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Ticks

Heartworm Awareness Month Arrives

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Pet parents take all kinds of action to make sure that their pets are well cared for. From comfy beds, to interactive toys, training, and annual trips to the vet, we do most anything to keep our fuzz ball healthy and happy.

Something we may not always think about is heartworm disease. In all likelihood, you probably have your pet on a combination product that covers prevention for fleas, ticks, heart and other parasitic worms. Or do you?

Now is a great time to double check your preventive medication regimen. And while you’re scanning the medicine cabinet, here are a few things to bear in mind. [Read more…] about Heartworm Awareness Month Arrives

Lyme Disease Prevention Month

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Lyme Disease Prevention Month

Warm Weather Is a Reminder to Protect Your Pet From Lyme Disease and Other Tick-Related Diseases

Each year when the temperatures begin to indicate that winter has receded and spring is fully in swing, I check the closet for my supply of flea and tick prevention topical solution.

Depending on your individual situation, your routine may not mimic mine. And since vaccines are not available for every type of disease your pet could contract from a tick bite, it is important to take some type of action to prevent Lyme or other tick-related diseases or a flea infestation.

My vet advises that I keep my dog, Ginger, on a year-round schedule for flea and tick prevention. She cautioned me at our last annual exam that there is always a possibility if the temperatures get above freezing that a tick could become active and my little ninja dog could get a tick bite in her own backyard without some type of protection. [Read more…] about Lyme Disease Prevention Month

Eeek! Ticks!

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EeekTicks

What You Need To Know About Ticks and Your Pets

The snow has melted and the grass is getting greener by the day. These are the days we look forward to all winter! These are also the days those pesky ticks look forward to as well.

What is a tick? To the common eye some ticks can be mistaken for a spider. They are, after all, classified in the same family of arachnids. Similar to a spider, adult ticks have four pairs of legs and no antennae. With multiple life stages, ticks are determined to find a host for feeding and continue the blood sucking cycle. That host could be us or our beloved floofins.

There are two groups of ticks, “hard” and “soft” ticks. However, there are over 15 species of ticks in Illinois according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. The good news, only about five of those species are encountered by people. The most common types of ticks include, American Dog Tick, Lone Star Tick, Blacklegged Tick (aka Deer Tick), Brown Dog Tick, and the Winter Tick.

Ticks only have the ability to crawl so don’t worry about a tick flying off a tree branch into your hair. They make their way upwards by climbing to the tips of tall vegetation.

Keeping the area around your home unattractive to ticks is key to tick control. You know the tall grass that grows along your fence line? They love that! Wood piles, shrubs, weeds, and forested areas are also common homes for ticks. Stay in the middle of a trail when walking through a wooded area. After spending time outside it’s important to check your body and your pets for any ticks. The following are favorite areas on our body and our pets ticks seem to love:

[Read more…] about Eeek! Ticks!