While the arrival of spring is still months away (sorry for the brutal reminder!), the need for winter tick prevention is at an all time high.
Last year, the Greater Thunder Bay area was designated as a high-risk area for Lyme-Disease-Carrying ticks. This is because approximately 10% of the black-legged ticks tested in that area are infected with the Lyme Disease bacteria. As a result, Thunder Bay is now under a mandatory reporting law, meaning all doctors operating within the city of Thunder Bay are required to report instances of the bullseye rash – a major indicator of the bite that causes Lyme Disease. Recently, just such a case was reported despite being the middle of the winter.
As our climate changes, warmer than normal weather is increasing in frequency. This is a reality everywhere, including the Grey-Bruce area. Without a deep permafrost to kill the previous season’s tick population, their numbers will continue to grow exponentially.
In spring of 2019, Dr. David Williams, the Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health, stated, “We’ve seen a marked increase in the number of confirmed cases of Lyme disease in Ontario, particularly in the last year. This is partly due to an increase and expansion of Blacklegged tick populations in new areas of the province.”
Once the weather reaches temperatures of 5 degrees Celsius or warmer, dormant ticks can become active. Because of the sporadic weather we’ve been experiencing, there has been an increase in the number of ticks throughout Ontario, including in our small community of Meaford.
Black-legged ticks are most commonly transported by birds, which means they can show up anywhere, as long as the weather is warm enough. Rodents, deer, cats, dogs, and humans are the most common hosts for ticks. Ticks are most often found in long grass and wooded areas.
Once a black-legged tick has fed on a host for a minimum of about 24 hours, they’re able to transmit the Lyme Disease bacteria to pets and humans.
When enjoying the outdoors, follow these tips to protect yourself and your pets:
-
Cover up! When you’re active outdoors, wear long sleeves, even on those oddly warm days. Tuck your pants into your socks, and then into your boots. Wear high boots if possible. Also consider wearing light-coloured clothing, which makes ticks easier to spot.
-
Stay out of heavily wooded or grassy areas, and keep your dog on leash if you need to traverse areas where ticks are more likely to reside. Don’t linger in wooded or grassy areas, either.
-
Consider bug repellents. Anti-tick sprays can be an effective tool for deterring ticks for both humans and pets.
-
Check, check, and check again. Check over your dog after each walk or every time they’re active outside. While ticks can attach to any part of the body, the most common areas for ticks to hide on cats and dogs are in the pads of the feet, legs, armpits, around the ears, and underneath collars. Check yourself and your children for ticks daily, as well. Children can be particularly susceptible, as they like to play on the ground and in areas with taller grasses.
-
Ticks thrive in wet environments, including washing machines. Before washing any outdoor clothing like jackets and mittens, consider running them through your dryer on high heat for 60 minutes.
-
Think about using a flea and tick medication for your pets. Popular brands like Nexgard offer effective, and comprehensive flea and tick prevention for companion animals. For dogs visiting high-risk areas, tick medication is a top consideration.
If you find a tick on yourself or your pet, carefully remove it as soon as possible. To remove a tick from your pet, start by spreading their fur so you have clear access. If you have a tick removal tool, such as a tick twister, remove the tick gently and slowly according to the tool’s directions. If you do not have a tick-removing tool, carefully pull the tick out in a straight line using fine-tipped tweezers. If you pull the tick out too quickly, you risk the mouth parts becoming lodged in the body. It is commonly believed that the head is what gets embedded in the skin, however, ticks don’t actually have heads in the traditional sense. After the tick is removed, clean the bite area with rubbing alcohol. Also, be sure to thoroughly wash your hands before and after this process.
Once you have removed the tick, do not throw it out. Instead, call your veterinarian to tell them what type of tick it is, and to ask whether they will need to test it.
As our climate continues to change, we’re going to experience new variances in temperatures.
Year over year, tick populations are on the rise in North America. With one in five ticks in Ontario carrying Lyme Disease (among other things), tick prevention for both pets and people has never been more important.
Brandon Forder, known as The Pet Expert, is vice-president of Canadian Pet Connection, an industry leader in healthy pet lifestyles. Brandon holds multiple certifications in pet nutrition, and has more than twenty-five years’ experience specializing in pet health and behaviour. He has written hundreds of informative pet-related articles for newspapers, magazines, radio, and the popular Ask the Pet Expert Blog. Brandon is highly skilled in pet problem solving, and enjoys teaching others about smart and responsible pet ownership. To learn more, visit www.CanadianPetConnection.ca.
