8/13/2019 Ticks Are Terrible Written By: Carly Conrad, DVM

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Ticks are Terrible!

One of the more common problems pet owners face is ticks and the illnesses they transfer to our beloved pets as well as ourselves. Ticks are obligate, blood drinking, arthropod parasites. They hang out in forests,kennels, barns, and tall grasses. The most common ticks to this area are the lone star tick, Amblyommaamericanum , the American dog tick, Dermacentor variabilis , the brown dog tick Rhipicephalus

sanguineus , and the deer tick, Ixodes scapularis .

These four ticks carry diseases that can make both humans and their pets very sick. Prevention and earlydetection are key in preventing those diseases. Once a tick infestation sets in to an environment it can bevery difficult to get rid of, especially the brown dog tick. Tick borne diseases may transmit quickly afterthe tick first attaches. Symptoms of these diseases include; lethargy, anorexia, lameness, loss of appetite,and swollen painful joints. If you notice any of these signs after possible tick exposure to your pet, likehiking, extended time outside, or any time spent in the woods, please have your pet seen by their localveterinarian for testing and care. These diseases respond to antibiotics but may take a long time tocompletely resolve.

All four ticks are also known to cause tick-borne paralysis. Tick born paralysis may be seen 5-9 days aftera tick attaches and is a progressive paralysis that shows signs starting with changes to your dogs bark,changes to their ability to walk mostly in their hind limbs, and progressing to not being able to rise fromlaying down. With the immediate removal of the ticks and supportive care by your veterinarian your pethas a good chance to return to normal life in 24-72 hours.

Ticks and their diseases :

Amblyomma americanum; Cytauxzoon felis, Ehrlichia ,

Dermacentor variabilis: Cytauxzoon felis, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever ( Rickettsia rickettsia)

Rhipicephalus sanguineus: Ehrlichia and Anaplasma playts which infects the platelets

8/13/2019 Ticks Are Terrible Written By: Carly Conrad, DVM

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