Ticked

Hey guys! It's finally getting warmer and with it comes more time outside with our family and furry friends. As we all come out from hibernation so do the pesky bugs. A major thing to be keeping an eye out for is ticks. I have seen quite a few customers come in with ticks on their dogs and not even know it. Here is some useful knowledge and a few tips to know how to prevent and check for ticks.

One useful piece of knowledge to always keep in mind is that ticks can not jump or fly like fleas and other insects. Ticks actually crawl up a dogs leg and attaches itself to the dog. Most ticks are attracted dark, moist areas which on pets would be the dogs' underbelly and their armpits on their front legs. Obviously all animals and humans are susceptible getting ticks, but pets with longer hair are have higher risk since there are more places to hide. So with these pets we need to be more thorough in making sure we check these pets more thoroughly even if you have them on a flea/tick preventative.

Tips for checking for ticks:

1.) Check to see if you pet have any redness or soreness on any areas of its body. You can check this by rubbing your hands all over its body and if the pets whines or whinces then stop and check that area.

2.) Run a flea comb or a very fine toothed combed over your pet's coat. If your comb stops or you feel a bumb, stop and check the spot by seperating the hair and looking all the way to the skin to make sure that the is nothing attatched to the pet.

3.) Always check your pet for fever. Some pets can have a reaction to being bit by ticks, but also any time a pet is outside it is always good to get into the habit of checking their temperature periodically to check to make sure they did not get into anything when you weren't looking and are now having a reaction to it.

4.) Watch for head shaking. A dog may shake its head if it has a tick in its ear or around the ear. Anytime a pet shakes its ear it is probably safe to get into the practice of taking them to the vet because it could also be signs of an ear infection as well.

Some ways to help with preventing ticks is to have your vet or groomer do a tick check every time you take them in. Both would be able to do a little more thorough check than we can do at home. You can also talk with your vet about putting a tick preventative on your pet or see about having your yard treated with something that is safe for your pet as well.

As always feel free to leave a comment on if you have any questions about this topic or would like to see a post about another topic that you have questions about. Until next, stay safe and have fun!

-Rebecca