Ticks

Depending on the tick and environmental conditions, the life cycle of a tick can range from a few months to two years. Each developmental stage of a tick's life requires a blood meal in order to reach the next stage. Some species can survive for years without feeding.

Tick Life Cycle

• EGG STAGE
  Female ticks lay eggs in secluded areas where vegetation is dense and several inches high. Adult females of some tick species lay about 100 eggs at a time; others lay 3,000 to 6,000 eggs per batch. Regardless of species, tick eggs hatch in about two weeks.
• LARVA STAGE
  After hatching, the larvae move into grass or shrubs in search of their first blood meal. If you or your pet passes by, they attach themselves and crawl upward in pursuit of an area of the skin that they can feed from. Then they drop off the host, back into the environment.
• NYMPHAL STAGE
  After finding their first blood meal, the larvae molt into their nymph stage and begin searching for another host. Nymphs are the size of a freckle and often go undetected, increasing the chance for disease transmission.
• ADULT STAGE
  Once the nymph has had its blood meal, it matures into adulthood. Adult female ticks feed on a host for 8 to 12 days. In some cases, they will increase to 100 times their original weight while feeding. While still on the host, the female will mate, fall off and lay her eggs in a secluded place--beginning the life cycle again.

Warning Signs
The following are warning signs that your dog or cat may have been bitten by a tick: 

• Fever 

• Lameness 

• Loss of appetite 

• Sudden onset of pain in your pet's legs or body 

• Arthritis or swelling in your pet's joints 

• Lethargy or depression 

• Cough 

Contact your veterinarian immediately to schedule an examination and a blood test if you believe that your pet has been bitten and infected by a tick. If you remove any of the ticks from your pet, save them in a bottle--your veterinarian may want to examine them in order to determine what type of ticks they were. Remove ticks with tweezers, never with your hands.

Ailments
Tick bites may affect your dog's or cat's health in the following ways: 

• Lyme Disease
  A bacterial infection that infects both people and dogs, Lyme disease is usually carried by the Deer tick. Symptoms include lameness, fever, loss of appetite, fatigue and an abnormal enlargement of the lymph nodes. Lyme disease is often treatable with antibiotics.
• Babesiosis
  Acute symptoms may include fever, loss of appetite, and general deterioration. Shock, coma or death after less than a day of lethargy may also occur, especially in puppies 4 -12 weeks old. The infection responds to a variety of treatments if caught early, although blood transfusion may be necessary in later stages of the disease.
• Ehrlichiosis
  An infectious blood disease that attacks your pet's white blood cells, crippling the immune system. Symptoms include fever, depression, weight loss, and loss of appetite. Treatable with antibiotics.
• Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
  Often transmitted by the American dog tick. Symptoms include fever, loss of appetite, coughing, lameness, depression, vomiting and diarrhea. If untreated it can result in the more acute symptoms or even death.
• Cytauxzoonosis
  An acute, usually fatal disease in cats. Symptoms include loss of appetite and depression, followed by one to three days of fever. Death may follow in another one to three days.

If you believe that your pet is suffering from any of the above ailments, consult your veterinarian.

Prevention
There are many tick preventive medications available, please us the one that is recommended by your veterinarian.

In addition to applying tick preventives regularly, the following steps can also be taken to prevent ticks from harming your pet:

• Yardwork
  You can remove tick habitats from your yard by keeping tall grass clipped, removing any mulch or leaf litter and trimming bushes.
• Avoid Tall Grass Or Brush
  Keep your pet far away from these tick breeding grounds.
• Examine Your Pet
  Examine your pet thoroughly every day for ticks. Although ticks prefer attaching to your pet's head, neck and paws, you should still try to cover as much of your pet's body as possible.