[Wasagdu] it is tick season again

[Becky Frankeberger]

Tips for prevention, removal of ticks from family pets

Charleston (SC) Post and Courier 

Jun 19 2015 12:01 am

Pet Docs

Ollie is our big, 10-year-old orange tabby. His four favorite things are
roaming

the woods next to our home, eating, sleeping in the sun and being petted.

Yesterday, I (Perry Jameson) was doing his forth favorite thing, which
induced a

deep purr that relaxes both him and me. As I scratched under his chin, I
felt a little

lump. Once the hair was parted, I could see what it was: a big, engorged
tick.

As the weather gets warm, I consistently find these on my cats, especially
the two

males Ollie and Mojo.

As veterinarians, tick removal is something we have to do frequently and
most pet

owners should know how to do this as well. It is important to remove all of
the tick

and not leave any behind which can continue to transmit infection or induce
inflammation

at the site.

We do not recommend using your fingers for this as it inevitably results in
a part

of the tick being left behind. Use forceps, tweezers or one of the new tick
removal

devices (available at camping supply stores and pet supply stores) instead.
These

tools allow you to grasp the tick close to the skin and next to the mouth
parts.

Apply steady rearward traction to pull the tick off. Then drop it in the
toilet and

flush.

Since ticks carry diseases infectious to people, wash your hands afterward
or, even

better, wear gloves during the removal process. They can also transmit
infections

to our pets.

The biggest tick-transmitted disease for cats in our area is cytauxzoonosis.
Cats

with cytauxzoonosis may have with high fever, trouble breathing, depression,
dehydration,

anorexia, anemia and jaundice that often rapidly progresses to hypothermia,
recumbency,

coma and death.

Even with aggressive therapy, greater than 50 percent of cats with the
disease will

die. Bobcats are believed to be the primary host for the organism.

Dogs can get diseases from ticks as well. In our area, Ehrlichia and
Anaplamsa are

the most common. These diseases often cause fever, lethargy, anorexia,
decreased

white blood cells and platelets, and sometimes joint pain.

Fortunately, most dogs will respond well to therapy. Rocky Mountain spotted
fever,

Babesia and Lyme disease are not as common but still can occur here.

It is not only a good idea to prevent tick exposure because they are gross
but also

because they can make both our pet and human family members sick.

The best way to prevent exposure is to keep your pets indoors. The next step
is a

daily tick inspection. Go over your entire pet, even looking down into their
ears.

The earlier the tick is found, the less imbedded it will be, making it
easier to

remove and less likely to transmit infection.

Preventing tick exposure in outdoor pets is a two-step process. First, they
can be

kept away by using a collar embedded with compounds that repel ticks. These
do a

pretty good job around the head and neck but may not keep them away from
other areas.

Topical flea/tick prevention is an option but the tick has to bite your pet
before

it is killed.

The second is to make your yard a place where ticks do not want to be. This
involves

keeping your grass cut short, keeping bushes and shrubs trimmed and removing
yard

debris, like leaf piles, where ticks like to hide.

Deer will bring ticks into your yard. If deer like to visit, then tall
fencing may

be required to keep them away.

The best way to prevent tick-transmitted diseases infecting our pets is to
first

prevent exposure to ticks. Check your pets daily and take steps to keep them
away.

Your veterinarian is the best resource to help you come up with the right
plan of

attack for your family.

Dr. Henri Bianucci and Dr. Perry Jameson are with Veterinary Specialty Care
LLC.

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