DEADLY TICKS

MOST dog owners have had to remove a tick from their pet. The voracious eight-legged insects live in bracken and tall grass and jump onto an animal and bury their jaws into the skin. They can be as small as a poppy seed, but swell to the size of a pea as they gorge on blood.

Getting them out quickly without squeezing their bodies or leaving their mouths behind is essential because many carry the bacteria for Lyme disease, which causes joint pain, lameness and a high fever.

Dogs can’t spread Lyme disease directly to owners, but they can bring ticks into your home.

‘There are treatments from vets that you dab on to kill ticks,’ says Vicki Larkham of the PDSA. ‘It’s unlikely they will carry Lyme disease, but the longer they’re attached, the more likely the risk.’