Protecting Your Pets From Tick – Ag Matters

Our pets are just as excited as we are about spring finally arriving.  And like us they also want to spend some time outdoors.  But with outdoor activities comes the dangers of tick season.  Here some tips on protecting pets from tick borne diseases.

Kornreich is the Associate Director for Education and Outreach at the Cornell Feline Health Center. Ticks put our pets in harms way of diseases like Lyme disease, Hemobartonellosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, babesiosis, and others.

• Checking for ticks on a regular basis is one of the most important safeguards.   Kornreich suggests feel your pet all over with your fingers.  Ticks are difficult to find and are most often discovered after they've attached themselves and taken a meal " which makes them larger and more conspicuous."

• Removing a tick is a delicate operation.  “To remove a tick, use a fine-tipped tweezer, hold it near the animal’s skin, grasp the tick and pull upwards without twisting."  “Don’t believe the old tales about using burned matches, nail polish, or Vaseline to kill ticks."

• To dispose of ticks after removal, place them in a sealed bag, flush them down the toilet, wrap them tightly in tape, or immerse them in alcohol. You should never directly handle or crush a tick with your hands.Washing your hands well after removing a tick is a good idea.

• Preserving a tick that has been feeding on your pet and is engorged is a good idea. If the animal does develop a disease it can help the vet make a quicker and more accurate diagnosis.  Kornreich says taping the tick – with clear tape – to a piece of paper and keeping it in the freezer or preserve it in a small container of rubbing alcohol.

• Warning signs of Lyme disease include lameness, lethargy and fever.