Dealing with Ticks

The approaching summer will bring us warm weather, lovely lazy walks and plenty of ice cream (hopefully!). However it will also be bringing us more ticks, and there is nothing a tick likes more than latching on to your precious dog for a good feed. As harbourers of disease they aren’t something you want on your dog for long so we’ve outlined below tips on how to prevent them and, if necessary, locate and remove them.

Prevention

The most common type of ticks found in the UK are sheep and hedgehog ticks and are particularly prevalent in moorland, woodland or in fields where sheep have grazed. Avoiding these areas will obviously reduce the chances of your dog acquiring a tick but it would be a shame to miss out on all those good walks! Many flea treatments give some prevention to ticks so, in the first instance, check with your vet that you are giving your dog the most appropriate product and change if necessary and use a preventative shampoo. It is also a good idea to ensure bedding is kept tick free by using a Flea & Tick Spray.

Location

When a tick first arrives onto your dog it can be hard to locate, as they are so small. It is important to groom your pet regularly with a good strong brush and whilst doing so look out for small grey dots on the skin, almost like a scar. As the tick feeds it gets bigger, looking similar to a wart and growing to the size of a bean.

Removal

When the tick has had its fill it will eventually drop off, however as they spread disease and infection it is wise to remove it as soon as you can. When doing so however it is important to remove the entire tick, as leaving part of it embedded in your dog could lead to infection. Consequently don’t just try to scrape it off nor pull it out with your fingernails (remember the head is buried under your dogs skin so can’t just be tugged out). Instead, with a pair of blunt nose tweezers grab the tick as close to your dog’s skin as possible. With a gentle pressure (squeeze too tight and you could kill the tick leaving the head in your dog), twist the tick out of your dog, disposing of it carefully; remember ticks can latch onto humans as well. Keep a close eye on the affected area for a few days, and if it looks sore or inflamed contact your vet just to make sure that the entire insect was removed. Of course if you don’t feel comfortable removing the offending item then any vet or veterinary nurse will be able to do it for you quickly and safely.

Lyme Disease

No article on ticks would be complete without mentioning Lyme Disease. Whilst it’s not very common in the UK it is here and can be spread by infected ticks. It can result in lameness, loss of appetite and depression whilst also having the potential to cause damage to kidneys, heart or nervous system. Antibiotics are often used to successfully treat the disease with the early diagnosis having better results so if you suspect your dog may have been exposed to Lyme Disease contact your vet.

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