Tick Season - April 2003 Yup, it's tick season again! How do I know? I went for a hike with my dogs las weekend. After a short hour hike, I stopped by the car to do a simple tick inspection. I pulled 10 ticks off my smallest dog, and 15 off each of the bigger dogs; including 3 deer ticks (the carriers of Lyme disease). The combination of warmer weather and a rainy season have allowed these little critters to flourish. When is Tick Season? Tick seasons vary drastically based on your region. Some last a couple of months, while some regions always have tick problems. Ticks basically appear when the cold weather goes away. They are most popular in the spring, mid summer, and in areas with a regular rainy season. Ticks latch on to your pets to find warmth and more importantly to feast of their blood. Besides being ugly little creatures, ticks can cause infection and spread diseases such as Lyme disease (a disease spread by the smaller deer ticks and starting to appear in the common tick. Lyme disease, which gets its name from Lyme Connecticut, can cause paralysis in animals and humans). Ticks typically find their prey by dropping down from a tree or grab a ride on your pet's paws as they pass by. How can I, a mere human, fight the onslaught of the might tick? There are several commercial products available to ward off ticks from your pet and home. At sniffbutt, we endorse Frontline Plus. While commercial products like Frontline Plus combat ticks, they do not guarantee that your pet will not get attacked. This is especially true when taking extending hikes in the woods. Therefore, it is important that you follow these guidelines. 1) Check your pet every day for ticks during tick season. Scan your dog's body for ticks. With short hair dogs, like mine, you can usually spot a tick with the naked eye. Run your hand along your dog's entire body searching for unusual bumps. Deer ticks are extremely small, so take your time and feel carefully. Longhaired dogs may benefit from putting a comb through their coat to find ticks that are hidden and have not yet burrowed. Be sure to check areas like the inside and outside of the ear and their armpits for hidden suckers. 2) Check your pets when they have been outdoors. Ticks typically drop onto animals and they are extremely easy to pick up in the woods. Do a quick once over before your dog comes back instead. 3) Be aware that ticks may already be in the house if you have an animal. Take extra care to clean areas that your dog frequents. A great overlooked hiding place for ticks is your car. What if I find a tick? If you find a tick on your dog during a search, don't panic. It is easy to remove a tick. Simply grab a roll of scotch tape and use of the following methods. If the tick is just shopping around for a place to crash, scope it up and sandwhich it between a piece of tape. If the tick has already found a home and has burrowed into your pet, use a tick removal tool which will remove the entire tick from your pets body. Once the tick is out, place it on a piece of scotch tape and fold it over so the tick is surrounded. Do not flush the tick down the toilet. Doing so may not kill the tick. And worse, the tick may climb back out and seek out your pet again. |