I think it’s safe to say that this spring has been nothing
close to normal. The Covid-19 pandemic and resulting isolation has turned life
as we know it upside down! Even though our lives have been put on hold during
this time, Mother Nature has not, and spring is here. This means that ticks, fleas, and mosquitos
are on their way- and likely won’t respect social distancing guidelines!
Ticks, fleas, and mosquitos are annoying pests, and they can
all cause medical issues for our pets (and us!). Certain ticks in MN carry diseases such as
Lyme, Anaplasma, and Babesiosis. Fleas are often the cause of tapeworm
infection in dogs and cats, and mosquitos can give pets deadly heartworm
disease. It is important to remember that if you find a tick on your pet, you
are at risk as well! Everyone, animal and person, should be checked for ticks
before bed each night. If a tick is
removed within 24 hours from attaching, the chance of disease spread is close
to zero. Contact us to purchase Seresto
collars or other flea/tick medication to be applied every month from now until
fall.
On a side
note, we often see spots on our dogs that look like the classic bullseye rash
of Lyme disease in humans. Dogs don’t typically develop this type of rash with
Lyme disease. These spots on dogs are usually caused not by a tick but by a
gnat or black fly and should go away without treatment in 3-5 days.
If you do
find an attached tick on your pet, the best way to remove it is to grasp it as
close to the skin with a tweezers and pull in the direction of the tick’s
body. Do not put anything on or over the
tick such as alcohol or Vaseline to see if it will let go. These methods don’t work and can introduce
infection or irritate the skin. If you
pull the tick off and part of the mouth pieces or “head” is left in the skin,
don’t worry! The body will push it out
on its own in time. As long as you have
removed the majority of the tick, you have stopped it from passing disease to
your pet.
Below are
links to more information about ticks and other pests that we see this time of
year. Please contact us with any
concerns or to get flea/tick preventatives.
Stay safe! We can’t wait to see
you all at the next clinic!
