Pets are very susceptible to tick bites and tickborne diseases. Your pets can get Lyme disease. Prepare and know what to do in case you find a tick.
Pets and Lyme Disease
People who own pets should be particularly concerned about ticks, both for their animals’ sake and for their own. Dogs, cats
and horses may contract Lyme disease and other bacteria carried by ticks,including bartonella , babesia,erhlichia ,anaplasma , Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tick paralysis. Symptoms in pets may include joint problems, limping, or lethargy.Furthermore, ticks on your pets can be a danger to you. Animal fur can act like a “tick magnet.” You may be exposed to ticks when you snuggle with your cat or dog, or when you ride your horse. Pet owners should check their pets for ticks and use tick collars or other topical flea and tick treatments.
~ LymeDisease.org
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Removing Ticks on Pets
Avoid folklore remedies such as “painting” the tick with nail polish or petroleum jelly, or using heat to make the tick detach from the skin. Do not put essential oils on the tick or try burning it. All of these may irritate the tick, and if it is attached, may make the situation worse.
Your goal is to remove the tick as quickly as possible–not waiting for it to detach.
- Check to see if the tick is attached. If the tick is small, flat, and crawling around on your clothes, skin, the floor, etc., this is a good sign as the tick has not bitten anyone or fed recently. If it is large with a full, round body, this is of more concern as it may have fed and fallen off of a pet or person.
- If unattached, don’t try to kill it. If the tick is unattached, do not crush, burn, or otherwise destroy it. Do not touch the tick with your bare hands, instead use tweezers to pick it up. Put it in a sealed plastic bag or small jar in the freezer. In case symptoms of a tick bite develop, this preserves it for identification.
- If attached: Use a tick removal tool and gently twist and pull up and off.
Purchase a tick remover and keep it on hand
Put one on your keychain to have it on hand.
These tick removers are inserted between the tick and the skin, then twisted gently until the tick releases.
Unlike the tweezer method, this device is much more likely to result in a clean removal. The prongs on either side help ensure that the tick’s mouth doesn’t bend too far to the side and snap off while rotating.
If you don’t have a tick removal tool, use tweezers but grab the tick as close to the head/mouth as possible.
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Optional Tick Identification
After the tick has been removed, save it in a bag if you wish to send it in for testing. Visit the TickEncounter Resource Center for more information. On the website, you can follow instructions to submit a photo of the tick, and experts called TickSpotters will help you identify the risk of contracting Lyme based on the type of tick.
Prevention
For the yard and house, use natural bug repellents instead of toxic chemicals.
DEET is present in many commercial insect repellents and has mixed results when it comes to safety. ~ NCBI PubMed
Natural bug repellents, as studies show essential oils like citronella can be just as effective as DEET. Essential oils are shown in studies to repel ticks: geranium, citronella, and lemon eucalyptus.
Purchase Bug Spray
- Badger – Anti-Bug Repellent Spray
- DEET-Free Herbal Armor Insect Repellent
- Babyganics Natural DEET-Free Insect Repellent
The healthier your pet eats, the healthier your pet which makes it less likely to get disease!!
Cat Note
Cats may directly infect humans with
~ Lyme Disease.orgbartonella through scratching or biting. Studies in some parts of the United States show that up to 80% of stray cats are infected withbartonella .
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