With the arrival of spring, comes the risks that ticks bring to our health and that of our pets. Dr Hailey MacDonald, a local veterinarian, says it doesn’t take much of an outdoor temperature rise to see ticks, such as our common black-legged deer tick,or American dog or wood tick, get active and spreading diseases such as lyme disease and anaplasmosis.
She recommends starting at the top when examining a dog or cat that’s been outside for possible ticks.
She adds that the area in between toes and armpits are also popular areas for ticks, although they can attach themselves to just about any area of the body.
Removing ticks, without taking care to ensure their mouth-pieces, that are the source of pathogens, won’t guarantee to stop the spread of infections. MacDonald has some tips on making sure you get the job done right the first time
In our region, roughly 10-25% of ticks can transmit dangerous diseases and the risk to pets is higher if they’re not on tick prevention meds or frequent areas with tall grass or wooded regions. Ticks usually need only about 24-48 hours to transmit lyme disease.
Story by Brian Turner
