Date: June 2024
Author: Ian Wright
Ian Wright is a veterinary surgeon and co-owner of the mount Veterinary practice in Fleetwood. He is also chair of the European Scientific Counsel of Companion Animal Parasites (ESCCAP).
While enjoying the great outdoors, it’s very important to protect ourselves against ticks, but what about our pets? It’s fantastic to have the company of our furry friends on our outdoor adventures and as temperatures start to (hopefully!) increase, our cats with outdoor access will be getting into all sorts of mischief. Just like us though, all this wonderful fresh air will inevitably bring us and our pets into closer contact with ticks! Tick-borne diseases can affect dogs and cats as well as humans, with both Lyme disease and Tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV) being of particular concern. With a few simple precautions though, our pets can continue enjoying green spaces while keeping tick risks to a minimum.
Tick protection for dogs
Ticks in the UK do not infest houses like fleas but attach to people and pets that walk or sit in grass, bracken or other undergrowth. Tick numbers can be especially high in areas shared with deer, sheep and cows. but can be found in any green space where wild or domestic animals have access. Preventative measures we can take for our dogs include.
Staying on paths where there is little or no vegetation will limit the opportunities for ticks to attach. Mercifully, ticks in the UK, unlike some of their continental relatives, won’t chase you down the road, and ticks don’t jump or swing from vegetation.
Current evidence suggests it takes several hours and sometimes more than 24 hours for most UK tick-borne pathogens to be transmitted once a tick has attached. Viruses such as TBEV however, may be transmitted much faster so it is important to remove ticks as soon as you can. If you and your dogs have been walking in pasture, tall grass, or undergrowth you should check for ticks as soon as you return. When checking your dog, remember juvenile ticks can be small (just a few millimetres long) so can easily be missed, especially if your pet has long fur. Where ticks are most likely to be found on the body will depend on the size of your dog and the height of the vegetation!
Any ticks found should be carefully removed with a dedicated tick removal device. Do not use blunt tweezers or fingers as squashing or squeezing the tick will stress it. While the psychological state of your tick may not seem a big concern, stressed ticks are more likely to transmit disease. Burning, or applying paraffin to ticks will have the same effect so don’t be tempted to torture your tick!
A product that rapidly kills ticks or repels and kills them should be considered for pets whose lifestyle puts them at increased risk of tick exposure. Licensed products are highly effective and come as tablets, spot-ons or collars. Speak to your vet about which one is most appropriate for your pet. No product is 100% effective though, so it is still important to be vigilant for ticks after outdoor activity.
What about cats?
Advice for protecting dogs also applies to cats but they are unlikely to stick to the path! Cats often love checking out animal dens and burrows, getting covered in ticks in the process. Cats living the feline dream in this way should have a tick preventative product in place and if possible, check for ticks when your cat returns. If there are lots of ticks attached, don’t panic as cats tend to be more resistant to tick-borne disease than dogs and humans but you may need some help from your local vet practice to get the ticks removed.
What should I do if I think my pet has a tick-borne disease?
If you think your pet has been exposed to ticks and then develops a fever, raised lymph nodes, joint pain, is lethargic or develops neurological signs (loss of balance, head tilt, tremors, or seizures) then contact your vet for advice. Some tick-borne diseases such as Lyme and TBEV are zoonotic (infect humans as well as pets) but there is no direct risk to you if your pet is infected. You may though, also have been infected at the same time enjoying the same bit of outdoors and being bitten by ticks in the same place. If you develop an erythema migrans rash, flu like signs , neurological issues or other unusual symptoms then you should contact your GP and mention that your pet has been diagnosed with a tick-borne disease.
For more information on tick prevention and tick-borne diseases in pets visit ESCCAP UK & Ireland https://www.esccapuk.org.uk.
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