This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Health & Fitness

Ticks are back, and it's not good

Warmer weather brings out ticks - protect your dog from the diseases they transmit.

We all enjoy spring's warmer weather - and our dogs love it too - but make sure you know how to protect your pet from the ticks and the serious diseases they transmit.  At Markham Animal Clinic, we're seeing increasing cases of Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases on dogs who are not protected. 
What Are Ticks?
Ticks are small, eight-legged parasites that must drink blood in order to survive and reproduce. Ticks don’t fly, and they can’t jump (unlike fleas). In fact, ticks are more closely related to spiders and mites than to insects like fleas. Ticks can feed on a variety of hosts including dogs, cats, and people.

Why Are Ticks a Problem?

If a dog is heavily infested with ticks, the parasites can drink enough blood to cause anemia (severe blood loss). However, ticks are mostly a concern because of the diseases they can transmit to their hosts. Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever are among the dangerous diseases that ticks can transmit to your dog. Although people can’t catch these diseases from dogs directly, infected ticks can bite people and transmit them. If your dog is exposed to these dangers, chances are that you and your family may also be at risk for exposure.

Find out what's happening in Oak Forestwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

How Do Dogs Get Ticks?

Despite a very popular myth, ticks don’t fall or jump out of trees onto a host. However, ticks can climb, and they tend to attach themselves to shrubs and blades of tall grass. They can also live in dens of rodents and other small mammals. One species of tick can even live indoors.

Find out what's happening in Oak Forestwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

When a host walks by and brushes against the grass or shrub where the tick is waiting, the tick climbs onto the host. Once on a new host, the tick eventually finds a location to attach and feed.

For some diseases, like Lyme disease, a tick must be attached for several hours in order to transmit the infection to a host. This means that if you check your dog (and yourself) daily, you have a chance of finding and removing any ticks before they can transmit Lyme disease. Remember, those ticks can be very small and difficult to see and it only takes one tick. 

How Can I Protect My Dog From Ticks?

Keeping your dog out of wooded areas, tall grass, and other tick habitats is a good way to reduce the risk of exposure. However, this can be difficult for many pet owners, especially if they share an active outdoor lifestyle with their dog.

Effective tick control products can be used on dogs to help protect them from ticks. There are many options, including Parastar Plus and Frontline Plus, which contain the active ingredient fipronil.  These are safe and effective products for your dog and also control fleas.

Remember that ticks are successful parasites that can be difficult to kill. Even if you are using an effective tick control product, you should still check your dog daily for ticks and remove any as soon as you find them. You should never remove a tick with your fingers. Tweezers work well, but be sure to grasp the tick close to the head and pull gently to avoid leaving the mouthparts imbedded in the skin.

Enjoy the outdoors with your dog, but make sure she is protected from ticks.  It will keep her happy and healthy and mean less worry and expense for you! 

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?