Tick Season in Calgary

This summer, the bacteria that causes lyme disease (borrelia burgdorferi) has been found on several ticks in Alberta. The Government of Alberta has released a warning for Albertans to take precautions when outdoors, as lyme disease can be a serious condition if not detected early or left completely untreated.

Thankfully, noticing a dark, beady bug attached to your skin is relatively easy for most humans – but what about our pets?

“It is important for pet owners to inspect their animals for ticks, especially after they’ve visited areas where ticks are, such as grassy fields and wooded areas,” says Dr. Gerald Hauer, Chief Provincial Veterinarian.

For some, the advice seems like a no-brainer, but with potentially lyme carrying ticks usually being quite rare around Calgary and Edmonton, not everyone knows what to look for or how to look. To help out, we’ve compiled some tips for tick-prevention as well as how to thoroughly check your pets for these potentially problematic parasites.

An Ounce of Prevention..

• Over-the-Counter/Prescription Control

One of the best things you can do is to talk to your veterinarian about regular parasite prevention through products like Frontline Plus or K9 Advantix. Different products offer different types and levels of protection, so its best to discuss your pet’s individual needs and lifestyle to decide on your particular medication and your recommended frequency of application.

• Natural Flea & Tick Repellent

1. For a repellent that you don’t have to worry about physically applying, many have found a great, natural repellent to be had in the addition of garlic to your dog’s diet. Most owners won’t notice any change, but even a small amount of garlic helps your dog’s skin to emit an odor that ticks, fleas and vampires happen to find pretty repulsive. The general rule of thumb is to use fresh garlic in just one of Fido’s daily meals, and combine 2 grams of crushed or chopped garlic for every 40 pounds of pooch. For already finicky eaters or dogs who are as turned off by the smell as the parasites you’re trying to prevent, garlic supplements in pill form are a perfectly acceptable replacement – just read the directions carefully to determine the appropriate dose!


2. Insect repellents via topical formulas are something most households are familiar with, but the idea of spraying potentially dangerous chemicals on your dog’s easily licked legs and feet isn’t something we’d ever suggest. Instead, try something like..

• Mixing 2 tbsp. of almond oil with 15 drops of Rose Geranium essential oil. Put a few drops of this solution on your dog’s collar each time you go outside. The remaining mixture can be stored in an air-tight container, and will keep for up to six months after!

• Make a repellent spray out of one part lemon juice to one part water. You can put the mixture into a spray bottle, and squirt your dog’s coat like you would spray yourself with Off! Just make sure you don’t spray anywhere near his eyes or nose.

“Many natural essential oils that have sharp, spicy or sour tastes can help prevent flea and tick infestations. Oils such as spearmint, peppermint, melaleuca, lavender and lemongrass are all prime examples. Put a couple to a few drops on your dog’s collar before leaving the house or mix one with equal or more parts of water into a spray bottle. Mist your pet’s entire coat while making sure you also apply it to any crevices..”

Original eHow Article

.. And a Pound of Cure

Before engorging themselves on the blood of their chosen host, ticks are actually pretty small and relatively easy to miss. It’s worth pointing out that when checking your pet over after a romp in the great outdoors, you’re more likely to feel the tick before you actually see it. They also enjoy places hidden from view where they won’t actively be disturbed by outside forces.

Tips for the Tick-Check

• Crevices such as those at the base of the ear, inside legs/thighs/armpits, testicles or other similar places are great hiding places for ticks. They’re warm, dark, and sheltered away from anything outside that might remove them. Like you.


• Occasionally they’ll attach themselves to even stranger places, such as eyelids, lips, the vulva, or even on the rectum!


• 
  Always check between the toes! Ticks are most likely to hitch a ride on your dog’s feet or legs first and foremost, and in between the toes is prime parasite real estate without them having to go very far.


• For squirmy dogs, making it seem like you’re petting more than inspecting can go a long way. Start at one end – I personally like to go against the grain of the hair just to make sure I get beneath it and feel the skin – and rub in circular motions upwards and thoroughly. It doesn’t take long to cover the whole dog, and I can’t think of any pup who doesn’t like a good rub-down!

If you find a tick, don’t panic, and definitely don’t just rip the critter off by its body. Ticks bury their heads in their host, and plucking them right off can leave bits and pieces of the insect inside of the skin. This can cause irritations, infections, or other complications that could end up worse than the tick itself.

Removing the Uninvited Guest

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  Don’t put petroleum jelly, a hot match, or rubbing alcohol on the back of the tick. While these methods work for some to make the tick “back out” of its bite, they can also make the tick deposit more disease-carrying saliva into the wound.


• 
  Do use a pair of tweezers or an official tick removal tool of your choice. Grab the tick right where it’s mouth parts enter the skin, and, with steady pressure, pull outwards without any twisting. This might take a minute or two, but with patience and steady pressure you’ll remove the tick, head and all.


• 
  Don’t think stepping on the tick will kill it. Instead, you can drop the tick into alcohol, burn it, or freeze it instead. You can also collect it in an air-tight container to bring to your veterinarian for disease testing.


• 
  Don’t feel absolutely obligated to remove the tick yourself if you’re uncomfortable. If you prefer a less hands-on approach, bring your pet to the vet and they will remove the tick and collect it for testing themselves.

Aftercare

• If you’ve removed the tick yourself, a bit of antiseptic over the wound and a small amount of a regular, over-the-counter antibiotic ointment is typically more than enough to keep any infection from happening at the site of the bite.


• Some dogs have a reaction to the tick saliva itself, so don’t be surprised or alarmed if you see a small rash or welt at the site of the bite.


• Keep the area clean and dry, and the typical tick-bite should heal in a little over a week.