Ticks tend to thrive in grassy, brushy and woody areas, where they sit on the vegetation until an animal wanders by.
As they carry various diseases including Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, it is essential to keep them off pets by checking for them on a regular basis.
If the pet spends a lot of time outdoors, especially in an area which is known for ticks, this should be done daily.
It is best to wear latex gloves while checking, as the diseases can also be transmitted to humans both by the tick itself and by contaminated skin.
The pet should be felt all over, particularly around the head, ears and neck. Any detected lumps the size of a small pea should be closely inspected, as they could indicate ticks.
Varying in colour from tan to reddish, brown or black, ticks are tiny disk-like arachnids with eight legs. Originally only about the size of a pin-head, they can swell up to the size of a grape once attached to their host (the pet).
To remove them, the pet should be put into a comfortable position and, if possible, someone's help to keep it distracted should be enlisted.
Each tick should be grasped as close as possible to the pet's skin with tweezers, taking care not to pinch the pet.
It should then be pulled out in a steady, straight movement. This needs to be done gently, as pulling too hard may result in the tick's head remaining lodged in the skin, leading to inflammation or secondary infection.
Ticks should be disposed off by throwing them onto a fire, or by squashing them inside some tissue with the tweezers and flushing them down the toilet.
Applying antiseptic ointment to both the bite and the surrounding area will discourage infection.
As they carry various diseases including Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, it is essential to keep them off pets by checking for them on a regular basis.
If the pet spends a lot of time outdoors, especially in an area which is known for ticks, this should be done daily.
It is best to wear latex gloves while checking, as the diseases can also be transmitted to humans both by the tick itself and by contaminated skin.
The pet should be felt all over, particularly around the head, ears and neck. Any detected lumps the size of a small pea should be closely inspected, as they could indicate ticks.
Varying in colour from tan to reddish, brown or black, ticks are tiny disk-like arachnids with eight legs. Originally only about the size of a pin-head, they can swell up to the size of a grape once attached to their host (the pet).
To remove them, the pet should be put into a comfortable position and, if possible, someone's help to keep it distracted should be enlisted.
Each tick should be grasped as close as possible to the pet's skin with tweezers, taking care not to pinch the pet.
It should then be pulled out in a steady, straight movement. This needs to be done gently, as pulling too hard may result in the tick's head remaining lodged in the skin, leading to inflammation or secondary infection.
Ticks should be disposed off by throwing them onto a fire, or by squashing them inside some tissue with the tweezers and flushing them down the toilet.
Applying antiseptic ointment to both the bite and the surrounding area will discourage infection.
