Ticks are one of the freeloaders that pester dogs. Unlike other ectoparasites that cause the dog immense discomfort, ticks cause mild irritation but when they latch onto the skin of the dog and feed, they can cause anemia. Moreover, these small parasites can carry diseases that would not only affect the dog but also pose a dangerous threat to humans. Once a tick has latched into the skin of the dog to feed, there is a possibility that the dog can get Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis and Anaplasmosis.
After the transmission of the tick borne disease, the dog will be lethargic, have fever and show signs of weakness. Temporary paralysis is another symptom of these tick borne diseases. Once the tick is removed, the symptoms of the tick borne diseases will be gone as well
Dogs are not only very energetic animals, they have high prey drives as well thus these animals would wander in grassy and woodland areas every chance they could get. However, there are times when instead of coming home with a hunted prey, the dog would come home with a parasite on its back. Ticks are parasites that would patiently wait in grassland for potential hosts. Ticks are equipped with sensitive sensors that can recognize the approach of a potential host. Ticks would jump into the warm blooded animals detected by the sensors, latch into the skin and begin a blood meal.
A tick that is as small as a pencil point can grow as big as a raisin when engorged with blood. Although ticks would immediately suck blood after jumping on the dog's body, tick borne diseases will only be transmitted after several hours. Grooming a dog that had been playing in woodlands and in grassy areas is very important. Even if the dog is infested with ticks, transmission of diseases can be prevented if the ticks are removed at once.
Careful inspection of the dog after it has been out in grassy and wooded areas is important especially if tick infestation is common in the area. After brushing the coat feel for any bumps in the dog's body. Removing ticks is not difficult but it has to be done carefully. This is because unlike fleas, ticks would stay attached to the skin. To remove ticks, position the tweezers as close as possible to the skin and pull the parasite in one steady motion but squeezing the tick must be avoided so that bacteria carried by the tick is not injected to the dog. The tweezers can be used to carefully remove tick head that was left embedded in the dog's skin. Use antiseptic solution to clean the bite area.
After the transmission of the tick borne disease, the dog will be lethargic, have fever and show signs of weakness. Temporary paralysis is another symptom of these tick borne diseases. Once the tick is removed, the symptoms of the tick borne diseases will be gone as well
Dogs are not only very energetic animals, they have high prey drives as well thus these animals would wander in grassy and woodland areas every chance they could get. However, there are times when instead of coming home with a hunted prey, the dog would come home with a parasite on its back. Ticks are parasites that would patiently wait in grassland for potential hosts. Ticks are equipped with sensitive sensors that can recognize the approach of a potential host. Ticks would jump into the warm blooded animals detected by the sensors, latch into the skin and begin a blood meal.
A tick that is as small as a pencil point can grow as big as a raisin when engorged with blood. Although ticks would immediately suck blood after jumping on the dog's body, tick borne diseases will only be transmitted after several hours. Grooming a dog that had been playing in woodlands and in grassy areas is very important. Even if the dog is infested with ticks, transmission of diseases can be prevented if the ticks are removed at once.
Careful inspection of the dog after it has been out in grassy and wooded areas is important especially if tick infestation is common in the area. After brushing the coat feel for any bumps in the dog's body. Removing ticks is not difficult but it has to be done carefully. This is because unlike fleas, ticks would stay attached to the skin. To remove ticks, position the tweezers as close as possible to the skin and pull the parasite in one steady motion but squeezing the tick must be avoided so that bacteria carried by the tick is not injected to the dog. The tweezers can be used to carefully remove tick head that was left embedded in the dog's skin. Use antiseptic solution to clean the bite area.
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