What to do if you find a tick in a dog or cat, and how to protect your pet

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Parasites can infect animals with dangerous diseases.

Why ticks are dangerous for dogs and cats

For pets, blood-sucking parasites are as dangerous as for humans, and sometimes even more. Pets can catch diseases from ticks, and the owners do not always have time to notice it in time.

It is more difficult to find the parasite on a dog or cat than on yourself. This often happens when the animal has already shown the first symptoms of infection.

Here's what a pet can get sick with Ticks: Life Cycle, Anatomy and Disease Transmission in Cats:

• tick-borne borreliosis (Lyme disease);
• ehrlichiosis;
• babesiosis (piroplasmosis);
• theileriosis;
• hemobartonellosis;
• hepatozoonosis;
• Rocky Mountain spotted fever;
• tick paralysis;
• tularemia.

What to do if a tick bites a dog or cat

If you notice that a parasite has stuck to the pet, the bloodsucker must be removed immediately.

Tatyana Shmonina veterinarian, work experience - more than seven years

It is necessary to deliver the animal to the nearest veterinary clinic or call a doctor at home in order to properly remove the tick, treat the wound, and immediately give the parasite for analysis. If this is not done, the bite can result in death.

If it is not possible to take the pet to the doctor, try to remove the bloodsucker yourself: the procedure is practically no different from removing a tick from a person.

To do this, you need a twist-off twist, fine-tipped tweezers, or thread.

If the dog or cat is not sitting still, have someone hold her. Otherwise, you risk accidentally crushing the parasite or tearing its torso off the head.

When to take your dog or cat to the vet

If you did not do this immediately after the bite, then carefully monitor the animal's well-being for at least three weeks. Signs of infection do not always appear immediately. Sometimes this happens after 7-21 days.

The first symptom of Preventing ticks on your pets is loss of appetite.

Here are some more common signs of Tick-Borne Diseases in Dogs, in which you need to urgently run to the clinic:

• weight loss;
• discoloration of the gums;
• discharge from the eyes or nose;
• vomit;
• the back or neck is very sensitive to touch;
• convulsions;
• diarrhea;
• uncontrolled urination;
• brick-colored urine;
• swollen lymph nodes;
• swelling of the limbs or joints;
• weakness.

How to protect your dog and cat from ticks

Especially carefully carry out prophylaxis in May and June - these are Recommendations for citizens: tick-borne viral encephalitis and measures for its prevention the peak of parasite activity in Russia. But do not forget about protective measures throughout the season - from March to November.

Any products for animals must be chosen taking into account their age: some are contraindicated for puppies and kittens.

Also note that the options below are available separately for dogs and cats. Be sure to check this information in the veterinary pharmacy before buying the drug. Do not use dog tick shampoo and do not give your dog cat pills.

All products contain repellents or acaricides. One way or another, these substances are toxic to animals: any drug can cause allergies if overused. Therefore, always follow the instructions on the packaging. Apply products (other than tablets) so that the pet cannot lick them off the coat.

Keep any anti-tick medications out of the reach of children. Do not allow the child to touch the treated animal for at least the first three days.

Be sure to carry out the procedure with rubber gloves and do not forget to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.

1. Inspection

This is the simplest thing you can do. After walking in the forest or park, be sure to examine your pet in order to immediately notice and remove the tick.

If the pet has a thick dark coat, it is difficult to see the parasite. Therefore, comb the coat with your fingers or a special counter fleece comb with frequent teeth, while feeling the skin of the animal. Do this with gloves.

2. Shampoos

These can be purchased from your veterinary pharmacy specifically for your cat or dog. This is an inexpensive method, but time consuming: you will have to bathe your pet about once a week. Be sure to check the instructions for the exact frequency. After bathing, wait until the pet's coat is completely dry, only then let it go for a walk.

Shampoos only scare off parasites with their smell, but do not kill them. So this is a weak defense. Suitable for cats and small dogs that only walk in the courtyard of the house, where the likelihood of picking up a tick is low.

Validity:5-7 days.

3. Insect-acaricidal collars

They mainly protect the neck and head of the animal. The back, belly, legs and tail remain at risk. This remedy is unlikely to help large dogs, collars are more suitable for small smooth-haired pets.

The tapes are treated with a special liquid that repels parasites. The collar comes into contact with the wool and transfers active substances to it. This does not happen right away, you need to wait about two days before going for a walk with your pet.

Make sure two fingers fit between the collar and the skin of your dog or cat. It should not be tight or, conversely, dangle around the neck.

Validity:4-6 months.

4. Sprays

They come in handy if you are going to places where ticks are likely to be present. For example, in a forest or field. The spray begins to work when it dries completely on the coat - about two hours after application.

Read the instructions before use. Do not spray on people or other species of animals. Try not to splash on the dog or cat's face.

Do not bathe your pet for 2-3 days, otherwise the spray will wash off. And if the animal has been in the water or in the rain, reapply the product.

Validity:acaricidal drugs protect the pet for about a month if you bathe it no more than once a week. There are also sprays based on essential oils, the effect of which lasts a maximum of 7 days. Such options work worse, but are allowed for puppies and kittens. It is better to check the duration of activity of different sprays at the veterinary pharmacy.

5. Drops

Sold in pipette bottles. Apply drops to a dog or cat along the line of the ridge and neck, spreading the fur. After about a day, the substances of the drug are absorbed into the skin and begin to act. But at least for the first three days after application, do not let the animal into the water.

Validity:about a month.

6. Tablets

They are considered a reliable way, but it is better not to buy them yourself, but to consult a veterinarian.

The tablets begin to work in full force after four hours. Active substances are absorbed into the blood: even if a tick bites an animal, it will die immediately. This product is suitable for large and active pets that often walk in the forest. For example, likes or greyhounds.

Manufacturers usually make tablets with different flavors. Therefore, there should be no problems: the pet will swallow the pill. Otherwise mix it with feed.

Validity:about three months.

7. Vaccinations

The only vaccine you can give a cat or dog is for babesiosis (piroplasmosis). But keep in mind that this will not protect against tick bites. The vaccine will just make it easier to get over the disease. Therefore, you still have to treat the pet with protective equipment.

Immunity from the vaccine is not immediately developed, so the animal needs to be vaccinated in January-February, a couple of months before the tick activity season. Be sure to discuss the frequency of the procedure with your veterinarian.

Animals under five months old, as well as pregnant and lactating women, should not be vaccinated.

Validity: about six months.

8. Combinations of several means

This will make the protection more effective. But the tablets must be used separately.

The rest of the drugs can be combined like this:

• Collar + spray or drops. Suitable for those who go to the forest, as well as for large dogs for whom the collar alone is clearly not enough.
• Drops + spray. Often dog breeders do this when the effect of the drops is already running out, but the pet urgently needs reliable protection.

Ask your veterinarian how to properly combine specific remedies. Some active substances do not combine well with each other, which can cause allergies.

All tick medications are safe and reliable when taken together with a veterinarian. Only collars are inferior in effectiveness to other means.

Tatyana Shmonina veterinarian

Also try to keep your garden and lawn tidy. If you trim bushes, get rid of excess grass and treat trees from parasites, ticks are unlikely to start. Then the pet will be less likely to pick them up.