Guard against ticks

With the tick season peaking, here are some tips from the PDSa to keep your pets safe from the blood-sucking parasites.

Ticks latch themselves on to a person or animal and grow in size over several days as they feed, before dropping off. They can carry and transmit Lyme disease, or Lyme borreliosis, a debilitating bacterial infection which can affect both people and their pets. Only a small proportion of ticks carry this disease but confirmed cases are increasing so it’s important to be vigilant when your pets are out and about.

• Speak to your vet about prevention as some flea treatments also kill ticks. These treatments will kill the parasites before they have a chance to feed on your pet and transmit any nasty diseases like Lyme disease.

• Ticks are more often found in wooded and moorland areas, especially in long grass. If Lyme disease is known to be a problem where you live, avoid letting your dog wander in deep undergrowth or grass and stick to paths wherever possible. Always wear long trousers tucked into your socks and long sleeves to help protect yourself when walking in these areas too.

• Always check your pets after they have been outside. Ticks can’t fly or jump, but they attach themselves to the skin of people or animals as they brush against them. Tick bites don’t hurt so they aren’t always noticed.

The most common places to find ticks on your pets are the head, ears, legs and underside. Recheck yourself and your pet regularly as ticks are so small when they first latch on they are easy to overlook.

• Hedgehogs and foxes are common tick carriers so pets in urban areas with high fox populations are also at risk.

If you do spot a tick, on yourself or your pet, don’t worry, but have it removed properly as soon as possible. Don’t just pull it off as this can leave the mouth part attached which can lead to infection.

It is best to ask your vet to remove any ticks from your pet as they will have special tools for doing it safely.

• www.pdsa.org.uk/pethealth.