These tiny eight legged parasites are most active from March to mid-May and from mid-August to November. They are on the lookout for potential hosts and our four legged friends make the perfect place to hitch a ride, feed on blood and burrow their mouths into their skin. Horrible!!
They sometimes go unnoticed, till one day you might stroking your dog and you feel a tiny lump that’s firmly attached itself. If they go unnoticed they can transmit disease to their host, Lyme disease.
Here are some top tips on how to stay Tick savvy this summer;
Ticks are usually hiding in wooded areas and tall grass, so you could double check after you walk in these sorts of areas. Ticks can sense warmth and movement. Might be best to avoid sitting on long grass with your dog.
Not all Ticks carry disease but it only takes 24-48 hours to transmit infection to a host, if they do. So check frequently to avoid potential problems.
Where to look…Check all the warm snug areas of your dogs body, like the ears, armpits, in between the paw pads and around the neck and top of the head.
There are various tick prevention medicines you can give your dog; from sprays , shampoos, oral medication and tick collars. You might even want to treat your lawn and house, but remember some of these chemical products can be harmful to children and small animals.
If you find one, removing ticks can be a bit tricky, so get someone to help you. They can be carefully removed with tweezers but it’s best to get advice from your vet or groomer. Sometimes the ticks can be quite big so a vet would need to remove it.
If your dog shows signs of fever, swollen legs, tiredness and a loss of appetite, it would be worth checking them over for Ticks.
Keep your dogs hair trimmed in the summer months, this will make it harder for a Tick to latch on, and if they do, you are more likely to see them if you dog has shorter hair.