AAA OVG Leaflet5.indd - Oakhill Veterinary Group

Your Pet in Safe Hands
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Advice on Tick
Preven�on and
Treatment
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www.oakhillvetgroup.co.uk
www.oakhillvetgroup.co.uk
Lake Road
Windermere
Cumbria
LA23 2EQ
Phone: 015394 88555
Fax: 015394 42859
Ticks
1 Church Street
Ambleside
Cumbria
LA22 0BU
Phone: 015394 32631
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Oakhill
Veterinary Group
Your Pet in Safe Hands
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A guide to be�er health for your pet
Ticks
What are �cks?
Are �cks a problem?
Ticks are blood sucking insects. They are found in many parts of
the UK but more commonly where there are a lot of sheep or
deer. They are very common in the Lake District, on moorland
and heathland and in woodland.
YES! There are several problems �cks can cause and diseases
which they can carry:
• Local skin reac�ons and abscesses at the site of the bite.
• Blood-borne diseases. When a �ck bites it regurgitates some
of its stomach contents into the site of the bite to aid in feeding.
If the animal the �ck last fed on was infected with diseases such
as those below then transmission is possible:
• Bacterial Pyaemia. Bacteria from the site of the �ck bite get
into the animals blood.
• Lyme Disease. This is becoming more common across the
country. It is caused by the parasite of Borrelia burgdorferi and
transmi�ed by Ixodes species of �cks, the most common �cks
in the UK. Lyme disease may cause fever, lethargy, arthri�s and
occasionally skin disease.
Vaccina�ng against Lyme disease
There is a vaccina�on available to protect against Lyme
disease in dogs. We would strongly recommend preven�ng
�ck a�achment and feeding in the first place but if your dog
is regularly exposed to �ck environments we would also
advise vaccina�on. Please ask one of the vets at Oakhill Vet
Group about this vaccina�on.
• Anaplasmosis. Caused by the parasite Anaplasma
phogocytophila and transmi�ed by Ixodes �cks. Although rarely
diagnosed in the UK, symptoms include depression, fever,
reluctance to move and general malaise.
• Babesiosis. The Babesia canis parasite destroys red blood
cells causing anaemia. Symptoms include lethargy, weakness,
vomi�ng, anorexia, fever and dark discoloura�on of the urine.
Although historically rare in the UK, outbreaks do occur and are
likely to be more common as more pets travel back and forth
from the con�nent and our climate gets warmer.
Life cycle of a �ck
Ticks spend most of their life in humid vegeta�on (bracken and
long grass) where they wait for an animal to brush past, such
as a dog, cat or human. They then jump on and a�ach by bi�ng
through the skin and consume a blood meal over the next few
days. As they feed they grow in size. They can remain a�ached for
up to 10 days. The �ck will then naturally drop off the animal and
lay hundreds of eggs in the environment. Here the eggs develop
and hatch into adults and so the life cycle con�nues.
Adult female seeks host such as dog
or cat, engorges with blood, and
mates before dropping off.
Engorged
nymph shelters
in grass and
moults
to adult.
Nymph seeks
host
such as
rabbit or dog.
Life
cycle of a
�ck
Engorged
larva shelters
in grass and
moults to
nymph.
Engorged
female lays
from 1000 to
10000 eggs
and then dies.
Larva hatches
from egg and
seeks host
such as small
mammal.
www.oakhillvetgroup.co.uk
What should I do if I find a �ck on my pet?
CARE, it is easy to leave part of the �ck behind. The mouthparts
of �cks have barbs which embed into the skin to help hold it in
place whilst it feeds. These do not come away easily and can get
le� in the skin when trying to remove the whole �ck.
The best way to remove �cks is with a plas�c �ck hook called
O’Tom. Just ask one of the Oakhill Team at Windermere or
Ambleside and they will be happy to show you how to use one. If
part of the �ck is le� behind it can be difficult to remove. Examine
the site of the bite and if it looks swollen you should make an
appointment to see one of the vets at Oakhilll Vet Group.
If your pet appears at all ill at the �me of finding the �ck or several
weeks a�er finding and removing the �ck you should make an
appointment with one of the vets at Oakhill Vet Group. If you are
a visitor to the area and your pet is ill on returning home make
sure you inform your vet that your pet has recently visited a high
risk �ck area.
How do I prevent my pet from ge�ng �cks?
Certain areas will have more �cks than others, par�cularly if
there is a lot of bracken and deer. If you are concerned about
�cks it may be best to avoid these known ‘hot spots.’
Always check your pet when returning from walking in these
high risk areas. It is important to remove the �cks and or kill
them within 24-48hours a�er a�achment to minimise the risk of
disease transmission. We recommend having a �ck remover to
hand when walking your dog in �ck infested areas or if your cat
frequently comes home with �cks a�ached.
There are mul�ple types of treatment available including:
• Topical Spot-On products
• Oral tablet medica�on
• Medicated collars
It is important to regularly check your pet for �cks, par�cularly
if they are travelling abroad. Pay par�cular a�en�on to the ears,
legs, paws and around their head. REMOVE the �ck as soon as
possible.
We would typically recommend a product with �ck repellency
and/or a fast kill ac�on. Please speak to one of the Oakhill Team
if you would like to discuss which products are suitable for your
pet and situa�on.
www.oakhillvetgroup.co.uk
www.oakhillvetgroup.co.uk