Dog Ticks - Be Watchful Of Them

By: Steve Searls

We all know that the ticks are responsible for the spread of several diseases. In recent times, the experts have been telling us that the number of ticks has been on rise due to several reasons and hence there is an increasing chance of your dog being infected.

The main reason behind this sudden growth in ticks is the urbanization of the forests. Warming climate is also attributed to the rise of ticks. Years ago, the diseases used to spread mainly in the summer and were therefore seasonal. However, due to warming, these ticks seem to breed all throughout the year and have become a menace to our dear pets. More and more people now go for outings with their dogs which expose them to the ticks, leading to further infestation.

Various kinds of diseases are spread due to ticks. Lyme's disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, and Canine Ehrliciosis are among the most common ones.

Ticks lay eggs, larvae are hatched from these eggs and they immediately start seeking hosts. Once they feed on the host, they fall off and start living on the forest floors, feeding on decaying material until they develop into nymphs. The nymphs will again start searching for blood meal. If they can't find one, they perish. However, if they happen to find their blood meal, it will eventually fall off the host and live in the soil again further mutating into an adult.

If left attached to an animal, adult ticks can become quite large. I have personally seen them as large as a nickel. Now that's disgusting.

Adult ticks prefer larger animals like deer. In fact, deer are one of the main causes of the thriving tick population. If there were no deer, we wouldn't have such a big problem with ticks. Deer were close to extinction in the last century, but the restrictions placed on their hunting has now increased their number, and as their numbers increase, the ticks are thriving as well!

Due to the growing problem of ticks, the number of diseases is on the rise, affecting more and more pets. Your veterinarian can recommend various ways of protecting your dogs from ticks and fleas. Even simple preventive methods are better than none to keep your pet safe from the ticks.

These parasites can be very irritating for our beloved pets, especially if the dog is allergic to their bites. So, it is very important for you to ensure that your dog is free from ticks.

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