by Vet Graham Lewis
Tick numbers surge at this time of the year and it’s
important as pet owners to be aware and prepared.
These parasites thrive in moist humid conditions and are most common in spring and autumn. But they can increasingly be found all year round, as winters are getting milder.
Ticks are found in grassland and woodland and many areas in Cumbria where we enjoy walking.
Ticks sit on grasses and attach to an animal or person as they pass. They then burrow their mouth into the skin and take a blood meal growing from being very small (about 3mm) to anything up to 9mm with a large abdomen that is filled with the blood of the host. Once they have fed ticks drop off the host animal within a few days.
So, what problems do ticks cause? They can cause localised reactions which sometimes need treatment at the vets. But more importantly ticks can carry and spread Lyme Disease to both pets and people.
Lyme Disease is an infection that is found in on average 4% of ticks in the UK, but some areas have as high as 10% prevalence. It can cause short term illness, but it can cause long term health problems in people and has been associated with kidney issues in dogs.
It can also more rarely affect cats. In dogs the most common signs are mild, shifting lameness, swollen lymph nodes, joint swelling, fatigue, and loss of appetite. Luckily it responds well to treatment in the early stages.
The best option to prevent Lyme Disease is to stop ticks from spreading the infection.
It’s important to check pets after walks, especially in high-risk areas. If you can spot a tick before it attaches, that’s ideal, though often they are only noticed once they have attached and fed.
Online you can find a hundred different ‘home remedies’ for removing ticks. Please do not do this! Doing it wrong can cause more chance of disease spread and leaving the mouth parts in the skin. It is common that we have to see pets after this.
You can get decent cheap tick removal tools from your vets that make sure the whole tick is safely removed.
The best and simplest option is to use regular, good quality tick repellent or killing treatment. This can come as spot-on or as tablets or tick collars. Talk to your vet about the best option for your pet, as this will vary depending on the situation, the pet and time of year.