You, Your Pup and Ticks
We are pleased to announce that Integrated K9 Services has won the Platinum award for Dog Training in the 2021 Hamilton Community News Readers’ Choice Awards. We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who voted for us to help us achieve this award. Your support is very much appreciated.
Spring has sprung and so have the ticks. Once the temperatures rise above 4 degrees celsius, ticks become active and it’s important that we protect ourselves and our beloved pets from these parasites.
Your vet will prescribe the best preventative medication for your pet, usually Bravecto, which will provide protection for up to three months. Revolution and Advantix are also available but while Revolution works well with fleas, it may not be the best for tick prevention since it isn’t effective for all types of ticks and does not cover the deer tick, which transmits lyme disease.
Ticks can be found almost anywhere but are more concentrated in areas where there is long grass and weeds and wooded areas. It is important that you check your dog closely for ticks when returning from a walk. Ticks are visible to the eye and can easily be felt when you run your fingers through your pet’s coat. If you find a tick on your dog, it is important that you remove it as soon as possible.
You can take your pup to the vet to have the tick removed but, if you can’t get there quickly, you should remove it yourself using tweezers or a Tick Twister. When removing the tick, you must be careful that you don’t leave the head of the tick embedded in your dog’s skin. If this happens the area can abscess and cause an infection, and any contact with the tick’s blood could possibly transmit disease to you as well as your pup.
It is preferable to remove a tick using a Tick Twister, which most vets have on hand and often give out to their clients. When removing a tick make certain that you get the tweezers or Tick Twister as close to your dog’s skin as possible and pull out the tick in a steady, straight motion. Once you remove the tick place it in a container, alive or dead, and take it to your vet so it can be tested for disease.
Although not as common, it’s also possible for a tick to become embedded in the gums of your pet’s mouth so, when checking your pup for ticks, also check in their mouth.
Enjoy the spring weather with your best four-legged friend but remember to be careful and stay safe.