Janet Jones | Special to the Fitzhugh
They’re here.
That is right - ticks have arrived.
Oblivious to the trials and tribulations of humankind, nature marches on and the season has now turned to one of spring and that means ticks.
They have been a little later than usual due to the late snow melt but the reports of ticks are now pouring in.
Tick 101
Ticks are related to spiders and mites and like them have eight legs. There are many different species and they can carry many different and sometimes deadly diseases.
The tick that is most common here is the Dermacentor species or brown dog tick. This tick can carry Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and though it is uncommon it can cause serious disease in pets and humans.
The tick that we are most worried about is the Ixodes species or deer tick, as it is the one that carries Lyme disease, a serious and potentially devastating or even deadly infection caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi.
More common in eastern Canada, northeastern U.S. (the disease was first identified in Lyme, Connecticut) and the Pacific northwest, Ixodes has been spreading with warming temperatures and there has been a slow but steady increase in deer ticks in Alberta which are positive for Lyme with the highest number in the Edmonton area. They are also found throughout B.C. with most in the southwest of the province.
Though unlikely, it is possible to get Lyme disease in Alberta and it is only a matter of time before it is possible to get it in Jasper.
The latest statistics released are for 2018 so it may be here already.
Ticks have a four stage life cycle that can take up to three years to complete.
The female lays several thousand eggs that hatch into larvae and attach to a host. There they have a blood meal and detach before molting into nymphs.
These nymphs attach to a larger host, have a blood meal, detach and molt into adults.
The adults then attach to another host, have a blood meal, mate and drop off. The female will lay her eggs and then die.
The nymphs and adults are both capable of transmitting disease with the nymphs being the most dangerous and they are the size of a poppy seed and very difficult to detect.
Ticks climb up bushes or grass and hang on with their back legs allowing their front legs to stay outstretched ready to latch on to any passing animal, a behaviour called “questing”.
They can detect breath, body odours, heat and moisture and can even recognize shadows. They are able to identify well used paths and easily attach to any host that brushes by. They can travel around that host for up to 48 hours before attaching and beginning a blood meal.
Though most common in the spring and summer, ticks become active at four degrees Celsius and have been found at all times of year.
Preventing bites
So how can we prevent tick bites and transmission of disease?
We should all be familiar with the recommendations of long pants tucked into socks, long sleeves, hats and the use of DEET.
Checking regularly for ticks on ourselves and our pets is imperative as if they are removed before they have been feeding for more than 24 hours then disease will not be transmitted.
Any tick that you find should be carefully removed using tweezers and better yet a specialized tick removing device.
Do not squeeze or crush the tick, twist it, burn it or put any substance on it. Just gently pull straight out and check to see that you have the head.
Remember nymphs are tiny but engorged females can be the size of a raisin.
Wash the area with soap and bring the tick in a secure container to a hospital or vet clinic so it can be sent off for identification and possible testing for Lyme disease.
Testing and surveillance is critical for tick diseases too.
Preventative medications
There are several options for preventing ticks on our dogs.
It is very difficult to thoroughly check a dog for ticks especially on pets with thick coats (and you need to check everywhere even the ears and mouth) so giving a preventative is much more effective.
For dogs there are topical medications applied to the skin or chewable tablets that last for 30 or 60 days given April through October. There is only one product available for cats and it is a topical.
How do we choose which medication to give? There are pluses and minuses to both.
The topical medications can kill ticks before they start a blood meal, but are greasy and aren’t good for dogs that live with cats or small children or who swim a lot as they need to stay out of the water for one to two days before and after treatment.
The chewable tablets are easiest but don’t start killing the tick until it begins to feed.
All of the medications work the same way by attacking the nervous system of the tick causing it to die.
They target a specific aspect of the nervous system that is present at a higher level in insects then it is in mammals making these drugs very safe.
However, if overdosed or given to those very rare animals that are more sensitive to them they can cause tremors, seizures and very rarely death.
It is particularly important that you never give a product labeled for dogs to a cat as they are more sensitive to the drug.
The first time you administer one of these products do it on a day when you can observe your pet and make sure they do not have a reaction.
Remember that millions of doses of these products are used all over the world often year round and they are very safe, but there is a risk with everything that we put in or on our bodies.
So get out and enjoy our social distancing trails with your dog but beware the little monster that lurks in the bushes and stay safe.
Dr Janet Jones DVM is the owner of the Jasper Veterinary Clinic, a full service clinic with a satellite clinic in Valemount, British Columbia. Call 780-852-5551.
