Ticks and pets
Part One of a Four Part Series
Ticks are found all over the world in forests and fields wherever mammals are present, especially deer and humans. In the United States many areas, especially the Northeast, Texas, California, and the northern Midwest states among others, are considered high risk for Lyme disease, and that can only mean one thing: ticks.
For dogs and their owners who rarely leave city or town limits and for whom a visit to a park means a stroll over paved or cobbled paths, ticks might only be an infrequent concern. However, for dogs and puppies who live in or visit the suburbs and rural areas—or even the beach in some cases—the chances of getting bit by a tick get higher. For many people, removing ticks from their dogs and themselves is a daily summer chore.
Out of hundreds of tick species worldwide, over twenty-five types have been identified in the Northeast United States, which is where I live with my two dogs. Of these, four main species of ticks are very common: the dog tick, the blacklegged tick, the lone star tick, and the ground hog tick. Dog ticks and blacklegged ticks (formerly known as deer ticks and a primary Lyme disease carrier) are the most common ticks.
Although ticks are active any time of the year as long as temperatures are above 45F, they are most active during the warm summer months. Although most of us find ticks to be annoying or even disgusting, the worst part about ticks is the diseases they carry. Read on.
Part Two: Dogs and Lyme Disease
Have an experience with ticks you’d like to share? Feel free to comment below.
© Leah McClellan
