Ticks on Pets Can Be Hard To Catch
Summer is a season we all enjoy spending time outdoors, including our furry four-legged family members. Unfortunately, in New Jersey, it is also the season for ticks. They are known to spread Lyme Disease, anaplasmosis, and ehrlichiosis in pets. Since ticks can transmit dangerous and deadly diseases to pets, it is important that you check for ticks on pets often and remove them swiftly.
Here is how to check your pet for ticks and how to remove them safely.
Not every pet will be easy to check depending on their fur coat length and thickness. Animals with plenty of fur offer the best homes for ticks because they can hide under the fur and not be discovered for a long time.
Know What You are Looking For
You can’t spot something if you don’t know what it looks like. Ticks are usually dark parasites that you can see or feel. Once they attach to the skin, they don’t tend to move around because they are feeding and over time, the body size increases as it fills with blood.
Run Your Fingers through Their Fur
Start at the pet’s head and run your fingers through their fur moving them as you go. If you come across a bump, separate the fur to check and see what it is.
Do a Visual Inspection in Certain Areas
Ticks especially like to hide in certain areas such as the toes, ears, and under the collar. In addition to running your fingers through the fur, you should visually inspect these areas looking for ticks or signs of redness or irritation suggesting a tick are near.
Be Aware of Your Pets Actions
Even if you don’t locate any ticks during your inspection, you should still observe your pet throughout the day. Ticks are great at finding hiding spots. If you notice your pet is excessively scratching or licking a certain area, check the spot immediately as it could mean a tick has attached to the skin.
How to Remove a Tick
When it comes to removing a tick, always use gloves or a paper towel. Tweezers are the best tool to get a hold of a tick by its head close to the skin. Once you have the tweezers on the tick, you can pull straight out slowly to assure it doesn’t break in half. To kill a tick, place it in a small amount of rubbing alcohol.
Treat any Wounds
If the tick attached itself to the pet’s skin, there might be a small wound. You can treat it with a pet safe disinfectant or antibiotic ointment.
The best way to protect your pets from ticks is through prevention. Perennial Lawn Care is here to help you and can treat your lawn for ticks to keep your entire family safe. Contact us today to learn more about our lawn care tick control program.
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