June was a very rainy season. And with that comes, greenery and weeds around Colorado, creating the perfect environment for ticks to live in. This is why you should be aware of the diseases these bugs carry so you can protect your family.
I had the chance to speak with Dr. Day Kenny at the Pikes Peak Veterinarian Clinic about tick season. She says this is the time of year when ticks thrive. And your pet can be at risk of getting bitten by a tick when they are playing outside in tall grass.
It’s best to check your pet for ticks because if your pet brings ticks into your home, this can create an infestation in your home. Check in-between the toes, behind the ears and in the armpits of your pet. Ticks like to hide in these places. Ticks carry diseases that are dangerous to pets and humans. A lot of the diseases the ticks carry can take several hours before they can infect the animal. But once the disease is spread, it can make pets and humans very sick.
“There’s also other issues with tick bites. Local infections, they can also develop masses at the site of the tick bite and then they can also develop paralysis. All of these can also be seen in humans too. So, the best way to prevent these diseases is with tick prevention,” said Dr. Day Kenny.
“The big diseases that we are concerned about with ticks is Lyme disease, rocky mountain spotted fever, we can also see Anaplasmosis. So, there’s about 50 different diseases that can be spread through the bite of an infected tick.”
The biggest mistake Dr. Day sees is how people remove ticks because they rip out the ticks too fast. She says they often don’t get the tick completely out and then they must take their pet to the vet clinic.
She says the best way to prevent this from happening is to get your pet on an antibiotic that will keep ticks away. It is best to talk to your vet about what antibiotic works best for your pet.
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