the disease to be transmitted by the tick so if you catch it right away, you have a good chance of not getting anything. If you do start showing symptoms of any disease though, make sure your doctor is experienced with tick-borne disease because it’s easy to misdiagnose. As for fleas, treating an existing flea infestation is harder than many people think. Many topical medications don’t kill the entire flea life cycle so you absolutely have to treat for at least 3 months to get them all. So many people come back to the clinic, complaining because they still have fleas after using the medication for a month. Even with ticks, some drugs only work if the tick actually bites. Others will repel and kill ticks without them biting (he showed us a video of this and it’s so cool, the tick looked like it was dancing on a hot plate because it didn’t want any of its feet to touch the dog’s hair). If the medication repels, most ticks will never even try to burrow into the fur. But, some are feisty little bastards and will still burrow and bite. There are rabies vaccinations for humans but they’re very expensive (hundreds of dollars) and usually aren’t paid for by health insurance. I will be getting it soon but the government will be paying for it because my work study for school will be in an animal necropsy lab. At work I am not allowed near any sick animals with wounds of unknown origin because I don’t have it yet. The manager of the necropsy lab told me that if I didn’t get approved for work study but still wanted to do the work, I’d have to supply my own shot which would easily cost me over $500 (someone on the boards said $800 or $1000 - don’t remember which). ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2012, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-dog-anti-tick-medicine-work-for-people/624758/16 "2012-06-13T20:28:56Z")
> [@stpauler](#): > > Just be careful with DEET and plastic. Along with the plastic armrest of a car only 3 months old ☹ ---
**Author:** ![mozchron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@mozchron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mozchron)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2012, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-dog-anti-tick-medicine-work-for-people/624758/17 "2012-06-13T20:32:02Z")
[It’s being done now…](http://www.ajtmh.org/content/85/1/3.abstract) The short story, anti-worm drug, when given to people, also kills the mosquitoes that feed on them. The downside is the short drug half-life. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2012, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-dog-anti-tick-medicine-work-for-people/624758/18 "2012-06-13T20:38:22Z")
> [@mozchron](#): > > [It’s being done now…](http://www.ajtmh.org/content/85/1/3.abstract) > > The short story, anti-worm drug, when given to people, also kills the mosquitoes that feed on them. The downside is the short drug half-life. That’s good news. Death to mosquitoes and ticks! ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2012, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-dog-anti-tick-medicine-work-for-people/624758/19 "2012-06-13T21:14:17Z")
If you’re stuck with something that has to be applied daily (or more often), an alternative to DEET is powdered sulfur. ---
**Author:** ![Satellite\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Satellite\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satellite_Guy)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2012, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-dog-anti-tick-medicine-work-for-people/624758/20 "2012-06-14T04:20:51Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Would dog anti-tick medicine work for people? Nope, it doesn’t get rid of people… I’ve tried. d&r 😃