Tips for protecting your dog from ticks, disease
Last week, a colleague of mine from work told me her dog was sick and was at the veterinarian undergoing tests.
When the test results came in, her dog was diagnosed with Rocky Mountain spotted fever. The family, including their dog, had gone out of state for the weekend. Following a family hike, they found ticks on their dog.
According to healthypet.com, a website of the American Animal Hospital Association that is a source for information about ticks, there are hundreds of kinds of ticks, including dog ticks and deer ticks, that prey on the blood of dogs, cats, horses, deer, rodents, birds and people.
“Ticks are small, eight-legged parasites that must drink blood in order to survive and reproduce. Ticks don’t fly and they can’t jump (unlike fleas) … Ticks are more closely related to spiders and mites than to insects like fleas.”
Ticks are dangerous to our pets because they can transmit diseases to our companion animals, including Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis (a bacterial infection) and babesiosis (a blood disorder).
Signs of Rocky Mountain spotted fever in our pets include depression, fever, skin hemorrhages, rashes and joint disease. If the disease is caught in the early stages, antibiotics are effective in treating the disease, with improvement in the animal’s health seen within the first 12-24 hours.
Cases of Lyme disease have been documented in more than 40 states and is transmitted by the deer tick in the Midwest and Northeast. Clinical signs of Lyme disease in our pets include loss of appetite, lameness, lethargy and fever.
Ticks can cause weakness and even paralysis, with signs varying from mild unsteadiness of all four legs to acute quadriplegia, leaving all four legs completely immobilized.
Our dogs can become a host (get ticks) by going for a walk in the woods or walking in areas of tall grass. Ticks don’t jump onto their host, but rather climb and attach themselves to blades of tall grass and shrubs. When a host walks by and rubs against the plant, the tick climbs onto the host.
The tick then finds a location on the host to attach and feed. Ticks can also detect the carbon dioxide given off by warm-blooded animals and can climb several feet to get to the source.
The good news is there are effective control products that can be used on our companion animals to protect them from ticks. There are topical applications (gels or liquids that are put directly on the skin), collars, pills and chemical baths to protect against ticks and fleas. Consult your veterinarian for the best and safest preventive for your pet.
But ticks are hard to kill. So, even if you are using an effective tick control product, you should always check your dog daily. (Don’t forget to check his ears and toes.)
If you find a tick on your dog, don’t remove it with your fingers. Protect yourself by wearing gloves and always use tweezers or tick removal tools that are easy to use, being sure to grasp the tick at, or close to, the base of the head where it is attached to your dog’s skin. Pull gently to avoid leaving the mouthparts embedded in the skin. Dr. Nicole Planter, DVM, healthypet.com notes you can clean the area with a dilute solution of hydrogen peroxide and water.
My colleague’s dog is recovering from the Rocky Mountain spotted fever and is going to be all right.
We really owe it to our dogs to keep them safe from the diseases transmitted by ticks. Consult your veterinarian about effective tick preventatives.
Adoptables:
Ÿ Bingo is a male American bulldog, who is about 11 months old and weighs about 55 pounds.
Ÿ Forrest, a male Chihuahua/Shiba Inu mix, is about one year old and weighs about 14 pounds.
Ÿ Contact The Buddy Foundation at (847) 290-5806; visit us at 65 W. Seegers Road, Arlington Heights; or online at thebuddyfoundation.org.