Ticks are such annoying little creatures, but much more significant than the nuisance factor is their ability to spread disease. Ticks that embed during a dog’s skin can transmit a spread of great and even life threatening infectious diseases including: Rocky Mountain rickettsial disease , Ehrlichiosis, Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Lyme disease (Borrelia)
Another problem ticks can cause may be a rare neurological condition called “tick paralysis.” Lastly, ticks can produce inflammation and bacterial infection right at the location of the bite.
HOW TO PREVENT TICK BORNE DISEASES
Prevention is that the golden rule when it involves keeping your dog free from tick-borne diseases. Here are seven tried and true tips to accomplish this:
- Know When Tick Season Is — While ticks are prevalent throughout North America, and year-round tick prevention is suggested , the time of year they’re most problematic varies from region to region. Ask your veterinarian when tick season occurs in your neck of the woods. this may be the time of year to be most vigilant with tick control measures.
- Frisk Your Dog Daily — Perform a “tick check” on your dog daily, particularly following outdoor excursions. Getting obviate the small buggers before they’ve had an opportunity to embed eliminates the likelihood of disease transmission. The ticks’ favorite places to connect are your dog’s neck, head and ears, so pay particularly close attention to those areas.
- Know The Lay Of The Land — Ticks prefer areas with dense vegetation. Much of their time is spent on the bottom , but they’re adept at crawling up to the ideas of shrubs and grasses. This viewpoint enhances their ability to successfully leap onto an animal passing by. Best to avoid exposing your dog to such shrubby and grassy areas, particularly during peak tick season.
- Save The Ticks You Remove — Sounds gross, I know, but saving the ticks you remove just might convince be useful. Different species of ticks transmit different diseases. as long as symptoms of the varied tick-borne diseases overlap, having knowledge of the sort of tick your dog was exposed to may help your veterinarian hone in on a diagnosis more expediently. i like to recommend dunking and storing the ticks during a disposable container crammed with isopropanol . Show them to your veterinarian should your dog become sick.
- Constantly Remove Embedded Ticks Properly — Do your best to get rid of any embedded ticks as soon as possible. Less time spent attached to your dog lessens the chances of disease transmission. You’ll find dozens of recommendations online describing the way to remove an embedded tick. Be wary of what you read. Burning a tick with a hot match isn’t effective, and you risk singeing your dog’s haircoat. Coating the tick with Vaseline® or another sort of lubricant does nothing but render the tick slippery and harder to get rid of . And acetone, like the chemical found in nail enamel removers, causes the tick to become brittle and more likely to shatter during the removal process. Talk together with your veterinarian about preferred methods for removing embedded ticks. Whichever method you select , make certain to wear gloves so on eliminate any risk of disease transmission for yourself.
- Make Use Of Tick Prevention Products — There are a spread of products on the market that prevent and/or kill ticks. Some tick collars work well, but aren’t an honest choice for dogs who do tons of swimming or those that have “mouthy play” with other dogs (chemicals within the collar could be ingested by your dog’s playmate). Other tick-prevention options include monthly medication administered orally or applied topically (to the skin). There are a spread of products to settle on from and most are combined with flea prevention medication. Talk together with your veterinarian about which tick prevention products make the foremost sense for your dog.
- Know The Symptoms And Seek Intervention Early — Rest assured that the bulk of dogs exposed to ticks never develop a tick-borne disease. except for those that do, early recognition of symptoms, quickly arriving at a diagnosis, and prompt treatment by your veterinarian enhance the likelihood of a positive outcome. If your dog has tick exposure, talk together with your veterinarian about what symptoms you ought to get on the design out for
