Believe it or not the ticks are out… temps above the mid 30’s are all these parasites need to become active!!! While we are still waiting for it to feel like summer, the ticks are very happy with our current warm up. Fortunately, keeping your pet safe from these tiny but troublesome parasites can be as easy as taking a few simple precautions.

A little about ticks…
They are opportunists, meaning they will jump on the first warm body that passes by, whether that’s you or your pet. They latch onto the skin and take a blood meal from their unsuspecting host. If they remain attached to their host long enough they are capable of transmitting various types of diseases such as Lyme disease, Anaplasmosis, and Ehrlichiosis.
When attached, ticks like to burrow on the body in areas on your pet such as between the toes, under collars, or around the base of the tail. These little pests can be especially difficult to spot on darker fur.

How you can protect your pet…
Flea and Tick preventive medications offer the easiest way to safeguard your pet’s health. Flea and tick preventatives kill adult ticks and fleas and prevent larvae and eggs from maturing. Some prevention can take effect as soon as several hours after administration, and have been tested to help prevent the transmission of Lyme disease.

While spot treatments, collars, sprays, shampoos, and other products that can be used, always check with your veterinarian prior to using any of these products to ensure they are safe.

In addition to preventative treatments, some ways to cut down exposure to ticks are applying flea and tick spray to grasses, shrubs, and outdoor plants to rid of the pests before they can get to your pets. Remove brush and debris and keeping your grass cut, since these are the habitats ticks like to live in.

If you see a tick…
Carefully remove it, the sooner the better. To remove a tick it is recommended to grasp as close to the skin as possible with a pair of tweezers, or a special tool used to remove ticks. The head of the tick burrows under the skin, and you want to remove the head with the rest of the tick. Pull the tick straight out, do not crush or twist the tick out as this approach may not get the whole tick out. If you are not comfortable, or believe the head may be attached call your veterinarian for recommendations.

For specific product recommendations please give us a call at 414-301-9113