Heading for the woods this weekend? Be on the lookout for ticks.
The Virginia Department of Health has produced a chart to help you identify ticks found in Virginia, as well as the diseases they carry.
Don’t skimp on tick protection for your dogs when hiking. A tick can easily hitch a ride on an unprotected pet, then transfer itself to you at home.
Tick-borne diseases are no joke for people or pets. The result is often severe illness, and some can have lasting effects (such as joint pain) if not treated in time.
Protect your dog with a Preventic collar. Preventic collars kill and detach ticks before they can transmit Lyme Disease, when used properly.
Protect yourself with a tick repellent spray containing at least 15% DEET if you’ll be hiking for up to 6 hours. (Learn even more at DEET.com.)
Quick links to information on tick-borne diseases:
[…] Near the city park, Alex and I spent over an hour thrashing through the woods, tearing ourselves up on pricker vines and giving piggyback rides to hitchhiking Lone Star ticks. […]
[…] ticks […]
[…] External Parasites: Definition: A plant or animal that lives upon another living organism. Pets may acquire conditions caused directly by a parasite or the pet’s response to the parasite or its bite. Some conditions are the result of a toxin or organism (e.g. bacteria, virus, etc.) transmitted by the parasite which can cause an illness. Examples: Heartworms transmitted by mosquitoes, Lyme disease transmitted by ticks and flea allergic dermatitis. Average cost per pet to treat: $180.67 Average cost per pet to prevent: $84.89 Prevention tips: Keep your pet and the environment free of fleas and ticks. Thoroughly check your pets after outdoor activities and remove any ticks you find with a pair of tweezers. As recommended by your veterinarian, use preventive medications and vaccines to limit your pet’s exposure to fleas, ticks and the diseases they carry. […]
[…] links to articles on each disease here and learn how to protect yourself and your […]
[…] Seresto? This revolutionary collar repels and kills ticks for 8 months, kills fleas for 8 months, kills chewing lice for 30 days, and aids in the treatment […]
[…] links to articles on each disease here and learn how to protect yourself and your […]
[…] And finally, that black “spot” you thought was a freckle on your pet, may be a tick! If our team removes it within a certain amount of time, your pet will likely not be infected by a tick-borne disease. […]
[…] is no vaccine (yet) for Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Ehrlichiosis, Anaplasmosis (and the list goes on.) For that reason, we recommend year-round tick control, like the Seresto collar. Stop those little […]