Protecting Pets From Ticks

The best protection for your pets is to keep them out of areas suitable for tick, such as woody areas and high grass and shrubbery. If this is not possible, the following steps will decrease your pets chances of contracting a tick-borne illness.

Use products designed to repell or kill ticks, such as prays and dips containing permethrins and pyrethrins. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for applying these products.

Examine your pets frequently for ticks. Pay special attention to areas that are dark and moist, such as in and behind ears and in crooks of legs in order to detect embedded ticks.

Remove attached ticks promptly. The longer the tick is on your pet, the better the chances of the tick transmitting a disease. It is very important that you remove the tick properly: Using fine point tweezers, grasp the tick as close to it's mouthparts as possible and gently pull upwards gently until the tick detaches. Be patient, as this may take some time. Once the tick is removed, wipe the bite area with antiseptic and wash your hands.

Put the tick into a small container, such as a pill bottle or zip-lock bag, along with a few blades of grass. Write the date, the area of the pet's body where the tick was found, and the location of the property where the tick was picked up.

Call your veterinarian to determine if there is a local place where the tick can be tested. Ask your veternarian where you can have the tick tested for tick-borne diseases.

Watch for symptoms and any changes in your pets behavior, and if you notice any changes, see your veterinarian as soon as possible. The earlier treatment is started, the better the chance for recovery.

There are vaccines available for dog, but the effectiveness of the vaccine is a subject of debate.