Ticks – everything you need to know about them
Ticks - because we will talk about them today - are not to blame in themselves - because those that infect have been infected themselves
With the arrival of spring, our natural desire to spend time outdoors surrounded by nature awakens. Most often, we go for a walk with our four-legged friend to a park, forest or garden - but even there, there may be danger.
Many of us underestimate the consequences of encountering a 5mm arthropod! And such a bite, in some cases, may even lead to our friend leaving.
Ticks belong to arthropods, specifically to the group of arachnids, there are as many as 900 different species of them in the world.
Their occurrence on Earth is determined by climatic conditions and geographical location. Therefore, in different regions of the world, depending on temperature and humidity, different species of ticks dominate. It is interesting that the same species of tick in one country can be a carrier of diseases, while in another, with a lower temperature, it is not.
In Poland, you can find three species of ticks that transmit dangerous diseases to dogs.
- The pasture tick, also known as Ixodes ricinus, is the main vector of Lyme disease and Anaplasmosis
- The meadow tick, or Dermacentor reticulatus, transmits primarily Babesia canis, but also Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Ehrlichia canis and Borrelia burgdorferi
- The dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, is of less epidemiological importance, but may be the cause of ehrlichiosis introduced to Poland.
At this point, it is worth paying attention to the fact that in the era of open borders, in Poland you can also meet other dangerous species that enter us through the backside or ear of another dog.
Ticks appear in our environment seasonally. The first ones wake up in early spring.
Usually after the first thaw, when the temperature reaches 7-12°C. Therefore, ticks most often appear in February and March. However, in recent years we have also observed their presence in January and even December, which is due to increasingly mild winters and the earlier arrival of spring. A few warm days are enough for these bugs to become active. The largest abundance is recorded in May and June, and the next ones in September and October, which is related to their life cycle. Ticks are active mainly in the morning and evening, avoiding midday hours when the sun is hottest.
They can be found most often in humid, warm places. They can usually be found on the lower branches of trees, in grasses and bushes, less often on high branches - but which of our dogs jumps on high branches?
They are especially active on the underside of leaves, they love blackberries and raspberries, which is why they prefer deciduous and mixed forests. In the city you will find them in city parks, squares, gardens and lawns. It is not true that ticks are a problem only for rural dogs, they also appear more and more often in dogs living in cities. However, hunting dogs and those that live near forests or in home gardens are particularly vulnerable to contact with ticks.
These small arthropods attack unexpectedly, and their stings are practically unnoticeable.
They pose a significant threat to our pets. Although they themselves are not directly harmful to animals, they transmit dangerous diseases.
Here's a note! If you find a tick on your pet, don't panic! Not every tick is a death sentence. Unfortunately, at first glance it is not clear whether a given tick transmits the infection. It is important to remove this tick from our pet's body as soon as possible.
Infection with most tick-borne diseases usually occurs after 24 hours. That's why we recommend brushing your dog after every walk as soon as you get home - even if you find a tick, the time from the bite will be relatively short. You can do it yourself using tweezers or special tick traps - we have never managed to remove a tick using this miracle, but maybe you will succeed 😊
Remember to remain calm when removing the tick. It is not enough to remove only the abdomen, what is important is the head of this arachnid and, above all, the mouthparts. A good way is to put such a criminal on paper or a tissue and check whether it is intact. If not, you will need to see a vet. We disinfect the bite site (e.g. Oxycord) and observe it. Within a few hours or even days, we may feel a thickening at the site of the bite, which indicates an inflammatory process. If it does not disappear within a week, it is worth consulting a specialist. It is possible that the dog's blood will be tested.
To protect our pets from ticks, it is important to follow tick prevention measures all year round. Quickly removing the parasite and recognizing the symptoms of tick-borne diseases is the key to ensuring the safety of our four-legged friends.
What diseases do ticks transmit?
Piroplasmosis, also known as babesiosis, is a disease transmitted by ticks. The main carriers are ticks of the species Dermacentor reticulatus, which have Babesia protozoa in their salivary glands. Infection usually occurs after at least 48 hours, although there are cases of infection after 8 hours when the tick was previously on another animal.
These protozoa attack the dog's red blood cells, which leads to their breakdown, causing anemia and various symptoms of the disease.
The disease develops quickly and treacherously. Most often, it occurs in the form of acute or subacute symptoms that may appear as early as 7 days after the tick bite.
The symptoms are non-specific, so they can be easily missed by the owner. How they manifest:
- the dog becomes apathetic,
- loses appetite,
- is weakened,
- he often has a fever (he will wheeze with his mouth open, his eyes will be glassy, his nose will be dry and warm).
You may also notice:
- pallor of the conjunctiva and mucous membranes,
- weakness of limbs,
- muscle tremors,
- unsteady gait.
Initially, the symptoms are mild, but over time they become more intense and new, more serious symptoms appear, such as rapid breathing, irregular heartbeat, complete apathy or lethargy.
Typical symptoms of babesiosis are:
- fever,
- dark urine,
- often yellowing of the skin and mucous membranes (jaundice),
- vomiting or diarrhea may also occur.
Untreated babassiosis is a fatal disease!
Lyme disease, also known as Lyme disease, is a bacterial disease caused by the spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi (sensu lato).
The main vector of transmission of this disease are ticks, mainly of the species Ixodes ricinus. To become infected, the tick must feed on its host for at least 16-48 hours. Interestingly, if the spirochetes enter the host's bloodstream, another tick feeding at the same time can also become infected with Lyme disease. The reservoir for Lyme disease are numerous small mammals.
In dogs, Lyme disease often manifests itself as acute polyarthritis, which results in asymmetrical lameness, loss of appetite and weakness. The disease may also be relapsing, where a few days of symptoms are followed by days of improvement, and then the cycle repeats.
Anaplasmosis is a disease caused by microorganisms from the Anaplasma family, which are Gram-negative bacteria.
Infection occurs at the earliest after 24-48 hours of tick feeding. The reservoir for these pathogens are small rodents and wild animals.
The disease manifests itself with non-specific symptoms, such as:
- apathy,
- fever,
- decreased appetite and pale mucous membranes.
Acute symptoms include:
- vomiting,
- diarrhea,
- rapid breathing,
- enlargement of lymph nodes, liver, spleen,
- lameness and neurological symptoms.
Anaplasmosis can also occur in a chronic form.
Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is the most common viral disease transmitted by ticks.
It is caused by the encephalitis virus transmitted by ticks. In dogs, TBE is severe and, in cases of severe neurological symptoms, may lead to the animal's death.
Symptoms of tick-borne encephalitis in dogs include:
- weakness,
- vomiting,
- diarrhea,
- loss of appetite,
- fever and developing neurological symptoms.
These include:
- gait disturbances,
- sensory disturbances,
- nerve paralysis,
- hyperesthesia,
- convulsions, as well as paresis and paralysis of limbs.
Aggression and hypersensitivity to stimuli are also often observed. The disease may resemble the symptoms of rabies.
If left untreated, tick-borne diseases can quickly lead to the death of your dog. They can also cause damage to important organs such as the heart, liver and kidneys. Therefore, it is crucial to quickly recognize these diseases, which is not always easy.
Here we come back to the starting point once again - prevention is better than getting sick.
And here we invite you to read the article on how to protect your pets against ticks (which will appear soon).
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Do you properly secure and check your pet after walks? Share your experiences in the comments below!
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- Zdrowy pies R. Habib, K. Becker
- Ehrlichiosis and Anaplasmosis: An Update.Diniz PPVP, Moura de Aguiar D.
- Ticks and Tick-Borne Infections of Dogs in Two Jordanian Shelters. Far D, Takács N, Gyurkovszky M, Solymosi N, Farkas R.
- Tick-borne pathogens detected in sheltered dogs during an epidemic of Rocky Mountain spotted fever, a One Health challenge. Backus L, Foley J, Chung C, Virata S, Zazueta OE, López-Pérez A.
- How Changing Tick-Borne Disease Prevalence in Dogs Affects Diagnostic Testing. Kidd L.
- foreverdog.com
