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Why Worry About Ticks on Dogs, Cats or People?
Besides the fact that ticks feed on blood, they can also transmit a number of different diseases. Many of these tick-borne diseases are contagious to people as well as our pets. Examples include Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, babesiosis and more.
These diseases are known as zoonotic diseases, or zoonoses, because they are contagious to both pets and people alike.
While in most cases, people are not infected with these tick-borne diseases from their pets, our pets can carry ticks into the household. These ticks are capable of spreading disease to our families as well as to other pets.
Prevent Zoonotic Tick-Borne Diseases by Controlling Ticks
By keeping ticks out of our environment and not allowing them to feed on our families and our pets, we can also prevent the spread of the many tick-borne zoonotic diseases.
Attention must be paid to controlling ticks on ourselves, our pets and in our yards.
Preventing Ticks on Dogs and Cats
Check your pet carefully for ticks on a regular basis, particularly after he has spent time outdoors.
If you do find ticks on your pet, remove them promptly by firmly grasping the tick with a pair of tweezers close to where it is attached to your pet's skin and applying gentle backwards pressure. Kill the tick by placing it in a small container of alcohol.
Do not handle ticks with bare hands.
There are a number of products that can be used for tick control which are safe and relatively effective for your pet. However, it is still advisable to check your pet regularly as ticks may still attach for a short period of time with many of these products.
Ticks are most commonly encountered in wooded areas or areas with high grasses. But, even in your backyard, wild animals and birds can leave ticks which can then infest your pet. Do not assume your pet is safe from ticks because he does not frequent high-risk areas.
Preventing Ticks on People
If you have been hiking or camping in a wooded or grassy area, check yourself thoroughly for ticks upon your return. Consider bathing or showering within a couple of hours of your return to remove any ticks that have not yet attached themselves to you. Remove any ticks that have attached by grasping them near your skin and applying steady backward pressure to remove them.
Do not forget to check your children for ticks also.
Check your clothing, backpacks and other gear for crawling ticks also. Ticks can hitch-hike on such gear easily.
Consider applying an insect repellent if you are planning to be in a high-risk tick area.
Try to stay toward the center of trails while hiking.
Controlling Ticks in Your Home and Yard
While it may not be possible to keep your yard entirely free of ticks, there are some things that can help.
- Keep your yard free of high grasses and low-hanging shrubery where wildlife can seek shelter and deposit ticks.
- Mow your grass frequently.
- Use wood chips or gravel to create a barrier between your yard and any encroaching wooded areas.
- Do not place picnic areas, play areas or patios areas near high grasses or wooded locations.
- Keep your yard free of trash that can give ticks a place to hide.
- Discourage wildlife from visiting your yard by using fences as necessary and not providing a food source in your yard. In other words, do not leave food for the raccoons, skunks and other wild animals and make sure your garbage cans are covered.
It is also important to know that ticks can survive even in the winter months under the right circumstances. Though tick populations are much higher in the warmer months, do not assume that your family and your pets are completely safe from ticks in the winter.
By controlling ticks, you can protect your family as well as your pets from the many diseases, both zoonotic and non-zoonotic, that ticks are known to carry.
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