Are Certain Dogs More Prone to Ticks?
Ticks are small and appear relatively harmless. However, they are adept at surviving for long periods of time, waiting for the right host to arrive.
They will then walk onto the animal and sink their teeth into them, sucking their blood until the tick is full. It will then drop off, allowing it to reproduce and start the cycle again. While this may seem relatively harmless the problem is that ticks carry a variety of diseases that can be passed on to your dog, or even to you. Some of the diseases can be deadly.
That’s why, if you have a tick infestation, you should call your local pest control experts and have the problem dealt with properly.
Dogs Prone To Ticks
All dogs are prone to getting ticks because they move through long grass, which is where the tick prefers to lie in wait.
The tick will sit on a blade of grass for as long as it takes for a victim to arrive. Ticks don’t jump or run, they simply walk onto the dog and then walk around the dog until they find the right spot to sink their teeth in. This is why ticks can be found anywhere on your dog.
Although all breeds of dog can get ticks, those most likely to get them are the ones that move through long grass a lot and ones with long hair. The long hair just makes it easier for the tick to move from the grass to the dog.
Removing A Tick
Removing the occasional tick is possible. But, if your dog is constantly getting ticks it will be necessary to get preventative medication. This will stop the ticks feeding as the medication sinks into the fatty top layer of your dog. When the tick starts to feed it absorbs the medication and this kills the tick.
You should also find out more info about pest experts to eliminate them from your yard.
The secret to removing a tick is not to panic! Although ticks can transfer disease, this doesn’t usually happen until after the tick has been in position for at least twenty-four hours. However, if you stress them they may regurgitate their food and spread disease in the process.
Having time means you can enjoy your walk and then inspect your dog, and yourself, afterward to ensure neither of you has ticks.
To remove a tick use tick tweezers and grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible. Then gently pull, the tick should come free. Most importantly, you need to inspect the tick and the wound on your dog to ensure there are no pieces of the tick left in your dog. If a piece is left it can become infected, giving your dog further issues.
Should you have any doubts about removing the tick you can visit your vet who will remove it for you and should help to guide you so that you can remove them yourself in the future.
