How to Prevent Ticks on Your Pets

As much as we look forward to spring, it does bring unwelcome guests like ticks. These pests are not only disgusting but they can carry diseases like Lyme Disease that may affect you and your pets.

In Canada, Lyme Disease can be found in BC, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. It spreads through the bite of infected ticks…the blacklegged (or deer tick, Ixodes scapularis) in southeastern and south-central regions of Canada and the western blacklegged tick (Ixodes pacificus) in British Columbia.

Even if you’re doing a great job keeping ticks off you and your family, you should be aware that ticks on your pets can affect you too. Your pets can carry them inside and transfer them to you or your children putting you all at risk.

Dogs are very susceptible to tick bites and tickborne diseases especially if they spend a lot of time outdoors and in wooded areas. Vaccines are not available for most of the tickborne diseases that dogs can get, and they don’t keep your dog from bringing ticks into your home. For these reasons, it’s important to use a tick preventive product on your dog. Check the Blue Barn selection here.

If your dog has been bitten by a tick, it may be hard to detect. And even if you remove a tick from your dog quickly, the disease may already be spreading. If your dog is infected, symptoms may not appear for 7-21 days so watch your dog closely for changes in behavior or appetite. This is a good practice during all of tick season.

Here are some tips to prevent ticks on your pet. And it should be noted that although Lyme Disease doesn’t appear to affect cats, they are still able to transfer ticks into your home (and on to you)

• Talk to your veterinarian about the best option for a tick repellant
• Create a tick-safe zone in your yard.
  • Clear tall brush and grass around the edge of your lawn
  • Mow your lawn frequently and keep leaves raked
  • Stack wood neatly in a dry area
  • Remove trash that may give ticks a place to hide
  • Keep decks, playground equipment and patios away from yard edges.
  • Use these tips to make your summer tick-free!
• Check your pets for ticks daily, especially after they spend time outdoors.
• If you find a tick on your pet, remove it right away.