Spring and autumn are the two seasons when ticks are particularly active and therefore dangerous for your pets, especially your dog. If your dog catches a tick, it is essential to remove it as quickly as possible to prevent the transmission of diseases such as Lyme disease or piroplasmosis.
Our London pets at home vets explain what to do if you find one of these parasites on your pet.
Ticks are easy to recognise. Very few species are found in London and the surrounding area. The most difficult thing is to identify the tick as early as possible.
In the early stages of infestation, ticks remain very small, around 3 mm in size. They are difficult to find in your dog's coat. You will usually detect the tiny parasite when stroking your pet.
After several hours of attachment, when the tick has started feeding on blood, it swells up and becomes much easier to spot and remove. At the end of its meal, the tick can measure up to 1 cm in length and is greyish in colour.
During the blood meal, infected ticks can transmit blood protozoa such as babesia and borrelia. These blood parasites are responsible for sometimes serious haematological diseases, causing the destruction of your dog's red blood cells.
The resulting anaemia causes fever, fatigue and depression. Without early treatment, these diseases can be fatal in dogs.
As you have understood, immediate removal of the tick is essential to limit any contamination of your dog. But be careful, if you do not follow the recommended method, you risk breaking the tick's rostrum, which will then remain in your dog's skin, causing a local infection at the bite site.
Here's how to remove a tick easily and safely for your dog:
Removing a tick does not require a visit to the vet. However, if the parasite you remove is engorged with blood, it is best to consult a vet to check your pet's health. If you remove several ticks, a veterinary examination is also recommended.
Ticks are known to transmit two main diseases to dogs: piroplasmosis and Lyme disease. In the London area, Lyme disease is the most common.
Lyme disease is a blood disease in dogs caused by Borrelia, which is why it is also known as Lyme borreliosis. It is estimated that around 15% of ticks carry the parasite.
In practice, Lyme disease manifests itself as a reddish circle at the site of the tick bite. This circular area spreads rapidly while healing in the centre. Within the first 72 hours, the circle becomes a ring. This lesion is called erythema migrans.
Along with these skin signs, your dog will have a fever and be really tired. There aren't any other symptoms until the parasite gets to the central nervous system. In the later stages, neurological signs show up, like shaking, spasms, ataxia, and seizures.
Less common in England, piroplasmosis is a blood disease in dogs caused by Babesia canis, which results in the massive destruction of the animal's red blood cells. The effects on the body are rapid: fever and marked depression.
The characteristic symptoms of piroplasmosis are high fever (above 102°F) combined with brick-red urine and sudden loss of appetite. In the most severe cases, a blood transfusion will be necessary at the vet.
Treatment of piroplasmosis in its early stages is simple. The vet uses imidocarb to kill the babesia and thus stop the destruction of red blood cells. Anti-inflammatories are often used to quickly reduce fever and restore appetite.
To prevent your pets from catching ticks, constant vigilance is necessary. Although certain periods of the year are particularly prone to infestation, parasites are present throughout the year.
To protect your dog, you can use repellents that can be applied to the skin, in the form of sprays, collars or spot-on pipettes. Please note that these products are insecticides and may pose a risk to the environment and to you.
Only use products recommended by your vet. In most cases, tick treatment will be prescribed during your pet's annual health check-up and other preventive measures.
During autumn and spring, when ticks are very active, you should combine these preventive measures with a thorough examination of your dog's coat every time you return from a walk. To guide your search, focus on hairless areas such as around the ears, between the toes and around the eyes.
In practice, vets consider that a tick must be attached for more than 24 hours for babesia or borrelia to be transmitted. As a result, checking your pet every day and removing any ticks you find immediately will significantly reduce the risk of your dog becoming ill.
Bear in mind that not all ticks are infected and therefore not dangerous.
Yes, ticks are also dangerous for your cats. Here again, the parasites can transmit diseases when they bite, such as ehrlichiosis, for example. Good prevention is the best way to protect your pet from these blood-borne diseases.
Ticks are most commonly found in grassy areas, fallow fields and undergrowth. However, in practice, it is possible to catch a tick in various areas of the countryside or mountains.
Yes, Lyme disease and piroplasmosis are fatal diseases in dogs. We have also seen dogs die from massive infestations, with their bodies covered in hundreds of ticks...
Don't panic if the tick's head remains embedded in your dog's skin when you try to remove it. The tick's rostrum will be expelled naturally in the following weeks. However, it is essential to disinfect the bite area twice a day until the head is removed.
