Finding ticks on your dog or cat is one of the more troubling parts of being a pet owner. Not only can the dreaded tick carry harmful disease to your beloved pet, but it can also infect your children and family. Since May is Lyme Disease Awareness month, there is no better time to think about tick prevention.
Forty thousand human cases of Lyme disease are documented in the U.S. each year, and countless pets are also infected. Lyme disease is a debilitating disease. Early symptoms include fatigue, fever, depression, and rash. Since these early signs could also account for a host of other ailments (or simply just an indication that you are wearing yourself too thin), it can be difficult to pinpoint in humans and animals. In addition, the strange weather this year has lead many experts to predict that more insects will be abound this summer than usual.
It is imperative that pet owners remain vigilant about preventing tick infestation in their dogs and cats. It is not always easy to keep your eye on a rambunctious canine or kitty, but there are simple ways to greatly reduce the odds of your pet contracting harmful ticks. The time to think about ticks is now — before your dog or cat ever gets them.
Grooming: Keep up with regular grooming appointments, and ask for a flea and tick bath for extra insurance.
Check, please: Do periodic tick checks (on yourself, children and pets) and carefully remove any found. You can wear light-colored clothing so ticks are easier to find.
Religious preventive application: Make it your priority to apply monthly preventives. Use those stickies that come with the flea and tick prevention boxes to remember.
No free roam: Don’t let dogs wander unaccompanied into forest areas.
Keep cats indoors: Unlike dogs, when cats go out they don’t have leashes and can head smack right into the middle of places with the heaviest tick infestations, so flea preventives are absolutely vital if your cat ever goes outside.
Location: Despite popular belief, ticks are not out in the middle of your lawn; they live where yards border wooded areas. They are also commonly found in shaded areas, places covered by leaves, and in high humidity.
Wood chips: Place a layer of wood chips between your grass yard and the wood’s edge. Ticks are attracted to the wood chips because of the shade and moisture they provide.
Outdoors: When on a hike, bike, or walk, remain in the center of a trail in order to minimize your exposure. Remember that ticks cannot fly; they crawl up. Avoid sitting directly on the ground, woodpiles, or fallen logs, which are areas where ticks love to live.
Dress yourself up: Wear tick-repellent clothing on walks. Buy tick-repellent bandanas to place around your dog’s neck.
Consult your vet: Ask your vet, who will know if there are any infestations going on in your area, as well as clue you in to nearby places you and your dog should steer clear of to avoid ticks.
Danielle Sullivan, a mom of three, has worked as a writer and editor in the parenting world for more than 10 years. Sullivan also writes about pets and parenting for Disney’s Babbl
