Disease carrying ticks!

The other day a client was in our reception area waiting for her pet's appointment. The appointment was for an annual comprehensive exam and vaccinations. Routine, right? As our technician came out to greet the pet and escort them to the examination room, she noticed 2 ticks crawling off the pet onto the bench that the pet was sitting on. This dog happened to live close by and had not ventured out of the area recently. The ticks were picked up right in the dog's backyard.

Ticks were never a problem in our area 20 years ago. The only time we had to worry about ticks was when we travelled with our pets to the coastal areas or took our pets hunting. Tick have since migrated into our living spaces. Unfortunately, they have brought their diseases with them.

Ticks are gross. But they are also dangerous. Not only to our pets but to us as well. If you think about it, as those tick were crawling off the pet, they could have easily been crawling onto a human member of the household. This particular pet slept with a child in the household and the ticks could have easily crawled from the pet to the child.

There are many diseases that ticks carry. I am sure you have heard of Lyme disease. Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. It is transmitted through the bite of infected ticks. The typical symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, and a often a rash. If left untreated, the infection can spread to the joints, heart, and the nervous system.

There are other equally serious diseases that ticks carry. We are not as familiar with them because, at this time, they are not as prevalent as Lyme Disease. Two Tick-borne diseases that we test for at NHAH in addition to Lyme Disease, are Anaplasmosis and Ehrlichiosis. We test for all three of these tick-borne diseases at the same time we test our canine patients for heartworm disease. If a dog tests positive, we can treat him or her with antibiotics even with no symptoms present. Believe it or not, we have many pets that test positive for tick-borne diseases. And if your pet tests positive, you and your family have likely been in the vicinity of these same ticks.

Educating yourself, vaccinating your dog for lyme disease, and using monthly, year-round external parasite prevention are steps you can take to protect your pet and your family. It is much easier and less costly to prevent than to cure.