Ticks. Almost everyone and anyone has heard about them, even if they’ve never seen them.
Tiny, eight-legged parasites that thrive in warm, humid environments, ticks feed on the blood of animals because they need it to grow and reproduce.
Many of the different types of ticks don’t have eyes, and even the ones with eyes don’t really use them to find a host. Instead, they use their other senses – detecting prey through smell, vibrations, warmth, and even carbon dioxide – to find a host that they can bite.
And, while the bites can be irritating, it’s not the actual damage they do to you or your pet’s skin that is the issue. The main problem is the vast number of diseases they carry.
Big problem
While ticks are definitely a serious issue for people, they’re often an even bigger problem for man’s best friend.
Dogs are, naturally, an easier host to find and attach to for ticks. They’re lower to the ground and often find themselves sniffing around in bushes and trees – the places where ticks hide in waiting for their host.
Dogs often pick up ticks when exploring tall grass, wooded trails or leaf litter, but ticks are also found just as often in their home’s backyard.
So, what do we do to protect our dogs?
When it comes to ticks, prevention is much more effective than treating a disease the tick has transmitted to your dog. In fact, one of the easiest ways to protect your pup is to do regular tick checks after they’ve been outside.
It usually takes a couple of hours to a day for the tick to spread harmful bacteria and other pathogens into its host, so removing them early from your dog’s skin can be incredibly important.
Another bit of good news: There are more products on the veterinary market that prevent fleas, ticks and other parasites than ever before.
They vary widely, treating different parasites or covering different lengths of time between doses (sometimes one month, three months, or even up to a year).
How do you choose which product for your pup? The best answer is to consult with your veterinarian. Things change, from you and your dog’s lifestyle to the ticks that live in your region, so talking with a professional who knows your dog and the area well is always your best bet.
And always remember that being a wise consumer, especially when it comes to the health of the dogs you love, should be a priority.
With the vast number of products available, it can be easy to go with a brand of preventative that makes the boldest claims. But just because companies make claims that it works better than other products or that it uses more natural ingredients, that does not mean it’s always true or that it’s the best choice for your dog.
A better future for all dogs
It can be scary, as a dog owner, when you learn about the risk of ticks. They’re everywhere and not going anywhere it seems. There’s the threat of ticks and the diseases they carry growing resistant to the preventatives we use or therapies to treat them.
But, just as there are human health researchers working to improve human health, there are canine health researchers doing the same for our dogs.
The AKC Canine Health Foundation is proud to support research improving the lives of all dogs, everywhere. This includes research into tick-borne diseases, like a study into a newly discovered tick-borne disease variant, or even a researcher hoping to develop a vaccine for one of the most common serious tick-borne diseases. – American Kennel Club/Tribune News Service
Learn more about how science is creating a world where dogs can lead healthier, more vibrant lives at akcchf.org.
