Tick Prevention Tips for Pets

Summer in Vermont beckons everyone to spend more time outdoors. If you’re a pet owner, you likely want to take your dogs for walks or hikes. But are you staying cautious of the potential dangers of ticks? Ticks are infamous for spreading Lyme disease, the nation’s most common vector-borne disease. As the weather warms up, ticks become more active. Whenever you’re outside with your family and pets, it’s important to learn how to protect yourself against them. The team at Vermont Pest Control is here with tick prevention tips for your pets this summer and all year long.

How Dangerous Are Ticks?

Ticks feed on blood when they bite an animal or human. Ticks can latch into your skin for anywhere from a few hours to a few days. When an infected tick attaches to a dog for a few days, it’s possible for them to transmit Lyme disease, a serious bacterial infection. If you notice your pet is showing symptoms of depression, loss of appetite, fever, lameness, or swollen joins and lymph nodes, immediately contact your veterinarian. Ticks are also known to cause anemia in more serious situations. Cats rarely get ticks, but could easily carry them into your home. Ticks can easy hop off of one animal and onto a dog–or you!

Tips To Keep Ticks Away from Pets

Ticks are more common than you think, especially this time of year. Rather than wait to find out your dog has been infected by a tick, it’s best to stay on top of it with tick prevention tips:

1. Talk to your veterinarian about tick prevention. They may have professional recommendations for prevention or treatment options, including heartworm protection.
2. Check your dogs or cats for ticks daily or whenever they go outdoors. When inspecting, focus on areas under the legs and around the neck and ears. In addition, look out for excessive scratching, licking, or grooming behavior.
3. Mow your lawn regularly. By mowing your lawn regularly, you can make your yard less attractive to ticks. In addition, implement rodent prevention tactics to discourage rodents that could carry ticks.
4. Avoid areas with tall grass on hikes. Ticks are known to be in areas with high grass, be careful to stay on trails when hiking or walking.
5. Protect your family from ticks. During the summer, regularly check yourself and family members for ticks after being outdoors. They can easily hop from you to your pets!

What to Do When Your Pets Have Ticks

If you notice the signs of ticks in your property or have noticed symptoms in your pets, it’s important to contact a vet as soon as possible for treatment. Thoroughly vacuum your home and inspect for ticks as you would for fleas. For more tick prevention tips, the exterminators at Vermont can help!