Ticks on Pets: Complete Guide for Dogs and Cats
Ticks on pets can cause a variety of severe illnesses. While people commonly associate ticks with wooded areas, ticks can be found anywhere outdoors. Dogs and cats can pick up ticks more often because they’re closer to the ground, making it easier for ticks to cling to their fur.
Pets can bring them inside where you can find them on their bodies or even on the floor. However, you don’t need to keep your pet inside to keep it from getting bit and infected by a tick. By making it a habit of routinely checking for ticks on dogs and cats, you can protect your pet from the diseases ticks can cause.
Several ticks can be found on dogs at one time, however since cats are fastidious groomers, it’s rare to see more than one at a time, and if you do it could be a sign of infection.
Ticks are most commonly found between April and November. However, in warmer areas, they may be found year-round.
So now let us discuss what you can do to check for ticks on your pets, how to remove them, tick infection symptoms and prevention.
How To Check For Ticks on Dogs, Ticks On Cats
As ticks embed themselves in a cat and dog’s skin, it is crucial to run your fingers through their fur daily to check for ticks. Ticks feel like small bumps. You might need to move aside your pet’s hair to more accurately feel and see the spot where it can be red as well. A tick can be as tiny as the head of a pin, typically no larger than a poppy seed, and are brown or black in color. A mature tick will feed on the skin until it swells up to ten times its original size and can stay there for months and even years.
Finding a tick on your cat and dog isn’t necessarily a cause for alarm. Generally, ticks must be embedded in the skin for one or two days to cause infection.
Tick Removal
When removing a tick, be sure to remove it altogether. If a part of the tick remains in the skin, it raises the chance of infection and disease.
Before removing the tick with tweezers, coat the tick with a film of petroleum jelly. Ticks breathe through their back ends. Once they release their hold on your pet, you can remove them altogether. Be careful not to crush the tick as you remove it to lessen the chance of infection.
Wash your pet’s skin with soap and water after removing the tick. Visit your vet for assistance if you find it hard to remove and want to know if the infection has set in.
Your vet can screen for various diseases caused by ticks with some simple tests. Also, regular screening for tick infection, such as Lymes disease, during your dog’s annual veterinary visits is essential.
Tick Infection Symptoms
Tick diseases cause common symptoms. However, some dogs don’t experience any symptoms at all. And for others, symptoms may not show for seven to ten days when their behavior, strength and appetite can change. A screening test to confirm the presence of a tick-borne illness helps your veterinarian provide the proper treatment for your pet and quickly to avoid a more severe and chronic disease.
Tick Prevention
Your vet might also recommend vaccination for Lyme disease. This prevents one of the most common diseases caused by ticks, Lymes disease. Medications to repel ticks and tick collars offer other ways to avoid illness. However, these options may not be 100 percent effective and can come with risks. Talk to your vet about specific recommendations.
Another efficient way to get tick protection for your property is to call a professional pest control company. One-time or periodic maintenance of your property is a great way to keep ticks at bay and away from your pets.
Ticks on Pets, Conclusion
Ticks pose a danger to the health of your dog and cat. A few simple steps will protect your pet and family from illnesses caused by ticks. Regularly checking your dog for ticks offers the best way to ensure your dog won’t get infected. When you find a tick, remove it carefully and thoroughly to prevent complications. Don’t forget to request regular screenings from your vet for the illnesses ticks cause.
Ticks on dogs! Ticks on cats! Ticks on Pets! No More! Contact NJ Pest Control to make your property a safe place for your pets to roam and have fun.