Keep Your Pets Safe From Ticks This Summer

In the midst of a Wisconsin summer, everyone wants to spend more time outdoors. But are you being cautious of the dangers of pests, particularly ones that can harm your pet? Ticks are more common in the warm summer months. Anytime you go outside, it’s important to stay aware of them and to be on the lookout for your family and pets. Ticks are infamous for transmitting Lyme disease, which is the most common vector-borne disease in the nation. Although cats rarely deal with ticks, they can be as dangerous for dogs as they are for people. The team at Batzner is here to provide you with top tips for preventing ticks and protecting your pets this summer–read on to learn more.

How to Prevent Summertime ticks

The best defense against ticks is knowing how to look for them! Here are a few things you can do help keep ticks off your pets and out of your home:

1. Regularly tidy-up and trim your yard. By mowing your lawn regularly, you can make your yard less attractive to ticks. In addition, implement rodent prevention tactics to discourage rodents that could carry ticks.
2. Get tick prevention for your pets. Talk to your veterinarian about prevention or treatment options, including heartworm protection.
3. Inspect pets for ticks daily or whenever they go outdoors. When inspecting, focus on areas under the legs and around the neck and ears. In addition, look out for excessive scratching, licking, or grooming behavior.
4. Avoid areas with tall grass on hikes. Ticks are known to be in areas with high grass, be careful to stay on trails when hiking or walking.
5. Check your entire family for ticks. During the summer, regularly check yourself and family members for ticks after being outdoors. They can easily hop from you to your pets!

How Dangerous are Ticks for Pets?

Ticks feed by biting an animal or human and feasting on their blood for anywhere from a few hours to a few days. Cats rarely get ticks, but could easily carry them into your home where they can infest other members and pets in the family. When an infected tick attaches to a dog, it’s possible for them to transmit Lyme disease. There are several ways to look for signs of this. If you notice your pet is showing symptoms of depression, loss of appetite, fever, lameness, or swollen joints and lymph nodes, immediately contact your veterinarian. Ticks can also occasionally cause anemia in pets.

How to Treat a Tick Problem

If a family member or pet exhibits symptoms after a tick incident, always contact a medical professional or veterinarian as soon as possible. As you would with fleas, thoroughly inspect your property for other ticks, wash your pet’s bedding, vacuum regularly, and more. For help with ticks or advice, the team at Batzner can help–contact us today!