The dog tick is an external parasite that survives from the blood of humans and other mammals. Ticks attach themselves to the host's body, grow larger as they suck their blood and eventually fall off when they become heavy enough. While ticks can feed on various hosts, they favor dogs. They often make their way into the home when a dog is brought in after being outdoors.
-
Exposure
-
Found throughout the United States, dog ticks are most likely to target your pet during walks in fields or wooded areas. Ticks can easily climb up a dog's leg in patches of overgrown grass in your back yard. They are frequently found on the head or neck area of a dog. While they usually appear in warmer months, ticks can linger into winter during a warm spell.
Diseases
-
The bite of one tick can infect a dog with multiple diseases. Among the diseases commonly associated with ticks are Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Ehrlichiosis. Caused by a bacteria from deer ticks, Lyme disease can make joints so painful that within days infected dogs have difficulty walking. Ehrlichiosis, a bacteria transmitted by tick saliva, appears mostly in southern part of the United States and can cause anemia in dogs who are infected. Rocky Mountain spotted fever appears not only in the Midwest and plains region but along the east coast as well. It can prove fatal if pneumonia sets in.
Symptoms
-
Dogs who have been bitten by a tick can exhibit a number of symptoms. Owners should watch for lethargy, lack of desire to exercise, decreased appetite and soreness or what appears to be arthritis in their limbs. Dogs can also display fever. Because ticks fall off their host once they become engorged, bites underneath a dog's thick coat can go unnoticed.
Treatment
-
Ticks dig deeply into a dog's skin. If you find a tick on your dog, use alcohol to disorient it, remove it with your fingers or tweezers while wearing surgical gloves and leave it in alcohol to die before flushing it down the toilet. Then apply antiseptic to the affected spot. Owners who suspect their dog is suffering from a tick bite should see their veterinarian promptly for an accurate diagnosis. If the bite is caught early, topical medications are often applied. Advanced cases are usually treated orally. Since tick bites that go untreated for long periods are difficult to treat, it's best to seek treatment as soon as you suspect your dog has been bitten.
Prevention/Solution
-
Dogs who have been outdoors should be checked for ticks by their owners as soon as they are brought inside. Preventive tick medicine is recommended and prescribed by veterinarians. Keeping grass cut short in the dog's area during the summer months will deter ticks and decrease the chances that your pet will become infected with potentially serious diseases.
-