Ticks Are Bad News For Your Pets – Here’s What To Do About Them

In the animal kingdom, you’d imagine that the largest animals are the most dangerous. Well, it also turns out that the tiny ones can be a threat too. The mosquito, for example, is the deadliest animal in the world. This is just one example of a deadly bug. The tick is the other bug that you also need to be aware of. More than gaining knowledge, you also need practical advice on how to deal with them.

Tick-Related Diseases For Pets

Though small, the tick can cause several diseases that are sure to affect both you and your pets. The worst among these diseases is Lyme Disease.

While ticks can cause anemia, the primary concern is tickborne diseases. There are more than a dozen tickborne diseases, which vary by tick species and geographical region.5 In the U.S., Lyme disease is particularly dangerous for dogs and can cause serious medical problems such as swollen joints or lameness.6 Cats are less susceptible to Lyme disease, but can contract other harmful diseases. Read more at Pets Best

Clearly, you need to protect your pets from these tiny bugs. Otherwise, you’ll be dealing with life-long health conditions in your pets.

Looking out For Tick Bites

How do you protect your pets from ticks? One way is by being on the lookout for tick bites. These sneaky bugs aren’t as visible as you’d like. However, their bites can be seen and there are common places to look out for.

Under the Collar
Ticks can live in relative safety underneath your pet’s collar, harness, or item of clothing, where they’re out of biting and nibbling range, and protected from most scratches. What’s more, because it’s a moist, low-light environment, and has thicker and fuller hair than other areas, under the collar is an ideal spot for ticks to latch on and get comfortable.

Under the Tail
Pet owners sometimes overlook the underside of a dog’s or cat’s tail when doing a tick inspection. However, this is often a tick’s favorite area to hide and feed. Commonly found at the base of the tail, where hair is thick, moist, and harder for pets to reach, ticks can go undetected without a thorough inspection. Read more at Hartz

Other places to check are the groin, between the toes, armpits, and eyelids too. Basically, you should check any part of your pet’s body that is warm and moist.

Removing Ticks Properly

What then should you do if you find a tick on your pet? You’ll do well to remove it since you can prevent infection if you remove it early enough and in the correct way.

If you do find a tick on your dog, it is important to remove it properly as soon as possible to limit infection:

Use a fine-tipped pair of tweezers to grasp the tick as closely to the dog’s skin as possible.
Pull the tick’s body away from the skin with a straight, steady motion.
After the tick is removed, wash your dog’s skin with soap and water.
Call your veterinarian about having the tick tested. The tick can be kept in a bag in the freezer until then.
Never use petroleum jelly, a hot match, nail polish or other products to remove a tick. Read more at HSLM

You can also consider a preventive approach to ensuring your pets don’t have contact with ticks. That way you will limit the incidences of tick bites and the effects that come with it.

To do this, you don’t need to look any further than the Backyard Bug Patrol. We have a barrier spray program that is sure to protect both you and your pets from ticks and mosquitoes too. These bugs will be as good as dead when they come into contact with our sprays. Moreover, the foliage in your yard will also be tick-proof so you are sure of a long-term solution. Call us today for the best deal in town.