Generally, we love ticks, especially, as a child. What a feeling we had, when we got them on our Math papers! But beware! These are some fatal ones!



Are you enjoying a walk with your dog, especially, in a shrubby area, full of grass and bushes? If yes, better take care. Ticks will lie in the grass and bushes sometimes climbing higher for a better chance of making contact. They can detect vibrations of an animal walking through and are also able to use their modified scent to detect the carbon dioxide and odors of a mammal's breath. Once detected, they will just jump on you.

Ticks on dogs and puppies are unsightly, painful, and sometimes very dangerous. These blood sucking insects feed on all vertebrates but are particularly kin to dogs and cats as they tend to enjoy the same places your pets do. And they can expand 20 to 100 times its size as it feeds. And the scariest thing about them is the fact that ticks can go unnoticed. Tiny as they are, they can attach themselves to you or your dog without being seen or felt. If your dog has a light coat, then you are just as lucky, for you will notice the ticks quickly. But, if your dog has a dark coat, ticks will often continue to go unnoticed until they're well engorged with blood.

Then how do you check for them? You'll certainly feel them by running your fingers or a fine toothed comb or a flea comb through your dog's coat. Check your dog all over, but especially around the head and neck, ears and paws. In most ticks, it can take 12 - 24 hours from the time it attaches itself to regurgitate the bacteria back into the host.

What can ticks do your pet? They can spread Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, making them potentially lethal. Also, too many ticks feeding on a single dog can cause severe anemia or a condition called tick paralysis.

Alright, then how do you control and prevent ticks? This is especially important in avoiding diseases associated with them. To prevent tick exposure, use a flea and tick spray before taking your dog into thick, shrubby area. Also keep your grass and plants well trimmed. This decreases the amount of ticks you and your dog may run into. If you are living in a tick-populated area, then your vet may suggest your dog be vaccinated against ticks. Always make sure ticks you find and remove are dead before you dispose of them. A good way to kill them is to stomp the life out of them. Most importantly, keep a close eye on your dog for the next few days to make sure he or she doesn't get sick!

To remove ticks off your dog, use tweezers, not your fingers, petroleum jelly or a match. Simply place the tweezers level with the skin, squeeze, and then rock it with a firm grip while pulling straight up. Be sure not to compress the belly of the tick as you could facilitate a regurgitation of its contents which could spell a disease. After all, your diligence in finding and removing ticks before they attach is the best preventive measure of all.

So, do enjoy a walk with your dog. But avoid wooded areas, tall grass, and damp areas!