Spring is here with summer just around the corner.  It’s a time for backyard barbeques, hikes, and lots of time outdoors.  It’s also the time for ticks.  Lots of ticks.  Last year was a banner year for ticks in Colorado and this year is proving to be even worse.  We’ve seen multiple cases of dogs with ticks in just the last week, and they are reportedly not at their peak yet.  Ticks carry many diseases, including Ehlichia, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Tularemia, and even Lyme disease in some areas, all of which cause serious illness in pets and humans.

Our pets can easily pick up ticks, and they don’t have to go into the

mountains to do it.  Ticks are found in tall grasses and shrubby areas, including many backyards.  If your pet goes outdoors, be sure to give a monthly flea and tick preventive like Nexgard or Frontline Gold.  Tick season extends from April through October or even November, so preventives should be given through those months. Here are some other tips:

  • For humans, wear long sleeves and pants when in grassy or high brush areas and use appropriate insect repellant
  • Check your pet and yourself thoroughly for ticks any time you have been outdoors in tall grasses or underbrush
  • If you find a tick, grasp it with tweezers and pull gently but firmly until it lets go. Consider submitting the tick to the Colorado Department of Health to help with their tick surveillance program.  They track types of ticks and where they were found.
  • If you find a tick that looks plump and fat, this is a tick that has been feeding and has more potential to spread disease. You should contact your health professional (for yourself) or your veterinarian (for your pet) to discuss next steps.
  • If you’d like to have a tick you found tested for disease, check out this website: tickcheck.com

Call us today to get your pet started on tick prevention!

For more information on ticks, their life cycles, disease and prevention, check out this website from Colorado State University.

https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/insects/colorado-ticks-and-tick-borne-diseases-5-593/

Have a great summer and stay safe!  Dr. Brown