Ticks- What’s the harm?
Its summer and ticks seem to be everywhere. We have had more pets brought in for the removal of ticks than usual.
If you decide to remove the tick on your own, carefully grasp the tick with a tweezers and gently remove pulling as straight as possible. You are attempting to remove the tick with the head. Do not cover the tick with Vaseline, apply heat, or any of the other, once popular (but incorrect), old methods of tick removal. These will often cause the tick to discharge infection/poison into your pet.
The most common areas to find ticks on your dog is around the ears (they tend to like warm moist areas), under the chin, and the under belly area.
Why should you protect your dog from ticks?
Unfortunately a simple tick bite can turn into a big problem. Ticks can cause a series of medical problems, including a dangerous amount of blood loss. A tick infestation could even result in diseases like ehlichosis, Lyme disease, anaplomosis and others. These are known as vector-borne diseases. It is recommended that annual check-ups include screenings for vector-borne diseases.
How can you protect your dog from ticks?
The most effective way is to put your pet on a flea and tick preventative. We recommend Frontline as a preventative. Call us at 800 204-8007 for more information.
You should also try to maintain your yard free from brush and wood piles.
Remember a healthy pet is a happy pet!