Wednesday, June 13, 2018

Gross and Dangerous: TICKS!


If I say tick, most people’s immediate response is something along the lines of eww, or yuck, or gross.  They are truly disgusting, and we have been seeing a lot of them on both dogs and cats in the office this spring.  It appears that although the weatherman cannot predict whether or not it will rain in the next hour accurately, the parasitologists have hit the nail on the head with their prediction of a bad tick season this year. And, unfortunately, the cool, damp spring is not helping matters any.

Most pet owners are worried about Lyme disease and with good reason.  The incidence of infection with Borrelia Burgdorferi, the bacteria that causes Lyme disease is way up this year in our area.  While Lyme Disease is an important problem for dogs and their owners, there are many other tick borne diseases that we need to be concerned about.  Different ticks carry different parasites and we have seen spikes in positive tests for Anaplasma and Ehrlichiosis as well as Lyme disease this spring.

Along with emerging diseases spread by ticks, we are seeing changes in the species of ticks that we are seeing in our area.  Lone Star Ticks, named for the single white spot on the back of the bug (not for the state of Texas) are emerging as a problem, especially out east.  They are problematic because many tick preventions are not as effective against this species as one would like. They also spread diseases like Tularemia and Human monocytotrophic ehrlichiosis.  If that’s not bad enough, they also can cause a serious and sometimes lifetime allergic reaction to red meat.  That’s right, as bizarre as it sounds, a protein in the saliva of the Lone Star Tick can cause it’s bite victims to become allergic to all red meat. 

  A new species of east Asian tick has raised it’s ugly head in New Jersey and we are girding ourselves for it’s appearance on Long Island in the near future.

So, what can we do to keep ourselves and out pets safe? 

Prevention:  

Stay out of tall grass when possible.  Treat your yards if you are in high tick areas.  Use an effective tick control product.  We recommend Simperica oral chews or Seresto collars for our pets.  Pyrethrin treated clothing for humans.

Detection:  

Ticks need to attach for a period of time to spread disease.  Check your pets and yourselves daily for ticks.  A useful tool is a tape lint roller up and down your pet after it comes in.  Ticks will stick to the tape.  If you find an attached tick, gentle traction with a small tweezer, close to the skin will get the tick to release.  Do not crush it with your fingers.  If you need it identified, put it in a plastic baggie and bring it to your veterinarian.


Testing:

  Have your dog tested regularly for tick borne diseases.  It’s a simple blood test.

Vaccination:  

We have effective vaccinations against Lyme disease, the most common tick transmitted disease in our area.  If your pet is at risk, vaccination is imperative.

We have a special program for testing, vaccination, and prevention with discounts and manufacturer rebates.