As a veterinarian, and pet owner, I am at constant battle against disease and pestilence. Summertime, in particular, invariably presents a daunting challenge, to all alike, when it comes to keeping our pets – and our families – free of those worrisome parasites that warm weather perpetuates. This time of year, when the daylight extends into the evening hours and people gather for backyard barbecues, battalions of beady-eyed, eight-legged creatures, left over from times of yore, ready for the attack.
Ticks are rightly feared and can cause significant harm. Now mind you, Mosquitos carry the deadly larval stage of the blood-borne parasite that causes heartworm disease in both dogs and cats, and everybody knows about fleas – but that is a story for another time. Let’s focus on our arch nemesis the tick for now. North Carolina harbors many species of ticks, many of which can carry serious diseases for both man and animal alike. Unfortunately, we see tick-borne disease quite regularly in a clinical setting – now that doesn’t mean it’s not preventable or treatable – because it is. Today’s parasiticides for our pet are highly effective and extremely safe. The old adage certainly rings true that an ounce of prevention is worth a…. You know how it goes.
Ticks are funny creatures, not haha funny, but interesting funny; they are related to spiders you know. They have a unique way of finding a host (a nice way of describing their evening meal). A tick will mosey to the end of a piece of vegetation and do a little dance – yes a dance. It’s called “questing”. When a tick is questing for a host it will stand up on its hind legs and blindly stick it’s front legs into the air – waiting for your pet to walk by. When a suitable host walks by the tick will grasp its new found host and hitch a ride and eventually get a free meal. This is where the concern starts. While the tick is feeding this is typically when disease transmission takes place. Usually the tick needs to be attached for a certain period of time to transmit a particular disease. There are many different tick-borne diseases. Most of you have probably heard of Lyme’s disease, then there’s Ehrlichiosis, and Anaplasmosis – just to name a few. I won’t bore you with a bunch of pathobiology at this point.
Now we all know prevention is always better than treatment, right? So, what should we do to protect our pets and our families. First we protect our pets. By doing so we are also protecting our families. Pets often serve as a buffer between us and the wilds of the world. Their fur-coat is much more likely to come in contact with a questing tick and subsequently transport that blood-sucking menace into our home. By regularly using effective and safe tick prevention for your pets your are not only protecting them, but also your entire family. Your family veterinarian is a great resource to help you select which preventive is best for your pets.
Treating your pet’s environment is also of worthy consideration. Treating your pet is only part of the battle. On occasion someone may think their tick preventive may have failed because they found a tick on their pet, however, without the preventive their pet likely would have had multiple ticks. Treating the yard with safe and effective environmental options will also help minimize the risk of additional exposure. Always follow the instructions of any yard application products to ensure safety for all involved.
Tick-borne disease in pets can lead to clotting disorders, lameness, arthritis and kidney disease – just to name a few. If you ever suspect your pet has been bitten by a tick it would be best to consult your veterinarian for appropriate action. Of course, if you are ever bitten be sure to consult your physician. Keep vegetation closely cropped, pets protected with veterinarian-recommend tick prevention year-round and treatment of the pet’s environment are the surest way to safe, healthy and tick-free summer. – Dr. Patrick McCrory
Dr. Patrick McCrory has been an active member and business owner of the Holly Springs community for nearly 15 years. He can be found at Holly Springs Veterinarian Hospital.
