Spending time outdoors with your pet is a pleasurable experience. Unfortunately, there is always a chance of your pets contracting an illness from a tick, especially in outdoors. This indicates that protecting your dog from ticks and the diseases they carry is of utmost importance. Although tick bites can affect humans as well, dogs are more vulnerable because of their lower height when moving through tall grass. Hence, here’s all you need to know about the problems your dog can face due to ticks and how to prevent them.
What are ticks and what do they look like?
Ticks are parasitic arachnids that are part of the superorder of mites known as Parasitiformes. Ticks come in a range of shapes and sizes, but they are typically oval-shaped, small, flat, and black. After gorging themselves on blood, ticks usually grow to the size of a little coffee bean. Even though they occasionally resemble a wart in a dog’s fur, their eight legs are visible when you look closely.
What should I do if my dog has ticks?
It’s critical to rapidly remove ticks since they can spread infection. But it’s not a good idea to remove a tick from your dog’s coat. The parasite’s mouth and legs frequently stay entrenched in the skin, which can harm your dog in addition to increasing the risk of infection, inflammation, and the parasites regurgitating infected blood back into your pet.
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What problems can my dog face due to ticks?
Tick-Borne Diseases include Lyme disease, Tick Fever, Canine Ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Canine Babesiosis, and Anaplasmosis. The symptoms of the majority of these diseases are similar. As a result, in India, they are commonly referred to as Tick Fever.
Tick Fever symptoms usually appear 10-14 days after the bite. They include fever and loss of appetite. Sudden stiffness, weight loss, fatigue, lameness, and lethargy are also some of the symptoms. Some cases may also include vomiting or diarrhoea. It is critical to have your pet diagnosed by a medical professional if any of these symptoms appear after you have discovered a tick/s on your pet. A blood test is recommended to determine the exact nature of the disease
Most pets recover completely from tick fever. It can, however, be lethal if not adequately treated. If your pet is too weak or has anaemia, your veterinarian may advise you to keep them under observation.
How do prevent ticks on dogs?
Effective tick prevention methods, such as collars, pills, and spot treatments, can be suggested by your veterinarian. Always be sure to inspect your dog’s coat for ticks after a walk and whenever you brush them. To see the skin, brush the pet’s coat in the opposite direction of the hair growth.
Can dog owners get Lyme disease from ticks?
Yes. Although there is no proof that dogs infect their owners directly with the disease, they can introduce disease-carrying ticks into people’s homes. If a tick bites you, remove it with a hook designed for the purpose, much as with dogs. You run the danger of leaving the tick’s head or mouth within your body if you attempt to remove the tick directly. If a tick bite leaves you with flu-like symptoms, a rash, or if the bite develops an infection, you should see a doctor immediately.
