Spring is here and so is the tick. Previously, Alberta has luckily avoided many of the tick borne diseases that have plagued other parts of the world. This is no longer the case as Alberta now has Lyme disease.

Lyme disease is not caused by the tick itself, but is a result of an infection from bacteria living in the tick’s stomach. Once the tick starts feeding, the bacteria moves from the stomach into the victim after about 48 hours. Symptoms of Lyme disease are extremely variable between species of mammals infected (people included). Cats do not seem to be affected, perhaps because they are fastidious about grooming and remove ticks before they start feeding. Dogs can have symptoms that vary from mild fever to severe joint pain and kidney disease.

To Keep Ticks Off Your Dog, You Should

1. Contact your veterinarian. Tick repellents for dogs vary in type of application and effectiveness. Talk to your veterinarian about which product is most effective in your area, as the tick burden varies across the country. Currently there is quite a bit of research looking into essential oils as tick repellents, much of which showing that they are effective. It does seem that essential oils can cause the same topical reactions seen with traditional repellents. The strong scent of the essential oils can bother dogs due to their keen noses. Do not use these on cats, as many are toxic to them. And always remember that no product is ever 100% effective.
2. Keep your dog’s coat short. This will help you find the ticks quicker. Remember they need to be removed within the first 24 hours to reduce the risk of disease.
3. Go through your dogs coat every night during tick season (generally, summertime). Check around the head and ears, under the tail, and between the toes. Everywhere!

If You Find A Tick On Your Dog, You Should

1. Use tweezers and grasp the tick close to the skin. Do not squeeze the tick’s body as this may push bacteria from the stomach into your dog (or yourself if the tick is on you!)
2. Pull the tick straight up using gentle yet firm force. This is the most effective method to remove all of the tick.
3. It is not ideal if the tick’s head breaks off and is left behind, but using a needle to try to remove the head is almost impossible and will likely cause more damage to your pet.
4. Place the tick into a tightly sealed plastic container with a moist piece of cotton. Take the tick to your veterinarian for submission to the Government of Alberta’s tick surveillance program. They will identify the species of tick and if it is the type that carries Lyme disease they will test it for the bacteria. This testing can take some time, so if you think you or your dog may have been exposed to Lyme disease go to your family physician and/or a an experiencedveterinarianfirst.

If you have any questions about ticks or Lyme disease in Alberta,contact us.

Yours in health,

Dr. Kent Morley