Along with the warmer temperatures and humidity, summers also offer us the most awaited fun time of the year. During this season, people get to relax to their fullest and can have all the adventures they want. Hiking, exploring, travelling, beach trips, surfing, etc. are the enticing treats that this season has to offer.
While everybody is engrossed in having their share of fun, pets also do not fail to share this enthusiasm. These pawed friends love to have beach trips and hikes along with their pet parents. But, all pet parents fear about the threat of parasitic infestation to their pets in summers. Ticks and other parasites are at their strongest in this season. Tick infestation in pets can be lethal for both, the pet and humans. Though tick infestation is common in summers, this factor does not change its levels of being dangerous.
Let’s have a look at the reasons as to why ticks are dangerous to both, pets and human beings and some interesting facts about them!
Ticks- Some Interesting Facts!
- Ticks are not insects. They are arachnids, which suggest that they are close to spiders and scorpions.
- Well, they cannot fly or hop on the host. Instead, they crawl up to the host from the environment. So, outdoor plans in summers may need proactive execution.
- Ticks are a threat to all the animal classes, reptiles, mammals, birds and amphibians. That means you too may need to protect yourself along with your pets.
- There are around 850 different species of ticks.
- 0.6 ml of blood or more is consumed by a single female tick. And each female tick can lay up to 2000 eggs on average. If the infestation goes unnoticed, the number can also reach up to 6,000. Pretty scary. Isn’t it?
4 Kinds Of Ticks And The Diseases They Carry!
- Lyme disease: This is a widely known disease among pet parents. Deer ticks are the medium through which this disease is spread in pets. According to the vets, the signs and symptoms of this disease vary among pets. The common symptoms are joint pain, joint swelling and lameness in pets.
- Ehrlichia: This is the second common disease caused due to tick infestation in pets. Brown dog ticks or Rhipacephalus are the carriers of this disease. The usual signs that this disease imposes on pets are lameness, stiffness, lack of appetite, depression and swelling of legs.
- Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever: This disease is not that frequent in some areas of the country. The medium of this disease is American dog tick which is also known as Dermacentor. Skin irritation, rashes and high fever are some common symptoms of this disease.
- Paralysis: Many pet parents are familiar with the tick borne paralysis in pets. Lone star ticks produce a toxin after it attaches to the host that causes paralysis to the host, irrespective of the animal class.
How to prevent your canines and felines from these diseases this summer?
There are many tick preventive treatments available for pets. The most recommended and trustable tick treatment is Frontlie Plus which gives a thorough protection to pets from fleas and ticks. Apart from these, there are tick preventive collars like Killtix and scalibor that could be great options to nullify the threat of tick infestation in pets. Vets recommend to continue treating pets with these preventives all through the year as in winters too, your room temperature may be perfect for hatching of these parasites.
So, don’t you agree that tick infestation, though being common in the country, can be the most dangerous threat that your pet may have to face this summer? It is necessary to keep your pets safe from these arachnids and avoid the lethal circumstances to occur. Use these preventives to have a happy summer with your pets!
