Ticked Off

Spring time means more time out to walk your dog, it also means the ticks are out and these tiny parasites can mean big problems for your dog.  Here are a few tips for preventing tick borne disease in you and your four legged companions.  

• Use a tick preventative like Advantix, or an insecticide like Frontline or a Preventic Collar on your dog if you find ticks on your dog. 

• Thoroughly inspect yourself and your dog when you come in from a walk in the woods (or even the back yard if you have ticks on your property). 

• If you have a short haired dog you may find a masking tape lint roller useful.  Roll it on the dog when he comes in, often any small crawling ticks will stick to the masking tape.  

• If you have a long haired dog or a Golden Retriever with lots of feathering, trim down the longer hairs to prevent them sweeping up ticks when they walk.  

• Wear light colored pants when walking in the woods, this will enable you to see ticks walking on you before they attach.  Tucking pant legs into socks is a good idea in badly infested areas.  

• Always remove ticks with tweezers, wash hands and clean the bite with hydrogen peroxide.  Be forewarned that some tick bites leave nasty looking bite marks. 

• Know the symptoms of Tick Borne Diseases.  Some symptoms are subtle or rare so educate yourself on all the symptoms so you can notice right away if you or your pet may be sick with a tick borne disease. 

• Symptoms of Ehrlichiosis and Lyme include loss of appetite, depression, lethargy, stiffness, anemia and occasionally seizures, etc. 

• Symptoms of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever include difficulty breathing, fever, swelling, etc. 

Be proactive! Remember that tick diseases can be very serious, even deadly!  

If you or your dog show any of the symptoms of Tick Borne Disease seek medical or veterinary attention immediately. 

Be aware that not all animals will show all of the symptoms of tick borne diseases.  If you live or walk in high risk areas tell your doctor as well as your veterinarian so they can run diagnostics.  Most tick diseases especially in dogs get better quickly with a simple round of anti-biotics.

 

Thank you to Paw Planet of Whitinsville for submitting this article!