If you think that ticks only pose a threat to your dog, then you need to think again. Ticks are one of the dreaded enemies of the medical world. This is because they are known carriers of deadly viruses that not only harm your pet but also cause significant health risk to humans. The diseases they can transmit to humans can cause not only anemia but also paralysis, depending upon the virus that they have transmitted to humans.
Picking Up Ticks
Dogs can easily pick up ticks when they explore their surroundings or play on the grass. You will not be able to detect the presence of ticks on your dog unless they’ve gorged themselves on blood and their bloated bodies become more visible.
The scary thing about ticks is that they can crawl off the dog in search for a new host. They can hide in your carpet, sofa, bed, etc. and bite you when they come out to feed. Aside from the itchy lesions they cause, there is also the risk of being infected with the deadly virus that they are carrying.
For this reason, you need to keep your dog tick-free.
A Tick-Free Dog
Keeping them tick-free is actually easy. The first thing that you will need is to search for ticks. However, before you run your hands over your dog’s body though, you need to wear protective latex gloves to prevent getting bitten by one. You also need to do it in a well-lighted room. This way, you can easily see where the ticks are, and you can also easily see those that have fallen off your dog and get rid of them.
You need to run your fingers all over your dog’s body, paying special attention to your dog’s ears as well as neck. You also need to check his skin folds as well as between his paws. These are the places where ticks commonly hide.
You have to have tweezers to pick the ticks up. Don’t pick it up with your fingers, and don’t squash them between your thumbs. You don’t want the blood getting into your skin. The trick to pulling them off your dog is by grasping the tick at the point of its attachment to the dog. Be extra mindful though that you don’t squeeze the tick’s body too tightly with the tweezers. You don’t want it injecting bacteria and viruses into the site of attachment, and you also don’t want it splashing blood on you.
It’s best that you place the ticks in a deep plastic container that contains alcohol. To be on the safe side, don’t discard the container once you’re done getting rid of your dog’s ticks. Instead, close the lid tightly, write the date, and save it where your children can’t find them. If someone from your family member gets sick, you can send the container to the doctor for tick identification and to know if the ticks have caused the illness.
Finally, make it a routine to regularly check your dog for ticks. Always wash the bitten areas with soap and water, and put ointment if necessary to prevent infection. If ticks have invaded your home, you can call your pest control provider to help you get rid of them.
Jennifer Dabney regularly contributes articles to a pest control Maryland provider. As a dog owner, she knows how important it is to get rid of ticks and keep them off your dog.