(Photo: Deer Tick by Wix)
I have been noticing that a lot of people are sharing information about ticks. I have always been fascinated with ticks and the diseases they can carry and transmit to our pets and also to us. I have always felt that public health and animal health are very closely related, Lyme disease is a disease that can affect both our pets and us. Thousands of cases of Lyme disease have been reported in humans and animals across the United States and around the world. Because people and pets often spend time in the same environments where Lyme and other disease-transmitting ticks are found it is a good idea if you have a pet that was diagnosed with Lyme disease to consult with your own doctor and pediatrician.
Dogs with Lyme disease are becoming more and more common. You may be wondering why there are so many cases of Lyme and so many ticks. Well it is a cycle, and this is the easiest way to understand it: when we have a wet winter, meaning lots of snow, this correlates with the tick population the following spring. So we had lots of snow, therefore we will have a lot of ticks this year. You should protect yourself and your pets against ticks and prevent them from attaching to you and your pets. There are great product to prevent bites of ticks and tools to remove a tick from your dog or cat. Always check for ticks when you are in areas where ticks are found. Ticks are found in tall grasses, marshes and wooded areas, and in shrubbery near your homes. They wait for a mammal to walk by and jump on and attach themselves and feed.
Symptoms of Lyme disease in your pet can include fever, loss of appetite, lameness, joint swelling, and decreased activity. Pets infected may not show signs for 2-5 months. This is why it is best to make sure you use flea and tick preventative every month until we have snow that stays. It is also best to purchase your flea and tick medication from your veterinarian; you should not purchase over-the-counter flea and tick medication as it cannot be guaranteed to work properly.
Check out this website http://www.capcvet.org. It has some great information on parasites and how prevalent parasites are in the county you live in. In Franklin County, New York, 1 in 3 dogs tested for Lyme disease are positive for Lyme and Franklin County is listed as a high infection risk area, so make sure you get flea and tick medication and keep your pets healthy!
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