ticks and dogs do not go together

We recently found a tick on Mr. Bishi, one of our English Bulldogs after a recent hike. We try to inspect them after they've been marching through grass or simply outside because more often then not they can be pretty good tick collectors. 

For those of  you who are not familiar with ticks, ticks are blood-sucking parasites and there are some theories that suggest they may be related to certain neo-cons but this has not been definatively proven. Ticks are frequently mistaken for insects but they are actually more closely related to spiders. 

Tick bites are painless, but the bite wound can become infected.  More importantly, ticks can carry and spread a greater variety of infectious organisms than any other parasite of pets.  For example, most ticks can carry blood parasites, such as those that causefeline infectious anemia and Rocky Mountain spotter fever.  Black-legged ticks (formerly known as deer ticks) carry Lyme disease, which can cause arthritis and several other chronic conditions in both pets and people.

Six species of ticks commonly infest dogs and (occasionally) cats in the United States:

• the brown dog tick
• the American dog tick
• the black-legged (deer) tick
• the Western black-legged tick
• the Lone Star tick
• the Gulf Coast tick

In general, different species are most common in different areas of the country.

Ticks have complicated life cycles that often take longer than a year and usually involve more than one host.  Adult female ticks feed on blood, which they use to produce eggs.  Tick eggs are usually laid in masses on the ground, where they hatch into tiny, six-legged larvae known as seed ticks.  The larva seeks out a host for feeding, drops off to the ground, andmolts into a nymph.  The nymph seeks out and feeds on a second host, drops off to the ground, and molts to an adult. Male and female adults seek out a third host, feed, mate, and drop off to the ground. Males die soon after, while females eventually lay eggs to carry on the reproductive cycle.  Common hosts include rodents, livestock, dogs, deer, birds, and people.

Ticks usually must be attached for at least 24 hours to transmit disease, so it is important to find and remove them as soon as possible.  You should always do a full body check of pets and family members after they have been in woodland or brush areas.  It is important to look very carefully because some ticks, such as the black-legged tick, may be no bigger than the head of a pin.

If you find ticks on your pet, you should remove them by grabbing the tick with a pair of fine-pointed tweezers or a commercial tick removal device as close to the skin as possible and then pulling straight back with steady and gentle force.  Do not twist or jerk the tick, because this can break off the head, leaving it behind as a source of infection.  Do not crush, prick, or burn the tick because this can release disease organisms within the tick's body.

Many topical flea products include agents that also kill and/or repel ticks. Your veterinarian can recommend a product that is suitable for your pet.

So remember, after every hike or out door adventure, give your dog a quick inspections. Pay particular attention to the area between their toes. Ticks love to nestle up there for a good meal.  

Stay active and keep wagging!