Part 2 TicksWith the warmer weather upon us, ticks are beginning to emerge in the environment. They feed on blood but are not as irritating to dogs as fleas are. Ticks carry many infectious diseases such as Lyme disease, ehrlichia, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, or even tick paralysis.
A tick's life cycle can last up to 2 years with the larvae, nymph, and adult stages all able to feed on pets and people. Right before a female tick lays eggs, she consumes a massive amount of blood (up to 600 times her body weight in blood). These are the engorged ticks you find on your pet.
Ticks tend to gravitate to vertical objects to lay eggs or to wait for a passing host they can jump on. Carbon dioxide, as well as heat and movement, stimulate them to seek out a host. They will often be found on or around bushes or rock walls, and are rarely found out in the middle of your yard. Dogs who like to investigate bushy areas or wooded areas with heavy brush are at risk of picking up ticks.
Fortunately, there are several good tick preventions products that both kill and repel ticks that are combined with a flea control so that you only need to apply one product monthly to control both ticks and fleas. Please feel free to contact our office at 816-353-6681 for our current recommendations.
