Ash Croft Vets
Hardwick
169 St Neots Road
Hardwick
Cambridge, CB23 7QJ
Tel: 01954 210250
Papworth
Pendrill Court
Papworth
Cambridgeshire, CB23 3UY
Tel: 01480 831615
Emergency Out of Hours
Tel: 08455 004247
Ticks
TICKS
What are they?
Ticks are spider-like, egg-shaped, blood-sucking creepy crawlies. They have eight legs and vary in size from about 1mm to 1cm long. Adult ticks look a bit like small spiders.
Ticks are common in woodland, grassland and heath areas, but can also be found in your garden if you live in an area with lots of wildlife. You are most likely to come across them in areas with lots of deer or sheep.
You are most likely to come across ticks between spring and autumn, but they are active throughout the year.
Ticks don’t fly or jump, but climb or drop on to your dog’s coat when you brush past the area they are sitting in.
Ticks are common in woodland, grassland and heath areas, but can also be found in your garden if you live in an area with lots of wildlife. You are most likely to come across them in areas with lots of deer or sheep.
You are most likely to come across ticks between spring and autumn, but they are active throughout the year.
Ticks don’t fly or jump, but climb or drop on to your dog’s coat when you brush past the area they are sitting in.
How do I know if my pet has them?
Ticks are big enough to spot. Run your hands over your dog’s body when you get back from a walk to check for any lumps or bumps. A tick will feel like a small bump on your pet’s skin.
They tend to attach themselves to areas around a dog’s head, neck, ear and feet. Brushing also helps to remove them.
Ticks vary in size between 1mm and 1cm long, depending on their age. They look like tiny spiders with a whiteish, egg-shaped body. This body becomes larger and darker as it fills with blood.
They tend to attach themselves to areas around a dog’s head, neck, ear and feet. Brushing also helps to remove them.
Ticks vary in size between 1mm and 1cm long, depending on their age. They look like tiny spiders with a whiteish, egg-shaped body. This body becomes larger and darker as it fills with blood.
Disease transmission
Ticks carry diseases, so it’s important to remove any that attach themselves to your dog as soon as possible. Rapid removal lessens the risk of disease.
Ticks transmit microbes that cause diseases, such as Lyme disease and babesiosis.
What is Lyme disease?
Lyme disease is a serious bacterial infection. If your dog has Lyme disease, you may notice they become depressed and lose their appetite. Other symptoms include fever, lameness, swollen and painful joints, and swollen lymph nodes.
If you think your pet has Lyme disease, contact your vet. They can perform tests and start treatment with antibiotics.
Lyme disease is a serious bacterial infection. If your dog has Lyme disease, you may notice they become depressed and lose their appetite. Other symptoms include fever, lameness, swollen and painful joints, and swollen lymph nodes.
If you think your pet has Lyme disease, contact your vet. They can perform tests and start treatment with antibiotics.
What is babesiosis?
Babesiosis is extremely rare in the UK and the tick that spreads it is so far only found in southern England and on the continent. The first cases of dogs being treated for the disease, caused by the bacterium Babesia, were reported in March 2016.
Babesiosis can be spread by tick bites. The incubation period is about two weeks, but some pets are not diagnosed with the disease for months or years after transmission.
If your dog is suffering from babesiosis you may notice they are depressed, have pale gums, a swollen abdomen and a fever. They may also lose their appetite and their skin may become yellowish.
If you notice any of these symptoms after walking your dog in a tick-infested area, contact your vet and make sure to tell them your dog may have been bitten by a tick.
Babesiosis is extremely rare in the UK and the tick that spreads it is so far only found in southern England and on the continent. The first cases of dogs being treated for the disease, caused by the bacterium Babesia, were reported in March 2016.
Babesiosis can be spread by tick bites. The incubation period is about two weeks, but some pets are not diagnosed with the disease for months or years after transmission.
If your dog is suffering from babesiosis you may notice they are depressed, have pale gums, a swollen abdomen and a fever. They may also lose their appetite and their skin may become yellowish.
If you notice any of these symptoms after walking your dog in a tick-infested area, contact your vet and make sure to tell them your dog may have been bitten by a tick.
How do I remove them?
This can be tricky, as you need to be careful not to squeeze the tick’s body, or allow its head to get stuck inside your dog. Squeezing a tick’s body can cause it to expel blood back into your dog, increasing the risk of infection.
Twisting them off your dog is the best removal method, and pet shops sell handy tick-removal devices to make this easier. Ask your vet for advice.
Twisting them off your dog is the best removal method, and pet shops sell handy tick-removal devices to make this easier. Ask your vet for advice.
How do I prevent them?
If you live in an area with ticks, it’s a good idea to use a tick treatment that will either repel ticks or kill them if they attach. Spot on treatments, tablets and collars are available and it’s best to consult your vet about which is most suitable for your pet. Read the instructions very carefully as some treatments are for dogs only and can be very dangerous to cats and can even kill them.
If you live in an area with ticks, it’s a good idea to use a tick treatment that will either repel ticks or kill them if they attach. Spot on treatments, tablets and collars are available and it’s best to consult your vet about which is most suitable for your pet. Read the instructions very carefully as some treatments are for dogs only and can be very dangerous to cats and can even kill them.
There have now been several confirmed cases of Babesiosis confirmed in the Essex area.
This is a disease widespread in Europe that, until now, has not been present in the UK. Previously cases in the UK have all been in dogs that have travelled in Europe and been infected there. The recent Essex cases however, have been in dogs which have not been abroad.
Bebesiosis is caused by a blood parasite which is caught from a bite from an infected tick. The parasite causes the blood cells to rupture resulting in acute severe fever and anaemia. Symptoms are often severe and can be fatal.
There is no vaccine available in the UK and treatment can be problematical and not always successful.
The best method of protection against this disease is to use an application which offers good tick control.
Currently we are finding one of the most effective products is Bravecto which offers 12 weeks protection with a single dose. This will usually kill ticks within 24 hours of attachment which is before thay can pass on the infection.
Another new product is Vectra 3D which offers good protection. These are both prescription medicines.
For information about other disease problems in Europe follow this link.
