Ticks are less of a problem than worms and fleas but they are still common in the UK and can cause serious health problems including the transmission of life-threatening diseases. Ticks are parasitic arthropods (related to spiders) and like fleas they live on the blood of their hosts. Unlike fleas though, who feed continually, ticks gorge themselves on blood over the course of several days, filling their bodies up until they are bloated when they drop off and continue their lifecycle. However the main health implication for pets is not related to the blood loss, but is due to the fact that ticks can infect cats and dogs with a range of potentially serious diseases including tick-borne fever, babesiosis and lyme disease (conditions which can also affect people). Treating and preventing ticks is relatively straightforward and many modern flea preparations will also deal with ticks – your vet will be able to advise on the most suitable preparation for your pet. It’s also worth avoiding areas where ticks are more common such as damp areas with long grass, and always check your dog when you come back from a walk in the summer to make sure he hasn’t picked up any ticks. If you do find a tick, here are my do’s and don’t’s to help you deal with it properly:
- Don’t pull the tick off by hand – this will leave the head parts in the dog and lead to an infection
- Do use a tick hook to remove the tick – these are special little hooks that safely remove ticks and you can get them from your vets or pet shop
- Don’t burn a tick off – it’s not effective and is likely to injure your pet (and you)
- Do use a flea spray – most flea sprays will also kill ticks and dabbing a little onto a tick using some cotton wool or spraying it directly onto the tick will usually kill the tick who will then fall off after a few hours
- Don’t panic, and do talk to your vet for advice!
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