Key Points about Ticks
- Ticks are parasites that feed on the blood of their host and they carry harmful diseases.
- Reducing exposure to ticks is the best defense against tickborne diseases.
- Tick exposure can occur year-round, but ticks are most active during warmer months (April-September).
- Ticks don’t jump but can be encountered by brushing against branches or by having them drop down onto a pet walking beside or under the plant.
- Except for Lyme disease in dogs, pets cannot be vaccinated against tickborne diseases.
Why it is important to keep pets free of ticks
- Dogs and cats often come into contact with ticks when they are outside. Like humans, pets can get sick with tickborne diseases.
- Pets can transport ticks from outside the home to inside, where the ticks may then bite people.
- Dogs can also be infested by the brown dog tick, which occurs across the United States and is unique in that it can infest indoor spaces like homes and kennels.
- Lyme disease is serious. Left untreated, signs of Lyme disease in dogs can progress to kidney failure and even be fatal in severe cases. Serious neurological impacts and cardiac effects may also take place due to untreated Lyme disease.
- Signs of tickborne disease may not appear for 7-21 days or longer after a tick bite. Watch your pet closely for changes in behavior or appetite if you know or suspect that it has been bitten by a tick. Symptoms of Lyme Disease
What can I do to avoid ticks on my pets
- Avoid the places where ticks hang out. Ticks rest on the tips of grasses and shrubs, holding onto leaves and grass by their lower legs. Their upper pair of legs are outstretched, waiting to climb onto a passing host. When a host brushes the spot where a tick is waiting, it quickly climbs aboard and finds a suitable place to bite.
- Check your dog thoroughly after a walk in an area with tall grasses or overhanging shrubs. Remove any ticks you find!
- Talk to your veterinarian about tickborne diseases that occur in your local area and consider getting a Lyme disease vaccine for your dog. There are many tick preventatives available commercially. Some products are available over-the-counter, while others are only available through your veterinarian. There are effective monthly preventatives that are typically applied to the skin at the back of the neck and represent a convenient method of control for these external parasites. This includes Frontline Plus® (only available in the USA) and Advantix®. Your veterinarian can make specific recommendations.
- Cats are extremely sensitive to a variety of chemicals. Do not apply any tick prevention products to your cats without first asking your veterinarian!
How to Avoid Areas Where Ticks Hang Out?
- Walk in the center of trails. Don’t let your dog explore off leash in natural areas.
- Avoid walking in tall or mid-sized grasses.
- In your own yard keep grass cut to normal lawn height and trim back overhanging bushes.
- Avoid areas with white tail deer, chipmunks and other rodents that are carriers of ticks.
- Maintain a tick-free yard
Where to Look for Ticks on my Pet
Conduct a full body check upon return from potentially tick-infested areas, including your own backyard. Check all parts of your pet’s body:
- Head, snout and neck area, especially under the collar
- In and around the ears
- Under the legs
- Along the back
- Around the tail
- Between the toes
How to remove a tick
- Use clean, fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible.
- Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Don’t twist or jerk the tick; this can cause the mouth-parts to break off and remain in the skin. If this happens, remove the mouth-parts with tweezers. If you cannot remove the mouth easily with tweezers, leave it alone and let the skin heal.
- After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol or soap and water.
- Never crush a tick with your fingers.
- Dispose of a live tick by putting it in alcohol, placing it in a sealed bag/container, wrapping it tightly in tape, or flushing it down the toilet.
Ticks are a serious threat to people and pets. Take preventive measures to avoid them and check your pet (and yourself) after walks in natural areas with long grass and overhanging shrubs.
