Ticks!

Tick season is starting across North America, and experts are warning the bloodsuckers may be as plentiful as ever. Ticks are small, blood-sucking parasites that are found throughout the world. Ticks can thrive in various habitats, including grassy fields, forests, and your backyard!

Wise and Wonderful Integrative Veterinary Center, your local Santa Rosa vet, offers some information about ticks, tick-borne illnesses, and tips for treatment and prevention.

Ticks, small arachnids and not insects, feed on animals and people, potentially spreading illness. While there is no widely accepted estimate of ticks from one year to the next, there is scientific consensus that ticks are an increasingly common health hazard in many parts of the United States. Mild, wetter winters often enable tick populations to increase rapidly.

While active year-round in Sonoma County, ticks are most active during the warmer months. They are attracted to hosts by various factors, including body heat, movement, and the carbon dioxide we exhale. Once they find a host, they will often attach themselves to warm and moist areas of the body, such as the armpits, groin, and scalp.

Ticks can transmit various pathogens, including anaplasmosis, Lyme disease, Pacific Coast tick fever, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia, and tick-borne relapsing fever. In addition to spreading diseases, ticks can also release toxins that harm their hosts. The skin wounds caused by ticks can lead to secondary bacterial infections and screwworm infestations. Severe tick infestations can result in anemia and even death.

If your dog is heavily infested with ticks, you should promptly take it to a veterinarian for tick removal. Heavy infestations will not only severely damage the skin but also increase the chances of anemia, paralysis, and other complications. Your veterinarian is best equipped to provide heavily infested pets with the necessary care, and a clinic stay is likely for such pets.

How did my cat get ticks? Ticks wait for host animals on the tips of grasses and shrubs. When a moving animal or person brushes the plant, the tick quickly lets go of the vegetation and climbs onto the host. This process is known as questing. Ticks can only crawl; they cannot fly or jump. Some species of ticks will crawl several feet toward a host.

Most veterinarians recommend a regularly performed heartworm test for your dog and cat. They may recommend testing for exposure to tick-borne illnesses if you suspect your pet has been exposed. Many dogs that test positive for one of these tick-borne diseases are not clinically ill at detection. Your veterinarian will discuss options with you for treatment and follow up if your pet tests positive. A dog that is ill with tick-borne disease will often have symptoms of fever, depression, lethargy, loss of appetite, joint pain, and more.

If your pet has acquired even a few ticks, you should have it checked for any of the many diseases spread by these parasites. Monitor any site(s) from which you have removed ticks. If a tick bite site turns red or swells, a prompt trip to the veterinarian is warranted.

Prevention is the best method to mitigate tick-borne diseases. Keeping animals away from tick-prone areas is the most effective way to control exposure. Most ticks live in specific microhabitats, such as tall grass or the border between wooded areas and lawns. Destroying these microhabitats reduces the number of ticks. Removing tall grass and weeds and trimming vegetation can help protect your animals. Insecticide treatment of vegetation can slightly reduce the risk of ticks. However, it is not recommended for wide use due to environmental pollution and the cost of treating large areas.

The primary defense is an effective tick product. Topical and oral medications can help prevent the transmission of tick disease. A wide range of tick preventatives is available commercially, each with its own level of effectiveness. These range from over-the-counter products such as powders and collars that can provide protection to stronger products only available through your veterinarian. Some products, especially powders, require frequent application, while others require minimal effort from the cat owner. This variety of options empowers you to choose the best preventative for your pet's needs.

It is important not to use flea and tick products meant for your dog on your cat, as they can be toxic and cause seizures. Your veterinarian will make specific recommendations to keep your cat parasite-free.

Check your pet often for ticks and remove any that are found. Ticks have different life stages. The smallest are larvae; they molt to a nymph before becoming adults. The super-tiny stages can be easy to miss, even on humans, so check your pets carefully. Some tick-borne diseases require the tick to be embedded in the skin for at least 24-48 hours; the sooner they are removed, the less likely disease transmission has occurred. Still, certain illnesses can be transmitted from tick to host in less than three hours, so consistently using good preventive is crucial.

An embedded tick is best removed by grabbing at the head of the tick, nearest the skin, with tweezers or forceps, and then slowly and steadily pulling straight out. Commercial tick removers are also available, but hair may interfere with their use, so choose wisely. The CDC also recommends washing hands after removal or wearing gloves. Deposit the tick in a little vial of rubbing alcohol or flush it down the toilet.

Remember that while tick-borne illnesses can be serious, they are also preventable. Taking the necessary precautions can help protect your pets. Call Wise and Wonderful — 707-546-4646 — to make a wellness appointment to ask about tick prevention, or call us if you have concerns about your dog’s health.

Wise and Wonderful offers special pricing on flea, tick, heartworm, and other parasite preventives.