Contrary to popular belief, ticks are not insects. They belong to the arachnid family and have a close resemblance to spiders. They don’t jump or fly; they camp on grass or areas where there is foliage and keep waiting until a prey (humans or animals) approaches them. They crawl on their prey’s body and latches on to the skin by inserting their mouths nicely, so that they are in a good position to suck blood.
Though there are hundreds of species of ticks in this world, two of them are quite dangerous as they are known to carry diseases. One of them is the deer tick, the carrier of the Lyme disease and other is the Rocky Mountain wood tick, the carrier of the fatal disease known as Rocky Mountain Fever.
Do you have pet dogs at home? If yes, you should be very careful about them as they are prone to get bitten by ticks.
- Ticks are quite active during the seasons of summer, spring, and They love to camp on grassy lands are very common in the United States. When you want to check your dogs for tick-bites, you should check its neck, feet, ears, and head as these are the places that ticks normally latch on to.
- Ticks get attached to your dog’s skin with the help of a glue-like substance that they emit from their mouths. If your dog experiences pain in its joints, limps while walking or feels very tired frequently, you need to check your dog for tick bites. Lyme disease, caused by the bite of the deer tick, is usually diagnosed with the help of these symptoms.
- When your dog suffers from frequent bouts of fever, you should check with the veterinarian immediately to see if your pet has been bitten by the Rocky Mountain wood tick, American dog tick or the brown dog tick. Rocky Mountain Fever, caused by the bites of these ticks, if not diagnosed properly, can result in death.
- When your pet dog experiences dehydration and fatigue always, you need to check if your dog is suffering from anemia immediately. Ticks latch on to the skin of the dogs for a long time and suck a lot of blood from them. This enormous blood loss can cause your dog to feel tired and exhausted most of the times.
- In some cases, tick bites can be fatal, especially when your dog is bitten by a female tick. When these female ticks are feeding, they release neurotoxins into the blood of the dogs. When these toxins enter your dog’s respiratory system, it can cause a condition called tick paralysis. Tick paralysis, although rare, is caused when your dog is bitten by a deer tick, Rocky Mountain Tick, American Dog Tick or a Lone Star Tick.
Dogs love their outdoor walks and exercises; however, these are the areas where ticks are found. Hence, it is highly recommended that you talk to your veterinarian about the tips that you need to follow to prevent your dog from tick-bites and keep them healthy.
