Ahhhhhh, just relaxing. This is the good life. Well, almost. I just need to find a dog. I made sure to get up here on this leaf pretty early, so I’d have my pick of fluffy, big dogs, with lots of blood to munch on. I’m just hanging from the edge of this leaf, ready to drop on my next meal. I had it pretty good for a while. I’ve spent some time feasting on a pretty large buck, but then he hit the wrong highway, or should I say, the wrong highway or giant metal box on the highway hit him. Thankfully, I was smart enough to jump off after the impact, and I watched as they loaded him up and drove him away. I had a few friends on his neck. I hope they’re doing okay. Anyhoooo, now I’m just waiting ‘til the next meal. That buck used to hang around this trail early in the mornings, so I’ve seen quite a few large dogs taking walks with their humans that I can pick from. Stupid deer! Saw a doe and just ran blindly. She didn’t even turn around, just kept on running. I’m a female hard tick, so I have a reason to run off from my counterparts. I get one shot at laying eggs, then I die, so I will not mate, not yet. I’m enjoying the good life. Today, I will get fat. I can eat 100 time my weight, and I’m gonna do it. I’m hangry! I’m a little worried about this pet situation though. I’ve heard stories from other ticks. I usually stick to deer, but I’m pretty hungry, so I’ve got to take a chance. I’ve heard that some dogs are just great prey. They don’t even notice you’re there, and then by the time they do notice, you’ve already started your meal. If you pick the right spot, they can’t even reach you. Other dogs are trickier. I’ve heard that I need to look out for skinny collars. They have some sort of magic that will drop a tick dead in no time. If you’re really desperate though, or if you don’t notice before it’s too late, just make a mad dash to their butt - too far away from the collar to hurt a tick, or so they say. I’ve also heard of a topical that they take, and somehow the stuff will kill ticks, but Rover usually hits a few ponds, so it doesn’t work as well, and may stun a few ticks or make them talk funny like my pal Stewart. Basically, it wears off, so more likely than not, I’d be safe to jump on one of those dogs. But, there’s this other thing that’s got us all concerned. It’s probably just a tall tale, but it still worries me. A couple of my buddies jumped on a dog, seemed pretty excited and found a good spot right away, but they never returned, except one. He came back missing half his legs. He says he fell off because he felt dizzy and hadn’t attached yet, but he doesn’t even remember how he got back here, but obviously he was poisoned. He is not right anymore. Disappeared a few weeks back. The only thing he could remember, and what he kept repeating, was beware the veterinarian, but I don’t know what that is. Must be a scientific name for a bug or something. Oh wait! I’ve found my perfect specimen! A long haired, very large dog is approaching with its human running behind. It’s so big, I just know I can snack forever. I don’t see a skinny collar, just some frilly looking collar that must be totally embarrassing for the dog to wear, but personal preference, I guess. I’m going to aim for it’s head or neck and climb under a leg. I want a good spot to hide under all that luscious hair (and make it difficult to scratch me off). When I first attach myself to the dog, I’ll spit in a product that is very similar to lidocaine, so they can’t feel it. That’ll give me time to settle in. One, two, three! Jump! Whooooaaaa! Perfect somersault and landed smack dab on the neck. No one noticed - Jackpot! Now we’re just trotting along and I’m going to slowly make my way to my spot. This is the perfect dog! Warm, furry, and totally oblivious. I’m living the life! 24 hours later…. Blahhh...I don’t feel good. DUN, DUN, DUUUUUN! Tick dies…. That dog had a veterinarian! :) Now if you’re looking for some specific information about ticks, how to protect your pet, and more about this awesome creature called The Veterinarian, keep reading: 1.) Ticks are usually found in the neck and face area on a pet, but they can be anywhere, and will go anywhere that’s easy for them, hence, certain collars don’t work well because it only protects its close vicinity. 2.) Ticks can cause anemia, Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Ehrlichiosis or a whole host of other diseases, and even paralysis. Ehrlichia is the most common tick-borne illness in the Missouri region (in dogs and people). Many people get concerned about Lyme disease, but it’s actually quite rare in Missouri. Thirty to forty percent of dogs test positive to Ehrlichia in our region, meaning they either have an active infection or have been exposed in the past. Symptoms to watch for are lethargy, decreased appetite, fever, and sore joints. 3.) If you find a tick on you or your pet, remove it gently, but immediately, using tweezers if possible. The engorged ticks that look like gross, large peas are females, and they may feed up to three weeks to engorge. The males take in shorter meals, moving from female to female to mate. Females will engorge, drop off, and lay 3,000 to 6,000 eggs on the ground. Ever wonder why sometimes you find an engorged tick with a smaller tick underneath it? That’s a dirty male tick that’s after the female. Be sure to crush them both with extra gusto. 4.) Use a preventative that has been prescribed by your veterinarian. It will not only work better than ones you get off the shelf, your veterinarian will be able to prescribe a medication that works just for your pet’s needs.
5.) Many people may think that tick prevention is just necessary during certain times of year. Many think ticks will die after the first frost, but this is not true. Some species of ticks, like the American dog tick and Lone Star tick just aren’t as active in fall and winter months. Other species, like the Blacklegged or Deer tick can remain active in their adult stage from fall to winter as long as temperatures are above freezing. Snow on the ground can also insulate ticks and help them survive temperatures below freezing. I have seen dogs come into my office covered in ticks in January. Ticks are hardy little buggers. This is why year-round tick prevention is important. Fall is approaching, and you might be tempted to lay off the tick prevention through the winter months. I discourage you from doing this for all the above reasons. If your pet is not on year-round tick prevention, they are at risk for acquiring tick-borne illnesses, which can be deadly. 6.) There’s three main forms of tick prevention: topical medications (between the shoulder blades), collars, and oral or chewable tick preventatives. I sell varieties of all three at my clinic. Probably the most popular preventative with my clients is the Bravecto. It’s a chewable flea and tick preventative that lasts for three months. There is one type of tick (the Lone Star Tick) in which it is only effective for two months. That’s the tick with the dot in the middle of its back, so they’re easy to pick out. I tell clients that if they start to see Lone Star Ticks attached to their dogs after two months or before the three months is up, to go ahead and redose the Bravecto at two months. Another popular product is the Seresto collar, a flea and tick collar that lasts for eight months. Most of the generic flea or tick collars you find at Wal-Mart or other farm stores don’t work very well, but this particular collar does. According to the drug company, swimming should not affect the efficacy of the collar. Another plus is that the insecticide is impregnated in the collar and reacts to the lipids (fats) specific to the skin of the dog or cat. So if we touch the collar, we don’t absorb the insecticide. I always point that out because people get concerned about that, especially with children in the house. We also carry a couple of monthly topicals. Certain monthly topicals work well. However, in my experience, the chewable product and the collar is more effective, probably because there is less variability in the way it is absorbed. For instance, a dog can go swimming and rinse some of the topical off, or roll on the ground and rub it off. Even if clients don’t intend to buy flea and tick products from their vet (which they should for a number of reasons), they should still consult their veterinarian before using a product. I have had certain over-the-counter products kill patients. Others have a tendency to cause horrible reactions. It’s also important for people to know that some products are over-the-counter while others are prescription. If it is a prescription flea/tick preventative, the veterinarian has to have seen the pet in the past year to dispense it. If not, they have to make an appointment for an examination before those products can be purchased. But over-the-counter products can be purchased without an office visit. For example, the Seresto collar (the 8-month flea and tick collar) is over-the-counter while the Bravecto chewable tablets are prescription. 7.) Last, but certainly not least, because I get asked all the time, so I’ll make it very clear, if you live in Missouri, yes, the ticks are bad here. They are bad here every year. If you didn’t see many this year or that year, it’s only because you were lucky. They are everywhere (so go check yourself using a mirror or a spouse). So go take a walk, explore the outdoors, and make sure you give yourself enough time to check yourself and your pet for ticks, and check with your veterinarian about the best tick preventative for your pet.
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Jessica Stroupe, DVM
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August 2017
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