Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases. The basics on these creepy crawlers.

Ticks are common external parasites that can be found on our dogs and cats, and even humans! What’s more concerning, though, is that they can spread disease.

In simple terms, ticks are small spider-like animals that bite to latch onto the skin and feed on blood. They can vary in size depending on the species and some are much harder to find than others.

Although you can likely find ticks anywhere in the world there will be certain ‘hot spots’ that are infamous for their tick problem. Usually we worry more about pets that venture into high grass, wooded areas, but in reality they can also be lurking in your neighborhood and your backyard.

I feel like I have experienced two extremes of tick prevalence:

Florida and the Cayman Islands which have a very high tick prevalence
Alberta which has a low to moderate tick prevalence due to temperature fluctuations and depending on location

I’ve seen patients die from a tick infestation in Florida. I have definitely not experienced anything as extreme in Alberta, but we do have patients come in with ticks that need removal.

Even in those areas that have longer winters, ticks can survive the colder temperatures; however, they do not actively look for a blood meal host until the temperatures reach at least 4°C. In Alberta we consider tick season to be roughly from April through October, but this can vary depending on weather changes.

What’s the big concern with ticks?

If ticks were just ‘bugs’ that bit with no other potential complications associated with them it wouldn’t be as concerning. The problem with these creepy crawlers is that they carry and transmit diseases to both humans and our pets.

Among the more common diseases we have:

Lyme disease
Anaplasmosis
Babesiosis
Ehrlichiosis
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
Tularemia

There are definitely others but these are ones that are seen more frequently in both humans and pets.

Each disease has its own clinical symptoms and treatment, and are transmitted by specific species of ticks. Symptoms will also differ when comparing humans to pets.

If you are in a more tick endemic areas such as Florida, pets can suffer from severe tick infestation. In these cases, not only do we have to worry about the transmission of tick born diseases, but also severely damaged skin, anemia, paralysis, and other potential complications.

How do I know if my pet has ticks?

Pet owners usually have no idea that their pets have ticks until they randomly come across one while petting their dog or cat.

If the ticks have had a blood meal and filled up with blood they are much larger and sometimes can be confused for skin growths. I’ve also had the opposite occur where owners find an actual growth on their dog but it looks like a tick and it is instant panic. Either way it would be a good idea to get them checked.

What to do if you find a tick on your pet

Because ticks have small head parts it is possible to remove the body without the head during removal which is exactly what we do not want happening. This is why we recommend having your pet seen by a veterinarian for removal.

When a tick attaches to its host it uses a combination of its mouthparts for the process. The chelicerae are used to cut through the skin of the host and the hypostome is the barbed, needle-like piece that is inserted into the host for feeding. The barbs on the hypostome are what can make it difficult to remove the entire tick.

Tweezers or a tick removal tool/hook should be used to ensure the entire tick is successfully removed.

Now, if you decide to remove the tick at home be sure you take the tick to your veterinarian. Your veterinarian can then submit the tick to government testing laboratories as part of the tick surveillance program. Not only does this help identify the type of tick, but more importantly they will test the tick for Lyme disease which can have an impact on your pet’s health.

How to prevent and protect your pets from ticks

All pets that go outdoors should be on some form of tick preventative at some point throughout the year. How many months of tick protection will depend on location and seasonal/temperature changes. Some pets need tick protection year round, others only seasonally or for travel.

There are several products available on the market that your veterinarian can help you with. Each one has slight differences and again will depend on your location and preferences for topical versus oral treatments.

Most of these tick preventatives are monthly treatments with a few being on label for use every 3 months.

Some options your veterinarian may offer include:

Simparica
Bravecto
Nexgard
K9 Advantix
Revolution
Frontline Plus

There may be a few additional options in the States that are not available in Canada.

Some of these products are oral treatments and others are topical so this may be a factor that plays a role in which product will be best for you and your pet.

The other consideration is the coverage of tick protection. Some products are on label to protect against more species of ticks compared to others. Your veterinarian can share more information about this based on where you live in the world.
Keep in mind there may be additional parasites (internal and external) that your pet may also be exposed to, and some of these products will have an all-in-one approach for protection.

What about Lyme disease?

As mentioned above, a big concern with ticks is that they transmit disease. Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States. It is caused by infection with a spirochete bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi sensu latu.

The principal vector is the Ixodes tick. In ticks, the bacteria migrates to the salivary glands and when a tick takes a blood meal the reservoir host (your pet) is infected through the tick saliva.

The tick must be attached for at least 1-2 days for transmission of the disease to occur.

The problem with Lyme disease is that symptoms can vary and be non-specific. Also, only 5-10% of infected animals will show clinical symptoms, and signs usually develop within 2-5 months.

The most common clinical symptoms noted include fever, lethargy, anorexia, and intermittent, shifting leg lameness. Lyme nephritis is also a complication of Lyme disease where the kidneys are affected which can lead to kidney failure.

Antibiotics are the primary treatment for Lyme disease. Some patients require additional treatments and supportive care to address symptoms such as lameness and kidney changes. Dogs with clinical symptoms usually improve within 24-48 hours of starting treatment and prognosis is good.

Patients with Lyme nephritis, on the other hand, have guarded to poor prognosis due to acute kidney failure.

In short, do not underestimate these little buggers. Ticks may not seem like a big deal and I know some pet owners feel tick protection is overrated, but they are out there and they can cause major health concerns to our pets and ourselves. Remember, it is always better to be proactive and prevent infection rather than having to treat a disease that could have been prevented.